The Padres acquired reliever Scott Barlow from the Royals for prospects Jesus Rios and Henry Williams, according to a team announcement. The Friars also designated infielder Brandon Dixon for assignment to clear a spot for Barlow.
Barlow, 30, owns a 5.35 ERA, 26.7 K%, 12.5 BB%, and 45.2% groundball rate this year in 38 2/3 innings. He’s saved 13 games for the Royals along the way.
The Dodgers drafted Barlow in the sixth round out of high school back in 2011. He signed a split free agent contract with the Royals way back in December 2017. Barlow started to find his footing in the Royals’ bullpen in the shortened 2020 season, working his way into a closer role the following year.
Barlow has had a couple of trips through arbitration, and decent save totals have led to a $5.3MM salary this year. Barlow competed with Aroldis Chapman for the Royals’ late-inning work earlier this summer, though Chapman was traded to the Rangers in late June.
Since June 10th, Barlow has an 8.04 ERA, 17.0 K%, and 13.4 BB% in 15 2/3 innings, causing him to fall out of favor with manager Matt Quatraro. Carlos Hernandez and others have leapfrogged Barlow on the depth chart, and now he’ll get a chance for a fresh start in San Diego. Barlow can be controlled for 2024 through the arbitration process, but he’ll have to bounce back for the Padres to get tendered a contract.
Josh Hader continues to pitch well atop the Padres’ bullpen, and Robert Suarez made his season debut on July 21st after recovering from an elbow injury. Nick Martinez and Steven Wilson have been key pieces as well.
Barlow is an aggressive pickup for a Padres team that enters play tonight five games out of the wild card. The club entered the day with an estimated luxury tax payroll above $280MM, meaning they are in the 95% tax bracket. FanGraphs still gives the Padres playoff odds of about 35%, and they also added Garrett Cooper, Rich Hill, and Ji Man Choi today. Padres GM A.J. Preller chose to supplement his club with veterans, rather than cash in impending free agents such as Blake Snell and Hader.
As for the Royals’ return, Williams is a 21-year-old righty starting pitcher who was drafted in the third round out of Duke last year and signed for an above-slot $800K while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The 6’5″ starter has struggled thus far in 12 Low-A ball starts, but before the season he was seen as a 45 or 50 grade prospect with a three-pitch mix and mid-rotation upside.
Rios, 21, has worked as a reliever this year in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He’s posted a 6.38 ERA in 18 1/3 innings.
Dixon, 31, saw most of his big league time with the Reds and Tigers in 2018-19. He spent 2021 with the Rakuten Golden Eagles and returned stateside on a minor league deal with the Padres. He’s been up and down from the Major League club this year, picking up 86 plate appearances in 33 games.
Mark Feinsand was first to report the Padres’ acquisition of Barlow.
Love this for the padres pending return
Hair today, gone tomorrow…
Henry Williams from Lake Elsinore Storm… love this trade for our Pads!
A little insurance for 2023 and maybe looking for Suarez to close with Barlow and Wilson (maybe Morejon) and Cosgrove and back end next year.
No Garcia or Pomeranz in 2024 – woohoo
Barlow has been pitching even worse than Garcia this year
8.04 ERA since beginning of June according to the article.
Dodgers picked up 4 negative WAR players so Preller said hold my beer and good Choi, Hill and Barlow.
Barlow and Choi good ads and should contribute. I seen both and they look good. Good stats as well if you are a stat person.
AJ the gunslinger
I actually like this move…
Preller actually did good today, didn’t need major trades, just some solid depth
Depends who they gave up
Says Henry Williams
and time will tell
Preller desperately trying to keep his job
The fact he still has one is remarkable
Son of Burch Barlow.
You can bet it will be a pitcher with an ERA north of 6 or an OF who was a prospect 10 yrs ago that never panned out.
At least be happy that Ryan weathers went to Miami already
Honestly im just glad Barlow is gone. As a Royals fan im tired about hearing what an elite closer he is right before he blows yet another game.
Who’d they give up for Barlow?
Hank
I don’t understand how the Rangers always overegg the pudding in 1 area and ignore their biggest weaknesses. They got 2 shortstops and 1 real pitcher after 2021. Last season, they got a bunch of starters (4) and then just 1 BP guy and a bench bat. Now, they got 2 starters and just 1 reliever. Obviously, those moves are excellent, but they should have dealt for him before adding a second starter. The bullpen does scare me. Sure, they kind of added Dunning to the BP, but this is too common. The Rangers signed Beltre when they lost Cliff Lee. I never seem to understand, but I guess it works out more often than not.
2-relievers actually. Plus as you correctly stated, they can bump Heaney or Dunning to the pen, it’s a good rework. Don’t forget Sborz is back off the IL he was going pretty well before he got hurt.
I mean, Chapman was in the BP, but I don’t really consider it a deadline deal. They needed an elite guy and a good guy or 3 meh guys imo, and they got just 1 meh guy in addition to Chapman. Chapman + 3 meh guys = great BP
Chapman + 2 meh guys = adequate BP
This = elite rotation and praying starters all go 6-7 most times
I would like to see them take a look at some other young guys for the middle relief work too. Like Chase Lee hasn’t given up a run in a month at AAA right now.
Tigers had Shreve and Cisnero available to trade, but Harris forgot to trade them.
I hear you, after the 6th my anxiety kicks into overdrive. But I’m hopeful, if it is indeed Heaney and Dunning going to the BP.
So who’s the KC closer now?
Sadly, there aren’t many save situations for KC the rest of this season.
Carlos Hernandez?
Does it really matter?
My guess is Carlos Hernandez will get a shot whenever there is a save situation.
Start diggin’ Trout.
You, your children and your children’s children will dig for the next one hundred years. And you will never find it.
he’ll be great for helping SD stay above Colorado!
Pads should have traded Hader
They still might, we’ll see how the game goes in Colo tonight
Can’t. Deadline has passed.
ah thanks JTG, I thought it went till 10 pm ET
It feels like the Padres only ever acquire relievers from the Royals
I’d give up 5 top prospects to have luscious golden locks like this dudes hair!
Who ya foolin’, you just wanna sniff it!
Eeww
Ick
turn the page, I have a bad visual
Real men don’t use the words Eeww or Ick.
Frfrncogsbfrfr
Typical Royals. Yrade who a guy whos struggling at A ball. Jj and his band of idiots strike again.
Roster churn
Win win fair trade. Barlow can be much better than his era. KC gets a nice pitching prospect and another arm I know absolutely nothing about and not going to research him. His dsl stats look weak for whatever that’s worth and for a 21 year old well.
2 failing prospects for Scott Barlow? I know he is having a bad year but this is ridiculous.
Thats the Royals front office for ya.
Failing prospects?
They haven’t even gotten started !