Chicago White Sox Castoff Makes San Diego Padres' 40-Man Roster, Eyes Big League Role

Gavin Sheets has been selected to the 40-man roster of the San Diego Padres and very well could head west with the team when training camp in Arizona breaks.

He signed a minor league contract with the Padres in February after being non-tendered by the Chicago White Sox in November.

Being added to the roster is no guarantee that manager Mike Shildt will name Sheets to the Opening Day roster; Sheets could be sent to Triple-A El Paso. Still, the team’s move certainly is a big step for the 28-year-old first baseman/outfielder.

Sammy Levitt, who does pregame and postgame radio for the Padres, shared video of Sheets reacting to the news.

“It's exciting,” Sheets said. “That was obviously the goal I had when I got here, and to get notified by the front office and everything, it feels good,” he said. “It's the hard work that was put in. Just excited about the opportunity to be here, to have the contract selected.”

Gavin Sheets reacts to the Padres selecting his contract and adding him to the 40-man roster. pic.twitter.com/C5DiA8EbFz
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) March 20, 2025

The White Sox selected Sheets, a left-handed hitter, in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He made his debut in Chicago in the summer of 2021 and hit .250 in 54 games.

But his average dipped in the three ensuing seasons: .241 in 2022, .203 in 2023 and .233 in 2024.

Last season, he struck out 21.2% of the time, but Sheets said Thursday that he has been working on his mechanics with coaches in the Padres camp.

And it appears to be paying off. Entering the final weekend of Cactus League play, Sheets was hitting .311 with six homers, 12 RBIs and a .756 slugging percentage.

In 435 games with the White Sox, Sheets hit .230, had 46 home runs, drove in 175 and slugged .385.

After being on a White Sox team last season that lost an MLB-record 121 games, Sheets is happy to have a chance to catch on with a team that has made the playoffs in three of the past five seasons.

“You look around this clubhouse, you look around with what this team has and the excitement of last year, and obviously what we want to build on,” Sheets said. “It feels good to start using the word, ‘we,’ look at what's ahead and be a part of this.”

In a corresponding move, the Padres transferred pitcher Joe Musgrove to the 60-day injured list.

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