Padres DFA Catcher Amid Massive Roster Move

There are now 40 players remaining in big league camp.

The most notable move made by the Padres was designating Sullivan for assignment. The backstop was one of few options for the Friars at the catcher position.

Meanwhile, Elias Diaz, who the Padres signed this winter to a one-year contract, has struggled mightily this spring hitting .160 in 25 at-bats.

In 2024, Dias hit .265 with six home runs and 38 RBIs. Padres catchers had not recorded an extra-base hit in Cactus League until Luis Campusano homered Sunday; however, there's a possibility Campusano starts the season in Triple-A.

The Padres limited options at catcher have propelled FanSided's Robert Murray to suggest the team signs another veteran backstop, Yasmani Grandal.

"With Yasmani Grandal looming on the free-agent market, the Padres should seriously consider a reunion with their former catcher," Murray writes. "Grandal, 36, debuted with the Padres in 2012 and played three seasons in San Diego before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015.

"Let’s make one thing clear: Grandal is not the same player he was when he made those All-Star teams with the Dodgers and Brewers. He’s coming off a season in which he hit .228/.304/.400 with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 72 games. But he’s a capable pitch framer, a veteran who knows how to work with a pitching staff, and someone who can split time with Diaz."

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