He was non-tendered this offseason.
Gavin Sheets found a team willing to give him another shot at the big leagues. However, he will have to earn his way onto the San Diego Padres roster.
The former Chicago White Sox designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder has signed a minor-league deal with the Padres.
Free-agent first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets in agreement with the San Diego Padres on a minor-league contract, sources say. Sheets gets an invite to spring training.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 9, 2025
Sheets was non-tendered by the White Sox earlier in the offseason after failing to become a consistent left-handed power hitter.
He showed promise as a power bat when he crushed 11 home runs in 54 games during the 2021 season. However, he went on to hit just 35 dingers from 2022-2024. He played in a career-high 139 games last season and pounded out just 10 home runs.
Plus, he had a terrible barrel and hard-hit percentage for a guy perceived to be a masher at the plate.
His market had been rather quiet this offseason. The Baltimore Orioles reportedly had some interest, but he was not exactly an ideal fit.
Sheets also represents another high pick that failed to develop into an above-replacement-level player. He was a team-worst -2.2 fWAR player over the past three seasons. It means another second-round pick failing to be a foundational player. No wonder why the White Sox are at the bottom of the AL Central when they keep failing to develop power bats.
However, there is an outside shot he can make the Padres.
The Padres still do not have a firm option at designated hitter. FanGraphs projects Tirso Ornelas being named San Diego’s DH. However, he would be making his big-league debut.
So, if Sheets has a good spring training, he could theoretically beat out Ornelas for the job.
Sheets crushing home runs in the majors has always been a theory. He has the size at six-feet, five-inches. However, he just does not have the numbers to support he can hit the ball a long way in the big leagues.
However, ZiPS projects his 2025 season will be similar to his 2024. If he was not good enough to stay on a team that lost 121 games, it is hard seeing him be good enough to make a contending team like the Padres.
