Eguy Rosario will be out of options in 2025.
So a strong winter would certainly help set up the 25-year-old to compete for at least a bench job this spring.
Toward that end, Rosario is hitting .276/.300/.448 with one homer through nine games with Estrellas to start his stay in the Dominican winter league.
The right-handed-hitting Rosario spent most of 2024 at Triple-A El Paso, where he hit .263/.361/.531 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs in 95 games.
That was his third stint in the Pacific Coast League, so Rosario has little to prove in the minors.
To date, he is .245/.283/.500 hitter with five homers and 12 RBIs in 48 games since making his debut in the majors in 2022. His OPS in a small sample has jumped from .533 to .770 to .814 each season, with his production against lefties (1.217 OPS, 46 plate appearances) far outpacing what he’s done against righties (.372 OPS, 54 plate appearances).
Rosario has seen most of his time in the majors at third base as Manny Machado worked his way through elbow issues. With Machado all the way back from tennis elbow, Rosario’s best path toward a regular role is at best as an offensive-minded second baseman and at worst a platoon bench bat against lefties, the role vacated by departing free agent Donovan Solano.
Around the horn …
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
Three Padres were in the Fall Stars Game on Saturday, won 6-5 by the AL. C Ethan Salas (Fort Wayne) started and went 1-for-1 with a walk, two steals and an RBI. Romeo Sanabria (San Antonio) started as the DH and went 1-for-2 before he was replaced by Leodalis De Vries (Lake Elsinore), who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. … The Padres prospects are assigned to Peoria, which is in last place at 7-17 and out of the running for this weekend’s championship game. … Salas (.815 OPS) is tied for third with 19 RBIs. … RHP Ryan Bergert (San Antonio) is 1-3 with a 7.36 ERA over 14⅔ innings, the most among the Padres pitchers in the league.
MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE
OF Tirso Ornelas (El Paso) leads the league with a .381 batting average and a .691 slugging percentage through 12 games with Jalisco. His .500 on-base percentage is second. Ornelas also has three homers and 10 RBIs. … C Brandon Valenzuela (El Pas0), a minor league free agent, is hitting .265/.431/.449 with hoe homer and six RBIs in 17 games with Hermosillo.
DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE
Among the Padres’ minor league free agents, RHP Nabil Crismatt (El Paso) is 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA, 17 strikeouts and three walks through 18 innings with Cibao.
VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE
LHP Miguel Cienfuegos (San Antonio) has a 2.45 ERA through 18 ⅓ innings with Caribes. He has struck out 13 against seven walks.