 He stayed with the Atletics until 1968, playing mainly in A-ball, appearing in more than 100 games three times in those five years, but he batted fairly well and hit 43 home runs overall, including 16 homers in 1968.The San Diego Padres acquired Velázquez in the winter of 1968, but he was officially with the organization for about two months before he was picked up by the expansion Pilots on December 2.While at Seattle, the 31-year-old rookie formed part of a five-catcher tandem and was used sparingly.