Padre find their lefty off the bench

Padres sign Floyd

The Padres were said to be deciding between Luis Gonzalez and Cliff Floyd as their lefty power off the bench, and it seems a decision has been reached....

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres, who have been searching for a left-handed bat this offseason, are close to reeling in veteran outfielder Cliff Floyd with a one-year deal, which is expected to become official on Thursday afternoon.

San Diego general manager Kevin Towers had said recently that he wanted to add a lefty bat for his bench as well as a designated hitter when the Padres play Interleague games in American League ballparks.

Floyd, 36, hit .268 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs with the Rays last year. He provided consummate leadership for the young American League champions during his 16th big league season.

Floyd suffered a labrum injury to his right shoulder diving back into second base during Game 2 of the World Series and said at the time if the injury required surgery, he would retire. But Floyd didn't need surgery and instead treated the injury with therapy.

The Rays declined his $2.75 million option after the season.

San Diego will be Floyd's seventh club, as he has previously played for Florida, Montreal, Boston, the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay.

He is a .279 career hitter with 233 home runs, 865 RBIs, a .359 on-base percentage and a .489 slugging percentage. He also has 148 stolen bases, but just seven over his past three seasons combined.

Floyd's deal with the Padres was first reported by FoxSports.com

Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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