The Padres announced today they have designated left-hander Nick Margevicius for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster was needed for the re-signing of reliever Craig Stammen.
Margevicius surprisingly won a spot in the Friars’ rotation last spring. Unfortunately, he failed to stake much of a claim to it thereafter, managing only a 6.79 ERA across 57 MLB innings. He never worked more than six innings in a start and was bumped from the active roster by mid-May. Margevicius returned to the majors later in the season as an opener/reliever, but he continued to start for Double-A Amarillo after being optioned. He fared a bit better there, working to a 4.30 ERA in the Texas League, although it wasn’t quite at the level of his prior minor-league work.
The soft-tossing lefty has never generated many strikeouts. That carried over to the big leagues, where he mustered just a 16% strikeout rate. He’s always had a penchant for throwing strikes, though, and a 62.7% strand rate in the majors surely contributed to his bloated ERA.
Margevicius is only 23 and comes with two remaining option years. Perhaps some team seeking starting pitching depth will take a flyer on him. Wherever he lands, he’ll look to do a better job keeping the ball in the yard after a difficult season on that front.
This site is so obnoxious with their ‘comments are closed’ nonsense. Can’t even leave a comment of condolences regarding the passing of Glass.
I can comment on that story.
Go on twitter and you will find no issues for this same thing
they close them sometimes because some people always want to whine and talk ill of others.
This seems like a solid candidate for the Angels to put in a claim.
Giants
Insert any rebuilding team
He’s 2 years away from the big leagues.
Rushed him to the bigs and DFA him after not fairing well. AJ Preller is the surprised pokemon meme.
Extremely soft tossing lefty
No matter what, he doesn’t throw hard enough
Cantillo >> Margevicius
Low a means nothing
Won’t know what he really gots until double a
True enough but Joey’s stuff looks better already
I don’t buy that
Good, my opinion wasn’t for sale! In all seriousness, see for yourself and let us know what you think. Cantillo’s cambio is NASTY!
Margevicius probably would have never made it otherwise. the fact that the Pads got something out of them when they needed innings was an absolute plus
Velocity isn’t everything. Preller set him up to fail by bringing him up from A ball. He wasn’t ready. He still needs at least a full season in AA. Preller is a moron, especially when it comes to pitching.
SDHotDawg….while true,he will have to get his chance elsewhere.
While he got his “cup o coffee” with the Padres he is behind at least 5 other starters for a shot at the rotation.
So this move makes sense.
He shouldn’t have been in line for anything until late 2020 at the soonest, because he should have been in AA last year. It only makes sense because he was set up to fail – and he did, which shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
Late 2020 he would still be behind every arm I listed.
In 2021 you could add Weathers and Cantillo to the list.
Bottom line he may have been rushed but he still isn’t good enough to pitch for this Org.
The Padres rotation may be average right now but will be way above average soon and there just isn’t a spot of this kid.
Beat for him to love on “if” he even gets claimed.
You have no idea where he, or any of those pitchers you listed will be. Nobody does. Especially the prospects.
But I do know that Margevicius is buried on the Padres SP depth chart.
#1 because I follow the Padres closely and #2 because of this move.
SD Hot Dawg, OK Mr Baseball you have all the answers, NOT
Your bias against AJ comes from all your knowledge as a baseball fan? Or were you a GM in the past? You sound like Monkey Boy or Tatis from the past I’d like to see you put together a major league team LOL.
I think he could have benefited from being around Zach Davies. Davies is the same type of pitcher with more experience and success.
He seemed like a good kid. I wish him well.
He would not be close to Davies. He is a minor leaguer. There was absolutely zero room for him on an active or 40 man roster moving forward.
Everyone is saying bring up the rooks then when they do you say he was rushed, he’s not even a good ave. pitcher. He’s taking up room let him go.
No, “everyone” doesn’t say “bring up the rooks.” Especially not from A ball. That’s just stupid.
We got your point Dawg. There are like 12 guys ahead of him and he had no future in this organization. Move on. We know you hate Preller.
He’s definitely worth a claim. It kinda seems like the Padres have rushed their pitchers the past few years, and last year was his first time above high A. Plus he’s a lefty starter with options.
he made my Giants look pretty bad. well, that’s not saying much.
