Padres closer Kirby Yates has come up as a speculative trade candidate as Major League Baseball nears its July 31 deadline, but don’t count on the right-hander going anywhere. Yates is likely to stay a Padre “barring an unforeseen haul,” Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports (subscription link).
Yates would no doubt bring back a substantial return, something the Padres unsurprisingly would want for him. However, it’s debatable whether the Padres should seriously consider dealing him this month. At 42-41, they’re finally making real progress in the standings and have an actual chance to break a 12-year playoff drought this year. San Diego’s just a game and a half back of a wild-card spot in a crowded National League field, and a decent portion of its success has come on account of Yates.
General manager A.J. Preller has been something of a wizard when it comes to claiming relievers on waivers. He first grabbed Brad Hand from the Marlins in April 2016 and then landed Yates from the Angels in 2017. Hand turned into a stud for the Padres, though they were in the throes of a rebuild and weren’t able to take advantage of his brilliance in the win-loss column. The club flipped a post-breakout Hand to the Indians last June as part of a deal for young catcher Francisco Mejia, whom it hopes will be its long-term answer behind the plate.
Just as the Padres picked up a haul for Hand last year, they’re in position to hold out for a Godfather offer for Yates this season. The 32-year-old has mimicked Hand in going from castoff to star in a Padres uniform. While Yates was tremendous in 2018, he has been even better this season, having logged a ridiculous 1.27 ERA/1.33 FIP with 14.46 K/9, 2.29 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent groundball rate over 35 1/3 innings. Considering those numbers, it’s no surprise Yates has been close to automatic at the end of games. He leads the majors in saves (27) and has blown just one opportunity.
The Padres see the brilliant Yates as someone who could help them return to prominence this season and in the near future – at an affordable price, no less. He’s making a little over $3MM this year and comes with another season of arbitration eligibility. At the same time, though, Yates’ age, lack of long-term control and the volatility of relievers are all reasons for the Padres to consider cashing him in over the next few months. It could be an agonizing decision for Preller.
He has reduced his home run rate each of his three seasons in San Diego, despite not being a super GB inducer. What is the secret?
Splitters and tons of Ks
Giant pitchers ballpark in San Diego.
That bird has flown. Its playing way more evenly now since they brought in the fences.
Yates won’t be as good when he leaves San diego , unless he go to another pitcher park.
Fake news
Balsley deserves some if not most of the credit for helping to turn the careers of waiver claim relievers around in SD.
agreed Balsley has so many success stories throughout his career it’s ridiculous. He is the longest tenured pitching coach in the majors and there is a reason for that.
I understand why the huge asking price for Yates. but the team is clicking. IF the Padres want a trade, try dealing Jankowski and/ Cordero ( not much of a demand for OFs )but they haven’t really be a key part of this team. Austin Allen is a good backup. iF they want to trade a good player, maybe Mejia and either of the mentioned OF for a quality starter
Don’t people realize yet that just like hitters getbworsebwhen they leave Colorado, pitchers getbworse when they leave San Diego? That is probably the best pitchers park in baseball. People don’t remember Jake Peavy? He was a good pitcher and all when healthy but he was far far better when he pitched in San Diego. He frequently had the lowest ERA in all of baseball. He could never come close to reproducing those stats anywhere else. I bet more would be home runs turn into outs in that stadium than any other stadium in baseball.
Brad Hand is still pitching pretty good in Cleveland.
It’s not a pitchers park anymore it’s a fair park. Yeah the marine layer can push the ball down at night, but the fences were moved in like 20 feet all around over the years. It’s not the same park from when it opened. You want a pitchers park? Go look at safeco field and att park
Good thing the padres have 3 guys hitting 20 home runs this year. Two of those guys have 24. Another two have over 10 home runs, but like you said it’s a pitchers park. Dumb. It’s not a pitchers park anymore. It’s a more fair park. Since it has opened, the walls have been brought in 20 feet all around.
Three guys with 20 homers isn’t that big of a deal anymore with the juiced ball this season. I did forget they moved the dance in though.
So common that the Padres are the only team to have three with 20 or more.
I think I’ve heard the Mets Citifield is a pretty serious pitchers park too. Has anyone ever been to the Pirates Park? I have heard that is the most beautiful stadium in baseball but I’ve never been to Pennsylvania. What makes it so nice?
That park plays quite a bit different than back in Peavy’s day. Much more fair. No bandbox for sure, but not an impossible place to hit either.
Peavy was still a good pitcher until he literally tore a muscle off his back
Not even close. What pitchers that have left have gotten worse recently? Pomeranz? That might be it.
The idea that Petco is an extreme pitchers park is a myth. It was in the early years, but the moving in of the fences a few years ago coupled with construction around the ballpark has made it batter/pitcher neutral. Check the numbers over the past five years.
Jake Peavy left late in his career….”that” had more to do with his lack of success than leaving Petco.
It is not a pitchers park, I believe mainly because of the video board they put up as well as all the buildings that have been constructed, particularly to the center field & left field side. Obviously bringing in the fences helped too, Not nearly as pitcher friendly as it was.
Big sexy hit one out. If he can do it (before the massive fence movement) I would say it’s a fair park lol
Excellent point hahaha
That’s only because Big Sexy could do anything. All the other times he didn’t hit home runs it was just him being kind and wanting to save the pitchers embarrassment. He just happened to have a bad day that day and wanted to take it out on someone.