Padres Outfielder Officially Elects to Leave Organization For $2 Million Deal in Japan

San Diego Padres outfielder Oscar Gonzalez signed a two-year, $2 million deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. Gonzalez was placed on unconditional release waivers by the Padres so that he could pursue an opportunity overseas with Nippon Professional Baseball.

The 27-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Padres in November. Gonzalez appeared in 21 games with the Friars this season, hitting .220 with 13 hits and four runs batted in.

With Triple-A El Paso, Gonzalez was slashing .333/.368/.704 with five homers in 12 games. When Jackson Merrill landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain, the outfielder was called up to provide reinforcements for San Diego.

Gonzalez had a standout rookie season in 2022 with the Cleveland Guardians when he slashed .296/.327/.461 with 11 home runs and an OPS of .789. Since then, his performance has since regressed.

This season, Gonzalez received most of his playing time as a left fielder. He filled a platoon role along with several other players, including Jason Heyward, Brandon Lockridge, Tirso Ornelas, Gavin Sheets, Jose Iglesias and Connor Joe.

While the Padres lineup is one of the best in baseball, the team could use depth at left field as the position has recorded a slash line of .190/.236/.268 as a collective in 2025. Padres left fielders rank last in the big leagues in several categories.

The Padres were expected to strike a blockbuster deal ahead of the season, but it never happened. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller will likely be active ahead of the trade deadline, and left field could be where he is looking to help the team.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.