On Monday, the San Diego Padres added Jeremiah Estrada to the 40-man roster in a claim from the Chicago Cubs.

The Padres need pitching, and they will continue to add low-cost talent any way they can.

Jeremiah Estrada was added to the roster, as the 24-year-old was claimed by the Padres and A.J. Preller. The pitcher has a decent upside and could be a viable candidate in the bullpen.

In November, the Cubs outrighted Estrada to Triple-A, and the Padres wasted no time in claiming the fireballer from California.

Estrada was the Cubs’ sixth-round pick in 2017 out of Palm Desert High School. His early years in the system were riddled with injury, and the right-handed pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019. It took until the 2021 season for Estrada to return at full strength, and he put up a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings pitched. The reliever struck out 38 in that time while only walking six batters at the Single-A level.

The following season (2022), Estrada made stops at Single, Double, and Triple-A, posting a 1.30 ERA and recording nine saves. The pitcher struck out 78 batters in 48 innings pitched and debuted with the Cubs late in the season. In the majors, Estrada recorded a 3.18 ERA in 5.2 innings pitched.

This past season, Estrada did not fare well at the Triple-A level, as he was knocked around a bit. The 5.97 ERA is a bit troubling, but he did continue to strike out hitters at an extremely high rate (43 in 28.2 innings pitched). Estrada pitched for the Cubs this season and continued to show a promising arm.

Here is Estrada striking out three Astros in May.

The Padres will need every arm they can get, and Jeremiah Estrada is a decent one.

The right-handed pitcher is blessed with a fastball that sits in the upper 90s. It has a decent arm-side run to it. His best secondary pitch is a changeup, which is described as above average. He also throws a curveball, but it is a work in progress. He is essentially a two-pitch pitcher with upside.

Ruben Niebla will be summoned to get the most out of this arm. The pitching coach is considered one of the best in the business, and he could further develop Jeremiah Estrada into a high-leverage reliever.

Estrada has never really started in the minors, so he is undoubtedly a relief pitcher moving forward. The Padres must look elsewhere to fill their gaping hole in the starting rotation.

A.J. Preller is on the prowl for pitching. This is only the first move of several.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.