The Padres are in agreement with reliever J.B. Wendelken on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The right-hander will be in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
Wendelken returns to affiliated ball after two seasons in Japan. The 31-year-old turned in excellent results over a pair of years with the Yokohama DeNa BayStars. Wendelken put up a 1.67 earned run average across 86 innings in Nippon Professional Baseball. He struck out 22.2% of batters faced against an 8.8% walk rate.
Before heading to Japan, Wendelken pitched in parts of six big league seasons. He spent the majority of that time with the Athletics. Wendelken worked to a 3.62 ERA over five years in Oakland. He had a tougher time after landing with the Diamondbacks via August ’21 waiver claim. Wendelken allowed nearly five earned runs per nine through 47 2/3 frames in Arizona. The D-Backs outrighted him off their 40-man roster midway through the 2022 campaign.
The Padres have a handful of relievers locked into the Opening Day bullpen. Robert Suarez, Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada are all ticketed for late-inning roles. Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta should be in the middle innings, as the Padres would likely be unable to offload their multi-year deals in trade. Bryan Hoeing and Adrian Morejon will be on the big league roster in some capacity, though it’s not out of the question that they could win rotation jobs in Spring Training. That may only leave one or two middle relief spots up for grabs among the likes of Sean Reynolds, Tom Cosgrove, Stephen Kolek and Wendelken.
So glad you noticed my comment on the White Sox minor league signing and posted an article about it. Thanks.
Yuki and Peralta are locked into middle innings not because the Padres can’t offload their contracts. They are locked in because they are really good pitchers. Both were better than league average.
Oh, and you missed about 5 others that will be in the mix for a spot in one of the best bullpens in baseball.
When will then be now?
Soon…
Was he the heaviest player in the league at 245 lb?
there’s this new fangled thing called google.com, you should try it some time…
Google is great if you want a dozen ads and six AI generated blurbs that have nothing to do with your inquiry.
We’ve actually come full circle and it’s now more efficient and reliable to just ask people like we did for thousands of years.
Wendelken famously blew the save for the Reno Aces during the 2022 AAA championship game held in Las Vegas, leading to a title for the Durham Bulls!
Waiting on towin to come in soon with his insufferable complaining..
In 5..4..3..2..
Padres have a number of quality pen arms.
Suarez
Adam
Estrada
Morejon
Wandy
Matsui
Hoeing
Kolek (last year ruled 5, can’t be sent down)
Those are the likely 8 as of now to start the season in the pen.
Other pen options
Reynolds
Jacob
Cosgrove
Some other minor league guys
starters
Cease
King
Darvish
Possible 4-5 guys
Waldron
Vasquez
Brito
Nunez (rule 5)
Morejon
Hoeing
Kolek
Some other minor league guys will get a look.
Obviously signing Roki would be huge.
The most interesting from the list is Morejon. Was a starter, has been injured a lot. Was healthy last year and good out of the pen. If he can go back to the rotation and stay healthy that would be a big win.
Now they just gotta get the catching corps in order.
Still won’t beat the dodgers
The QOs for Cease King and Suarez is the worst possible outcome for extending the padres ability to compete the next couple seasons and no guarantee they fetch more at the deadline if padres decide to sell then.
Trading them now allows padres to fill gaps in LF,1B, rotation long term with cheap contacts and allows them to spend some money on old friends Yates and Scott and possibly someone like Carlos Estevez thus increasing options available in high leverage situations and the 9th.
I was following along until you said to spend money on more relievers. Who would start games for them at this point? Sure, they’d get lineup help, but you’re weakening a weakness to further bolster the strength of the team.
If they trade more than one of those guys, odds are they’re looking at a retool type of season and you’d waste money on closers to do what exactly?
Simm – Minor correction. Teams only can’t send a rule 5 pick down for the year you picked them. After that, normal rules apply. So with Kolek, the Padres only needed to keep him in the majors for 2024. They can send him down now.
Red- I believe because he was on the IL the last month or two he has to remain on the team to complete his year of active service.
Simm, did Brito make any starts for the Padres last season? I was under the impression that he was a reliever.
The guy this article is about is a pen option. I don’t think he would get an spring training invite if he wasn’t.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to try to hide a Rule V draft pick at reliever than as a starting pitcher?
Out- they sent him down to the minor last year and stretched him out as a starter. I don’t think he made a start with the padres but without looking I don’t remember for sure.
No Bregman news ?
If this doesnt convince Sasaki that SD is in it to win it….
Roki has entered the chat.
Roki has left the chat.