The Padres have avoided arbitration with southpaw Robbie Erlin by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.45MM, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan. That marks an $800K raise from last season’s $650K salary and checks in a fair bit north of Erlin’s projected $1.1MM salary (per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). Erlin is repped by Sosnick, Cobbe & Karon.
The 28-year-old Erlin was arbitration-eligible for a second time this winter and will go through the process once more next winter before becoming a free agent upon completion of the 2020 season. Erlin missed most of the 2016 season and the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery (hence the modest $650K salary in his first trip through the arb process), but he rebounded with a solid effort on the mound in 2018. The left-hander tossed 109 innings for the Friars and logged a 4.21 ERA, though his sterling 88-to-12 K/BB ratio and solid 46.7 percent ground-ball rate led fielding-independent metrics to view his work much more favorably (3.31 FIP, 3.41 xFIP, 3.52 SIERA).
Erlin made 27 relief appearances and a dozen starts for the Padres last season, including a run of 10 starts to finish out his season. The Padres were cautious with those starts, never allowing him to reach 100 pitches and only allowing him to top five innings on one occasion, but he’ll likely open the season in the San Diego rotation with fewer restrictions now that he’s further removed from surgery.
The Padres have now avoided arbitration with Erlin, righty Bryan Mitchell and infielder Greg Garcia, leaving right-hander Kirby Yates, outfielder Travis Jankowski and catcher Austin Hedges as their three remaining cases to be resolved. With the deadline to exchange arbitration figures looming on Friday, there figures to be a veritable avalanche of settlements on Friday (in addition to a few early deals today and tomorrow). Readers can keep up with all of the filings and settlements using MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Padres should trade Erlin, Stammen, and possibly Yates to a team looking for pen help like the A’s, Red Sox, Braves.
Red Sox have some intriguing prospects like Dalbec and A’s have Mateo and Neuse who the Padres would be interested in.
Mitchell Lauer Luchhessi Nix Kennedy should be the starting 5 this year and depending how things shake out Quantril and Allen will be up this year and possibly Paddack meaning gonna need to open some spots in the pen to get a look at all the young guys and moving Erlin Stammen Yates are obvious candidates.
I wouldn’t move strahm from the pen. Very tempting to but history has not been favorable to relievers turned starters and had careers ruined by trying them as a starter.
I’d be surprised to see any of them stay put by the deadline, but oof do I not want to see your starting five in there at once.
It’s temporary. Quantril and Allen probably are up by June and Paddack by September.
I agree. I was thinking more like Yates + Erlin for Chavis.
Talk about an overpay. Padres fans don’t like their players do they? Always making dumb as a rock trade proposals
So according to you he overvalues Yates and Erlin and that means Padres fans don’t like players they overvalue? Lol what?
Logic seemed to have pass you by on that comment YD. The Padres aren’t going to be serious contenders in the next couple years. So why hold onto unneeded players who only have two years of control when they can be used to fill holes?
Strahm was in the bullpen last season because of knee surgery the previous year. He has the make up to start.
No, I don’t see Dave Dombrowski dealing with Preller again.
And yet…they already did.
An org filler for a DFA? That’s not a real trade. Barely a half-step above a straight waiver claim.
They attempted to acquire him during the season as well…they obviously see something they like.
How many more prospects are necessary at this point? The team needs to start getting a winning culture, and continuously trading away the talent that’s there takes you backward and tells its young players that losing is okay.
How do you think the Padres have got to this point
How will losing Stammen to free agency in a year and Yates in two years while the Padres fail to make the playoffs in either season build a “winning culture?”
For 109 innings and a decent FIP, that’s a steal if he can match the production.
With that measly sum going to Erlin, after trading a couple of OF for an Ace, the Padres have plenty of money to sign both Harper and Machado.
Ha…probably not a great idea unless we are going to see $280 million payroll being the new norm. Hard to field a good team in this market around a couple salaries like that…Oh wait – Hosmer and Meyers will be making $45 million a year pretty soon…brutal. Maybe you were kidding? Regardless, moving some outfield depth for a pitcher makes sense. I think that I have seen enough out of Kennedy. I would give Strahm a strong chance. Obviously tons of talent on the way but bringing in another arm that is controllable makes sense. Stroman would still be on my radar if it could get done without giving up one of our top 5 or 6 prospects. Before anyone loses their minds over that, that still leaves several top 100 overall guys.
Solid.
Super cool dude, taught my daughter a circle change.
We have plenty of bullpen depth. Would be smart to trade Yates,Stammen and Erlin while they have value we should be active at the trade deadline.
Another underwhelming move from an increasingly underwhelming major league team…. hopefully they don’t bother giving him a rotation chance again. He proved last year he is a long relief bullpen arm, at the very best. Hopefully they let the young prospects have a chance in the rotation, instead of filling it with the likes of Erlin, Perdomo, Mitchell, etc
Why aren’t the Padres in on Machado? He fits our needs big time and we have some payroll flexibility while all the young guys are pre-arb.
Perfect time to strike!
Because signing a player to a 10 year deal at 30+ per is just dumb for a team who’s payroll will “always” be at least a half of what the LAD and SFG will be.
If said player gets hurt they’re done for the duration.
The reason these deals are only taken on by the likes of NYY,LAD,CHC,BOS etc is because thy can just go and sign another when they land on the DL.
Putting 25% of your payroll into one player is NOT wise no matter which planet your on.
Not sure you want a guy like Machado around mentoring all the young guys who will be coming up the next few years. No matter what people say about the Hosmer deal, he is going to make a huge difference in the development of guys like Urias and Tatis.
You don’t pay hosmer as much as they paid him to be a mentor…. that type of money warrants numbers and results on offense and defense. Not “he’s a good clubhouse guy for our young players…”. The hosmer signing was another big mistake by this front office. Clayton Richard was a good clubhouse guy, went about everything the right way, preparation, work ethic, etc….. where’s his fat payday? You have to perform to warrant that money…. hosmer hasn’t and likely won’t ever justify that contract…. much like Myers, shields…. the other big contracts handed out by Preller.
It’s ok, he can opt out!
*eyeroll*
I think these small market teams have a very limited window to compete. Pads need to assume the farm produces several everyday players and 2-3 all-stars. Adding a piece like Manny with some enticing opt-outs could be one of the few times a club like the padres could transcend themselves.
The point is opt-outs only make the contract worse for the team
All arb cases should be complete by mid November.