San Diego Padres outfielder/infielder Jose Pirela did not have a good 2018 season. It may have been full of heart and hustle, but it lacked much production at the plate and was downright disasterous on the basepaths. Now the Padres must make a decision concerning Pirela’s future with the team, either find a home for him on the field in 2019 or clear him from an overly crowded 40-man roster.
First, the numbers. Pirela played in 146 games in 2018, hitting .249 with a .300 on-base percentage and .645 OPS, a near 200 point drop from his 2017 OPS.