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Daniel Camarena

Padres Sign Oscar Mercado, Kevin Plawecki To Minor League Deals

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The Padres have signed outfielder Óscar Mercado and catcher Kevin Plawecki to minor league contracts with invitations to big league Spring Training, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. According to the MLB.com transaction tracker, San Diego also has minor league agreements with outfielder Bryce Johnson and left-hander Daniel Camarena.

Mercado returns to the Padres after logging some Triple-A time there a season ago. The 29-year-old had an excellent 30-game run with their top farm team in El Paso, hitting .339/.399/.669 with 10 homers and steals apiece. San Diego declined to give him a major league look and he finished the year on a minor league pact with the Dodgers.

Before his stint with the Padres, the Colombian-born outfielder had gotten into 20 MLB games for the Cardinals last year. He has reached the majors in five straight seasons, operating in a depth capacity for most of the time since a solid debut campaign in Cleveland. He’s a .237/.289/.388 hitter in a little under 1000 MLB plate appearances, but he’s a plus runner who can handle all three outfield positions.

Plawecki, 33 in February, spent all of last season in Triple-A. As with Mercado, he briefly joined the San Diego organization midseason. The right-handed hitter combined for a .272/.349/.389 showing in 269 plate appearances with the affiliates for the Nationals, Padres and Rangers. San Diego dealt him to Texas for cash around the deadline.

Last year was the first time since 2014 that Plawecki didn’t see any big league work. He’s a .235/.313/.341 hitter over 449 career games. He’ll add non-roster depth behind the MLB catching duo of Luis Campusano and Kyle Higashioka, although Brett Sullivan has a 40-man roster spot and is above him on the depth chart.

Johnson is a former sixth-round draftee who had spent his entire career with the Giants. The Sam Houston State product reached the majors briefly in each of the last two years, hitting .148/.209/.213 in 67 trips to the plate. As one would expect, Johnson has had more success in Triple-A. He’s a .286/.373/.429 batter over parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level. The 28-year-old has experience at each outfield spot.

Camarena’s lone big league experience consists of six appearances for the Friars in 2021. He’s most well-known for connecting on a stunning grand slam off Max Scherzer. The 31-year-old southpaw has spent a good chunk of time in the San Diego farm system. He pitched for Double-A San Antonio a year ago, posting a 6.20 ERA through 69 2/3 innings.

Padres, Daniel Camarena Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Padres have re-signed Daniel Camarena to a minor league contract, according to the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. San Diego had outrighted the left-hander off their 40-man roster at the end of the season, at which point he elected minor league free agency.

Camarena originally joined the Friars over the 2019-20 offseason on a minors pact. He’d spent nearly a decade in affiliated ball and was briefly selected onto the Yankees big league roster in July 2019 but had never appeared in an MLB game to that point. After the canceled 2020 minor league season, Camarena began last season with Triple-A El Paso.

While he would spend the majority of the season at the minors’ top level, Camarena did get into his first six MLB games last year. He was selected onto the big league roster in June and worked 9 1/3 innings of twelve-run ball. Clearly, he didn’t get the results he’d desired on the mound, but he did provide fans one of the most memorable moments of the season. On July 8, Camarena hit a grand slam off Max Scherzer in his second career at-bat, turning a 96.5 MPH fastball from one of the sport’s best pitchers around 416 feet.

Of course, the Padres primary interest in the 29-year-old is in his arm. Camarena posted a 4.75 ERA across 83 1/3 innings in a hitter-friendly environment with El Paso last year. The San Diego native owns a 5.32 mark in parts of five campaigns at that level. His 18.8% strikeout rate is below-average, but Camarena’s 7.7% walk percentage is solid. He’ll serve as a long relief or depth rotation option for his hometown club again in 2022.

Padres Outright Five Players

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The Padres have outrighted five players off their 40-man roster after they went unclaimed on waivers, according to the transactions page at MLB.com. Catcher Webster Rivas, outfielder Brian O’Grady, infielder Ivan Castillo, right-hander Miguel Diaz and left-hander Daniel Camarena have all been removed from the roster. All five are now eligible to become free agents.

The 26-year-old Diaz has the most major league experience of the bunch, having thrown 108 2/3 innings for the Padres over four different seasons from 2017 to 2021. In 2021, he logged 42 innings with an ERA of 3.64, healthy 26.7% strikeout rate but a high walk rate of 11%.

Camarena, turning 29 next month, only got into six games this season but cemented himself a place in Slam Diego lore by hitting a grand slam off Max Scherzer in July. His ERA at the big league level was 9.64, but in a small sample size of just 9 1/3 innings. In 83 1/3 Triple-A innings, his ERA was a much more palatable 4.75, despite a low strikeout rate of 16.9%.

