The San Diego Padres need offensive help, and free-agent outfielder Eddie Rosario could be an option. 

With the loss of Juan Soto, the Padres will need offensive help in the coming season.

Only Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jose Azocar are on the active roster with outfield experience. Azocar is essentially viewed as a number four outfielder or a defensive upgrade late in games, so the Padres will probably need to find at least two starting outfielders for the 2024 baseball season.

Thankfully, there are still options for San Diego on the open market.

Eddie Rosario is a 32-year-old left-handed hitting veteran who played the last few seasons with the Braves. In the 2021 NLCS, Rosario powered the Braves past the Dodgers, recording a 1.647 OPS and a .560 batting average in 25 at-bats. He was awarded the MVP in the NLCS, and the Braves went on to win the World Series over the Astros.

The Padres are counting their pennies. The payroll will still be around the $200 million mark, but the team has already committed nearly 85 percent of its budget. To finish the roster, A.J. Preller and his staff must be frugal and wise with their investments. They cannot afford to get too crazy in bringing in talent.

Rosario made $9 million last season in the second season of a two-year/$18 million deal signed before the 2022 season. He will be looking for a contract near that amount but will likely have issues finding it. His past two seasons in Atlanta were fairly pedestrian. Rosario recorded a 100 OPS last season in 478 at-bats. He produced 21 homers in 142 games but struck out a career-high 122 times. During the 2022 season, Rosario struggled to find the field, playing in only 80 games.

There are things to like about Rosario, but the reality is he has only been slightly better than average throughout his career. What he does bring to the Padres is- a veteran who has recently won it all. The Puerto Rican outfielder could help build chemistry in a clubhouse that was very suspect last season.

Time is running out for the Padres to secure their outfield for the coming season. The left-handed hitting Rosario would further balance out the lineup and give the Padres a veteran presence in the middle of the order. Rosario makes sense to some degree, but it will all come down to dollars and cents in signing this veteran.

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.