The San Diego Padres just dominated their way through the Wild Card Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs to punch their ticket to the NLDS.
Now, San Diego is in Milwaukee preparing for what will be a massive best-of-five series against the Brewers, who not only are the No. 1 seed in the National League but also finished the regular season with the best record in the majors.
Padres Sign 31-Year-Old Pitcher
While this likely won’t directly impact the NLDS roster the Padres submit Saturday morning, the team has made another pitching addition.
The Padres agreed to a minor league contract with 31-year-old right-handed pitcher Roel Ramirez and assigned him to the organization’s Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.
While Ramirez has experience with MLB organizations, he most recently spent the 2026 season pitching in the Mexican League (LMB) with the Toros de Tijuana, where he posted a dominant 1.76 ERA with 63 strikeouts across 46 innings.
“ROEL RAMÍREZ SIGNS WITH SAN DIEGO,” Roberto Espinoza of Beisbol Puro wrote on X. “Reliever Roel Ramírez, who had a stellar 2026 in the Mexican Baseball League with the champions @TorosDeTijuana, will have the opportunity next year to return to the Major Leagues after signing with the @Padres. Ramírez will be a non-roster invitee to the Padres’ spring training in 2027.”
ROEL RAMÍREZ FIRMÓ CON SAN DIEGO
El relevista Roel Ramírez, quien tuvo un gran 2026 en la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol con los campeones @TorosDeTijuana, tendrá el próximo año la oportunidad de regresar a las Grandes Ligas tras firmar con los @Padres.
Ramírez estará como invitado… pic.twitter.com/WDnDzv8qJQ
— Beisbolpuro (@Beisbolpuro) October 1, 2026
Ramirez’s MLB Career
The last time Ramirez pitched for an MLB organization came back in 2023 when he played for the Atlanta Braves‘ Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Stripers.
In 250 career minor league games, Ramirez has posted a 33-28 record while pitching primarily out of the bullpen. He has also recorded a 4.28 ERA, 484 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP across 551 innings.
He’s appeared in two MLB games, both coming in 2020, and pitched just 1.0 total inning. Now, he’ll enter spring training with the Padres and have an opportunity to carve out a role.
San Diego Padres Sign 31-Year-Old Pitcher Ahead of NLDS vs. Brewers