Padres release Rougned Odor

The Padres have released infielder/outfielder Rougned Odor, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment by the Friars last week and would have been able to reject an outright assignment as a veteran with more than three years of major league service time. The club has simply skipped that formality and sent him back to the open market.

Odor, 29, signed a minor league deal with the club in the offseason and cracked the Opening Day roster. He spent over three months serving a part-time role for the Padres, taking 157 trips to the plate in 59 games. He essentially flipped his previous profile of a low-walk, high-power guy. His 10.8% walk rate this year has been far better than any previous season and well beyond his 6.1% career rate. But he hit just four home runs in that time, despite once being a 30-homer threat on an annual basis.

His .210/.306/.370 batting line this year amounted to a wRC+ of 90, or 10% below the league average. Despite having hit 178 home runs in his career, he’s subtracted a lot of value with his poor on-base abilities. His career batting line of .230/.288/.423 translates to an 85 wRC+.

Defensively, Odor has mostly been a second baseman but has diversified in recent years as he’s been squeezed out of regular action. He spent a bit of time at third base in the previous two seasons and the Padres also slotted him in at first base and right field here in 2023. He’ll now head to free agency and look for his next opportunity.