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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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Early in the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers have already been involved in several moves. With the departures of Skip Schumaker and Nick Punto and the arrival of Dan Haren, we already know that several members of the 2014 roster will be new faces.

There are still moves to be made as November turns into December, but this is a good time to take stock of where the Dodgers are and how they’ve made out during these first few transactions.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have worked hard to add to their roster this offseason, and that activity continued on Tuesday.

According to Los Angeles Times reporter Dylan Hernandez, the Dodgers have acquired Skip Schumaker from the Cardinals:

Source: the #Dodgers have acquired Skip Schumaker from the #Cardinals.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) December 12, 2012

It’s unclear what the Cardinals will receive in return, according to Hernandez’s full report, but you can’t imagine that the price will be all that steep. The deal also depends on Schumaker‘s ability to pass a physical.

Hernandez mentions that “Hitting coach Mark McGwire pushed for the Dodgers to acquire the 32-year-old Schumaker, whom he worked with in St. Louis.” He hit .276 in 304 plate appearances last season.

Schumaker will earn $1.5 million this season, his final year under contract. He can play all three spots in the outfield, but he’s frequently lined up at second base throughout his career. Having a guy that you can plug in to many different positions makes things easier on the manager, and it forces other teams to be on their toes as well.

Because he’s a left-handed bat, he will pair well with Mark Ellis at the position. He hits right-handed pitchers exceptionally well, and that will make the Dodgers’ lineup more versatile as well.

There’s nothing about this move that is big time, but he’s the kind of player who makes the team better because he does the small things. Every great team needs depth, and every team needs quality leadership that they can turn to when the season reaches its critical moments.

Schumaker played in a great Cardinals organization for eight years. He’s a team-first guy, and he will help the Dodgers try to become contenders in the National League West with quality veteran leadership.

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