Rivas, 31, got 77 plate appearances for the Friars this year and slashed .221/.303/.338 for a wRC+ of 80. His Triple-A numbers were a smidge better, as he hit .252/.339/.393 for a wRC+ of 83 over 186 plate appearances.

The 29-year-old O’Grady got 61 MLB plate appearances with a palty line of .157/.267/.333, but his Triple-A numbers were much better. Over 329 plate appearances for the Chihuahuas this year, he hit .281/.366/.547 for a wRC+ of 120.

Castillo, 26, only got four MLB plate appearances this season. At Triple-A, he got to the plate 435 times and hit .287/.326/.366 for a wRC+ of 73.

When factoring in these outrights, as well as players heading into free agency and players coming off the 60-day IL, the 40-man roster will be sitting at 38 when the offseason begins, in the estimation of Jason Martinez and Roster Resource. But the Padres have club options on Pierce Johnson and Craig Stammen that could get that number back up to 40, as well as mutual options with Jake Marisnick and Mark Melancon.

Padres Activate Yu Darvish

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The Padres will activate Yu Darvish to start tonight’s ballgame, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).

Daniel Camarena has been optioned to Triple-A to create the roster space to add Darvish, the team announced. Camarena served up the game-winning two-run shot to AJ Pollock in the 16th inning of yesterday’s marathon contest. The 28-year-old southpaw has generated more buzz for his work at the plate this season, hitting a grand slam off Max Scherzer in his first career plate appearance. He had an at-bat in last night’s game as well, but he went down swinging.

For his part, Darvish has been out since August 13th with lower back tightness. He has a 3.70 ERA/3.71 FIP in 23 starts covering 131 1/3 innings with a typically strong 29.9 percent strikeout rate, 5.7 percent walk rate, and lower than usual 36.0 percent groundball rate.

The Padres have seen their pitching depth ravaged by injuries this season. If they’re going to stay in the hunt for the second wild card game, Darvish’s healthy return would seem a likely requirement. Chris Paddack could also be on his way back after a successful three-inning simulated game, notes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Padres Place Pierce Johnson On 10-Day Injured List, Outright Sam McWilliams, Select Daniel Camarena

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The Padres announced a trio of moves tonight, first and foremost placing right-hander Pierce Johnson on the 10-day injured list with right triceps inflammation. The move is retroactive to June 18th. The Padres selected the contract for southpaw Daniel Camarena from Triple-A El Paso to take Johnson’s roster spot.

Johnson, 30, has been a productive member of the Friars’ bullpen when healthy. He rides an unconventional curve-forward arsenal, throwing his hook 73.1 percent of the time this season. He compliments his high-spin curveball with a 95.5 mph power sinker. The combo put Johnson in the 93rd percentile league-wide by K-rate with a 34.8 percent strikeout rate. In 27 appearances, he’s has a 3.57 ERA/2.84 SIERA over 22 2/3 innings with three holds and a blown save.

Camarena, 28, has yet to make his Major League debut, but he’s likely to do so either today or tomorrow, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). He was a drafted out of San Diego area Cathedral Catholic High School in the 20th round by the Yankees way back in 2010. He career took a hit, however, when he underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entire 2015 season.

The 6’0″ lefty rehabbed and reached Triple-A in 2016, but he’s been unable to break through. Baseball America had him as the Yankees’ 31st-ranked prospect back in 2017, writing, “Camarena’s fastball typically sits in the low-90s but touched 93 in the middle portion of the season before backing up again as the fatigue from a lost year set in down the stretch. He coupled the fastball with a full offspeed arsenal that included an above-average changeup, a get-me-over curveball and a slider he added this year to give him an extra weapon against righthanders.”

BA pegged him for a back-end rotation arm, but he became a minor league free agent before receiving a big-league opportunity in New York. In eight starts with El Paso this season, Camarena finally earned his call-up with a 3.00 ERA in 39 innings, where he has allowed 33 hits and 11 walks while notching 24 strikeouts.

Lastly, recently-acquired right-hander Sam McWilliams was also outrighted to Triple-A. The 6’7″ McWilliams impressed scouts this past winter, driving a mini-auction for his services. He ultimately signed with the Mets. The well-traveled McWilliams has spent time with Philadelphia, Arizona, Tampa Bay, New York, and the Padres, reaching Triple-A with the Rays in 2019. He’s been knocked around at the highest level of the minors this season, giving up 15 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings between the Mets’ and Padres’ Triple-A clubs. Control has been his bugaboo; McWilliams has a 25.4 percent walk rate this season.

Padres Add Daniel Camarena To Taxi Squad

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5:24 pm: Camarena will not be added to the active or 40-man rosters at this time, manager Jayce Tingler told reporters (including Lin). He’s only being added to the club’s five-man taxi squad for the moment.

