Cruz signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Tuesday.
Cruz elected to become a free agent earlier this month after a five-year run in the Cubs' minor-league system, during which he posted a 3.46 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 163.2 innings yet never moved beyond High-A ball. The 24-year-old right-hander will enter the 2024 campaign as organizational relief depth for San Diego.