Former Baltimore Orioles Farmhand Signs With Padres in Free Agency

A once rising prospect in the Baltimore Orioles' farm system has now signed a deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason.

The Baltimore Orioles have become known for drafting talent and developing them into promising prospects over the last several years. It's one of the reasons why they are coming out of their rebuild looking poised to dominate for the foreseeable future.

One player who seemed on his way to putting his name into that mix of coveted prospects was Mason McCoy.

The Orioles selected him in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft and he immediately produced, hitting .301/.382/.409 with a home run and 29 RBI across 53 games at the Single-A level in his first year.

For the next two seasons, McCoy continued to product at the plate, making it up to Double-A in his third professional season.

Unfortunately, the minor league season was cancelled in 2020 and he wasn't able to compete.

When the infielder returned in 2021 at the Triple-A level, his production dipped a bit. He finished the year with a slash line of .221/.288/.368, hitting nine home runs and driving in 43 runs.

Baltimore traded McCoy to the Seattle Mariners in 2022 for cash considerations, marking the end of his time with the Orioles.

The infielder was able to showcase what he could do at the minor league level again, hitting .256/.332/.473 with career-high numbers in home runs (21), RBI (63) and stolen bases (22). He also set the Mariners' Triple-A record with a .986 fielding percentage, only recording 6 errors all season.

Seattle traded McCoy to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023 where he was able to make his MLB debut on Aug. 30.

He appeared in six games primarily as a pinch-runner or defender and only got one at-bat. The Blue Jays designated him for assignment on Sept. 20.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the San Diego Padres have now signed the once promising Baltimore prospect to a minor league contract with an invitation to their spring training camp.