3:21 pm: The Padres are planning to select the contract of left-hander Daniel Camarena, reports Dennis Lin of the Athletic (Twitter link). The 28-year-old will make his MLB debut if he gets into a game. The Padres 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move to finalize Camarena’s promotion.

Camarena hasn’t yet played in the majors, but this won’t be his first big league call-up. The Yankees selected Camarena to the MLB roster on July 6, 2019. He didn’t get into that night’s game, and New York optioned him the next day. Camarena didn’t return to the Bronx, as he suffered an injury in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre shortly thereafter and wound up released. The Padres signed him to a minor league deal entering 2020. He spent all of last season at the Friars alternate training site and remained in the organization for 2021.

Assigned to Triple-A El Paso, Camarena has made eight starts this season. Over 39 frames, he’s pitched to a 3.00 ERA that ranks fourth-lowest among the 38 Triple-A West pitchers with at least 20 innings. That hasn’t come with particularly stellar strikeout or ground ball numbers, though. Camarena has punched out just 15.2% of batters faced while inducing grounders at an average 43% clip, and he’s benefitted from a lofty 81.5% strand rate and .231 batting average on balls in play against him. To his credit, Camarena has always been a quality strike-thrower, and that’s continued this season. The southpaw has walked just 7.0% of opposing hitters with the Chihuahuas.

Padres Add 3 To Player Pool

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The Padres announced today that they have added left-handed pitcher Daniel Camarena, right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis, and outfielder Abraham Almonte to the 60-man player pool. In addition, lefty Tim Hill, acquired from the Royals on Thursday, has reported to Padres camp. After the roster moves, there are 55 players in the Padres’ pool.

Yacabonis broke into the Majors in 2017 with the Orioles, and has appeared in parts of three seasons with Baltimore. He’s gotten playing time as both a starter and reliever, though he hasn’t found great success in either role. In 41 innings last year, he struck out 33 batters but walked 24, also struggling to prevent home runs. His career ERA is 5.75. He figures to settle into a relief role with the Padres, though he’s a longshot to crack the Opening Day roster.

Almonte, a switch-hitting 31-year-old outfielder, was brought aboard on a minor league contract last December, getting a bid in Padres camp as a non-roster invitee. It’s his second stint in San Diego, as he spent parts of 2014 and 2015 with the team. Last year, he played in 17 games for the Diamondbacks. For his career, he owns a .239/.298/.373 batting line, also making stops with the Mariners, Indians, and Royals.

Camarena, 27, has yet to debut in the Majors since the Yankees made him a 20th-round draft choice in 2011. He’s also made stints with the Twins and Giants before the Yankees re-signed in 2019. He’s reached Triple-A in each of the last four years, but has failed to find sustained success at the level. Last year, he played in 18 games at Triple-A, notching a 6.27 ERA. He threw 103 1/3 innings and posted 94 strikeouts.

Yankees Announce Series Of Pitching Transactions

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The Yankees announced a series of pitching transactions today. Recently acquired southpaw Joe Mantiply was designated for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster. Also departing the 40-man is southpaw Daniel Camarena, who was released.

Those 40-man spots went to a pair of other hurlers. The club activated righty Jonathan Loaisiga from the 60-day injured list and selected the contract of righty Adonis Rosa. The Yanks had already optioned Mantiply and righty Brady Lail, opening the two active roster spots that have now been filled.

What’s most significant here for the division-leading Yankees is the return of Loaisiga. He has battled shoulder troubles this year and hasn’t yet been a consistent piece at the MLB level. But the talent is obvious and the Yanks have plenty to gain by getting him up to speed down the stretch. He is not fully stretched out as a starter, so the club seems likely to utilize him in some sort of relief role, perhaps of the multi-inning variety.

Yankees Select Daniel Camarena

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The Yankees have selected the contract of lefty Daniel Camarena from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team reports. It’ll be the major league debut for the 26-year-old Camarena, who was re-signed by the club earlier this season after a short stint with the Twins organization.

Camarena was a late-round pick by the Yankees in 2012, and has since spent parts of each of his eight professional seasons in the Yankee farm (he also had a brief upper-minors stint with San Francisco last season). In 69 2/3 innings for Scranton this season (11 starts), the lefty’s pitched to an ugly 6.09 ERA, results only slightly inferior to his AAA output of a year prior. Camarena’s near 4/1 K/BB ratio is encouraging, especially in the juiced environs of the new-look International League, but he’s likely little more than a long man or fill-in at this point.

With the move, the club’s 40-man roster is now full. A staggering ten players still sit on the team’s 60-Day IL, so the club will almost certainly be faced with difficult roster decisions in the days ahead.

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