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Inside The Padres

Padres Signing Veteran Reliever Days Before Opening Day in Exciting Move

This is another boost to the Padres' already strong pitching depth.
Noah Camras|
Apr 13, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Jose Leclerc (37) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Apr 13, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Jose Leclerc (37) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are signing veteran reliever José Leclerc to a minor league deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. MLB insider Mike Rodriguez was first to report the news of the two sides nearing a deal.

Leclerc, 32, appeared in 10 games with the Athletics last season, finishing with a 6.00 ERA across nine innings pitched. Overall, across his nine-season MLB career, he has a 3.34 ERA over 360 big league appearances.

José Leclerc Career

Leclerc initially signed with the Texas Rangers in 2010 as an international free agent. He was a top 30 prospect in the organization in 2015, and made his MLB debut in 2016, sporting a 1.80 ERA across 15 big league innings.

Leclerc had a strong first full season in the majors in 2017 before enjoying a career year in 2018, finishing with a 1.56 ERA and 85 strikeouts across 57.2 innings.

He then signed a four-year extension ahead of the 2019 season, but had a 4.33 ERA in 2019, pitched just twice in 2020 and then underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2021.

Leclerc was able to return to form after Tommy John surgery, finishing with a 2.83 ERA in 2022 and a 2.68 ERA in 2023. He then struggled in 2024, which wound up being his final year with the Rangers.

The right-hander signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Athletics last offseason. He appeared in just 10 games before being shut down with a lat muscle strain that ultimately resulted in season-ending surgery.

Now, the Padres are taking a chance on the 32-year-old in what could be a great under-the-radar move for the organization.

How Will Jose Leclerc Fit With Padres?

The Padres already have arguably the best bullpen in MLB and tons of depth in the minor leagues. However, an organization can never have enough pitching, and Leclerc has been a solid reliever when healthy over the last decade.

Leclerc will start in the minor leagues where he'll work with the organization's coaches to potentially unlock some of the success he had just a few years ago. While he may not be one of the first pitchers called up this season, if he impresses, he could very well earn an early-season call-up.

The Padres aren't taking on any risk with Leclerc as this is a minor league deal. Thus, if things don't work out, they can allow him to go back to free agency in search of his next opportunity.

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Padres on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.

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