The Padres announced last night that they’ve optioned left-hander Joey Lucchesi and outfielder/first baseman Josh Naylor to their alternate training site. The moves trim San Diego’s roster to the requisite 28 players that will serve as the maximum roster size from this point forth.
Every club made some moves to drop their roster to 28 players yesterday, but the Padres’ specific choices create a bit of intrigue. Lucchesi had been lined up to start today’s game against the D-backs, but that clearly won’t happen now. San Diego is, at least temporarily, left with a four-man rotation which has already led to speculation among fans about the potential promotion of MacKenzie Gore — ranked by many as the top pitching prospect in all off Major League Baseball.
The anticipation is understandable, but it’s also perhaps best to temper expectations. The Padres had an off day yesterday, so they could simply move everyone else in the rotation up a day. Zach Davies can start on normal rest today, followed by Chris Paddack on Saturday and Dinelson Lamet on Sunday.
San Diego also has other options on its current roster. In both of Lucchesi’s starts this season, he’s been followed up my a multi-inning relief appearance from righty Cal Quantrill. The Padres could turn the spot over to Quantrill to see how he fares in a start or two. Elsewhere on the roster, 20-year-old Luis Patino is considered one of the game’s better pitching prospects himself. The club has said he’ll begin in a bullpen role, and he’s not an option Friday after pitching two innings of relief Wednesday. However, if everyone is pushed up a day thanks to Thursday’s off-day, Patino could easily make a start this weekend or early next week.
All that said, it’s surely tempting to consider Gore. The Padres have lost four of their past five games, allowing an average of 6.2 runs per contest in that time. Their two prior wins to that were slugfests in which the pitching staff still yielded a combined 14 runs. Overall, San Diego ranks 21st in the Majors in ERA (4.70), 17th in FIP (4.23) and 18th in xFIP (4.30). The rotation, anchored by Paddack and Lamet, has been better than the bullpen to this point, but there’s still room for improvement. And in a short season where every win is magnified, the Padres currently sit in third place in the NL West behind the Dodgers and the surprising Rockies. Anyone promoted to the big leagues at this point would fall shy of a full year of MLB service. At the very least, the rotation now becomes an intriguing storyline to follow with a watchful eye.
As for Lucchesi himself, it’s a disappointing outcome after the 2016 fourth-rounder had held down a rotation spot for the two prior seasons. The now 27-year-old southpaw debuted early in 2018 and immediately impressed the club to the point that he stuck for a full year, ultimately making 26 starts with a 4.08 ERA and an average of 10 punchouts per nine innings. His 2019 season was similar: 163 2/3 frames of 4.18 ERA/4.17 FIP ball with solid control, plenty of grounders and nearly a strikeout per inning.
But Lucchesi also struggled to a 4.60 ERA in the second half of the 2019 season, and the Padres have generally been averse to letting him pitch to opposing lineups a third time. The reason for that is glaring; opponents have hit Lucchesi at a .233/.293/.397 clip the first time through the order, a near-identical .233/.288/.407 clip a second time — and a disastrous .312/.395/.548 pace once the lineup turns over a third time. Viewed through that lens, it’s not surprising that Lucchesi has averaged only five innings per start in the Majors (299 innings, 58 starts).
Looking to Naylor, opportunities for the 23-year-old have been limited. Trent Grisham, Wil Myers and Tommy Pham are all producing in the outfield, and Jake Cronenworth has hit well in lieu of injured first baseman Eric Hosmer, who’ll likely return this weekend. Naylor, the No. 12 overall pick by the Marlins back in 2015, has received just 14 plate appearances this year. He made a pair of early starts at DH, but the Friars have rotated several players through that spot rather than committing to a primary option at the newly created post.
