We just passed the three-year anniversary of a transaction that looked inconsequential at the time but has since turned into one of the finest moves of Padres general manager A.J. Preller’s career.
On April 26, 2017, the Padres took a low-risk flier on reliever Kirby Yates via waivers. Yates had been with the Angels, but they and GM Billy Eppler designated him for assignment just a few days earlier. It was actually the second time that month that the Angels designated Yates, though no one took the bait the first time. That was understandable considering he never did much to stand out in the majors to that point, so you can’t really fault the Angels for cutting ties with him in light of that fact
As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd wrote when the Padres claimed the right-hander: “Yates, 30, only made it into one contest for the Halos this year. Over his 98 2/3 total MLB frames since the start of the 2014 season, he owns only a 5.38 ERA.” However, Jeff went on to add, “[Yates] has also generated 10.4 K/9 to go with 3.7 BB/9 in that span and showed career-best fastball velocity (94 mph) in his sole MLB appearance this year.”
And Yates, a 26th-round pick of the Red Sox in 2005, did put up excellent production at the minors’ highest level. Also a former member of the Yankees and Rays in MLB, he caught on with the Padres as the owner of a 2.26 ERA with 12.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 135 2/3 innings in Triple-A. Little did the Padres or anyone else know Yates would soon go on to post even better numbers in San Diego.
While Yates did not manage dominant run prevention figures during his first year as a Padre, he was quite serviceable, giving them 55 2/3 frames of 3.72 ERA/3.50 FIP pitching and fanning a jaw-dropping 14.07 batters per nine (compared to 3.07 BB/9). San Diego clearly had a useful hurler on its hands, and he took it up several notches from there.
Last year was especially incredible for Yates, who fired 60 2/3 innings of 1.19 ERA ball en route to his first All-Star nod and totaled 41 saves in 44 attempts. Yates did not win NL Reliever of the Year honors (that award went to the Brewers’ Josh Hader), but maybe he should have. After all, along with amassing the most saves in the game, he paced all relievers in ERA and FIP, and finished second in fWAR (3.4; only Athletics steal Liam Hendriks was better), third in K/BB ratio (7.77), and fifth in strikeouts per nine (14.98).
So how did Yates, now 33, become such a force? As he explained to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com in 2018, the introduction of a splitter to his repertoire was the turning point.
“The Angels didn’t want me to get away from the slider,” Yates told Cassavell. “I wasn’t necessarily going to get away from the slider, but I was trying to add a third pitch. When I got here, it was, ’We like your split, we want you to throw it more.'”
Yates leaned on the pitch better than 36 percent of the time in ’18 and upward of 41 percent last year. Hitters could only muster a pitiful .182 weighted on-base average/.203 expected wOBA against it in 2019, per Statcast. According to FanGraphs, it has been the most effective pitch of its kind among all relievers since Yates began throwing it. It goes to show that any player, even a scrapheap pickup in his early 30s, might just be one adjustment from stardom.
For Preller, Yates was his second relief addition via waivers to evolve into an all-world bullpen piece. One April earlier, he grabbed Brad Hand from the Marlins (more on that here), and the Padres sold high on him when they sent him to the Indians in 2018. Perhaps Yates will meet a similar fate, or maybe he has already thrown his last pitch as a Padre. He’s scheduled to become a free agent next winter, though the two sides have discussed an extension. No matter where Yates pitches going forward, there’s no doubt he has provided worlds of value to the Padres and put himself in line to cash in on a multiyear contract. Who could have expected that to happen when they scooped him up three years ago?
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
If Padres win WS, it will be because their scouting department was able to make small moves like this one and the Tatis move.
It’s one of the main differences with White Sox, who have only gathered key players through trades of major players, top ten picks, or record contracts for amateurs.
It evens out since the Padres get nothing out of their big moves.
Padres obtaining Tatis Jr. from White Sox illustrates your point.
Yates isn’t elite closer has to pitch in high leverage pressure games first
Wow you must be a Doyer fan, LOL, Yates is the best out there
Yates has had 1 monster year it’s typical myopic Padre fan who doesn’t know what a great season compared to great closed.Bruce Sutter was great closed led league 5 times in saves
Why wouldnt you want to do what the White Sox did? They have their core locked up until 2025.
