The San Diego Padres have designated Chase Headley for assignment after re-acquiring the third baseman from the New York Yankees this offseason. In a corresponding move, Cory Spangenberg was recalled from Triple-A, per a team release on Saturday.
Headley was acquired from the Yankees in December along with right-handed pitcher Bryan Mitchell in exchange for Jabari Blash. New York agreed to pay half of Headley's $1-million assignment bonus as part of the deal, but the Padres were on the hook for the remaining $13 million due on the final season of the third baseman's contract.
Over 27 games this season, Headley has posted a .115/.233/.135 slash line - hitting 85 percent worse than the league average, according to wRC+. Per WAR, the 34-year-old infielder has cost the Padres 0.4 of a win in 60 plate appearances. Pro-rated over an entire season of work, Headley would cost San Diego four wins.
The 27-year-old Spangenberg was optioned to Triple-A El Paso at the end of April after a rough start to his 2018 campaign, posting a .594 OPS over 21 games. In Triple-A, the infielder has righted the ship, owning a .862 OPS against Pacific Coast League pitching.
This year marked Headley's ninth season with the Padres after spending the first eight of his career in San Diego. As the team pivoted toward a rebuild, it traded the former Gold Glove winner to the Yankees where he stayed for three-and-a-half seasons.
