Former Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka signs with Texas Rangers – San Diego Union-Tribune

The Padres will have a new starting catcher in 2025.

According to multiple reports, Kyle Higashioka has agreed to a two-year deal with the Texas Rangers, ending hopes of a reunion with a career backup who rose to the top of the Padres rankings in the team’s push into the NLDS.

Given the Padres’ new financial reality — the organization hasn’t announced 2025 payroll, but several players need raises after last year’s budget cut — a reunion with Higashioka was a long shot.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the deal will pay Higashioka $5.75 million next year and $6.76 million in 2026 and includes a $7 million mutual option for 2027.

Higashioka earned $2.18 million in his final year of arbitration by hitting 17 home runs and adding three more in the postseason. He began the 2024 season as a replacement for Luis Campusano. The 34-year-old Southern California native was a throw-in as part of Juan Soto’s contract and finished the season as the Padres’ No. 1 catcher.

Without a significant addition to the position, Higashioka’s departure leaves the Padres having to reconsider whether Campusano can hold down the fort until 18-year-old top prospect Ethan Salas arrives.

The 26-year-old Campusano hit .227/.281/.361 with eight home runs in 91 games. He began the season as the No. 1 catcher, missed about three weeks with a thumb injury, and eventually lost his spot on the depth chart when Higashioka hit home runs in June.

Campusano also struggled defensively and was eventually replaced in the squad by Elías Díaz. Campusano finished the season at Triple-A El Paso.

Before Salas, Campusano was the Padres’ catcher of the future. He was the first backstop selected by a team in the 2017 draft (second round) and earned co-MVP honors in the lowly Single-A California League in 2019.

The pandemic wiped out the minor league season the following year and forced the Padres to evaluate Campusano’s progress while playing simulation games at an alternate site. He made his big league debut this summer without playing above A ball, never played an inning in Double-A and played most of 2022 and 2023 in Triple-A El Paso, although he played in both Seasons played in the big league.

A strong finish to the 2023 season in the majors (.875 OPS, 6 HRs over 42 games) led the Padres to give Campusano his first crack at the big league starting position on Opening Day this season.

The Padres enter the winter meetings next week with Campsuano and Brett Sullivan the only catchers on the 40-man roster.

Campusano is currently playing for Licey in the Dominican Republic as he prepares for another starting opportunity. He is hitting .233/.244/.372 with one home run and two RBIs in 10 games.

Originally published: December 2, 2024 at 5:48 pm PST