True I remember the game he pitched and he beat us up pretty good.
Also didn’t practically every pitcher struggle with home runs cause of the juiced balls. I would put a claim in on Margevicius.
He made a lot of hitters look bad regardless of team. He hit a wall and they figured him out.
He couldn’t adjust when the league adjusted to him. That’s what you start learning in AA. And Preller robbed him and the team of that.
Yes his second go around he was getting hammered, I don’t see any team grabbing him
He may still have a major league future as a #5 starter for someone.
The point remains though that by the time he is ready he will be buried on SD’s depth chart.
Better to make this move now IMO.
Damn… Just when I learned how to pronounce his dumb name.
what a year for this guy
Two drafts in a row the Padres took a soft-tossing college lefty who went on to become the second player from his draft class to make it to the majors.
Just because Preller called them up to the majors doesn’t mean they were ready. Nor does it mean any of 29 other GMs would have done the same.
Preller is trying the shotgun method for filling temporary rotation holes. He isn’t rushing his best minor league pitchers, i.e Gore or Patino. He is just calling more marginal guys up, hoping they work out, cutting them loose or burying them in the lower minors if they don’t.
The Padres also called up Morejon, Baez and Bolanos before they were ready. They had a lack of rotation depth. They had to call up someone. It happens.
There are a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks here. They may have hurt Morejon’s development as well. But of course everyone here could have done a better job. Just remember this when anyone suggests that the Padres trade Quantrill or Lucchesie. When you don’t have enough starters for the starting 5 and cover for injuries or ineffectiveness, you have to bring up rookies before they are ready.
@Javia Bolaños was Rule 5 eligible so he had to be on the 40-man roster this offseason anyway. Unless the Padres get hit with a bunch of injuries he will spend the majority of the 2020 season in AA.
I suppose that means you’re happy with Preller’s roster management?
Put away your arrogance. We’re fans on a fan forum. That means you don’t get to call anybody a “Monday morning quarterback.” That’s part and parcel of being a being a fan.
Most all the fans were calling for the rooks to be called up I don’t understand the logic on them being called up to soon to me that’s a poor excuse for blaming a GM
@nowheretogo … You’re wrong about “most all the fans” wanting ANY prospect to be called up from the low minors. Since the GM makes the call, it’s a very good reason to blame him.
@SDHotDawg I didn’t say it did or that they would have.
@jimthegoat … I know. I was responding to Javia. Sorry for the confusion.
Let’s say AJ heard the fans and called up some of the rooks I don’t see any problem in doing do
They are myriad reasons you don’t call up prospects from the low minors.
Margevicius was called up because they needed a fifth starter, Nix and Lamet were injured and Quantrill and Allen looked REALLY bad in Spring Training.
Not sure how much more upside Margevicius really has but no, he is not the one I would have DFA’d.
Margevicius made the team out of Spring Training. The only reason they needed a 5th starter was due to Preller’s incompetence at roster management/building.
Need. That is the reason he was called up. He was needed.
If you look at Mrpadre19’s comment just below, we now have 8 guys to compete for that same 5th starter’s spot this year. I suppose you are going to give AJ his due credit for that, right SDHotDawg? I mean, now we have more SP depth than anyone.
Is this your first year as a fan?
“Need” due to poor roster management.
And, for about the fourth time, he wasn’t “called up.” He was on the Opening Day Roster.
So I see you are just going to change the subject and ignore my question.
“ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE AJ HIS DUE CREDIT FOR HAVING A LARGE OVER ABUNDANCE OF SP CANDIDATES THIS YEAR?”
Or are you just here to complain?
Save the insults for the playground SDHotDawg.
No, I’m not. Which Spring Training, beginning in 2015, did Preller only have 5 starting pitching candidates? He had at least 8 last year, too. Try another argument, because that one isn’t rooted in fact.
Wow. You just do not listen, do you? That would be 7 rotation candidates this year BEYOND THE PRESUMED STARTING 5. By advanced math that makes 12 total this year.
