Padres Outright Acosta to Triple-A El Paso, Clearing 40-Man Roster Spot

Daison Acosta's brief tenure on San Diego's 40-man roster ended when the Padres outrighted the 27-year-old right-hander to Triple-A El Paso after he cleared waivers unclaimed, the team announced March 10. The move was notable for its procedural efficiency: San Diego never formally designated Acosta for assignment, instead placing him directly on waivers over the weekend and letting the process run its course. The outright dropped the Padres' 40-man roster to 39.

Acosta, a Dominican-born reliever, has never appeared in a major league game despite a professional career dating to 2016. He spent most of 2025 in the Washington Nationals' system, splitting time between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. The results at those two levels told a story of a pitcher who still has something to offer but hasn't fully made the jump: at Double-A he threw 30 innings with a 0.90 ERA and a strikeout rate above 40%, then struggled at Rochester with a 4.71 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, and a walk rate of 15% across 21.0 innings.

That Double-A performance was enough to catch San Diego's attention. Acosta qualified for minor league free agency after the 2025 season and signed a one-year deal with the Padres in December, earning both a big-league contract and a 40-man spot in the process. He had not appeared in any Spring Training games before the Padres placed him on waivers.

The transaction did generate some ambiguity in public records. While the Padres' official account posted that Acosta "cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A El Paso," the MiLB transaction log listed the move as an option rather than an outright as of March 9. The practical result is the same: Acosta will begin 2026 with the El Paso Chihuahuas as bullpen depth.

San Diego made a second roster move the same day, reassigning catching prospect Ethan Salas to minor league camp. The 19-year-old, who received his first official MLB spring invitation this year, hit 2-for-9 with three walks in camp and will likely open the season at Double-A San Antonio after spending most of 2025 in High-A.

The Padres have roster flexibility to replace Acosta on the 40-man if they choose. A transfer of Yu Darvish to the 60-day injured list would create a corresponding opening. Meanwhile, right-hander Logan Gillaspie has been among the non-roster invitees drawing positive attention in camp, adding to the competition for bullpen spots as spring training winds toward its final weeks.