Padres Cut 9 Players From Spring Training Roster in Massive Move

The San Diego Padres announced their second wave of roster cuts on Thursday, reassigning eight players and optioning one.

Right-handed pitchers Sean Boyle, Evan Fitterer, Francis Peña and Ethan Routzahn, infielders Marcos Castanon and Romeo Sanabria, infielder/outfielder Clay Dungan and catcher Brendan Durfee were all reassigned to minor league camp. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Miguel Mendez was optioned to Double-A San Antonio.

The Padres now have 59 players remaining in Major League camp.

We have reassigned RHPs Sean Boyle, Evan Fitterer, Francis Peña and Ethan Routzahn, INFs Marcos Castanon and Romeo Sanabria, INF/OF Clay Dungan and C Brendan Durfee to minor league camp and optioned RHP Miguel Mendez to Double-A San Antonio. With today’s moves, we now have 59…
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 6, 2026

The Padres will have plenty more rounds of roster cuts in the coming weeks as they get closer to the 26-man roster they need for Opening Day. Here's some information on the nine players who were removed from the Major League roster on Thursday:

Sean Boyle

Boyle, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Padres this offseason after spending the last eight years in the New York Yankees organization. He's pitched in Triple-A in four of the last five years, but is yet to make his MLB debut. He allowed one run across 3.1 innings this spring with four strikeouts.

Evan Fitterer

Fitterer, 25, joined the Padres on a minor league deal this offseason after spending the last seven years in the Miami Marlins organization. The former fifth-round pick in 2019 spent the entire 2025 season in Double-A after reaching Triple-A in 2024. He didn't pitch for the Padres this spring.

Francis Peña

Peña, 25, has been with the Padres since 2022 and was ranked as the team's No. 20 prospect in 2025, per MLB Pipeline. He had a 4.99 ERA across 43 appearances in Triple-A last year. He allowed three runs over 2.2 innings this spring.

Ethan Routzahn

Routzahn, 27, has been with the Padres since 2021, making 22 appearances in Triple-A last year and finishing with a 3.75 ERA. He pitched three innings this spring, allowing one earned run.

Marcos Castanon

Castanon, 26, was a 12th-round pick by the Padres in 2021. He finished last year in Triple-A and was ranked as the team's No. 22 prospect in 2024, per MLB Pipeline. He went 2-for-10 with one RBI this spring.

Romeo Sanabria

Sanabria, 23, was an 18th-round pick by the Padres in 2022. He spent the entire 2025 season in Double-A, hitting .257 with an OPS of .685. This spring, he went 4-for-13 (.308) with one home run, six RBIs and an OPS of 1.000. He's currently ranked as the Padres' No. 28 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

Clay Dungan

Dungan, 29, was selected by the Padres in the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft from the Kansas City Royals. He spent the entire 2025 season in Triple-A, hitting .273 with 14 home runs, 80 RBIs and an OPS of .816. He went 3-for-16 (.188) this spring.

Brendan Durfee

Durfee, 24, was drafted by the Padres in the 14th round of the 2024 draft. He spent the entire 2025 season in High-A and didn't appear in a Cactus League game. He joined the Padres in Major League camp as catching depth after the injury to Blake Hunt.

Miguel Mendez

Mendez, 23, is the Padres' No. 3 ranked prospect in 2026, per MLB Pipeline. He reached Double-A in 2025, sporting an 8.06 ERA across 22.1 innings. He made two appearances this spring, allowing six earned runs over two innings of work.

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