Report: Padres agree to minors deal with Loney

Less than 24 hours after getting shut out for the third straight game, the San Diego Padres agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent first baseman James Loney, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Loney, 31, was released by the Tampa Bay Rays on Opening Day after the 10-year veteran failed to make the 25-man roster, and the club was unable to work out a trade. The Rays will pay Loney the $8 million owed to him for the final season of his three-year, $21-million deal.

Thursday's reported move comes after a historically futile start to 2016 for the Padres, who became the first team in MLB history to be held scoreless in three consecutive games to begin a season.

Following back-to-back productive seasons in Tampa, Loney slashed .280/.322/.357 with four home runs and 16 doubles over 104 games in 2015. Fittingly, he enjoyed the finest seasons of his career in the NL West, where he hit . 288 and posted a .773 OPS for the Dodgers from 2007 to 2011.