The Sox also did this rebuild through international drafting. Their track record for 1st rd draft picks is atrociously laughable, succeeding this millennia with the sole entry of Chris Sale (Tim Anderson making a strong case to be the 2nd).
The thing about relievers is they bounce around the league a lot. About every team has given up on a reliever that went on to another team and found success.
There are elite relievers. Players who have unhittable stuff. Maybe 3-5 RPs in the game
Then there are the rest.
I find it funny that some people on here overrate RP and the need to trade for them or sign them to big contracts.
RP for the most part doesn’t determine who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t.
So if need be your team can always have a revolving door of RP in two spots until they find one who has it clicking.
If this is waivers, AAA or whatever.
Last three years you have seen teams use Starters as RP in the playoffs.
Much rather have a SP who has great stuff to pitch in October than a RP.
Look at Eovaldi with the RS or Corbin last year
“RP for the most part doesn’t determine who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t.”
Do a stat dive and see how many teams got to October with bad bullpens in the last several years.. I’ll bet you a po’ boy it isn’t many. Good bullpens hold onto leads, keep teams in close games, and carry the load when the rotation gets gassed. Bad bullpens lose win-able games: sometimes a lot of ’em.
“Much rather have a SP who has great stuff to pitch in October than a RP.”
If you’re in the playoffs you have both, and luckily that is a choice no one will ask you to make. Also if the SP and RP both have great stuff, what difference does it make?
The argument isn’t about having a good and bad bullpen.
Teams make the playoffs because of their everyday lineup and SP.
That is where you spend your resources on.
Not on a bullpen. Just ask the Rockies how that worked out or even the Cubs.
If you have an unlimited budget you of course want an elite bullpen but when it comes to most teams they have a budget and smart teams spend that money on everyday players and SP.
You especially don’t trade everyday players for RP.
In regards to getting into the playoffs. The Nats won the WS with a below average BP last year.
Let me know the next time you are in Houston or SW Louisiana.
I will take you up on that offer
“Teams make the playoffs because of their everyday lineup and SP.”
Along with the their bullpens and bench depth. A combination of all of these things are why teams don’t make the playoffs too.
“That is where you spend your resources on.”
Yes, because there are more of them and they cost more, generally.
“If you have an unlimited budget you of course want an elite bullpen but when it comes to most teams they have a budget and smart teams spend that money on everyday players and SP.”
You’re creating an either/or choice that teams aren’t really making. Teams spend more money on the lineup and rotation because they play more often and cost more. They spend less on the bullpen because it’s not as expensive.
“You especially don’t trade everyday players for RP.”
Sometimes you do, though.
“Let me know the next time you are in Houston or SW Louisiana.
I will take you up on that offer.”
The bet was “won’t find many” not “won’t find any” but when I do find myself in that neck of the woods lunch is on me.
I’m sure Halos are not alone in their ignorance, but damn if teams weren’t so rigid in their thinking.
A lot of the Kirby-resurrection (in addition to countless other relievers) had to do with Darren Balsley. I’m interested to see how Larry Rothschild does with future scrapheap pickups.
100%. Completely ridiculous that they let Balsley go.
I think he’s still technically a member of the organization. But wherever Bruce Bochy winds up after his sabbatical this year, Balsley is going to go with him.
So you’re saying Balsley is going to wind up at Bruce Bochy’s house watching the games on the couch?
The official response is that Balsley semi-retired.
Balsley wasn’t let go. His son pitches and he wanted to spend more time with him, so he asked the Padres to let him step down. Will still have a role coaching. Just doesn’t want to travel with the team.
You just don’t get it he wanted to make the move, learn the facts before you spout out some dumb answer
The Padres have enough depth pertaining to pitching; so that phase is over.
You can never have enough depth at pitching. Ever. And I’m not a fan of using absolutes.
I’ll give an A+ for using a picture with Chubbs in it.
I saw no Carl Weathers.
Early on in his career as the Padres gm; Preller showed a lot of holes in his ability to be an a complete gm with his foolish trades and poor decisions in signing free agents.
Yates and Hand were a couple of gems that Preller found early in his career that I believe saved his job.
