San Diego Padres Triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas helmets on display at Southwest University Park on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 in El Paso, Texas. GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK

Padres Sign Free Agent Outfielder

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Dec 6, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Padres signed free agent outfielder Jase Bowen to a minor league contract for the 2026 season.

Bowen, 25, played 36 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, the Pittsburgh Pirates' top farm team, in 2025. He slashed .294/.386/.484 with seven stolen bases in 10 attempts.

A former Top-30 prospect in the Pirates' organization, Bowen was an 11th-round pick by the Pirates out of an Ohio high school in 2019. He was voted the state's Division II Player of the Year after his senior season at Central Catholic High School in Northwood, Ohio.

After losing the 2020 minor league season to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bowen mostly struggled in 2021-22 between the Class-A and Advanced-A levels of the Pirates' organization.

Bowen's career was catalyzed by a 35-game stint in the Australian Baseball League during the winter (summer in Australia) of 2022-23. He slashed .268/.329/.417 for the Sydney Blue Sox.

"I had so much fun out there, being in Sydney," Bowen said in an October 2023 interview. "I’d always wanted to go to Australia, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Meeting some of the guys out there, kind of doing their culture and just playing baseball against other minor league guys out there, former big leaguers — it was just a good time, meeting new guys and having those lifelong friendships.

“I think our best pitcher on our team was 46 years old," Bowen continued, referring to former Padres pitcher and Australia native Chris Oxspring. "He played in the bigs, so just kind of learning from him, picking his brain. He did a lot for us out there. It was great just to have the opportunity.”

As a measure of the level of talent in the Australian League, Oxspring — who made five big-league appearances for the Padres in 2005 — allowed seven runs in 29.1 innings, good for a 2.15 ERA.

Still, the winter proved to be an important stepping stone in Bowen's career. He hit 23 home runs and stole 26 bases in 2023 in the minors, then got off to a hot start in the Arizona Fall League — the top offseason showcase league for prospects.

Bowen spent the entire 2024 season at Double-A as a 23-year-old, slashing .241/.298/.366 for the Altoona Curve. He moved up to Triple-A for the first time in 2025.

Now he'll get a chance to show what he can do for the Padres, potentially beginning the season one step away from the big leagues if he's assigned to Triple-A El Paso.