As Padres fans endure an offseason that can only be described as uneventful, General Manager AJ Preller has made a move to potentially strengthen the outfield. Moisés Gómez, a powerful hitter recently released by St. Louis in February, has experience in both the Cardinals and Rays organizations. After being waived and playing in the Venezuelan Winter League as well as an independent league, Gómez is aiming to make his long-awaited MLB debut.
The 26-year-old Venezuelan corner outfielder has demonstrated offensive potential, but a disappointing final stint at Triple-A saw his batting average plummet to .208, with a significant drop in power production before his release. Now, with San Diego possibly losing corner outfielders Jurickson Profar and David Peralta to free agency, Gómez will be looking to earn a spot on the 40-man roster for 2025.
The potential departure of Profar has loomed over the Padres since the start of free agency. Coming off the best season of his career, Profar is seeking a lucrative deal, which the Padres appear hesitant to offer. Enter Gómez. While not a direct replacement for Profar, Gómez could provide much-needed depth to the Padres’ roster, despite his lack of MLB experience.
In what has been an unusually quiet offseason for Preller, Gómez is one of only a few additions made by San Diego. Late in December, the team also signed utility man Mike Brosseau, along with re-signing several minor-leaguers and players from last season’s 40-man roster.
Gómez’s role within the Padres organization remains uncertain. Though he has the potential to hit 30 home runs in a season, his low on-base percentage and high strikeout rate pose challenges for a team that ranked first in batting average and sixth in OBP and OPS during the 2024 season. Whether Gómez can adapt his approach at the plate to fit into the Padres’ system remains to be seen.
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