The Padres announced they’ve signed outfielder Adam Engel to a one-year, major league contract. The additions of Engel and righty Brent Honeywell bring San Diego’s 40-man roster to full capacity. Engel is a client of Icon Sports Management.
Engel hit the open market at the end of the 2022 season. The White Sox non-tendered him rather than bring him back via arbitration on a contract projected around $2.3MM. That ended a near decade-long run in the Chicago organization, which had selected Engel in the 18th round of the 2013 draft.
The University of Louisville product more than made good on that modest draft status. He’d play parts of six big league campaigns for the ChiSox, mostly in a reserve capacity. Engel played in the majors each season from 2017-22, with his speed and defensive acumen getting him consistent opportunities even as his production at the plate was inconsistent.
In just over 1500 MLB plate appearances, Engel is a .225/.280/.350 career hitter. He posted well below-average offensive numbers for his first three campaigns but put up quality marks in limited action between 2020-21. The shortened schedule in the former season and a pair of injured list stints in the latter kept him to 233 plate appearances over that two-year stretch. Engel hit .270/.335/.488 in that limited look, connecting on 10 home runs and 14 doubles.
That led to some optimism he might have taken a step forward with the bat. Engel didn’t sustain those gains in 2022, however. He hit .224/.269/.310 through 260 trips to the plate last season. Engel managed just two homers with a modest 4.2% walk percentage and an elevated 29.2% strikeout rate. On the heels of that rough showing, the White Sox moved on despite a generally shallow outfield.
The Padres will nevertheless bring him aboard as a defensive option off the bench. The 31-year-old has played nearly 3700 outfield innings as a big leaguer, with the vast majority of that work coming in center field. Public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average consistently peg him as a plus with the glove. DRS has credited Engel as 21 runs above average for his career, including three runs above par through 649 2/3 innings last season. Statcast has been even more bullish, rating him at +47 runs overall and +3 runs last year.
He’s also a quality baserunner, as the excellent speed that has made such a gifted outfielder plays on the bases. He’s stolen 47 bases in 64 career attempts, including a solid 12-16 success rate last year. His right-handed bat offers manager Bob Melvin a chance to shield incumbent center fielder Trent Grisham from tough southpaws on occasion, although neither Engel nor Grisham have shown marked platoon splits over the course of their careers.
Engel has over five years of major league service, meaning he’ll head back to free agency next offseason. That body of work also gives him the right to refuse any outright or optional assignments to the minor leagues. That suggests he has a strong chance of breaking camp with the Friars in a fourth/fifth outfield capacity.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Interesting, you’d think they would be aiming higher. Grisham trade foreshadowed/insurance?
Don’t necessarily want to trade Grish, but throw us your best offers? If moved, I’d like to see a rotation upgrade come back. And that’s all presuming that Niño is a bona-fide CF going forward, which is far from a certainty. I don’t doubt his capabilities to absorb the role though! Engel is just a filler until 4-20 when Tatis is eligible to return. Go Pads
Kikuchi or Mitch white for Grisham
Appreciate the call, but I don’t think the Jays have much in the way of arms to help us. Kikuchi is underwater and Mitch isn’t the upgrade they’d require. Manoah and Gausy are untouchable and nobody else would catch our fancy. The Pads built this roster with Grish in mind for CF 140 games plus, so they’d have to be blown away to move a 2x Gold Glove winner with no heir apparent.
So you’re holding out for Biggio to be added. I reluctantly and gleefully agree to add Biggio
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I wouldn’t trade Grisham until we see how he does with no shift.
Unless they’re blown away by an offer they can’t and shouldn’t refuse I’d keep him and see if eliminating the shift helps his offense any.
Him and Engel can platoon. Azocar can also platoon and be defensive replacement late in games.
Let azocar and Engel battle it out to see who should be the starter until Tatis is ready. Other guy can be 4th OF.
You can also have an OF of Tatis Azocar Engel against lefties and put Soto at DH.
Banning the shift won’t stop Grisham from striking out.
Really? You don’t think eliminating a defensive shift that is suppose to limit a hitters ability to put the ball in play will have an affect on hitters trying to put the ball in play more reducing strike outs they had while looking for a pitch they could pull opposite or away from the shift? Interesting.
Cause it seems like eliminating the shift would give hitters more opportunities to put the ball in play and a ground out hit flyout isnt a strike out.
The shift isn’t really much of a factor when you strike out 150 times in 450 AB’s.
Yeah not like a defensive shift changes a hitters approach/strategy at the plate at all or their pitch selection.
What the hell are you talking about? If anything it would have the opposite effect.
If you were trying to just put it in play you’d go the other away against the shift and strike out less. Now that the shift is gone hitters will try to pull even more and strike out more.
