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.
I haven’t heard of this guy. If any of you do can you please tell me about them?
sorry I meant him.
Preller is certainly infatuated with marlin pitching- clemens, hand, cosart, capps, now esch.
Don’t forget Paddack, though he’s still in the minors.
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.
Clemens is with the Twins organization now isn’t he?
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.
He has a thug for ex angels and marlins apparently
Thing*
Padres have a better pitching coach and a
Better looking park
Dfa Vargas? Wow
It would make too much sense to keep him, even if the team is tanking.
Sneak him in off the 40 man
Guessing this dude needed a 40 man spot
Probably injured or something or medical issues came up. Only reason I think Vargas gets the boot.
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.
Think I’d rather have Vargas. But that’s just me.
Fingers crossed he clears waivers and stays with the organization.
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.
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.
It worked beautiful changing medical records
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.
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.
maybe