The Padres have optioned third baseman Will Middlebrooks to Triple-A, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. Outfielder Abraham Almonte has been brought up to take his spot on the roster.
It’s a disappointing, if unsurprising, move for the 26-year-old Middlebrooks. The former top prospect was acquired over the offseason from the Red Sox as something of a turnaround candidate, but has put together a sub-par .212/.241/.361 batting line in 270 plate appearances on the year. Though a .237 BABIP explains some of that, particularly given that Middlebrooks is making as much hard contact as he always has, he’s always carried a low average on balls in play in the majors (.276 career).
Throw in below-average defensive ratings, and Middlebrooks has once again sported a WAR mark well into the negative figures. While San Diego surely held out at least some hope that Middlebrooks would provide a long-term option at the hot corner, he’ll need to do some work in the upper minors to earn another shot at big league playing time. With his first crack at arbitration on the horizon, he could be a non-tender candidate at this point (though he is rather unlikely to command a huge salary).
LOL. First guy in history to be announced as a ‘major’ acquisition at an off-season press conference and proceed to be demoted in the same calendar year?
Was he considered a major acquisition? Not sure about that. He’s not even the most surprising demotion in the past two days.
I though Craig and Kelly beat him to it this year
I can’t believe anyone would announce Joe Kelly as a major acquisition. Even in St. Louis he looked like the guy that takes a 4-5 spot in the rotation for a few seasons and then you don’t hear from again. He needs to be made into a short reliever and some team keep their fingers crossed he turns into an Andrew Miller or Wade Davis…his stuff is hard and flat
Hard to believe.
Middlebrooks wasn’t a major trade acquisition….they traded a 34 year old catcher in Ryan Hanigan for him. Not exactly “major” when you give up essentially an aging career back up catcher for a former top 100 prospect who wore out his welcome in Boston.
The last major acquisition for a team that was acquired in the off season and demoted was when the A’s traded for Jim Johnson in December and designated him for assignment back in July during the 2013 season. He lost his role as the closer during the season as well.
Jim Johnson posted back to back 50 save seasons in 2011 and 2012 along with xfip of 3.68 and 3.38 respectively.
they implied it was a major one by inviting him to the press conference with upton and kemp. obv *I* don’t think it was a major one
Its been a downhill ride since that obstruction call
The obstruction call was in the 2013 World Series. The decline began in the beginning of the 2013 season.
Middlebrooks at least had power in 2013, a player with a low OBP and power still has value (see Mark Trumbo). In 2014 his power vanished.
WMB first 99 PA in the big leagues: .316/.343/.579, last 1065 PA .223/.268/.382
Sounds similar to Jesus Montero.
So… Why and when did Middlebrooks start 4 games for the Padres as Shortstop?
Amarista was actually bad enough to justify trying Middlebrooks at SS
Players like this goes to show not everyone pans out. Maybe one day he can turn out to be a decent bench player. So far he not a starter
I do agree but he could also be a late bloomer like Chris Davis or Raul Ibanez.
Middlebrooks was never a highly regarded prospect. He just had a flukishly good start to his career and everyone in Boston decided he was the future at 3B. This is more of a SSS lesson than a top prospect lesson.
stop lying he was a top 60 prospect by BA, MLB and BP
Looks like he was #51 for BA and and #55 for BP. Whether you consider that highly-regarded is subjective, I suppose.
Interesting, I don’t remember him being talked about a whole lot in the prospect world, especially for being a Sox prospect. Thanks for the correction
Almonte better pick up his game. He hasn’t been much of a replacement player in his last outings in the big leagues. I will say, however, he did have a couple big hits which contributed to wins. I hope he can pick it up.
Similar path to Gordon Beckham….amazing rookie debut only to be followed up by inconsistently the following few seasons.
Preller!
He traded Ryan Hanigan for Will Middlebrooks. 4 years of a former top 100 prospect who’s 26 for a 34 year old catcher under contract for 2 more years. Middlebrooks could figure things out or never be more than a .230 hitter ever again. More to the point the Padres gave nothing for Middlebrooks.
Who did he trade to get Ryan Hanigan?
Watching the guy play every day, he definitely seemed to have the least luck, as the hard hit rate vs BABIP numbers show. I think he gets a bad rap for his glove work; I would never mistake him for Nolan Arenado, but he played a solid enough third base, at least to the eye test.
That said, I really liked the trade to get him, and still feel ok about it. They gave up a guy that was paid a lot more money, was a lot older, and that they didn’t really want, for a guy that was entering the prime age range, was pre-arb, and was a good change-of-scenery candidate (plus, played a position with no real incumbent starter).. He did manage to club 9 HR in the first half before fading (the mild ankle sprain he suffered stepping on a bat while fielding a pop up seemed to be the point will the real downturn took hold).
Kevin Kouzmanoff
Another example of Boston’s overhyped Prospect !