Riley Pint Signs Minor-League Deal with Padres, Earns Spring Invite

The San Diego Padres added a high‑upside arm to their depth chart by signing right‑hander Riley Pint to a minor‑league contract that includes an invitation to spring training. The move on Jan. 31, 2026 gives the 28‑year‑old, 6‑foot‑5 righty a fresh look after a rocky professional arc and a recent showcase that reminded scouts of his raw velocity.

Pint arrived in pro ball as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 draft out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas. His major‑league résumé remains tiny and stark: five appearances, 3.2 innings and nine runs allowed in big league work between 2023 and 2024. His minor‑league track line has been uneven as well, with a cited 5.30 ERA across his time in the minors.

The signing follows a Pro Day and Driveline showcase where Pint flashed his arm. An embedded Pro Day tweet noted: "The former 4th overall pick impressed at Pro Day with the heater up to 97.4, 95-96 sinker mixed in, and showed quality feel for both the sweep and slider." Those tools are the reason clubs will keep giving him opportunities despite the results on his ledger.

There is an unresolved piece to Pint’s recent chronology. Some reports state "Pint didn't pitch at all in 2025," while roster records show he was signed to a minor‑league deal by Cleveland on Jan. 22, 2025, was assigned to Columbus and to the ACL Guardians, placed on the 60‑day injured list May 3, activated Sept. 17, and then elected free agency Nov. 6, 2025. Those transaction entries document organizational activity in 2025 but do not explicitly confirm game appearances that year.

From a roster construction and business perspective, San Diego's move is a low‑cost, potential high‑reward play. "The deal includes an invite to spring training. Pint hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024. He'll add pitching depth in the Padres organization." The club gets a flamethrower into camp and a chance to evaluate whether modern training and a change of scenery can unlock more consistent results. For Pint, the signing is an opportunity to "make something of a baseball career" that to date has promised more than it delivered.

The narrative is familiar in baseball: a top prospect with electric stuff who has yet to translate velocity into sustained MLB success gets another audition. As one assessment put it, "Now, he's finally moved on." If Pint can harness the sinker and sharpen the sweep and slider with staff guidance, he could become a useful depth piece for a team that values power arms. If he regresses, the Padres will have lost little while testing a reclamation candidate.

Next up for Pint is a spring training workload and an early evaluation of health and control. For fans and fantasy players, his repertoire is worth watching during camp workouts; for the Padres, this is a gauge on whether once‑elite velocity can be turned into reliable innings.