And overall shift has very little to do with strikeouts and like I said would have opposite effect now that it’s gone.
I think the consensus was that most batters actually did not alter their batting style by trying to hit against the shift. Lefties like Rizzo and Gallo who were affected the most by the shift instead, if anything, sold out a bit more for power and pulled the ball even more which did lead to uptick in strikeouts. So yeah, the batting strategy in regards to the shift was sorta counter-intuitive in that respect.
If youre a pull hitter youre not suddenly going to be an opposite field hitter cause that would alter your batting stance. Youre going to try and power it over the shift.
You also forget that pitchers are throwing pitches with the intent on getting an out to the shifted side. Literally how pitchers attacked hitters esp if it was a rh pitcher facing a lh hitter.
Did you not watch any baseball game ever where the shift was used?
Amen.
Plenty of hitters did go opposite on shift, even the pull hitters. Freeman for example especially with two strikes would occasionally poke it to the left side knowing that there was only one defender on left side.
Also context here. We’re talking about Grisham and strike outs. I’m not sure how defenses played Grisham but he should absolutely go the other way if they shifted on him. If not he’s not an idiot. If he was just pulling and swinging for fences during the shift again he’s an idiot and maybe why he hit under 0.200. So taking the shift away for Grisham is going to make him strike out less? That’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.
Engel is a solid 4th OF though i do wonder if maybe a trade is forthcoming. Maybe Grisham/Campusano to Miami for Lopez?
Engel is the best center fielder to play for the Sox since Jim Landis a half century ago.
Nope, that would be DeWayne “The Catch” Wise. Best Sox CF I ever saw.
What’s their angle on this, acute or obtuse?
Annnnnd done-skis. 40 Man full, let’s roll.
Barring injury. Bauering injury
Verboten subject… apparently!!
I wonder if they’d let us discuss Matt Gaetz instead?
God their depth is so bad lol. Preller really thinks it’s a fantasy team where you just swoop up average players as you go. Engel is horrid
How’s the Giants depth looking?
Outstanding as usual. Got what, 4 guys on the bench who project as above-average hitters? Seems good idk
Good luck with that amazing depth.
You’re talking about the Yomiuri Giants, right?
Those giants actually call starters.
Pathetic neckbeard is the first to pop up in any Padres post lmao
Again, I never said that in 2021. But please, continue to bring up 2021. I have a feeling you’re going to be hanging on to that for a while.
Idk why ppl celebrate worse draft position like its some big accomplishment.
“Neither of our teams won it all….but YAY my team drafted later than your team!” – gmoney
“Not those Giants”
Imagining thinking you know baseball and claiming the postseason isn’t a crapshoot
Imagine thinking 2021 meant something when all you got was worse draft position. Least Padres were able to beat the dodgers in the post season. Can’t say the same for the Giants.
That’s because ‘winning it all’ is not the ONLY measure of a successful season. Trust me – winning 110 games in a season but not winning the World Series is still a hell of a lot more enjoyable as a fan than winning 60 games and picking 1st.
So you celebrate participation trophies. What did winning 110 games get you compared to 60? Worse draft position.
“Well least we tried this season guys!”
Jung like my daddy must give his favorite team lashings when they don’t win. If they don’t give him a ring, he gives them the sting.
If they don’t win it all they don’t win it all. It is what it is. But I certainly don’t act like them wining a division and getting bounced 1st round with home field advantage is something to be proud of.
Idk, like college football, I enjoy watching my team take home the conference championship. The regional-rivalry factor is neat for me. Baseball is a little different; because how few and spread apart some teams are, but it’s fans that make the rivalry. Winning the World Series is ridiculously tough- big spenders remind us each year- so, taking home the East, West, or Central is still something to hang a hat on. Winning a Pennant is special in its own right. I get it if you’re team was in a dynasty, but their really hasn’t been a clear dynasty since the 96-03 Yanks. Jmo
lol
Kind of surprised the Padres haven’t signed Chad Pinder. He can play anywhere and has a decent bat. Melvin loved him in Oakland
He can’t hit
I’m actually kind of surprised by that as well as you would think Pinder would be a natural choice to replace Profar but can actually play multiple positions. I actually wouldn’t mind the sox signing Pinder as his versatility would be helpful as we continue with to struggle with the “who’s at SS/2B/CF?) Issue (though i would like to see Ceddane Rafaela get a legitimate chance at making the roster
Underrated deal.
Career 72 wRC+ but K
He’s got a decent bat, isn’t the best but ok.
Nah he’s an automatic out
Just like more than half of the Giants lineup. How’s Judge and Correa going?
Giants had an above average mlb offense last year and added 2 quality bats but yeah, keep goin
You finished 81-81 way worse then last year.
