Padres put together the makings of a left field platoon on Friday. They found one half close to home. The other half comes in the form of a veteran who will be playing in his 16th

Connor Joe is going home, signing a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. Joe hit .228 with nine homers and 36 RBIs in 123 games for Pittsburgh last year. The San Diego native played his college ball for the University of San Diego.

“We approved John Seidler to be the control person of the San Diego Padres once he becomes the trustee of the Seidler trust,” commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday from the MLB owners meetings. “We’re looking forward to continued stewardship of the Padres by a member of the Seidler family, that is really non-controversial.”

At age 35, Jason Heyward no longer has the lethal left-handed bat that marked his early days with the Atlanta Braves. But the towering veteran outfielder will prolong his career this season as part of a left-right platoon with Connor Joe, also signed by the San Diego Padres on the eve of spring training.

The number of standout players that the Padres saw leave their clubhouse this offseason outweighed the additions they made. San Diego lost superstar closer Tanner Scott to their arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. They also saw 2024 All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar depart for the Atlanta Braves.