According to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, citing sources, the San Diego Padres signed utility man Skip Schumaker to a minor league deal on Tuesday.
As a part of the deal, Schumaker will be invited to major league spring training.
Preparing for his 12th season, Schumaker hit the free-agent market this offseason when the Cincinnati Reds declined a $2.5 million club option, per Lin.
The 36-year-old made his biggest impact with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he spent the first eight years of his career.
A slap hitter, he provided two seasons of over 150 games in which he batted over .300 from 2008-2009. He also came off of the bench as a part of the Cardinals’ World Series-winning team in 2011 and batted .380 in the playoffs.
In those 2008 and 2009 seasons, Schumaker appeared in the top 10 among all hitters in singles.
While on the back end of his career with stops in Los Angeles with the Dodgers and with the Reds, Schumaker still provided a lift to his team despite his lack of playing time.
He holds a career .278 average with a .337 on-base percentage and 905 hits.
Schumaker can play second base as well as the outfield, and according to Lin, he is expected to compete for a roster spot with the big club on the bench.
Lin noted that 24-year-old Cory Spangenberg will be the favorite for the job at second base, with Alexi Amarista and Jose Pirela backing him up. Bringing in Schumaker, though, creates another option for the Padres at second base in case any of those three struggle during spring training.
In an outfield that also lost Justin Upton to the Detroit Tigers this offseason, Schumaker can add some depth coming off the bench behind the likes of Matt Kemp, Melvin Upton and John Jay. Along with his winning experience with the Cardinals, Schumaker will be a nice addition to the Padres clubhouse if he’s able to make the team.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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