Naylor tallied 279 trips to the dish in 2019 but didn’t force his way into a larger role with that showing. In all, he’s a career .248/.314/.402 through 293 PAs. Injuries or slumps in that outfield/first base/DH mix figure to get him another look later this season, but for now he’ll hone his approach at the team’s alternate site.
any interest in VV or Pivetta for Lucchesi?
neither Pivetta or VV have value lol
cmon i just want to find a way that gets rid of them
I’m sure the Padres would take VV for a bucket of balls and al L-screen
DarkSide830- You sound like me trying to set a market for Frazier or Andujar. lol
No but we will take JJ for Austin and profar since you want to do stupid things
JT
Cronenworth has worked himself into the lineup every day. When Hoz gets back, Profar will be nothing more than a DH or utility player.
Naylor has a great stick. I thought he would have been the everyday DH against RHP, but it just hasn’t worked out that way. I could see him being brought back if the Almonte experiment continues not to work out. Im not sure what Preller’s fascination is with him. He’s kind of redundant on our team and I think Naylor has a better stick, if he played regularly.
I could see Luchessi traded, but not for anyone that would be put on the 40 man.
Lmao and you really expect Preller to not keep letting Profar start?
Profar will hit FA after this season.
This is true but until then you know Preller is going to keep playing him
I actually like Profar. He seems like a nice guy with lots of enthusiasm. I just wish he were a better fit.
Issue is Naylor won’t be playing regularly so he needs to be at the alt. training site working on his swing…not sitting on the bench.They so t care about Almonte’s future…so he can fill the bench role.
Naylor reminds me a lot of John Kruk. Pudgy southpaw with a serviceable bat best suited for first base or DH duties.
Great comp, Dan! Hopefully Nayls can figure it out in SD like Krukie did.
I wish Naylor was even close to Keuckly but he’s not.
Lucchesi won’t be traded he’s probably the most consistent pitcher they’ve had out of anyone over the last 3 years albeit in the low 4ERA. Almonte has gotta be there as a temporary 5th outfielder with legs because he’s probably got 2-3 weeks left in his major league career at this point. Fingers crossed MacKenzie is playoff rotation ready if he’s called up.. 2 months left
Preller getting that extra year on Lucchesi after all!
Naylor needs to go to a team where they can role him out every day and have him learn on the job. He is still very raw and still can’t execute a basic slide without turning it into a cartoonish overslide. I think the bat will play if given an extended look. Seems like a guy who will change teams at deadline.
Boy, I remember that some Padre fans thought Luchessi and Naylor were major pieces to get Lindor or Clevinger. Now we are talking about a minor leaguer not on the 40 man roster. Padre fans are a hoot.
They’re both still on the 40-man roster. Optioning someone doesn’t impact that.
I left a word out of my response. I meant to say that someone talked about trading Luchessi for someone that would not have to be on the 40 man roster
Wander Franco isnt on a 40
More likely to get Maikel Franco instead, even though he’s on the active roster.
hockeyjohn- Maybe not those players for Lindor or Clevinger. The Friars definitely have the pieces the Tribe would want in a trade. San Diego or Atlanta could get Lindor or Clevinger today if they wanted. And remember it’s up to the Indians, not you for a trade.
Why would the Tribe want to trade Lindor or Clevinger at this point? They are literally on track to make the playoffs this year.
They have to as a small market/ because their owner is cheap. They’re definitely one of the middle teams in the AL but are not near the top and you can’t just let Lindor walk for nothing. I’d keep Clevinger around a bit longer though.
@JDGoat no they do not! If they trade Lindor then his production just has to be replaced. There isn’t another shortstop like Lindor who is available and if there was CLE wouldn’t be able to afford him. And sure they can let Lindor walk for nothing. A championship is worth more than any prospect they could get for him. They wouldn’t actually be letting him walk for nothing anyway because of the QO.
I don’t see Cleveland as a championship team. I guess they can sneak in and maybe get lucky, but is it worth having to do a full on rebuild in two years or get a head start on it by getting multiple top tier prospects?