Your a automatic pain in the butt.
Anyone think that maybe the Marlins , I hear they need a CF plus other things. Maybe paclkage Grisham plus another player or prospects for Lopez.
Anyone think that maybe the Marlins , I hear they need a CF plus other things. Maybe package Grisham plus another player or prospects for Lopez.
Engle is a depth move to help cover the first 3 weeks until tatis is back. He can play some good defense as well so it’s fine.
Good for Engel!
Good luck!
Adam is definitely good defensively. His hitting comes and goes in small flashes. Usually healthy though.
No usually on the DL.
I’d prefer that the Padres hold onto Grisham until the trade deadline, so that it allows time for the new outfield to get situated. Off topic, but what do you think about Soto playing first base?
Great call about keeping Grish until the TDL. It might not even be farfetched to say his value could go up by then, too. I like Soto at 1B… in about 7 years? Pads need the OFers for now! Cheers bud
If Grisham can just raise his OBP to a decent level, bunt, walk into a couple of pitches, stare down the pitcher, whatever it takes, the Pads don’t need him to hit. He has GG defense, speed, and Cronenworth, Manny, Tatis, Soto, and Bogaerts hitting behind him. I
think that can work out ok.
I would’ve thought maybe try buying low for Ramon Laureano
And a nope. Aj gets an A for earlier acquisitions but the Honeywell/Engel combo has me scratching my head. These aren’t championship type moves. No fourth or fifth starters and a complete crap shoot off the bench. Nope, not impressed.
Team as it’s constructed is a wild card contender. Lacks veteran arms at the back end. 4th and 5th spots lack a stretched out starter.
The tweaking of this roster is most likely not done yet. Plenty of guys that could come off the 40 man if another player tickles Preller & Co.’s fancy.
We maybe at 40 but knowing AJP 5-10 of these 40 won’t be on the 40 man roster by opening day and another 5-10 will be
In my book probably the best straight up centerfielder left on the board. Hit decently in 2020-21 and is a plus defender.
Naquin is no longer a viable everyday centerfielder and JBJ and LoCain are way past their prime.
Solid signing and likely spells trading Grisham a near certainty.
Nope. It’s more like AJP has Engel replacing Myers, at a substantial discount. Streaky hitter, good OF defense, CF capable, speed, check, check, and check.
It’s late in the season to be stocking the roster. And yes, adding Engel does give AJP some flexibility if he can work a trade that brings back another starting pitcher, CF, or maybe catcher.
Maybe a multi-team deal, as I don’t see any one to one deal bringing back what the Padres need, for what the Padres have to offer any single team. As AJP always says, the matchups have to work, and I don’t see any 1 to 1 matchups that really work for both teams.
Not horrible, but I feel like the Padres need more offense against lefties. While they seem loaded against RHP, Carpenter, Grisham, Croneworth, probably won’t be as effective against LHP. True, Carpenter probably won’t play against lefties, but the DH spot seems to be lacking against LHP. Even so those three lefties in the lineup isnt bad, but when you combine with an above average Nola and Kim, it’s like, vs LHP, your most dangerous hitters are 1-4 ish, with Tatis, bogarets, Manny, and soto. This is just my opinion, but Padres need another bat against LHP. Ideally I would have went for someone else besides Carpenter good against both sides, but if they can afford another hitter, I don’t mind him. Engel seems to be better at hitting RHP, but we’ll see if they make any additional offensive moves.
I really don’t think it’s that big of an issue because Soto, Carpenter, and Cronenworth are all above average hitters against LHP. If you look at their splits for last year and for their careers they all have wRC+s of over a hundred against LHP. So basically they have 3 great hitters and 5 good hitters against LHP.
The main question mark is Grisham because while he was good against LHP in 2021 he was just overall offensively weak in 2022. Engel and Azocar seem kind of redundant to me because they’re both light hitting, fast, and play good D. My guess is they don’t have the money at this point to make a significant add, so they’re just filling out depth and hoping that Grish hits again or if not that Azocar/Engel takes a big step forward with the bat.
Fair point.
Good luck Engel!
While playing for the Sox, he provided some gold glove caliber centerfold work, especially during those lean rebuild years.
He always hits well against lefties. Has infield single speed. A propensity for stealing homers at the wall. It seemed as though right about the time he started to find some power in his stroke the injury bug zapped him.
He was always a player that I saw take time for kids to talk and sign autographs.
I hadn’t given up hope yet, but I am admittedly a Homer, raised on Hawk Harrelson.
And I’ve put it on the board…
That said where is the article about the Sox signing as similarly defense first outfielder Marisnick?
It’s been widely circulating… minor league with an invite to ST