The Padres signed right-hander Jose Espada to a minor league deal earlier this month, as indicated by Espada’s MLB.com profile page. It’s a reunion between the two sides, as the 27-year-old Espada pitched for San Diego during the 2022-23 seasons before joining the Yakult Swallows last offseason.
The move to Japan wasn’t as much of a showcase as Espada had hoped, as he posted a 5.00 ERA over 27 relief innings for the Swallows. His strikeout rate plummeted to just 13.56%, in a rather stark dropoff from the 26.59K% he posted over 374 career innings in the minor leagues. While his numbers with the Swallows’ minor league team were much better, Espada had already displayed plenty of quality in the affiliated minors, including a 2.79 ERA in 19 1/3 innings with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in 2023.
Impressive numbers at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels allowed Espada to make his MLB debut in 2023, in the form of a single cup-of-coffee outing. Espada recorded two strikeouts and two walks in a scoreless inning of mop-up work in the Padres’ 12-2 rout of the Cardinals on September 24, 2023. That brief outing was the high point of a pro career that began as a fifth-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2015 draft, and Espada also had stints in the Red Sox farm system and in independent ball as well as his time with the Padres and Swallows.
Espada has had issues with his control but has long been able to miss bats, making his diminished strikeout numbers in NPB all the more puzzling. A return to the familiar environment of Triple-A El Paso might help him get back on track, while from the Padres’ perspective, they’ll add a known quantity to their list of bullpen depth arms.
It’s a festivus miracle!
Hahaha
That’s a no for me, dawg.
More, “No Soup For You” moves brought to you by your San Diego Padres.
Fans reward the club with record attendance and passionate crowds and get well…
Nothing.
I’d say this doesn’t move the needle but really, what needle?
You have to have a needle to move and the Pads don’t even have an engine this offseason.
Watched the annimated holiday favority “Polar Express” the other night with the family, and the demanding know-it-all kid on the train, the one who snuck into Santa’s giant gift bag and got caught and when asked why he was there said:
“I wanna make sure I’m getting everything on my list, All I found was one present. And all it had was stupid underwear”
And oddly enough it reminded me of you.
If there’s one thing we have LEARNed, AJ will pull a nice team together. On that you can DEPEND. So take my LEAD
Tow, and BELIEVE.
It’s a minor league deal get a grip
Welcome back, Mocha Joe!
This one’s for you Tow! Enjoy.
Over pay. They should’ve signed him to a little league contract.
The last AA draft for the Jays. Was terrible. Only good player that was picked was Singer, who AA did not sign.
Wow okay so first off, Joe Espada is a couch for the Houston Jiggers, also known as the Chigoe Flea Insects lmao like can you even wake up and just report news the right way
@Jimmy
Delete this immediately. There’s a “Joe” Estrada and he’s a 49 yo coach. Then There’s a “Jose” Estrada who is the 27 yo pitcher this article is about.
@knicks i was trying to find the stats on caramel empanada. All I was able to find was the nutritional values. Just had negative war
Can I offer you a Carmelo Martinez (11.0 WAR)?
baseball-reference.com/players/m/martica01.shtml
How about a 10.0 WAR Candy Maldonado?
baseball-reference.com/players/m/maldoca01.shtml
this is a joke lmao please look up Jeremiah Estrada you dont even know who you are talking about
baseball-reference.com/players/e/estraje01.shtml
Look, there is nothing impressive about what happens in a sample size of only 19 innings pitched. That could very well have just been luck. That’s why they say relievers are so volatile. They often throw small(er) number of innings.
Some of you crack me up with your “do something Padres” whining. AJ’s been the most active GM of the last 10 years in the offseason. Do you REALLY think he’s not going to swing at least 1 blockbuster deal before ST? He needs to see what Sasaki is going to do before making moves, and we won’t know that answer for 3 weeks or so..After that, you can bet that AJ’s gonna be wheeling and dealing (mainly on the trade market).
It’s not AJ we are frustrated with, it’s ownership.
Where there is a will there is a way, and Peter Sedler proved that perceived factors(tv deal, .market size, debt service) weren’t a concern.
If an ownership group wants to spend, it will, plain and simple.
You really don’t get it do you ?
Peter Siedler went for it because he wanted to win a World Series before he died and he knew he was dying. The TV deal they had covered the luxury tax and that’s gone so now they actually have a budget they would like to stay at and if the right deal comes along then maybe they go over the threshold but the Padres will be fine.
I do believe that AJ is waiting for a decision by Sasaki and then he will move accordingly.
And you’ve seen the books?
LOL
What I know is miles ahead of what you think.
Hey now, there’s no need for logic or nuance here.
We simply want AJ to make moves NOW /s
Pods won’t acquire anyone they’d have to pay > $3M or so. Seidler is gone and bean counting management is constrained by large contracts to Bogaerts, Machado etc.
There are deals that can be made to free up room, while still getting better (and younger). For example, say the Padres sign Sasaki..then, they could do something like package Cease and Cronenworth (or Arraez) for what would surely be a big haul. They could also include someone like Suarez, for even more salary relief, and end up with 3-5 top prospects/young, mlb ready guys..which would free up enough to go after Teoscar or re-sign Profar (or possibly even Santander). The facts are though, until the Sasaki situation plays out, AJ’s hands are tied.
If they get Sasaki that gives them more reason to keep Cease. Sasaki will come with the necessity of running a 6 man rotation so the Padres would not be trading away the top of their rotation at that point.
