The San Diego Padres have released Brian Dozier, putting his future in question.
In theory, Brian Dozier was expected to be a part of the San Diego Padres puzzle at second base this season. Signed to a minor league contract, he was a part of the battle for the position, which included Jurickson Profar and a host of others. While he may not have been the player he was, Dozier was still viewed upon as a possible option to start.
That is no longer the case. The Padres have released Dozier instead of adding him to their 60 man roster, making him a free agent once again.
The #Padres have granted INF Brian Dozier his release.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 11, 2020
The writing was seemingly on the wall when the Padres acquired Jorge Mateo from the A’s. Although Mateo has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been away from the facilities, he is out of options and has to be carried on the San Diego roster. That, in turn, spelled the end for Dozier.
For a time, he was one of the best second basemen in baseball. From 2014 through 2017, Dozier produced a .254/.338/.476 batting line, hitting 127 homers and stealing 67 bases. He was an All Star in 2015, won a Gold Glove in 2017, and earned MVP votes in two years.
The past two years have not been as kind. While he won a World Series with the Nationals last year, he had just seven hitless plate appearances in the postseason. Over those two years, he had produced a .225/.320/.408 batting line. He did still hit 41 homers, but the hard contact was not consistently there any longer.
At this point, one has to wonder what the future holds. Dozier failed to generate much interest in his previous sojourn into free agency, as he did not sign until spring training was underway. He may latch on to another team with questionable infield depth as part of the 60 man roster, but his days as a starter may be over.
Brian Dozier is a free agent once more, having been released by the San Diego Padres. This time, his future may be in question.