Free agent decisions he’s missed on.
Trades he’s won more often times than not and its not even close. You can look at who he traded away and what he acquired and he’s won a lot more trades than he lost.
Paddack for Rodney, Tatis Jr, for Shields, Naylor for Cashner, Kelley for Barbato, Pomeranz for Alonso, Strahm for Buchter, Cahill, Mauer, Olivares for Solarte, Avila for Norris. He’s turned spare parts into gems
Hes proven capable of finding talent in unlikely places.
“Trades he’s won more often times than not and its not even close.”
You’re dead wrong hOsEbEeLiOn! I can name 5 misses for every hit he has in trades. Wli Myers for Trea Turner. Justin Upton for Max Fried. Matt Kemp for Yasmani Grandal. Freddy Galvis for Enyel de los Santos. Jose Pirela for Ronald Herrera. Bryan Mitchell for taking Chase Headley. Trent Grisham and Zack Davies for Luis Urias and Eric Lauer. Jurickson Profar for Austin Allen and Buddy Reed. Tommy Pham for Hunter Renfroe and Xavier Edwards. The list goes on.
Also, of the trades you mentioned, only Paddack, Tatis, Naylor, Pomeranz and Strahm were clear wins for SD.
Also an issue are the trades he HASN’T made. Particularly his refusal to trade Justin Upton at the 2015 trade deadline and Jhoulys Chacin and Craig Stammen at the 2017 trade deadline.
You’re really nitpicking some of Preller’s trades. Enyel de los Santos hasn’t had any success with Philly, at least Galvis gave the Padres a 2.0 WAR value.
Ronald Herrera had a 7.73 ERA last year in Triple-A and is no longer with the Yankees. Pirela sucked for most of his career as a Padre, but he still had more success in the majors than Herrera, even if it was for half a season. Again, don’t see that as a loss.
Idk how you can judge the Urias/Grisham trade when no player has had a single at bat with their team yet and when both players have a career 500 plate appearance in the majors combined. They both have a lot to prove.
I also don’t see how you can complain about the Pham/Renfroe trade. The Padres want to win, and Renfroe might be good at fielding and hitting for power, but I don’t think they can do it with someone who strikes out 28% of the time and can’t get on base. Pham has been an above average outfielder for the last three seasons, I doubt the Rays are dumb enough to give him away for just Renfroe. Edwards was the third highest rated SS prospect in the Padres farm system and he hasn’t proven anything yet in the majors, most prospects don’t, that’s why they don’t have much trade value.
Lastly, San Diego won Shawn Kelly trade, unless you think Barbato’s 6.14 career ERA is somehow better than Kelly’s 2015.
The Padres lost 96 games in 2018 WITH Galvis on the team. So without him they lose 98 games, still have Enyel de los Santos to use either out of the bullpen or as a trade chip and maybe draft a spot or two higher in 2019.
On Pirela, while that trade admittedly didn’t have much of an effect one way or the other, it was just obnoxious how they refused to get rid of him for so long.
Urias is going to be a star. Grisham and Davies will both no longer be Padres in 2 years.
Pham needs Tommy John surgery, is 32 (see: decline years) and is also a free agent in 2 years. Meanwhile, Renfroe is a solid major league contributor and Edwards hasn’t made an out in what seems like forever.
Padres lost 88 games in 2015 WITH Shawn Kelley. They could have lost 88 games without him.
He traded Jabari Blash for Headley and Mitchell. Yeah really lost that trade lmao. Really miss Blash.
Grandal, Turner, and Fried were his lost trades. You named 3 compared to the 8 I named.
So no you can’t name 5 bad trades for every 1 good trade. You have to reach for trades like Blash for Mitchell just to make your argument lmao. We don’t know how the Urias Grisham trade will work out or the Renfroe Pham trade. You’re assuming your opinion is correct when you have no factual basis to say it is. Congrats you played yourself.
Notice I didn’t even mention Jabari Blash. What the Padres truly “gave up” in that trade was agreeing to take Chase Headley. Padres got no value out of Mitchell and were stuck paying Headley. That was a loss.
