San Diego Padres sign former Toronto Blue Jays infielder
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The San Diego Padres have signed former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Samad Taylor.
According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, the Padres have signed infielder Samad Taylor to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training.
Taylor elected free agency last week after being designated for assignment by the Mariners, ultimately choosing to sign with San Diego.
Free agent news: Padres have signed Samad Taylor to a minor league deal with a big league camp invite, source says. Taylor was just DFA'd by Seattle and elected free agency.
The 27-year-old was originally selected by Cleveland in the 10th round of the 2016 draft and spent six seasons (2016-22) in the minor leagues with Cleveland and Toronto.
He reached the Triple-A level in 2022, where he posted a .258/.337/.426 slash line with a 104 wRC+ across 280 plate appearances.
That season, Taylor demonstrated solid plate discipline with a 10.0% walk rate, reduced his strikeout rate to 22.1% after striking out 29.4% of the time in Double-A the year prior, and showcased his speed by stealing 23 bases.
Taylor profiles as a utility Triple-A depth pice for the Padres
After opening the 2023 season at Triple-A, Taylor earned his first major-league call-up with Kansas City in mid-June.
During his initial stint in the majors, Taylor appeared in 69 plate appearances and hit .200/.279/.267 with a 50 wRC+.
Despite the limited production, he continued to draw walks at a strong 10.1% clip and added value on the bases, swiping eight bags.
That stretch remains the most extensive big-league action of his career.
Taylor was traded to the Mariners in January 2024 for a player to be named later, but saw minimal major-league time afterward, logging just five plate appearances in 2024 and nine more in 2025.
With less than a full year of major-league service time and no remaining minor-league options, Taylor profiles as a depth piece for the Padres.
Stashing him at Triple-A provides organizational insurance without much downside as San Diego evaluates its infield depth.
An infielder by trade, Taylor spent 1,136 innings in the outfield in the minors from 2023-25 and profiles as a utility depth piece.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 24|42 ANSWERS San Diego Padres sign former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Do you think signing infielder Samad Taylor is a solid depth move for the San Diego Padres? | ||
| Yes | 9 | 21.4 % |
| No | 8 | 19 % |
| Too early to tell | 25 | 59.5 % |
| List of polls | ||