Official Press release provided by the San Diego Padres media department.

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres today announced that they have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Mark Kotsay. Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcement.

“We are elated to bring Mark back to the Padres,” said Byrnes. “His versatility and leadership will be invaluable for our club.”

Kotsay, 35, returns to San Diego for his 16^th season in Major League Baseball. Over his Big League career, he is a lifetime .278 hitter (1,717-for-6,166) with 343 doubles, 48 triples, 124 home runs, 694 RBI and 773 runs scored in 1,728 games. Since making his debut in 1997, Kotsay has played for the Florida Marlins (1997-2000), Padres (2001-03), Oakland A’s (2004-07), Atlanta Braves (2008), Boston Red Sox (2008-09), Chicago White Sox (2009-10) and Milwaukee Brewers (2011). His Big League career includes three trips to the postseason, including 2006 with Oakland, 2008 with Boston and 2011 with Milwaukee.

With the Brewers last year, Kotsay hit .270 (63-for-233) with 13 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 31 RBI and 18 runs scored in 104 games. He saw significant time off the bench, making 45 pinch-hit appearances and hitting .293 (12-for-41) with a .356 on-base percentage. Over his 15-year career, Kotsay has hit .308 (41-for-133) in pinch-hit appearances.

The veteran outfielder also ranks fifth among active players with 120 career outfield assists and has also made 124 appearances at first base.

As a member of the Padres from 2001-03, Kotsay hit .283 (415-for-1466) with a .355 on-base percentage and .426 slugging percentage. He tallied 84 doubles, 12 triples, 34 home runs, 157 RBI and 213 runs scored in 400 games, making 362 of his 363 starts for the Padres in center field.

With today’s announcement, the Padres currently have 36 players on their 40-man roster.

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