The Padres announced today that righty Bryan Mitchell was outrighted to Triple-A. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment recently.
Since he’ll remain in the organization, Mitchell could yet provide the Friars with a return on the investment they made in acquiring him in December of 2017. To gain the rights to Mitchell, the San Diego organization took on a reported $13.5MM in obligations to Chase Headley (his 2018 salary and half of a $1MM assignment bonus), who ended up being dropped early in the season.
Mitchell hadn’t found MLB success when the San Diego organization picked up him up from the Yankees, but he had demonstrated some intriguing skills. The Pads hoped that his mid-to-upper -nineties heater, in combination with a cutter and curve, would allow him to become a quality big-league starter. Mitchell impressed at Triple-A in 2017, recording a 66:13 K/BB ratio and 55.4% groundball rate while allowing only one home run in 63 2/3 innings over 13 starts and one relief appearance.
But the struggles in the majors have continued unabated. In total, Mitchell owns a 5.15 ERA with 102 strikeouts and 87 walks in his 171 1/3 total frames at the game’s highest level. Now closing in on his 28th birthday, he’ll need to reestablish himself to earn his way back onto the 40-man roster.
My goodness we can’t get rid of this guy
He’s like a fungus that you can’t get rid of. (Not that I’d know anything about that).
Uh huh. Right…..
For the best. Probably the smartest thing they could have done was put him in the rotation at AAA. I don’t see a move to the bullpen doing anything for him. He just needs to learn to control his pitches and now he can work on that without being a drain on the team’s record.
At best, he’s a 4A pitcher.
Yeah I was never a fan of him. But I didn’t think a move to the bullpen would help him. He should be starting. At what level is the question.
Can we trade Mitchell and Pirela for……..________.
Anyone is welcome to fill in that blank with just about anything.
Box of broken bats and a bag of used balls.
ya sure? your pick of frare, covey or yolmer
Most hittable 98MPH 4 seamer in MLB history, also work on reducing your walks (and subsequently WHIP)
Groundbreaking advice.
Groundbreaking comment.
He wasn’t that bad in his September starts. Decent filler when needed. Too bad we took it in the shorts in the deal that acquired him. AJP can’t win them all I guess.
you think is worthless numbers, I imagine but you put stock in September numbers? THOSE mean nothing
My biggest question remains unanswered: Where the eff is Chase Headley? Some guy said last year that if we released him someone would pick him up for the league minimum in seconds. Not only did that not happen but I literally have heard zero news on him since then.
I was at a Padre game in Atlanta last year and the guy I was sitting beside said Headley was helping someone (possibly his brother, I can’t remember) at a hitting school. Could be BS, but that is the last time I heard Headley’s name.
My biggest question too.
Headley is the epitome of class. Never complained, did whatever to help Yanks, whether it’splay first, third, batting ninth or playing sparingly.
Never heard a peep, when media speculated he’d be pissed, how he was being used less, cuz youth mov. You hear this a lot, but a selfless team-first player.
Yeah, it did seem curious. Headley was still a reasonably good defender at third base in his final full season (2017) and he was still a decent bat for third base – he hit 273/352/406 that season, and despite being one of the slowest players in baseball chipped in 9 stolen bases. I assume Headley just decided he didn’t want to play anymore because he was still a useful player. and probably could have landed somewhere. I mean, the guy made 78 million dollars in his career and was in his age-34 season. It’s not unreasonable to think he decided that was enough.
Surprised Dipoto didn’t take a flyer and put him in the pen
I’m calling that trade a win for the Yankees.
The Yankees really put on clinic here.
It started with what winning teams never do – the Rule 5 Draft. The last place Padres pick Jabari Blash, great name for a cleanup hitter but not much else. Then he gets traded for Headley and Mitchell. The Yanks (27 World Championships) immediately dump Blash. In fact they dumped 3 dudes who have no place on a Playoff team’s roster. It’s like the ghost of Ruth was running their front office.
People who constantly bring up the Yankees World Series championships from, like the 20s and 30s and 40s as if that means anything anymore is pretty cute.