Padres sign outfielder Brian O’Grady
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres announced Tuesday afternoon that they sign outfielder Brian O’Grady to a major league contract. The details of the contract are currently unknown.
The #Padres have signed OF Brian O’Grady to a Major League contract. pic.twitter.com/9tWqHJevyL
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) December 8, 2020
O’Grady played for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 but played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, the team that drafted him.
O’Grady did not see the field much on either team. In 2019, O’Grady had 42 at-bats, and in 2020, he only had five for the Rays. In those 47 MLB at-bats, O’ Grady hit .213 with a .302 OBP and a .447 slugging percentage.
The Reds selected O’Grady in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft from Rutgers.
At Rutgers, he played all four years and became a starter in his sophomore year. In his senior year, O’Grady took off with a .510 slugging percentage and .912 OPS.
O’Grady struggled to get his footing in the minors for the first couple of years. However, in 2018, O’Grady impressed. At Triple-A Louisville, he hit eight home runs in 144 at-bats en route to a .927 OPS.
He continued his success at Triple-A in 2019 before getting the call to the majors.
The starting outfield positions for the Padres are pretty much solidified for 2020. O’Grady will likely serve as a left-handed bat off the bench and a potential fourth outfielder.
Dominic is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism. He also is the producer and co-host of the “Padres EVT Podcast.”