Urias is going to be an All Star while 2 years from now Davies will be a FA and Grisham will have been non-tendered. Pham is also a free agent in 2 years and needs Tommy John surgery. Those trades were losses.
#takeaseat
You can’t solely judge a trade by the amount of wins a team had with a player. I’m pretty sure you judge it by either who gained the most value on the trade and/or who won a WS because of that player. If I go with your logic, the Friars lost the Tatis trade because they still sucked with him.
What makes you so sure Urias will be a star? Because he’s a top prospect? Many people thought Profar would be a future star as well. You have a bunch of future “stars” in Tatis, Gore, Patino, Paddack, Mejia, Abrams, Trammell, etc. Prospects are not All-Stars or future HoF, they’re just prospects. You can name a bunch of them with great minor league stats and turn out to be busts. Every single player, regardless of their ranking, have to prove themselves every single year.
The only thing Renfroe is solid at is defense. If he can’t even hit the ball, his ability of hitting for power is basically worthless.
@eduardoaraisa98 based on the money the White Sox paid Shields and the production the got from him, Tatis could retire tomorrow and the Padres would still win that trade. More likely, he will be one of their top producers from 2021-2024.
Urias got better and better each month in 2019 and his performance made a jump once they started using him correctly in September. Seems like another classic case of the Padres mishandling a top prospect. And Grisham hasn’t proven himself either.
Renfroe can also hit for power and in this, the era of the strikeout, his strikeout rate isn’t really THAT bad. And as I mentioned before, there’s a very good chance that Tommy Pham never actually takes the field for the Padres which means they gave up Renfroe and Edwards for basically nothing.
Mike, Your reasoning shows your lack of being able to determine good trades from average trades. AJ has far better returns than loses. Many of the names you have mentioned may not be in the majors in two years. Get real
@nowheretogobutup Your track record of asinine, ill-informed comments shows your lack of baseball knowledge. Tatis and Paddack are the only reason Preller still has a job. Get real
Wait a minute, why are you judging the Tatis/Shields trade based on value, but the Kelly/Barbato and the Galvis/de los Santos trades based on team performance? Urias got better in his last 80 at bats in the majors. I don’t think anyone can predict a players career based on their performance in one season, let alone 80 at bats. If that mentally was true, then Preller did a terrific job at extending Myers after having one good season. Last time I checked, hitting the ball three times every ten at bats makes you an All-Star. So I’m sure striking out three times every ten at bats doesn’t even make you a solid bench player. I agree with your last argument, there is a huge risk, but I still think it was a fair trade at the time if it wasn’t for Phams health issue
I can judge the Shields/Tatis trade based on value because Tatis is still there providing value to the team. The Padres were never going to contend in 2018 so the Galvis trade was more pointless than anything. Like what exactly were they going for with that one? Johnny Barbato obviously isn’t a significant loss but that trade didn’t really “help” the Padres because Kelley wasn’t that great and was gone after one year anyway.
Even if they don’t make the playoffs with Tatis, that trade benefited the Padres by shedding Shields and half his salary. And if they don’t make the playoffs during 2021-2024 while they have Tatis, Preller will be gone anyway.
If you were paying attention you’d know that Urias is going to be great. And with him gone, the Padres now have NO ONE at 2nd base. The hole there is bigger than their hole at shortstop was before the emergence of Tatis Jr.
“… but I still think it was a fair trade at the time if it wasn’t for Phams health issue”
You see the problem with that is that it IS for Pham’s health issue. The health issue in question was known before they made the trade and Preller went through with it anyway.
Lmao so paying Headley for 1 year as a rebound candidate is considered a loss trade lmao. Keep reaching man. Nobody believes your stupidity other than yourself.
Clearly you have 0 understanding of how trades work if you’re refusing to include Jabari Blash name. Nobody won or loss the Headley Mitchell Blash trade. Padres got nothing of value Yankees got nothing of value trading junk for junk isn’t a bad trade. Blash had 0 value as did Headley and Mitchell. Both teams acquired guys who were DFA candidates hoping to get lucky. Move along son. You aren’t ready for grown up level discussions.
When neither Mitchell nor Headley provides any value to the Padres then yes, it is absolutely considered a loss trade.