First you say that Margevicius had to play because there were not enough pitchers to do the job and Marg had to come up before he was ready.(Because of AJ’s terrible roster construction) Then you say they had 8 guys available. Your second argument is the complete opposite and absolutely destroys your first argument. I am tired of trying to talk to you. Believe whatever you want to believe.
Sure thing, Ryan.
Sure thing, Ryan. Just stop with your garbage, and use google. You obviously know nothing as evidenced by your insistence that Marge was called up, and not on the opening day roster. I’m done wasting time on you. Been there. Done that.
Who is Ryan?
I know Margevicius made the team’s starting rotation with his performance in spring training last year. That is relevant how?
Hey, Matt Hall’s replacement.
Margevicius is behind Quantrill,Morejon,Baez,Avila,Bolanos,Gore and Patino for the “fifth” spot in the rotation.
Anyone who thinks this move is premature or because he was “rushed to the big leagues” isn’t paying attention.
When do you expect this kid to get his next chance to start?
In about 2 years. When he’s ready.
You mean when Weathers and Cantillo also pass him by?
Not to mention Omar Cruz and a few others.
Based on what? Arbitrary prospect rankings, or reality? We have no idea how/if any of those guys are going to develop, or if any of them even make it to the big leagues. My point is simple: he was set up to fail by being put into a situation he wasn’t ready to handle. That’s more evidence of Preller’s incompetence. Am I going to lose any sleep over Marge being DFA’d? Nope.
You say “arbitrary prospect rankings” like guys who never even see them play rank them.Second,you are talking like they DFA’d him solely on his major league performance when he was called up “too early”.
You do realize there are dozens of people who’s job it is to evaluate these kids as they play at each level right?
Preller didn’t look at the major league box score and make this decision.
Your arguments are ridiculous and relentless and then you say you aren’t gonna lose any sleep over this move.
Seems like another contradiction.
If you followed those prospect rankings, you would know how few of them actually succeed.
He’ll also be out of options in 2 years. Blame AJ Preller for poor roster management by calling him at the beginning of last year. Marg didn’t even need to be on the 40 man roster yet. I’m sure Baltimore will be snapping him up off waivers.
@jbigz12 not if he clears waivers he won’t
Morejon in the rotation? Will he get a chance to pitch 3 innings in 1 game before he’s ready for the majors?
Why shouldn’t the Twins take a flier? They already got Homer Bailey.
Travis Larkin RH starter (could also be used in long relief) just released from the Sox, if he’s injury free would be a good pick up off waivers, he’s 25 and has a good ERA last year.
I can see Margevicius being claimed by the Cubs who have had a dearth of SPs in their farm system for years. Who knows, he could be the next Rich Hill. Check back in 10 years or so.
Mariners, Orioles, or cardinals could make a claim
I already see Bloom claiming him
He’s left-handed so Bloom will claim him…
Royals can use any pitching help, i’d be happy if they claimed him!
It seems premature to let him go so soon. Yeah he struggled at the ML level last year but he was kind of rushed up from A. Prior to that he was actually on a decent trend in the minors. Should definitely be claimed and given time to develop as a normal prospect would — he’s definitely still got potential as evident by his success prior to 2019. Any team that claims him could ‘strike gold’ if they’re patient with him and allow him to develop through AA/AAA – granted he doesn’t throw all that hard but still he was effective in the minors before being rushed up to the majors. Best of luck to him – I think he could still develop into a decent P given the right time to develop.
Agreed. He just wasn’t ready.
It is really hard to pitch to contact in mlb today because of how strong the hitters are and the juiced ball. Unless you have a pitch that the hitters beat into the ground consistently, you will get hammered.
I’m a little late to the party on this one. I liked Nick, he is a soft throwing lefty but the kid can pitch. He made it to the Bigs for a reason. He has some more seasoning to do in the minor. He reminds me of this kid he once had named Wade LeBlanc. He ended up having quite a good career as a 5 starter. Stick around long enough to earn some life changing money. I hope he goes unclaimed because he will be a great depth option is a few years.
I liked LeBlanc. He showed signs of becoming a very good pitcher. Then he had 2 TJ surgeries, missing about three years, and became a fringe starter.