A veteran slugger, once overlooked, arrives in San Diego. Experts hail his $4 million deal as the offseason's biggest steal, anticipating a powerful comeback.
The San Diego Padres' offseason was a bit slow.
The big addition was bringing back Michael King on a three-year deal worth $75 million.
However, Padres GM A.J. Preller found some gold in free agency late in the process for the second year in a row.
The Padres signed veteran slugger Miguel Andujar to a one-year deal worth $4 million.
Andujar's MLB career has been a busy one. He began with the New York Yankees, playing there until 2022 when he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Andujar then joined the Oakland-Sacramento Athletics and was there for 2024 and 2025. In 2025, however, he went to the Cincinnati Reds.
Last season, Andujar combined to hit .318 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs in 94 games between the Athletics and the Reds, so one can only wonder what a full season of plate appearances might've looked like.
There were plenty of moves made, but Matt Vasgersian of MLB Network named the Andujar signing as the best of the offseason.
He even called it the "best signing of the offseason by anybody."
Vasgersian said Preller waited and "struck gold" and that Andujar "rips" and "mashes" the baseball.
Andujar slots in as a potential designated hitter with the Padres in MLB Network's lineup projection.
Harold Reynolds then said Andujar was "overlooked," dating back to his time with the Yankees.
In 2018, his first full season in MLB, Andujar hit 27 home runs with 92 RBIs while playing in 149 games.
He then struggled with injuries and playing time, and that was the only season he appeared in more than 100 games in his career.
Andujar coming to San Diego for just $4 million reminds some of the Gavin Sheets signing a year ago. Sheets hit .252 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs while playing in 145 games in the regular season, and both of those numbers were career-highs after some uneven seasons with the Chicago White Sox.
Andujar smacked a home run on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers during spring training, and that is exactly what the team was hoping for when they brought him to town.
Nick Castellanos and Sheets are options at first base, but Andujar is projected to be the team's starting DH for the time being, and with power such as what he displayed so far, it makes a lot of sense and could be the best signing of the year by any team.