Infield prospect Graham Pauley made the Padres’ Opening Day roster, reports Dennis Lin of the Athletic (X link). San Diego will need to formally select his contract. They have multiple vacancies on the 40-man roster to do so.
Pauley will join Jackson Merrill in making his major league debut, perhaps as soon as tomorrow morning. Like Merrill, he’ll make the jump directly from Double-A. Pauley is in his second full season as a professional. The Padres selected him in the 13th round of the 2022 draft. That looks like an excellent find, as the Duke product quickly hit his way to the majors.
A left-handed batter, Pauley raked across three minor league levels a year ago. He started with a .309/.422/.465 slash with as many walks as strikeouts over 62 games in Low-A. While he didn’t maintain that pristine strikeout and walk profile upon a bump to High-A, his power numbers exploded after his move to the Midwest League. He popped 16 home runs in just 45 games to earn another promotion to Double-A. Pauley continued to impress, closing the season with a .321/.375/.556 slash in 20 contests.
Overall, Pauley finished his first full minor league schedule with an excellent .308/.393/.539 line in 551 plate appearances. He ripped 32 doubles, five triples and 23 homers. As a college draftee, he should acquit himself well against low minors pitching, but his production was so strong that it put him firmly on the prospect radar. Baseball America and The Athletic’s Keith Law each ranked him 11th among San Diego prospects this winter, praising his advanced offensive ability. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs slotted Pauley sixth in the system in January — he’d be up to fourth after the inclusion of Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte in the Dylan Cease trade — and similarly praised his overall offensive aptitude.
The 23-year-old picked up where he’d left off this spring, hitting .314/.400/.486 with five walks and nine strikeouts in 40 trips to the dish. He convinced the front office of his readiness to take on major league pitching. Prospect evaluators are less enamored of Pauley’s defense, with reviews on his glove ranging from average to well below. Pauley is primarily a third baseman but has limited experience at second base and in the corner outfield.
He should get run early in the season at the hot corner. Manny Machado is expected to work as a designated hitter early in the year as he continues to build back after undergoing elbow surgery last October. Pauley should step in as the primary third baseman, with Eguy Rosario and Tyler Wade on hand as potentially superior defensive options late in games.
Are they going to stick him in the outfield too? I see that LF is listed in his positions
Heck yeah brah! Swings a mean stick, loving this move. He’ll play some 3rd too.
Mainly 3b but has played some at 2b, 1b, and LF. He will likely play 3b mainly while manny is dh’ing
Why? So he can sit on the bench and watch Profar, Wade, Rosario and Azocar play?
He will be playing 3rd, they arent calling him up to sit.
Pauley got a lot of his innings at 1b this year in ST with Wade at 3b. Not saying he won’t see some 3b or LF. If he hits in first 10 games a decent chance to stick at DH / spell 1b or again, LF if Profar suffers.
He’s a lefty bat FanDan
So is Sullivan, Wade and Profar.
And Merrill. Or did they already do that?
A lefty that can play 3rd while Manny is on the mend. Against lefties I would think Rosario will get starts.
Or Wade if he makes the cut. I have not seen the roster if it’s out yet.
Wade likely makes the cut and sully is likely the odd man out. Don’t see them carrying three catchers. Plus Wade can play the outfield. He prob sticks on the team until they acquire another outfielder.
We’ve known who made the “31”, they’re all in Korea. Wade is there.
mlb.com/news/padres-travel-roster-for-seoul-series…
26 is coming out though. There are a few question marks out there is where the curiosity lies. Wade announced with Pauley and Merrill.
Now, which BP arms are at risk of waivers or return if Kolek – who I think has earned a spot.
Concur! I’d option Go and keep Kolek rostered.
I read – not sure if accurate – that Go could not be optioned but not sure he would be picked up on waivers if it is correct.
Either way, Kolek over Go.
My understanding was “Optionable with his permission” but I could be conflating another contract. I suspect he clears Waivers though, if not?
That works for me and yes I think he would clear except maybe due to cheap contract a team like a Pittsburgh take a flyer for trade bait.
Go was Optioned.
Poor Go. Sent him to El Paso of all places to acclimatize
I would’ve preferred AA, but maybe the baptism by fire approach makes sense for a reliever.
did you see my last post
Letter home after being blasted in the El Paso league moonscape ballparks: “Dear Mom, the major leagues is SO much harder than I expected. Everyone including the batboy hits doubles and HR’s every time at bat. They hit the ball a VERY LONG WAY here in America ….” Lol, I think he’ll adjust, get back into his groove, and be backup in a couple of months.
that reply was to Brew … btw
So I guess Wade is out even though he is better defensively. The real question though is , when is Preller going to get a real LF?
You must spend a fortune in Kleenex…
This can’t be right……Pauley isn’t a Shortstop
I think Pauley played SS for one half an inning at the end of a MILB game last year, so yeah, he’s technically a SS, too! 🙂
Padres fans can you guys tell me what might happen if pauley comes out swinging and over the seasons first month or so if he’s showing he’s going to be a good player, will he get demoted back to the minors since he will have options, or will he stick around to help boost the offense? Especially if say cronenworth or another player is struggling mightly, would that give him the chance to still stick around while pondering trades for players like cronenworth? I know they’d have to pay a bunch of his salary, but would it be worth it if pauley is playing as good as he’s hyped up to be? I’m hoping cronenworth has a better year than last year, but his contract makes it hard to gauge how good he should be and 1st base is definitely a position they could replace easily. Or since the outfield is such a need and cronenworth does end up playing well, could pauley be moved to left even though he might a mixed bag out there? Or when Machado is ready to return to third, do y’all dh pauley and look for a decent outfielder via trade? So many different options, so many questions. Either way I hope he comes out dominating, it’ll be good for him, and a good thing for the Padres.
If he hits he stays – DH is available and we’ll, Cro hasn’t rebounded yet and there is always LF.
DH and utility, at least for a while 3B
Liking Wade a lot so far! It’s early and just like the guys going bad, things tend to work toward the mean in baseball!
Celebrating the first 2.
Considering SD should have been tied after 8 in game one except for a glove issue, and the. How game 2 went, I’m wondering how game 3 would have been if it were Cease verses Sheehan / Groves or whoever they have to stert season with?
Then a 4 with King?
LA offense is going to be crazy but the pitching has to be a concern for now anyway.
Enjoy Snell on your Giants Brew – hope he does well except for against SD. I do worry about the effect of delayed / reduced signing on his typical slow start though.
Trade him for Acuna to play left and keep the far superior defender in right of course.
Cronenworth will rebound but strictly speaking he himself *can* be optioned. He has never been optioned before which means all 3 option years are still intact and he enters this season with exactly 4 years of service time which means the “veteran’s consent” rule isn’t a factor.
Agreed, @Long. If Pauley hits, he’s in the regular line up, certainly as DH if nowhere else.
If Cronie can’t hack it with his bat in 2024, he ends up on the bench. There’s no question about his defense, i.e. he could be an very good 2b or quality utility infielder, but his IF bat is overexposed for the position at 1B. I think Cronie will rebound, but regardless whether hit hits for average, it might be a better fit to put someone else there (not sure, Wade, Pauley?) with more slug than a middle infielder.
This is a great day for friars baseball
A lil miffed Wade is getting the nod opening day.
Same. And of course he made an error leading to a run. Feel like Pauley should’ve been in there.
If that is your approach and reasoning you shouldn’t watch baseball games.
TW was the first run to so don’t forget to balance out as baseball does unless you ignore it.
And then he makes a great play in top of 5th!