The Padres are calling up pitcher Jackson Wolf for tomorrow’s game in Detroit, manager Bob Melvin tells AJ Cassavell of MLB.com (Twitter link). The club hasn’t decided whether Wolf will start the contest or work in relief. They’ll need to formally select him onto the 40-man roster tomorrow.
Wolf, 24, was a fourth-round selection out of West Virginia in the 2021 draft. The 6’7″ lefty split his first full professional season between High-A and Double-A. He has spent 2023 with Double-A San Antonio, starting all 17 appearances. He has excelled through 85 innings, pitching to a 3.39 ERA. Wolf is striking hitters out at an elite 31.3% rate and has only walked 6% of opposing batters.
That was a strong enough showing the Friars will skip him past the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League entirely. He makes the jump straight from Double-A to at least get the opportunity for his major league debut. San Diego has been without Michael Wacha for nearly three weeks due to shoulder inflammation, leaving a rotation vacancy.
Earlier this month, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Wolf the #11 prospect in a relatively thin San Diego farm system. While his fastball only sits in the upper 80s, Longenhagen credits him with a plus slider and suggests his lower arm slot presents a particularly challenging look for left-handed hitters.
San Diego’s 40-man roster is full. They’ll likely wind up designating someone for assignment tomorrow to create space.
What?!
This maybe the end of Garcia.
They had to do something because wacha still isn’t ready and they aren’t going back to weathers again.
Weathers has forced their hand with his supbar results…
They probably keep Weathers over Garcia cuz of his club control.
Hopefully it’s Matt carpenter
Might actually be Groome because he’s out of options after this year and has an 8.32 ERA this year.
I suspect Groome is still being viewed as a ’24 option; one could say he’s being groomed for the rotation next year. I expect Garcia gets the DFA, but an extenuated case could be made for Carp.
@Gwynning Well they better decide fast because after this year it’s either keep him on the ML roster at all times, fake an injury to him, trade him or DFA him.
He always looks injured, so that might be the way to go
let the wolf show it’s teeth
I believe Wacha has a team option first. If the Padres don’t exercise, then he has a player option.
Also, I’m not sure the Padres are interested in getting Patino back.
Correct
Wacha, who with a $3.5 million signing bonus will make a total of $7.5 million in 2023, has player options for each of the following three seasons that total $18.5 million. Those options would be voided if the Padres pick up a two-year option after the ’23 season that would guarantee Wacha $16 million in both ’24 and ’25.
I can’t see Tampa Bay taking Snell back but who knows. I think they need a SP.
Yeah, that’s the problem with those proposals. Orioles won’t sell the farm for Soto, and his salary. I wouldn’t trade six years of Kjerstad for one plus year of Soto (and his salary) straight up.
There’s 0 chance that the orioles would trade for a corner outfielder. That’s the org strength—along with the middle infield and 3B. What is needed is pitchers. Both in the system and on the ML club.
It’s been reported by Dennis Lin today that preller still plan on buying.
Also wacha is not going to pitch again before the deadline so he prob isn’t going anywhere.
I wouldn’t put much stock into the padres selling. Sounds like they will continue to push the chips in.
Tons of teams would want Wacha in their rotation down the stretch.
Upper 80’s fastball but strikes out a ton of people. Deception must be great along with his off speed stuff.
Good deception, GREAT movement. Excellent command of the strike zone.
Just to clear up any confusion, they’re not trading Soto.
One thing AJ does not know how to do, is fold his cards. Going to use the electric bill money to win the rent money back
And if that doesn’t work, then let’s hit the ponies at Del Mar… then it’s off to Pala Casino. Something has gotta hit.
Saturn aligns with the next grunion run as the spidey whispers then we’ll know
The field mouse is fast, but the owl sees at night.
In a spot of good news that I hadn’t seen mentioned anywhere here, the Pads completed signing all 18 Draft picks and 8 undrafted players yesterday.
And I understand this is nitpicky, but “a relatively thin” Padres’ farm is somewhat misleading. Yes, it’s not as deep as it “could have” been due to trades, but the talent is still flowing like lava. They possess 4 of the Top 81 MLB Prospects, 2 of those being starting pitchers, another in a legitimate SS within the Top 10 and the 4th being an 18yo catcher with the defensive chops good enough to start in the Majors now. Relatively thin seems… outdated.
Best chips and salsa in MLB
I like my salsa like I like my Latinas… just a lil chunky and spicy af!
had to log in for the sole purpose to like this comment.
you win!!!
Last I checked they have 5 in the top 100 prospects. That’s pretty good. The only thing bad is most are in the low minors.
Depends on which List you are peering at, but good point James.
The low Minors set-up is fine; the MLB roster is essentially “set” for next year (with regards to a SP or two, RP or two and perhaps a backup C) so the pressing need for older high-end talent doesn’t really factor. The easy bandaid for this is to sign quality depth options (á lá Jose Iglesias, David Dahl, etc.) to MiLB deals.
That being said, it’s nice to have all options available, but as we all know, we spent that capitol (and trimmed future 40 Man quandaries) for Soto.
Dude just stop
Ah, no thanks.
Wolf is a stud
And Nick Martinez who looks lost
Impressive stats in the minors.
Organization’s track record suggest that he’ll be a nice pitcher for whatever other club finishes his development.
@Brew Nick Martinez looks more focused on keeping his kicks perfectly white than he does throwing a decent inning.
Every time yoga pants comes out of the pen you know his 1st pitch is going yard. Last year, guy was clutch. This year, dude couldn’t pitch a decent inning in relief if his life depended on it.
As far as trades, ole AJ needs to listen to some Kenny Rogers…know when to fold ‘em! He’s spent useless money far too many times and this trade deadline isn’t the time to do it again. It’s time to get a little ROI! Maybe he was sick the day of that lecture because it sure seems like he has no clue what ROI means.
Love Soto, but let’s be real arbitration money is going to be a mint this offseason and then what? 2024 he walks a ton and has a few moments of brilliance. Great he has a high ops but you have to have guy’s behind him who can hit for that to matter. Sell, sell, sell while he’s hot!
Don’t mess with Snell! He just came out and said he wants to stay in SD. Same thing with Hader, keep him here as well. Lock those two up! Pitching matters and those dudes are lights out.
I’m going to say this and will probably get blown up for it, the most useless Preller signing in the offseason was Xander. There is no need for him and an 11yr contract. I just don’t see it.
If Carp isn’t DFA’d before the trade deadline he has to have something on someone in the organization. Because, he couldn’t hit a barn door if it were thrown at him at this point.
One last thing, the Otanai talk is garbage! I’m sure Preller would give up his left foot, Siedler’s mustache and whatever it took to get him…there’s no way anyone is going to out bid the Giants. They have all the money in the world to give him and they are more than willing to do it!
Great job showing you know nothing. Don’t quit your day job. I could explain all the ways you are wrong but that is a complete waste of time. I will simply give you the easiest one. Check Wacha’s contract genius. That mutual option is first the team decides to pay him, if they decline, “unlikely”, then he can choose to accept or decline the lower pay option. He isn’t going anywhere.
@Chaosgaming If the Padres decline their end of the option it’s pretty much guaranteed Wacha declines his.
Peavy got his start coming from AA to Yankee Stadium 3 years after he was drafted out of high school. Let’s hope that we’ll get a good result. Put the Sculpins on ice and fire up the grill this is going to be fun to watch