I didn’t see the Indians as having a chance to make the World Series in 2016 as they had so many starting pitching injuries. They made it to the seventh game with their #1, #5, minor league starters, and their bullpen. In 2020, Cleveland could enter the playoffs with the best pitching staff in MLB. Get in and with their strong pitching, anything can happen.
As far as entering a rebuild, that is not the plan of the Indian Front Office. They control Clevinger through 2020, Carrasco through 2023,Bieber through 2024, and Civale and Plesac through 2025.
Their farm system has improved greatly and should be feeding the big club talent as well. With solid starting pitching, the Indians will remain contenders. They do very well as an organization considering being a small market team that does not get the financial advantage that the large markets get.
I have to agree hockey John. The Indians starting staff should be the envy of every team. Not just the incredible talent, but also the youth. They are set for YEARS. If they can develop just one or two big bats, they will be able to keep competing even without Lindor.
Barring something unforeseen the Indians will make the playoffs this year. And from there all it takes is a well-timed hot streak.
And absolutely winning a championship is worth more than getting a head start on their inevitable rebuild.
And yes, a rebuild is inevitable. Once Lindor is gone their window slams shut. Loudly.
With solid controllable starting pitching, the Indians window will remain open. The Indians have absolutely no plan to go through a rebuild.
I had a typo in my post above. Clevinger is controlled through 2022 not 2020.
Trading Lindor and Clevinger = rebuilding
First off, they haven’t traded anyone yet. Second, it depends on who they acquire in any trade that they make. If they are able to acquire MLB pieces to go with their outstanding pitching, they can still contend. If they trade for all prospects , they won’t. However, every trade that they made last season at the deadline and during the offseason brought them MLB help. Every rumored trade from this past offseason where teams would not include controllable MLB or MLB ready players were not made. I trust Cleveland’s front office and their stated goal of remaining competitive and not enter a rebuild. They have already traded Kluber and Bauer and they continue to be a contender.
Yeah, I gotta agree with hockeyjohn on this one. A rebuild requires a complete teardown or close to it. I see the Indians remaining competitive.
Thanks, it didn’t sound right but you caught me up here. Lol
@hockeyjohn When has trading a franchise player and still trying to contend EVER worked out?
Yes, Atlanta and San Diego have a great minor league system. No, they currently do not have what the Indians would need in any trade for Lindor or Clevinger. Cleveland has been looking for a controllable MLB or MLB ready bat at a position of need for Lindor. Who does Atlanta and San Diego have fit that criteria. The Braves are the closest but Waters and Pache are not MLB ready yet.
Yanks4life, I am not stating just my opinion. I am sharing with you what the Indians have been on record as saying and doing. The Trevor Bauer trade’s main piece was a controllable MLB power hitter in Framil Reyes. A power hitter was a major need for the Indians. With Corey Kluber, most of the trade offers were for just prospects or wanted the Indians to take back a bad contract. The deal with Texas added a controllable power arm in Emmanuel Clase to add with their own prospect James Karinchak. Now the Indians will have two controllable power arms for their bullpen for years to come. Although their bullpen did well in 2019, they had no power arms.
Over the winter, the Dodgers and Indians had a great deal of trade talks regarding Lindor. The Dodgers also have an outstanding minor league system and offered good pieces to the Indians. The problem was that they were not MLB ready. Cleveland wanted Gavin Lux, who is MLB ready. The Dodgers tried to add Clevinger in the deal, yet still would not add the necessary MLB ready pieces that would meet Cleveland’s needs. Thus, no trade happened between the two teams.
Yanks4life, I don’t comment just to hear myself talk. I comment because I am a knowledgeable, long-time Indian fan who knows his team and their needs and wants very well. My comment made here was made for those fans, and many Yankee fans fit this category, that expect a team to trade them a star player for pieces that are not even major pieces .on their own team..
