The Padres have selected outfielder Luis Liberato onto the MLB roster. Catcher Cam Gallagher was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot, while Austin Nola is headed to the paternity list in an active roster move.
Liberato, 26, is headed to the big leagues for the first time. A native of the Dominican Republic, he joined pro ball back in 2012 on a deal with the Mariners. Liberato spent eight years in the Seattle system, playing his way as high as Triple-A but never reaching the big leagues. He reached minor league free agency at the end of last season and changed organizations for the first time, joining San Diego on a non-roster pact.
The Friars assigned Liberato to Triple-A El Paso, and he’s impressed during his first year in the system. The left-handed hitter owns a .261/.354/.541 line with 20 home runs across 390 trips to the plate. He’s struck out at a slightly above-average 25.4% clip, but he’s compensated by walking in 12.3% of his trips and collecting 50 extra-base hits.
Liberato has played a fair bit of center field in El Paso, so he’ll add some depth at all three outfield positions for manager Bob Melvin. The Friars haven’t gotten much this season out of Trent Grisham or José Azocar in center field, perhaps giving Liberato an opportunity to pick up some starts there down the stretch.
Gallagher just joined the organization five weeks ago. San Diego acquired the backstop from the Royals for outfielder Brent Rooker in the final trade announced at the August 2 deadline. The 29-year-old never appeared in an MLB game as a Padre, as he’s spent his entire tenure in El Paso. Gallagher stumbled to a .255/.317/.382 line over 16 games with the Chihuahuas. With Nola, Luis Campusano, Jorge Alfaro and Brett Sullivan already on the 40-man roster, the Friars have elected to move on from Gallagher rather quickly.
A right-handed hitter, Gallagher has spent the majority of his career backing up Salvador Pérez in Kansas City. He’s reached the majors in each of the last six years but never played in more than 48 games in any individual season. Gallagher is a career .240/.302/.355 hitter in 469 plate appearances, and he’s a .269/.330/.378 batter through parts of four Triple-A campaigns.
San Diego will have to place Gallagher on outright or release waivers in the next few days. Given the general demand for experienced catching, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him latch on elsewhere. This is his final minor league option year, meaning a claiming team could stash Gallagher in the minors for the rest of the season but would need to carry him on the Opening Day roster or designate him for assignment next year.
His .895 OPS is not impressive in the PCL. Its not even top 10 on his team this season. The team as a whole is averaging .851, so he is just a touch above average.
Saw this on Twitter for his splits on the year. Pre-June – .172/.256/.388, wRC+ 52, 34.6% K-rate
Since 6/1 – .310/.406/.624, wRC+ 150, 20.5% K-rate.
Not sure what he’ll be but he’s earned an opportunity.
It’s fair to say Grisham has had a garbage season. He’s had a couple of HR’s that mattered and made some decent defensive plays but it’s far from his gold glove days.
As far as Azocar, I wouldn’t say that the Padres haven’t gotten much out of him. Has he been a top offensive/defensive machine? No, but he has stepped up in big moments when the team has needed him to.
Liberato, has been solid in EL Paso. So let him have a shot. Grisham can cover a lot ground in center so hopefully Liberato has the same type of wheels!
What a glutton of depth at C. Gallagher is as solid a backup as they come
Someone will definitely acquire Cam Gallagher. He’s better than many backups in MLB.
So they basically traded Brent Rooker for nothing? Not that Rooker wasn’t replaceable but you’d think they would actually get SOMETHING for the guy.
If Profar opts out (which is being predicted), Myers contract will expire, Grisham has proven he’s over his head, next year’s only lock is Soto and hopefully Tatis ends up in CF because HSK has proven himself a better SS.
Myers might not be bad on an incentive-laden bargain deal for minimal base numbers. He’s played all 3 OF, 1B and a few dismal days at 3B.
Where’s their depth? Grisham isn’t even a decent choice for 4th OF. He’s been a defensive liability too often this year.
The Padres unloaded too much of its future, it seems to me. Who’s out there in the system?
Padre fans are booing Soto at home, Bell, Hader, and Drury are struggling, and apparently they have fungus infections like ringworm going around the clubhouse. can things get worse in sd?
Trash talk from a Giants fan? Nothing new here. What’s the Giants record again? Are you going to prove how bad the Padres are in the playoffs? Oh…right. Sorry.
I’d hate to be a Padre fan
As a Padre fan, it’s tough right now..no way we’re good enough to make a deep playoff run, and we’ve got huge holes in the OF, at 1B, and in the rotation next year..with no prospects to trade for help..Gonna be real curious how AJ even fills this roster out..gotta wonder if Seidler just told him money is no object (which I can’t see happening), or what AJ knows that we don’t..
We’ll get set for a great autumn surf season after the tourists are gone
Twins should be in on Gallagher. He can hit a little when he gets playing time and is an excellent receiver.
A better option at this point than Sandy Leon, to be sure.
Good night. Reading these post one would think the Padres were the Angles. They’re a second place team in their division, .5 games out of the second spot in the Wild Card and 2.5 ahead of the Brewers.
Soto has been in a slump, Bell has been far from awful, Drury has been the secret sauce of the deadline trades thus far.
Is the farm system what it was before the deadline, no! Does it still have some decent to legit up and coming prospects, absolutely!
It’s easy to hate on the Padres at the end of the season and almost wait on their collapse with baited breath. This year…not going to happen, sorry haters! You can say it sucks to be a Padres fan but I say, nah brah, those were the blue and grey years! The Padres are back in the brown and yellow so hang a star on it because it’s our time to shine!