The San Diego Padres will reportedly have a seasoned veteran compete for their vacant shortstop job this spring after agreeing Tuesday to a minor-league deal with former All-Star Erick Aybar, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Acquired by the Braves last offseason following a decade-long stint with the Los Angeles Angels, Aybar hit just .242/.293/.313 with two home runs and three stolen bases in 97 games with Atlanta before being shipped to Detroit in August. The 33-year-old enjoyed more success with the Tigers, but finished the campaign with just a .639 OPS (81 OPS+) and contributed a career-worst -1.2 WAR in 156 games.
With the Padres stuck in rebuilding mode, though, Aybar - a career .273/.314/.373 hitter who managed 4.2 WAR as recently as 2014 - has a decent shot to crack San Diego's Opening Day roster, and will likely compete with Luis Sardinas for the everyday job at shortstop.