by Jon Paul Morosi

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 is represented by agent Scott Boras, who is advising No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg in his negotiations with the Washington Nationals.

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."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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