The Padres have designated catcher and infielder for a signment, per an announcement from the team. San Diego also optioned newly acquired infielder to Triple-A El Paso. Among the numerous trades the Padres pulled off before the deadline were a deal for catcher ( ) and one for first baseman/DH and outfielder ( ). That influx of position player talent to the roster meant cuts were unavoidable, and Maldonado and Brooks were (two of) the odd men out. Maldonados reputation as a strong game-caller has kept him employed long after most statistics suggested he should hang up his gear. From 2012-20, he caught more than 700 games Micker Adolfo Jersey and produced 13.2 FanGraphs WAR, the 14th most among primary catchers. While his bat was a liability, his glove was valuable enough to compensate. According to FanGraphs, only five players racked up more defensive value than Maldonado in that span: , , , , and . Yet, Maldonados offense has only gotten worse, and his defense has dropped off too at least according to stats like Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), Fielding Run Value (FRV), and Deserved Runs Prevented (DRP). Over the past five seasons, no player who has taken as many or more plate appearances has a lower OPS or wRC+, and without Gold Glove-caliber defense to make up for his feeble bat, he ranks among the leagues 10 worst players in fWAR since 2021. With the Padres seeking every po sible edge as they look to hold onto their postseason position, its no surprise they wanted to improve behind the dish. Fermin isnt a star, but hes an upgrade in almost every quantifiable way. Maldonado will most likely clear waivers, reject an outright a signment, and return to the open market as a free agent. On the one hand, it might seem unlikely that hell find another major league job, especially with his 39th birthday fast approaching. On the other hand, one could have said the same thing before he signed with the White Sox in 2024 and the Padres this season. Perhaps it would be foolish to count out Maldonado just yet. Brooks spent time in the minors with the Guardians and Athletics organizations from 2016-23 before he finally made his MLB debut with the Giants in May of 2024. The lefty batter went 3-for-25 over 12 games, playing first base and DH, before he was DFAd in June. He spent the rest of the season with San Franciscos Triple-A affiliate, where he hit well; he finished the minor league season with a .302 batting average and a 132 wRC+ in 94 games. Brooks then inked a minor league pact with the Padres and continued mashing Triple-A pitching in the early part of 2025. He batted .311 with a 133 wRC+ in 60 games before he had his contract selected in mid-June. Unfortunately, he did not have anywhere close to the same kind of succe s at the MLB level, as he hit .146 with a 26 wRC+ in 25 contests. If Maldonados DFA was unsurprising, Brookss may well have been inevitable. Now 30 years old, and with a .136/.208/.212 career slash line to show for his two brief stints in the majors, Brooks is hardly a prospect. Still, his impre sive numbers at Triple-A over the past two years (.306/.410/.508, 24 HR, 38 2B, 104 BB, 104 K) might convince a team in need of some left-handed depth to claim him off waivers in the coming days. Prelander Berroa Jersey