Outfielder Dustin Harris has become a key contributor for the red-hot Padres after the White Sox parted ways with him twice this season.
A player discarded by the Chicago White Sox earlier this year is now starring for a 2026 playoff contender that also happens to be one of the hottest teams in baseball.
The strange part is that there are several players that sentence could describe. But of all the former White Sox players who have found new homes in 2026, the most compelling story right now belongs to outfielder Dustin Harris, who has emerged as a key figure in the heart of the San Diego Padres’ lineup.
Harris was just 26 years old when he signed a minor league contract with the White Sox on Dec. 18, 2025. He competed hard during spring training and made a compelling case for a spot on Chicago’s Opening Day roster, batting .500 across 11 Cactus League games. But due to his remaining minor league options and the nature of his contract, Harris opened the season in Triple-A.
It didn’t take long for him to get the call. The White Sox selected Harris’ contract on April 7, but he lasted only eight days before being designated for assignment. In six games with Chicago, Harris batted .250 with a .771 OPS. He also made several impressive defensive plays from his corner outfield spot during that brief opportunity.
Harris was quickly claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros, appearing in 11 MLB games before being designated for assignment again and electing free agency.
Dustin Harris Returned to the White Sox
That led to Harris’ second stint with the White Sox organization. Chicago brought him back on May 12, but he never received another major league opportunity despite batting .312 with an .886 OPS for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
In July, Harris was granted his release from the organization and given the chance to pursue another opportunity. The San Diego Padres signed him to a minor league contract, and he eventually worked his way back to the majors on Aug. 24.
Since then, all he’s done is hit.
Across 21 games with the Padres, Harris is batting .359 with an .860 OPS and 13 RBIs. San Diego appears to have stumbled upon a 27-year-old outfielder with plenty of club control who now owns a .753 OPS across 153 career at-bats.
The Padres are 12-1 over the last 13 games Harris has appeared in, and he has started receiving regular opportunities in left field.
Did the White Sox Let One Get Away?
It’s not always fair to play the what-if game, especially with a player who has bounced between three organizations in the same season. But it has been painfully obvious for most of the year that Luisangel Acuña has no business occupying a spot on Chicago’s roster. Yet the White Sox have stuck with him throughout the season, even when doing so meant discarding several players with greater offensive potential.
There was always a risk that one of those discarded players would become the one who got away. If Harris continues performing like this, he might be that player.
The White Sox still hope to play postseason baseball of their own this October. But it now seems almost certain that Harris will be involved in some playoff games for the Padres, providing an opportunity Chicago never gave him despite signing him twice.
