The San Diego Padres agreed to a minor league contract with second baseman Brian Dozier on Sunday. He received an invitation to major league spring training.
Dozier joins a mix at second base that is headlined by expected starter Jurickson Profar, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Oakland Athletics.
“That’s our most open competition,” manager Jayce Tingler told reporters, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Season happens, injuries happen. The more quality depth that we can build, it just gives us more options for later down the line.”
The 32-year-old Dozier, who bats right-handed, could be valuable as a pinch-hitter against left-handed pitchers. He has a .270 batting average and .855 OPS against lefties in his career.
He hit .238 with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs in 135 games for the Washington Nationals last season, his first with the team. He made 114 starts for Washington last season but by the end of the season and in the playoffs he had lost his starting job to Asdrubal Cabrera.
He was an All-Star with the Minnesota Twins in 2015 when he hit 28 home runs and had 77 RBIs. A season later he set career highs with 42 home runs and 99 RBIs. He also was a run producer in 2017, finishing with 34 home runs and 93 RBIs and posted a career-best .271 batting average.
The eight-year major league veteran has a .245 average, 192 home runs and 561 RBIs in 1,137 games.