Pache would be a very interesting piece for Cleveland should the Braves want to go for Lindor but quite frankly I don’t see them going for him. Their payroll is already at near max for the organization and Lindor is going to fetch a Mookie type of contract. The Braves won’t pay that. I’m not sure the Padres will either given their crappy Hosmer, Machado and Myers contracts they are stuck with. The only teams I see going for Lindor would be the Rangers (not sure they have the trade pieces), the Yankees, but it will cost them their entire minor league system and lock their payroll in at $300M for the next 4-5 years, the Phillies (ditto Texas) or the Dodgers, but with Mookie’s new deal, I’m not sure they’ll want another mega deal on the books. As good as Lindor is, Cleveland is going to struggle to find a fair deal to move him.
I agree it’s gonna be hard to find a deal for. Both sides of a Lindor deal. That is why it makes the most sense to let him play out his deal and take 2 shots while you can, would be nice to have larger payroll and get some other pieces to help….but such is the life of a small market fan. Cleveland has let several big name position players play out contracts, so nothing new. Just doesn’t fit the narrative of other teams that think they should get what ever player they want for spare parts
hockeyjohn, Sorry Padres are the future. The Indians are the past. 1948 is a long time ago to have won a chip. I do like the Tribe in 2048 for another championship though. lol
I was thinking the same thing. When all the Betts rumors were going around, SD fans didn’t want to let anyone go. The issue was that you only have so many slots on a team. Guys like Lucchesi, Quantrill, Naylor, Morejon, and Baez, among others, are making no contribution.
They have value, but you need to translate that value into production.
They are getting their shots to show what they got but you’re correct. Our 40 man is already bursting at the seam; it’s inevitable that we have to move some players outta town. We’ve tried creating room with recent deals (OAK, TB twice, MIL, CLE/CIN) but we still need to address the issue. To be fair, Morejon and Baez are injured and way too soon to start writing off. Both should be stalwart contributors for SD still yet. As stated, Luchessi has his troubles once he hits the lineup the 3rd time through. It’s tangible and I’m not sure how to fix it. Cal looks better all the time; I like the kid. Naylor just has to settle down and be more selective. It was semi-surprising to see Cronenworth get those starts at 1st base, but jeez he looks great! I thought Nayls was going to get those starts. Preller will probably get a deal done before the deadline; I suppose other teams will still want to wheel and deal in 2020?
As a RS, I’m kind of hoping that Yates doesn’t recover until next year, and that Preller thinks Workman is the answer, and that Quantrill is expendable. Y’all need a 2B for the future, and Chavis has the type of power that would play well at SD.
I think Patino will eventually take his spot. Makes sense to have Davies Today, Paddack, Lament, Richards and then Patino.
Patino throws hard but has very little movement and throws a lot of balls. I think he will be a bullpen pitcher.
Patino will figure it out and be a solid #3 starter by 2022.
Did you develop your assessment of Patino completely on his single major league appearance Larry48? Patino did not look good, yes, but also did not look like his normal self in that single appearance. In actuality Patino has above average command. He also has natural cutting action on his fastball which is very unusual and makes it very hard to square up.
It’s a little early for that, but I was surprised by how flat his FB was. Peterson all but got a running start on his HR.
OTOH, it was a flat 98++, with a good-looking breaking ball. And he’s not a skinny kid either. I’d still take a shot on him.
He was overthrowing in his mlb debut. He was very obviously opening up too early and not fully following through. When you do that, your FB has zero movement. It also does not help you this harder, but it is what young and inexperienced pitchers often do.
The only mistake he made was throwing a fastball down the middle
Down the middle, low and inside, all the same to you huh? He was aiming for the bottom inside corner. He didn’t hit his spot but it was by no means “down the middle.”
I’m just saying it was closer to middle than down and in, perfect for joc. And I love Patino. Just made a mistake. He’ll be great
this is interesting – it seems like having someone work on lucchesi’s mechanics with him would totally change him – his wind up and stance look like a poor man’s kershaw – but maybe that is the issue
pitcherlist.com/joey-lucchesi-is-tipping-his-best-…
Gore is gonna get destroyed when he comes up, dude has worse stats than patino who got launched. He carries a 4.5 era in aa…. Padres are desperate to make the playoffs at the cost of their young players and are still the 3rd best team in division.
