Reliever Yusmeiro Petit was released from his minor league contract with the Padres yesterday, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports (Twitter link) that he exercised an opt-out clause in the deal.
The 14-year MLB veteran returns to the open market in search of a new opportunity. He spent a bit more than a month in the San Diego organization but struggled over 11 appearances with Triple-A El Paso. Through 11 2/3 innings, he surrendered ten runs on 18 hits (including three homers). Petit’s 10:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio was fine, but he allowed too much damage on contact to keep runs off the board.
Recent Triple-A struggles aside, Petit has a generally strong track record over a much larger body of work in the big leagues. He’s posted an ERA under 4.00 in each of the past five seasons and in eight of the last nine years. The righty has been an innings-eating workhorse out of the bullpen. No pitcher recorded more outs in relief between 2017-21 than Petit, who soaked up 363 frames across 317 appearances.
The 37-year-old has never been a hard-thrower, succeeding on plus control and a knack for consistently inducing weak contact. Petit has no doubt been aided in recent years by pitching in a spacious ballpark and in front of an elite defensive unit with the A’s, but it was still a bit surprising he didn’t land a big league deal over the winter given his durability and consistency.
On the heels of a tough showing in El Paso, Petit figures to again be limited to minor league offers during his next trip to the market. There should be no shortage of clubs with interest on a non-roster deal, though, considering how effective he’s been throughout his time in the majors despite lacking overpowering stuff.
Philly
Yes, to the Phillies. Come on Phillies.
Giants return.
Go back to the A’s
Padres should have given him a shot only I’m not sure who they could have dumped. Tim Hill but he was the only lefty that had in the bullpen. Now they have Morejon too. I hope he can keep his fastball down.
You miss the part where he gave up 10 runs in 11 1/3 innings? lol. that doesn’t scream he deserved a shot.
I’ve seen him pitch. He’s a veteran. I though he could do some good. Maybe a shade better than Stammen or Hill have done. I read the same article you read. You’re probably a young wise guy with a big mouth.
The Padres don’t need a reliever who can’t keep runs off the board in the minors. They don’t need bullpen help that bad. I think he was released cause he wants to pitch in the majors and San Deigo can’t afford the roster spot for him to struggle and bog the team down. That’s my take on it at least, he’ll catch on somewhere on another minors deal and maybe there he will be able to pitch his way aboard the major league roster, or he will sign on with a pitching needy team
SD already has a logjam in their bullpen so this makes a bunch of sense for him to opt-out and try to latch on somewhere else. Wasn’t going to crack SD’s pen with all the arms they have coming back from injury right now and his performance to date
The PCL is a brutal league to pitch in, so I’m thinking he’s going to have other minor league deals waiting for him even with the tough ERA in a small sample size in El Paso.
Definitely a long-time Melvin favorite so SD seemed like the right landing spot. He just didn’t show anything in El Paso, albeit a tough place to pitch. Hope he succeeds with another team (preferably not in NL)
Back to the giants! Loved me some petit
I don’t understand why every single write up doesn’t mention the MLB record retiring 46 consecutive batters. Most of the people written about are not record holders.
Mets should be in on Petit.
Once again, worth a shot. He wasn’t going to be effective forever and didn’t pan out. So we keep searching for depth on both sides of the ball…
He never relied on velocity. I wonder why he was getting lit up so badly in AAA?
Its the PCL. Team has a 5.50 era and that is an improvement. That, small sample size and he is 37… Still, wouldnt be surprised if he still has 1-2 years of getting mlb hitters out however. But just not much demand for a guy like him.
if he’ll take a minor league deal – depth in a reunion with the giants could be a good thing.
I remember being so psyched about this guy when he was a Mets prospect. Seems like forever ago.