The San Diego Padres rolled out a transaction graphic on Dec. 8 and, for once, the collective reaction wasn’t “Let’s go!” so much as “…who?”
The club announced the signing of right-hander Daison Acosta to a one-year deal through 2026, which is a fancy way of saying they just handed a 27-year-old minor league lifer a 40-man spot at a time when the roster has more leaks than a cheap kiddie pool. Eight seasons in the minors, zero MLB pitches, and now he’s getting the full social media treatment while the fanbase is still begging for, you know, actual proven big league help. Tough sell for a team operating under a tight payroll and even tighter patience from its fans.
Padres sign Daison Acosta and hope eight years of minor league grind finally pays off
But here’s where the eye roll has to pause for at least a minute: Acosta’s 2025 was legitimately nasty.
Working his way through the Nationals system last year, Acosta quietly shoved: 5–1 record, a career-best 2.42 ERA (14 ER in 52.0 innings), and a .195 opponents’ average with 72 strikeouts against 27 walks over 46 games split between Triple-A Rochester, Double-A Harrisburg, and Single-A Fredericksburg. Among qualified relievers in Washington’s pipeline, he was the swing-and-miss king with a 12.46 K/9, while finishing second in total strikeouts and third in ERA.
Welcome to San Diego, Daison!
We have signed right-handed pitcher Daison Acosta to a one-year contract through the 2026 season. pic.twitter.com/A6fIlUAzG1
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) December 8, 2025
It got even sillier down the stretch. From May through the end of the season, Acosta tossed scoreless outings in 30 of 36 appearances, running a 1.09 ERA over 41.1 innings with a .163 opponents’ average, 0.97 WHIP, and a 13.50 K/9. Right-handed hitters basically had no shot, slashing .154/.250/.209 with just five extra-base hits (all doubles) and 40 strikeouts against nine walks. You don’t have to memorize his name yet, but minor league hitters clearly never got the memo either.
Originally signed by the Mets as a non-drafted free agent back in 2016, then plucked by the Nationals in the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, Acosta has logged a decade of bus rides and back fields. He owns a career 22–25 record with 20 saves, a 3.59 ERA and a .216 opponents’ average across 188 games (40 starts) in the Mets and Nationals systems.
So what did the Padres really buy here? A cheap lottery ticket with legitimately intriguing strikeout stuff and zero big-league guarantees. It won’t move the Vegas odds, and it won’t quiet the calls for impact arms. But if the front office is going to live in the bargain bin this winter, they absolutely need a couple of these anonymous-reliever darts to hit.
And if Daison Acosta turns into the random dude who starts shoving in the seventh inning of meaningful games at Petco? Nobody’s going to complain about having to Google him today.
