Tate had planned to play baseball and football at North Carolina before signing with the Padres. He is the son of former NFL running back Lars Tate.

"We knew all along that football was not where his heart was," said Grady Fuson, San Diego's vice president for scouting and player development.

Tate had been in camp with the Tar Heels but left after a few days.

"We had it done before that," Fuson said. "There were some administrative things that had to be done to make them comfortable."

Tate was at Monday night's game against the Chicago Cubs, sitting with family and friends in the expensive seats between the dugouts. He wore a retro Padres jacket and cap.

The Padres also agreed with outfielder Everett Williams (FSY), their second-round pick, and right-hander Keyvius Sampson, their fourth-rounder.

All three will report to the Padres' team in the Arizona Rookie League.

The Padres, who've slashed their big league player payroll, spent about $9 million on this year's draft picks.