PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball alumnus
Brian O'Grady signed a major league contract with the San Diego Padres, the organization announced Tuesday. O'Grady first broke into the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 2019 and saw time with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020.
"Overall, he's a guy with some infield-outfield versatility, a left-handed bat," Padres general manager A.J. Preller told
MLB.com. "He helps with our roster flexibility. In the 2019 season, he was really, really productive at the Minor League level, and he's gotten a taste of the big leagues. We felt he was a good fit for us."
O'Grady traveled with the Rays on their run to win the American League Championship Series in San Diego and to the World Series in Texas. The Pennsylvania native played in 28 games for Cincinnati after earning a call-up on Aug. 8, 2019, hitting home runs at Seattle and at Pittsburgh. Appearing at five different positions at Triple-A Louisville, O'Grady was named the Reds' 2019 Minor League Player of the Year after belting a team-record 28 homers, tied for fifth in the International League, with 30 doubles 77 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .909 OPS.
A third-team all-conference pick as a senior at Rutgers, he led or tied the team lead with 67 hits, five home runs, five triples, 104 total bases, 20 multiple-hit games and a .510 slugging percentage. O'Grady, who played outfield and infield, hit .328 for the season with an on-base percentage of .402, also recording 40 runs and 13 stolen bases. He hit a memorable walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning against Temple to end a four hour, 10 minute game at Bainton Field. He finished his collegiate career ranked third in RU baseball history with 771 career at bats, seventh with 227 hits, ninth with 105 walks and tied for 10th with 46 doubles and 10 triples and was picked in the eighth round in 2014.
In 584 career minor league games, O'Grady has posted a .807 OPS on 108 doubles, 25 triples, 299 RBIs, 200 runs and 85 steals. O'Grady joins fellow Scarlet Knight and seventh-round pick Jawuan Harris in the Padres' organization. In addition, Patrick Kivlehan made his MLB debut for San Diego in 2016.
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