The Padres announced that infielder Allen Cordoba has been sent outright to Triple-A El Paso after clearing waivers. Right-hander Colin Rea, who also cleared waivers, has been released by the organization. San Diego also formally announced the previously reported releases of Cory Spangenberg and Christian Villanueva, the latter of whom is headed to Japan’s Yomiuri Giants on a one-year deal.
Cordoba, 22, was a Rule 5 pick by the Padres back in 2016 and stuck on the 2017 roster all season despite the fact that he’d never played a game above the Rookie-level Applachian League. Unsurprisingly, his struggles in the big leagues were immense; Cordoba hit just .208/.282/.297 through 227 trips to the plate. He’s yet to recover from the sizable jump up the development ladder, it seems, as he managed just a .206/.233/.310 slash in an admittedly small sample of 145 PAs at the Class-A Advanced level in 2018. He’ll remain with the Padres despite being removed from the 40-man roster, which in many ways is a good outcome for San Diego. While the Friars surely hoped for better production in the minors once he was eligible to be optioned, they can now continue to develop the Panamanian shortstop without a dedicated 40-man spot.
As for Rea, the right-hander hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2016. San Diego sent him to the Marlins in a controversial trade involving Andrew Cashner and Luis Castillo. Rea made one appearance in Miami before it was learned that he’d require Tommy John surgery, and the Marlins and trades worked out an agreement to send Rea back to San Diego in exchange for Luis Castillo (who later went on to be traded to Cincinnati for Dan Straily).
Rea, now 28, didn’t pitch at all in 2017 as he rehabbed from surgery. He returned to the mound in 2018 but didn’t find any success in Double-A or Triple-A, limping to a combined 5.73 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 1.67 HR/9 and a roughly 41 percent ground-ball rate in 75 1/3 innings. Prior to his elbow surgery, Rea totaled 134 1/3 big league innings between San Diego and his lone Marlins appearance, working to a 4.69 ERA with a 106-to-55 K/BB ratio. His career 4.35 FIP is a bit more favorable, but both xFIP (4.55) and SIERA (4.67) are right in line with his career earned run average.
Rea has two-plus years of MLB service time, so if a new organization can get him back on track, he’d come with another four seasons of MLB control. Presumably, he’ll draw interest on minor league deals from pitching-needy organizations this winter.
Allen Cordoba showed potential, but a car accident last off-season really derailed him. From what I read he was suffering from blurred vision for several months after.
Getting him back for another look at AAA and most importantly off the 40 man and not wasting a spot was a nice move. He showed flashes in 17’ that made you see why the Padres took the gamble. He has a sweet swing and a very advanced plate approach for a young hitter.
Article leaves out that Cordoba had a serious concussion before last season that caused him to miss part of 2018 and likely impacted his results. Whether he can become an effective player is still questionable however his results last year were not likely solely impacted by his year in MLB.
Well said Dave. The car accident that Cordoba suffered in the D.R. prior to the season beginning derailed anything of what could have been a nice sophomore year with the Padres organization.
A year to rest/rehabilitate and the Padres patient approach with him might actually pay off.
The Padres got bashed on here and just about every baseball publication site when they took as many rule V players as they did in 16’, RP- Miguel Diaz, SS Allen Cordoba and C Luis Torrens coupled with the 15’ draft where they selected Luis Perdomo and Jabari Blash – (turned into Bryan Mitchell remaining).
Looking back on all of those selections Perdomo and Diaz still have the highest upside in my opinion from watching them pitch.
Cordoba could be a nice UTL player in the bigs, I don’t see his ceiling much higher than that.
Torrens looks like he will be a really good defensive catcher who will struggle to hit .220 in the bigs, nice little player but I think the Padres might be in the same spot with him next year as they are with Cordoba this year. Try to slip him through waivers and get him off the 40 man. With guys like Hedges, Mejia. Allen all catchers on the 40 man currently, hard to see where Torrens figures in long term.
Yeah concussions are no joke and it’s pretty clear that it had an effect on his play. Luckily, the Padres can take their time with him now that he’s off the 40 man roster. I’m with bleacherbum; maybe he’ll eventually turn into a nice little utility player.
Very bad move. I tracked Colin’s career since his senior year of high school back in my scouting days and I promise you this kid will be a dominate front end of the rotation force at the major league level for whichever club signs him. Leave it to the Padres to let an ace go to waste.
The Padres may have agreed with you – before the TJ surgery. The outcome of that isn’t guaranteed, and the Padres might not have liked what they saw after his recovery.
Wanna bet?
Just ignore him. What most of the other commenters have learned to do.
Such a troll. Colin Rea had one bright moment in his career, it was when he was lights out in the futures game in 15’ I believe. A lot of pundits thought he would be a TOR arm for SD for a little while.
Unfortunately not. Please stop the “Padres will regret letting him go” non-sense. He pitched to an astronomical ERA at AA El Paso last year. He wasn’t fooling anyone, someone else can take the gamble.
Isn’t there another troll on this site that also pretends to be a scout? He does the whole “scoutseyes” thing on every post he makes?
You’re thinking of jimmertee
Why is this on the Giants’ thread?
You’re not in Kansas anymore. You must have made a wrong turn on the Yellow Brick Road.
@wiggysf
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe mention of the Yomiuri Giants? silly.
Ohhhhhhh
Yeah I didn’t make that connection but it kinda makes sense.
Actually, the article was labeled Padres and Giants because of the Yomiuri Giants mention. Why it didn’t include the Marlins, I dunno.
Why was this tagged to the Giants?
Rea is a nice gamble for someone.
If really look at this years minor league numbers. Once given a consistent starts from the end of July through the playoffs. 20 innings and only 4ER . If you throw out the games when he was used in middle relief you can go back to July 14. 30 innings 4ER. I think he was ready.