Why in the world would the Padres PACKAGE two very valuable MLB players in a trade? Teams always get more when trading top MLB players individually.
Why would they trade Suarez at all? How do you replace a top 5 closer with the 1-2 prospects that would come in return. Yes, 1-2 prospects is all they would get. Suarez can walk after each season so his remaining 3/26 deal is a series of 1 year deals where only if he is bad does he opt in for 2026 and 2027.
Hernandez is a 32 year old, strike out prone (averaged 200 SO in 2023 and 2024), bad defense corner OF that will take a $60+ million commitment to sign. Santander will cost even more years and money. Just say no to crack.
None of those are even choices the Padres will be considering.
For example, Boston and Baltimore both line up well for a Cease deal, and if the Padres could grab Casas/Rafaela, Mayo/Kjerstad in a package for say, Cease, Cronenworth, and Suarez plus a prospect or two? It could help both teams solve their issues, while shaving 30-40m off of the Padres payroll.
The key though is waiting to see what Sasaki’s going to do.
You crack me up @Padsfans. You’re constantly claiming that you know what the Padres would or wouldn’t do, but have zero clue about how the organization feels about the players involved, the financial goals of the FO, or any other internal considerations.
You come off as incredibly condescending, and frankly? I’ve never seen you correct yet.
As if you just didn’t try to say what they should or shouldn’t be doing and what their financial goals are or any other internal considerations Ryan. Hypocritical much?
Yes, we know its you Ryan. Time for a new account.
Any one of Cease, Arraez, King, and Suarez are trade candidates, but I don’t think they need to trade any of them. And while Roki wouldn’t throw more than one game per week for a while, obtaining him (or not) will affect roster building strategies beyond 2025, and that can’t help but affect the goals of some trades that could happen this offseason.
Ron, you Cease, Cro, Suarez AND a prospect or 2 for either package of those 2 prospects? Really?
An All Star 2b, an elite closer, an ace SP with MVP and CY votes in ‘24?
I hope not.
The strikeout rates tend to dip in Japan because the hitters over there have a more contact oriented approach. The concern with Espada is command, but at 27 years old, the velocity is worth a minor league deal.
This was the move friar fans were waiting for forget Roki
Maybe they were best buds in Japan last year.
18k/9 innings is a hella record
AJ is cooking…something.
But hey, might as well kick the tires on a guy with strikeout stuff. Very little risk here.
I say welcome back Joser! MiLB deal, nothing to fret and absolutely zero risk with positive potential. Go AJ go!
Agreed. If he makes it to the big club and carves out a role, great! If not, easy enough to move on.
Like my greenage dispensary says, just keep the good stuff stashed in the freezer until you need it.
I believe Preller is looking at Asian markets as much as he can, and in a small way this is a deal on that side of things. Sasaki is the obvious target, but if Kim walks, he’ll probably look at the new Kim as a replacement.
This isn’t a team with a lot of holes, so Padres don’t need giant deals for the sake of winning the offseason.
Not like I think it would happen, but if Padres could get Kim AND Kim, I wouldn’t mind of Xander spent time in LF and focused on his offense more.
The real question mark is catcher, but Preller will find something serviceable, he always does.
100% agreed.
Pads fans will know something shortly after 1/15/25. As I’ve read, he can actually make an announcement of his choice of team prior so, maybe sooner depending on the decision.
Rotation is in good shape with him. Need to find an arm without him. Can’t spend on backup C and LF until you find out if you have to make a run at a Pivetta type.
If Sasaki is a Pad, then Profar signing very likely to follow. On JP, I’d say if he had a deal he really liked offered he would have accepted it by now – just tells me that like last 2 years, he hasn’t gotten the offers he had hoped for yet.
Just my thoughts on why things are slow in AJ world.
Agree on Profar, but I think he’ll give Preller the opportunity to match any offer given. Not saying padres will match, and if he somehow gets 3/45 padres should not match.
The latter half of January is when things happen in Padre land, that seems clear enough.
Padres have one huge hole, catcher. Preller has a long history of finding an inexpensive catcher that excels in San Diego. I will trust in AJ on that one.
SP is a need with Musgrove going down to TJ surgery, but not one that requires drastic actions. With Cease, Darvish, and King the rotation is still strong. Waldron was 39th in MLB in the 1st half. He wore out. He will be a solid #5 to start the season. Vasquez was another one that at 140 IP was far beyond his career high of 117 for innings and it showed in the 2nd half. Don’t sleep on Brito as a starter either. While he was strictly out of the pen in SD, he only started in El Paso. A couple of guys are coming that the average fan has never heard of, Omar Cruz and Henry Baez. Add Sasaki and the Padres rotation is set to start the season.
As far as other areas, the Padres have a fantastic prospect in Ornelas ready to step in at LF if Profar asks for too much money, but the preference is to get Pro back. At DH Shildt has already said that they will be using that position to rotate position players into to get them a day or two of rest from playing in the field. The Padres have a 25 year old guy that can play all the IF positions and really hit in Eguy Rosario who has never really been given an extended shot at playing. He has been absolutely crushing it in Dominican League this winter. He is ready and would be the perfect utility guy that is 1st up off the bench around the horn.
Now add a cheap veteran bat like Solano or Peralta or both to solidify the bench and lets go play the games.
Just get Sasaki and we are gonna do just fine.
The Chihuahua bullpen is looking good.
The pushover with the money and mancrushes on athletes is dead, therefore the quality of signings has diminished accordingly.
Poor taste and no class. Par for the course with you, Crikes. Delete this absurdity.