Things could not be going much better for the San Diego Padres of late. The team has won 10 of its last 11 games, and has won five consecutive series. After back-to-back seasons where the team has made the postseason via the wild card, expectations were diminished entering 2026 as the team lost a large number of contributors to their previous playoff teams.
The primary names that stand out among the departures are All-Star players like Luis Arraez, Ryan O’Hearn and Robert Suarez, alongside starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who was seen by many as one of the top pitchers in free agency. Not only did the team lose talented players, but they also faced the departure of manager Mike Shildt, who cited burnout as a reason for leaving the team despite leading them to back-to-back seasons of over 90 wins.
And yet, the team has found a way to get production out of different players. This is not new for San Diego, as the team has had a large number of contributions from role players at times, and one of those players has recently been released by the Texas Rangers.
Texas Rangers Release Former Padres’ Tyler Wade
Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reported that the Rangers had granted former San Diego Padres utility man Tyler Wade his release from his minor league contract. Wade had appeared in 16 games for the Rangers Triple-A affiliate Round Rock.
Wade spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Padres, appearing in 149 games. While Wade’s offensive contributions were well below league average, he provided San Diego versatility defensively as he played every defensive position aside from first base and catcher during his time with the team.
He was also frequently utilized as a pinch runner; however, he appeared to lose that role down the stretch of the 2025 season as San Diego favored outfielder Bryce Johnson. As a result, Wade was designated for assignment by the Padres in August of last season, but was sent to the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas once he cleared waivers.
San Diego then declined his club option, allowing him to explore free agency.
San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies
In other news, the San Diego Padres are getting ready for their second series of the season against the Colorado Rockies. They previously swept the Rockies in San Diego, but will now travel to Colorado for the first time this season.
Randy Vásquez is the projected starter for the first game of the series. Vásquez will hope for a bounce-back outing, as he had the worst start of his season last Wednesday against the Mariners in which he allowed a season-high four runs while walking a season-high four batters.
Vásquez already faced the Rockies this season as he pitched 5.2 innings while allowing only one run and recording eight strikeouts. He pitched twice in Colorado last season, earning the win on both occasions as he allowed two earned runs in six innings in both games.
The Padres should have their full bullpen available as the team had a day off on Monday, and Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam did not pitch in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
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