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Padres Claim Jake Esch, Designate Cesar Vargas

By Jeff Todd | March 31, 2017 at 2:07pm CDT

The Padres have claimed righty Jake Esch off waivers from the Marlins, per club announcements. San Diego has designated fellow righty Cesar Vargas for assignment to accommodate the addition.

Esch, who just turned 27, reached the majors for the first time last year. Though he didn’t have much opportunity to prove himself in only three outings, and surrendered four home runs in just 13 innings, he showed an arsenal that Pitch F/X classified as featuring six distinct pitches.

While Esch has hardly dominated in the minors, perhaps San Diego believes there’s a chance he could function as a useful starter or swingman. He has pitched in the upper minors in each of the past two seasons. In 2016, he recorded a 4.31 ERA with 6.1 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 over 142 frames, most of them coming at the Double-A level.

As for Vargas, 25, the move surely comes as a bit of a surprise. He had shown a solid K/BB rate in the upper minors over the past few seasons, mostly in relief, and earned a surprising shot at the Padres’ rotation in 2016. Vargas was bombed in his final outing before leaving with an injury that turned out to be a season-ending flexor strain. Prior to that unfortunate turn, though, he threw 32 2/3 innings of 3.34 ERA ball over six starts.

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Miami Marlins San Diego Padres Transactions Cesar Vargas Jake Esch

Offseason In Review: Baltimore Orioles
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Drew Smyly Out Six To Eight Weeks With Flexor Strain
View Comments (23)

Comments

  1. ethan 3

    7 years ago

    I haven’t heard of this guy. If any of you do can you please tell me about them?

    Reply
    • ethan 3

      7 years ago

      sorry I meant him.

      Reply
  2. thebighurt619

    7 years ago

    Preller is certainly infatuated with marlin pitching- clemens, hand, cosart, capps, now esch.

    Reply
    • SixFlagsMagicPadres

      7 years ago

      Don’t forget Paddack, though he’s still in the minors.

      1
      Reply
    • bleacherbum

      7 years ago

      At all levels too, we have Andre Reinzo at AAA who was a Marlin as well as Tim Berry at AA who was also a Marlin. I mean I guess it’s not a bad idea to keep plucking guys from their organization, we did get the best Closer National League baseball has ever seen from this very organization, not to mention if Paddack comes back healthy from TJ he should have a nice little career in SD based off how well he has dominated the minor leagues so far.

      2
      Reply
    • outinleftfield

      7 years ago

      Clemens is with the Twins organization now isn’t he?

      1
      Reply
      • bleacherbum

        7 years ago

        Yes, he just signed a minor league deal with then earlier in the week but I think he was just referring to how many ex-Marlins pitchers Preller has acquired regardless if they are still with the organization or not.

        Reply
        • lowtalker1

          7 years ago

          He has a thug for ex angels and marlins apparently

          Reply
        • lowtalker1

          7 years ago

          Thing*

          Reply
    • lowtalker1

      7 years ago

      Padres have a better pitching coach and a
      Better looking park

      Reply
  3. lowtalker1

    7 years ago

    Dfa Vargas? Wow

    1
    Reply
    • layventsky

      7 years ago

      It would make too much sense to keep him, even if the team is tanking.

      Reply
      • lowtalker1

        7 years ago

        Sneak him in off the 40 man
        Guessing this dude needed a 40 man spot

        Reply
    • thebighurt619

      7 years ago

      Probably injured or something or medical issues came up. Only reason I think Vargas gets the boot.

      Reply
  4. Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

    7 years ago

    Seems like a decent stash and stay for a team not in need of him to be a starter, unless he’s injured, which could be the case.

    Reply
  5. AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres

    7 years ago

    Think I’d rather have Vargas. But that’s just me.

    2
    Reply
    • bleacherbum

      7 years ago

      Fingers crossed he clears waivers and stays with the organization.

      1
      Reply
  6. outinleftfield

    7 years ago

    Vargas will be claimed. 25 years old and good stuff. Maybe the O’s can pick him up.
    I don’t understand this move for the Padres. Esch is not a good pitcher.

    1
    Reply
    • bleacherbum

      7 years ago

      The move is only understandable if the Padres think one of those 6 to 7 pitches that Statcast F/X has for Esch, to be above average that he isn’t throwing enough. It’s exactly what they did with Pomeranz, they identified his Curveball as being a undervalued asset that he needed to throw way more than he was with Oak/Col and it ended up being a career changer for him. They tried the same thing with Paul Clemens but it didn’t work out as well as it did with Pom obviously.

      Reply
  7. padreforlife

    7 years ago

    It worked beautiful changing medical records

    Reply
    • bleacherbum

      7 years ago

      Medical records or not, Pomeranz was an All-Star last year. So he was traded for a top prospect. Adam Eaton didn’t make the All-Star squad last year and look what he netted the White Sox in that trade with the Nationals. Two prospects that were both rated higher than Espinosa was on the top 100 list.

      Reply
      • Blue_Painted_Dreams_LA

        7 years ago

        You’re comparing apples to horse crap. Eaton had a cheap cheap controllable contract and has become a pretty damn good player the last three years. Pom had a half a year. So if the Red Soxs had received the proper medical record in proper time then Pom would still be a Padre opening the season on the DL.

        Reply
        • Padres2019ha

          7 years ago

          maybe

          Reply

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