Cal

Mitchell

If the 25-year-old is seeking an opportunity to make a big-league roster, the White Sox seem like a perfect choice. Mitchell spent the entire 2024 campaign at Triple-A El Paso where he slashed .277/.359/.512 with 22 homers, 70 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a 95/55 K/BB ratio across 469 plate appearances. He could wind up being a sneaky late-round option in the deepest of mixed league drafts if he finds his way into regular at-bats.

The left-handed-hitting Mitchell drove in three runs on the day and is now hitting .280/.377/.537 with nine home runs and six steals in 48 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. With Jurickson Profar suffering a leg injury on Tuesday, it’s possible we could see Mitchell get another MLB opportunity if the Padres feel the need to put Profar on the IL.

With Manny Machado likely to start the season as the team’s designated hitter, Batten was in the conversation to play some third base early in the season. That will apparently not be happening. The same goes for prospect Jakob Marsee who was battling with Graham Pauley and Jackson Merrill for an outfield opportunity. Perhaps he’ll get another shot during the season.

The deal has an additional $1.5 million in incentives based on plate appearances. Profar split 2023 between the Rockies and Padres, finishing with a .242/.321/.368 slash line with nine homers, 46 RBI and just one stolen base in 521 plate appearances. Coming into his age 31 season, it would make sense for Profar to operate as a super utility player off the bench; however, the Padres have shown a willingness to give him plenty of at-bats in the past. He becomes an immediate threat to Cal Mitchell and Jose Azocar as a potential starting outfielder in San Diego.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Mitchell, who hails from nearby Rancho Bernardo, and recently became a free agent at the conclusion of the minor league season. The 24-year-old former top prospect got into just two games this past season for the Pirates and holds a .626 OPS with five homers and three steals across 71 games in the big leagues since 2022. He’s a worthwhile lottery ticket for the Padres on a low-risk contract.

Mitchell went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last Friday. The 24-year-old outfielder will head back to Triple-A Indianapolis as extra organizational depth.

Mitchell spent much of 2022 with the Pirates, hitting .226/.286/.349 in 232 PA as a 23-year-old. However, he’s missed time to injury and regressed at Indianapolis this year, posting a .764 OPS that was down 170 points from his Triple-A OPS last year. Considering that he’s still relatively young, has solid tools and will be optionable again next year, some team might grab him off waivers.

The 24-year-old’s stay with the big league club lasted just four days this time around, as he’s being sent out to open up a roster spot for the highly-anticipated promotion of Nick Gonzales. Mitchell will continue to bide his time at Triple-A until he’s called upon once more.

Bryan Reynolds is dealing with some sort of injury issue, which has prompted the Pirates to bring up Mitchell ahead of Tuesday’s contest against the Cubs. The 24-year-old outfielder will be making his season debut when he gets into a game. He got into 69 contests last year for Pittsburgh in his rookie campaign.

The 24-year-old outfielder had an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but hit just .219 (7-for-32) with zero homers, three RBI and one stolen base during Grapefruit League action. He’ll bide his time at Triple-A until he’s called upon.