⚡ LATEST UPDATE: Padres stun fans with a high-stakes gamble on an ex-top prospect after a poor season while dropping two pitchers ⚡.NL
The Padres did not tender contracts to Omar Cruz and Sean Reynolds on Friday, making the two pitchers free agents, but did re-sign catcher Luis Campusano, the former top catching prospect in the organization whose trajectory stalled in 2025.
The team announced it re-signed Campusano to a one-year contract Friday, avoiding salary arbitration with the 27-year-old catcher for the second consecutive year.
The Padres have 34 players on their 40-man roster, and all have been signed or tendered contracts for 2026.
That group does not include Reynolds, who made 28 appearances for the Padres over the last two seasons, or Cruz, who got into the first two games of his MLB career in April, then spent the rest of the 2025 season at Triple-A El Paso.
Reynolds, 27, went 0-1 with a 5.33 ERA in 19 games (one start) in 2025. The right-hander struck out 25 batters in 27 innings but also posted a 1.370 WHIP.
Cruz, a 26-year-old lefty, was the No. 25 prospect in the Padres’ organization according to MLB Pipeline. But he will head to free agency after a season in which the Padres’ bullpen emerged as one of the deepest in the National League.
Cruz allowed two runs, both earned, across 3.2 innings in his two appearances out of the Padres’ bullpen this year. The Hermosillo, Mexico native went 5-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 31 games (11 starts) with El Paso, striking out 88 batters in 83.1 innings and limited opponents to a .241 average in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