Delusion fans are gunna be delusional. Lets ignore the fact that he had a 3.80 xfip. Was pitching in one of the worst pitchers parks in all of baseball. Was 3 years younger than the League average. And still was striking out guys at a 28% clip. But yeah, through 20 innings his ERA was kinda bad.
He pitched like 3 games
That’s enough of a sample size. Just release him now.
Start holding your breath and I’ll tell you when it’s done. lol
Really demonstrating why you picked that username for yourself.
It was 4.15…in 5 starts
You must not remember Clayton Kershaw’s first year in the bigs
4.26 era, 4.06 FIP, era+ of 98 in 21 starts 1.5 whip
Funny how rookie pitchers take time to adapt and how things can change.
Gore is going to be just fine. Same with Patiño. They will probably be inconsistent at first, but player development takes time. Rebuilds take time, sometimes a decade or more.
Padres are improved, but they just aren’t quite there yet when lined up man for man against teams like the Dodgers.
Padres will probably trade most of there rookie pitcher before they develop. Just like how they trade Urais without given hin any time. Most padres minor league players are not ready when they ate brought up.
@Larry48
“Padres will probably trade most of there rookie pitcher before they develop. Just like how they trade Urais without given him any time. Most Padres minor league players are not ready when they are brought up.”
-THE Padres will probably trade most of THEIR rookie pitcherS before they develop. Just like how they trade URIAS without GIVING HIM any time. Most (capital) Padre’s(apostrophe) minor league players are not ready when they ARE brought up.
Now, aside from your horrific grammar and obviously subpar education and intelligence, what makes you think they will trade Gore and Patino? They had chances already. If they added either one to their offer for Betts he would be a Padre right now. Same with Syndergaard. For Gore or both they could have gotten Merrifield or Lindor. Somehow, I don’t see them trading them now.
Preach!
I’d like to see Lucchessi moved to the pen if/when he’s called back up to see if he can give the Padres another lefty besides Pomeranz and Hill.
Moving to the pen saved the careers of Pomeranz, Andrew Miller, and Brad Hand in recent memory.
Had hopes for Naylor as the DH. But Hosmer should be given first crack at DH duties.
I’d prefer Cronenworth moved to 2B, Hosmer to first and acquire a DH
I’d prefer Dickerson if the Marlins collapse before August 31st, but the Padres should designate Almonte and acquire Schebler from the Braves for Cash to be the 4th OF/DH.
I don’t think they’re going to DH Hosmer full time, they paid him a lot to man 1B and that contract is going to get him out on the field some. They might rotate him through some though.
I’d love to see cronenworth get more reps at 2B, but I wonder if the return of Jorge Mateo is going to complicate that situation. Profar has a solid approach, he works good counts and draws walks but he doesn’t actually hit and in a 60 game season, they’ve got to be getting to the end of their leash with him so it will be interesting to see whether they want to go with Mateo or Cronenworth.
Whatever they do, they have got to stop starting Almonte. That’s going to get them no where and they have better internal options so it makes no sense to me.
“The Padres have lost four of their past five games, allowing an average of 6.2 runs per contest in that time. Their two prior wins to that were slugfests in which the pitching staff still yielded a combined 14 runs.”
Sure, this looks bad on the surface, but when you consider those games were either:
a) in Colorado, which is an absolute launch pad, or;
b) against the Dodgers, who have one of the best lineups in baseball,
then it really isn’t that bad at all. I don’t think the rotation is a huge issue, but the bullpen needs to start being what was promised on paper.
Well said, mate!
Yeah man great comment
Naylor can’t play OF, but they tried to force that. DH only….1B if needed. He hasn’t had a chance. Does anyone miss Balsley….besides the bullpen???
Down with brown!