“Clearly you have 0 understanding of how trades work. Move along son. You aren’t ready for grown up level discussions.”
Can’t have a serious discussion with someone and insult them at the same time. If you would prefer an exchange on insults just say so. I can do that too.
Preller also lost the Brad Hand trade. Add that one to the list.
Narcissism runs rampant here.
So you’re basically saying that the Padres lost the Kelly and Galvis trade because even though they got more value in return, the team still sucked. But you also wanted them to suck more, to get a higher draft pick. So the only right time to make a trade for you is either when it’s going to help you in the long run or help you that season when your team is competing. Okay, if that’s the case, Barbato and de los Santos would still have given you 0 value in the majors and 0 trade value if they kept them longer. Preller traded them when they were worth something, if they kept them, you would’ve complaining how they didn’t trade them when they had value. The only time I saw Urias being “great” was in the minors and his last month in the majors. Stop giving an unproven player so much value, you can’t predict his future performance with certainty. Again, you must love the Myers extension if that’s the case. The Padres have another “star” player in Abrams, if it makes you feel any better and a bust in Profar
“So you’re basically saying that the Padres lost the Kelly and Galvis trade because even though they got more value in return, the team still sucked.”
No. I’m saying that those trades didn’t really help them. And in Galvis’ case the trade made no sense to begin with because the Padres were never going to contend in 2018. At least when they traded for Kelley they were theoretically in win-now mode. But best case scenario, that trade was a wash. Doesn’t really belong under “wins” like hOsEbEeLiOn said.
“Okay, if that’s the case, Barbato and de los Santos would still have given you 0 value in the majors and 0 trade value if they kept them longer.”
Both should have been traded for someone that wasn’t a one-year rental.
“The only time I saw Urias being “great” was in the minors and his last month in the majors.”
Got better and better with each month and his performance made a jump once they stopped misusing him. Also, he was better in 2019 than Anthony Rizzo was at the same age and also plays a more premium position than Rizzo. We all know how trading him went.
“Again, you must love the Myers extension if that’s the case.”
Myers is trash. Always has been. And always will be.
Mike, for sure you know little about baseball, Urias will never be better than a .245 hitter with ave. D, why are you crying over this guy. Thank goodness your not our GM its easy to babble on just because your feelings are hurt.
Mike its time for you to retire and go back to ping pong everyone on the thread is bashing you as a lame brain, not trying to hurt your feelings or anything but move on your negativity is turning your answers to rubbish
“Mike, for sure you know little about baseball.”
Son, I have forgotten more about baseball than you will ever know.
“Urias will never be better than a .245 hitter with ave. D, why are you crying over this guy.”
Lol I can’t wait until he proves you wrong about that. Also, did you ever find any proof of him being a clubhouse negative or are you just going to go into hiding because I exposed you for being wrong about that too?
“Thank goodness your not our GM its easy to babble on just because your feelings are hurt.”
1. you’re*
2. it’s*
3. I couldn’t do any worse than your boy Preller.
4. It’s not about hurt feelings it’s about giving up value and getting none back.
#getsmacked
Yeah. That’s what I thought.
That’s logic Padre like kryptonite to Padre fan
he pitched only one inning with only season with halos. 2 home runs and was let go. didn’t matter since the team had/has excellent relief pitchers.
Angels value swing and miss stuff in the bullpen.
There is another RP the Angels have had around who I think will have a couple of solid seasons sometime in his career and that is Luke Bard
Angels value give up runs and lose stuff.
I love the Padres new retro uniforms. Better than the prior uni’s
Is that the deep brown and yellow? The excrement colors? Yuk!
One man’s diamond is anothers piece of coal
Preller is a better scout than GM. Has an eye for young talent but using the Free Agent market to get players or trade for established names usually always fails.
For every question of “why bother picking X up off waivers?” that gets asked..this is the answer.
The Padres have a dominant bullpen. One of the best in MLB. Will Preller’s latest acquisition be yet another premier piece – Drew Pomeranz?
Don’t the Angels have any of those math based guys that can tabulate stuff!!??
You have to take chances on guys. Teams that have no hopes at competing should be doing this a ton. Maybe the Royals have something in Chance Adams? It wouldn’t shock me.