The San Diego Padres should sign Donovan Solano for the 2025 season. 

There are several facets to a winning baseball team.

Talented players will help determine a winning squad, but other factors result in a World Championship.

For the San Diego Padres, it took an excellent mix of players in 2024 to get the most out of their 26-man roster. Like a fine recipe, the Padres needed players who fulfilled all the obligations of the game to create a quality dining experience for the fans. Superstars are nice, but it takes a mix of youth and veterans to complete the roster.

For Donovan Solonao, his 2024 season started with much uncertainty.

In 2023, Solano recorded a .760 OPS in 134 games for the Minnesota Twins. It seemed as though he were a lock to find work elsewhere after hitting free agency. Perhaps it was his age (36), but Solonao was given no major league opportunity and sat by his phone waiting. It was now mid-April, and Solano was on the verge of a forced retirement. A.J. Preller and the Padres called, and the rest is history.

The 10-year veteran began his tenure as a Padre with El Paso at the Triple-A level. Nothing came easy for him. Solano grinded on the bus with his Triple-A teammates for two weeks before being promoted by the Padres on May 5.

Upon arrival, it was not clear what to expect from the veteran.

Solano put up a 1.027 OPS in the month of May and forced his way into the Padres lineup. With Xander Bogaerts hurt, the Padres gave Solano every chance to play, and he made the most of it. After Bogaerts returned from injury, Ha-Seong Kim went down with a shoulder problem. Both incidents provided the opportunity for Solano, and he took advantage, recording a .760 OPS in 96 games and 283 at-bats for the Padres.

The veteran is nicknamed “El Maestro” or “The Teacher” by his teammates. He provides much more than a quality at-bat when he steps into the box. Solano is well-respected by his teammates and looked upon when a player is dealing with hard times. Solano has been there. He was almost out of the game. A player like that has the respect of the clubhouse, and they will never take for granted their time in the majors.

A winning clubhouse is made up of several individuals, and a player like Donovan Solano is vital to success.

The Padres would be wise to bring him back. At 37, Solano is probably not an everyday option in 2025 and beyond. But he is an excellent veteran presence and a useful player who gives professional at-bats each time he laces up the spikes. That is important to the new philosophy of the Padres.

His cost shouldn’t be tremendous, and there is easily another productive year in his bat. We will see what the Padres do this winter.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.