Padres select Nick Ahmed – MLB transfer rumors

The Padres announced this afternoon that they have selected the shortstop's contract Nick Ahmed. To include Ahmed in the active squad and the club’s 40-man roster, Michael McCoy was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a back infection, while the right-hander Johnny Brito was recalled to the Major Leagues before being placed on the 60-day IL due to a strain in his right elbow.

Ahmed, 34, was drafted by the Braves in the second round in 2011 but spent his entire major league career as a member of the Diamondbacks until this year. Ahmed spent parts of ten seasons in the desert, hitting a relatively lackluster .234/.288/.376 (73 wRC+) during that time. However, he still proved to be an incredibly valuable player for the Snakes thanks to his excellent work as a shortstop, as evidenced by his +80 Defensive Runs Saved and +110 Outs Above Average at the position during his time with Arizona.

Although he struggled with injuries throughout his time with the club, preventing him from starting even 100 games on more than four occasions, Ahmed still won two Gold Glove Awards and was one of the better all-around shortstops in the game from 2018-19, as he posted an 88 wRC+ and 7.4 fWAR in 311 games during that two-year span. Unfortunately, things got worse starting in 2021, as Ahmed only appeared in 218 games over the next three years while hitting a paltry .219/.272/.336 while his defense on the field deteriorated. Between Ahmed's steady decline and the emergence of Geraldo Perdomo In Arizona, Ahmed entered free agency after the 2023 season in search of a new home.

In doing so, he has coincidentally begun a sort of tour of the other clubs in the AL West. Ahmed started the 2024 season with the Giants after signing a minor league contract with the club in the offseason. He appeared in 52 games with the club, but hit just .232/.278/.303 during that time before being released in July when San Francisco decided to focus on Tyler Fitzgerald as shortstop on the home stretch. However, it did not take long for Ahmed to find a new team and he signed a contract with the Dodgers shortly before the trade deadline to help the club in view of the injuries to Mookie Betts And Miguel Rojas. Ahmed stayed with the club for just under a month, hitting .229/.245/.292 in 17 games before he was eventually designated for trade and opted for free agency.

After signing a minor league contract with the Padres just before the Sept. 1 deadline for postseason eligibility, Ahmed will now join his third NL West club of the season and fourth of his career. With shortstop Ha-Seong Kim Ahmed is currently on the IL due to inflammation in his right shoulder and is not expected to return. He can provide the club with additional depth at the shortstop position. Xander Bogaerts as the club prepares for the playoffs. Moved to shortstop in the offseason as Kim was a better defender, Bogaerts struggled mightily to start the year, but since returning from the injured list in mid-July, he's turned things around with a solid .296/.338/.436 slash line over his last 58 games.

While the club’s infield currently seems to be full with a combination of Luis Arráez, Donovan SolanoAnd Jake Cronenworth Ahmed, who plays first base, second base and DH most days, could occasionally move Bogaerts to second base against left-handed pitchers to give Cronenworth or Arraez an off day in a tough match-up or late in the game as a defensive replacement. Ahmed joins Tyler Wade, David PeraltaAnd Elias Diaz is one of the club's likely replacements ahead of the postseason.

As for Brito, the right-hander last played in a major or minor league game over a month ago, so it's hardly surprising that he's been coming off an injury. The right-hander's first season with the Padres ends with a 4.12 ERA and 3.72 FIP in 43 2/3 innings as an optional multi-inning relief pitcher out of the bullpen for the club, and the 26-year-old is expected to start in a similar role with the club in 2025.