Padres Bolster Infield Depth With Veteran Slugger

With Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, the San Diego Padres already have plenty of big bats in their lineup.

You can never have too much power, however, which is why the Padres signed another slugger on Wednesday.

San Diego Padres News

According to Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell, San Diego agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent infielder Rougned Odor on Wednesday morning.

The 29-year-old second baseman will head to the National League after spending his first nine MLB seasons in the American League -- seven with the Texas Rangers and one apiece with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Odor has shown impressive power for a middle infielder, clubbing at least 30 homer runs three times and belting double-digit homers in eight straight seasons.

He'll try to extend that streak with the Padres this year, although he seems ticketed for a bench role if he makes San Diego's star-studded roster out of Spring Training. With a .201 batting average and a .274 OBP over his last four seasons combined, Odor doesn't make enough contact or reach base frequently enough to warrant an everyday role.

Still, Odor could have value as a bat off the bench or an insurance policy in case injuries pop up. He has experience playing third base as well, which could come in handy if Machado misses time.