Padres Sign Former Top-100 Prospect, 28, in Free Agency

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie (24) throws water on catcher Austin Hedges, left, TV personality Andre Knott, middle and designated hitter Bo Naylor, right, after the Guardians beat the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field on May 4, 2024. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Padres Sign Former Top-100 Prospect, 28, in Free Agency

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 6:55 PM ET

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The Padres are taking a flier on a former top prospect who had an 11.12 ERA last season.

Triston McKenzie, who was a consensus Top-100 Prospect prior to the 2017-21 seasons — and the top prospect in the Cleveland Guardians organization prior in 2019, according to MLB Pipeline — reportedly signed a minor league contract with the Padres.

Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reported the agreement first on Twitter/X.

The Padres and RHP Triston McKenzie have agreed to a Minor League deal, sources tell @JustBB_Media. Includes ST invite.

McKenzie owns a 4.07 ERA in 442 MLB innings since debuting in 2020, but struggled to a 5.46 ERA in just 97.1 innings over parts of the last three seasons.
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) December 18, 2025

McKenzie had spent his entire career with the Guardians, who selected him in the first round (42nd overall) out of high school in the 2015 MLB Draft.

In 442 MLB innings since debuting in 2020, the 6-foot-5 right-hander has a 4.07 ERA. But the 2025 season saw McKenzie spend most of the season in the minor leagues. He had an 11.12 ERA when he was designated for assignment on April 21.

In 16 games (five starts) across two minor league levels last season, McKenzie was 0-3 with a 7.17 ERA. He walked 31 batters in 21.1 innings.

More to come on this story.

This article first appeared on San Diego Padres on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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