Padres add O'Grady on Major League deal

SAN DIEGO -- As they continue to reconstruct their bench this offseason, the Padres signed outfielder Brian O'Grady to a Major League contract on Tuesday.

In parts of two seasons with the Reds and Rays, O'Grady posted a .213 batting average and a .749 OPS.

The 28-year-old O'Grady brings upside with both his speed and power, and he should provide plenty of versatility as well. O'Grady can play all three outfield positions, along with first and third base.

Playing for Triple-A Louisville in the Reds' system in 2019, O'Grady batted .280/.359/.550 with 28 homers and 20 steals.

“Overall, he's a guy with some infield-outfield versatility, a left-handed bat," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. "He helps with our roster flexibility. In the 2019 season, he was really, really productive at the Minor League level, and he's gotten a taste of the big leagues. We felt he was a good fit for us."

O'Grady’s arrival gives the Padres some lefty-hitting outfield depth -- which they’ve been sorely lacking since trading Josh Naylor, Taylor Trammell and Franchy Cordero this past summer. O’Grady will enter Padres camp as a potential bench piece, but he has Minor League options, too, if needed.

Even with the addition of O’Grady, the Padres are expected to make other upgrades to their bench. It was undeniably one of the team’s strengths last season. But Greg Garcia, Jurickson Profar, Mitch Moreland and Jason Castro all became free agents.

San Diego remains in the market for an infield bench piece -- and possibly a catcher and another outfielder.

The O’Grady signing means the Padres now have a full 40-man roster. Any further free-agent acquisitions would necessitate a corresponding roster move.