The Padres need to add to their bullpen before July 30’s trade deadline, plain and simple. Tampa Bay Rays’ Jason Adam offers a quality arm on the cheap.

It’s become abundantly clear that if the Padres have visions of making the postseason, they need to bolster, maybe even revamp, the bullpen entirely outside of a few arms. Heading into Tuesday’s series opener against the Nationals, the Padres rank 22nd in bullpen ERA overall on the season and 28th in the month of July. There are a variety of bullpen arms seemingly available. Jason Adam is a low-cost option for a middle relief role.

If you haven’t heard of Jason Adam, allow me to give you a crash course. First, the reason you haven’t is probably because he is not an All-Star closer type in Tampa. He does most of his work in the seventh and eighth innings. But that’s exactly what the Padres need- a guy who can shorten the gap between the starters and All-Star closer Robert Suarez.

Especially among right-handed relievers, the Padres need an upgrade. Jeremiah Estrada is the best righty outside of Suarez out the bullpen in San Diego. Thus far in July, he owns a 0.96 ERA in nine games. Outside of him, the options for right-handers do not instill a ton of confidence. Enyel De Los Santos (4.82 ERA) and Stephen Kolek (5.52 ERA) have had good stretches, but neither are reliable in key spots late in games. The Padres need another right-hander to add depth.

Adam has a track record of success. Ever since arriving in Tampa ahead of the 2022 season, he owns a 2.21 ERA in 168 games (162 2/3 innings). This season, through 45 games, he posts a 2.20 ERA and 177 ERA+.

Among pitchers with at least 150 innings pitched since the start of the 2022 season, Adam ranks fourth in all of baseball in ERA.

Regarding his profile, he gets a whiff rate that ranks in the 95th percentile. His four-seam fastball sits in the mid-90s. His changeup has an expected opponent’s batting average of .180. The slider has a whiff rate of 26.5 percent.

He also is not a true platoon pitcher, who only gets right-handed batters out. Lefties are only hitting .171 with a .537 OPS off of him this season. The difference is negilible. He can get hitters from both sides of the plate out in big spots.

This is apparent when he made Juan Soto look silly with a changeup.

A right-hander who has a versatile repertoire and gets both sides of the plate out consistently will always be valuable. That is especially true as a team tries to make a run into and through the postseason. If the Rays are willing to sell off pieces, Adam will be a coveted one. He is under contract through the 2026 season, meaning the Padres would possibly have him for three pennant races. He begins his arbitration years this offseason, which will make him somewhat affordable as well.

A few things are driving the price down for a possible trade. One, he has never been an All-Star. Two, he has never been a full-time closer, though he does have 24 saves in three seasons in Tampa. Plus, he will be 33 years old in August.

However, his consistent track record for nearly three years, plus a reliable workload with few injury issues, and his contract length suggest the Rays won’t part with him for free. The Padres will likely need to offer at least a middle-tier prospect plus another lottery ticket type to get it done. Offering Jagger Haynes, a 21-year-old lefty starter currently in High-A Fort Wayne (the #18 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline), could start the conversation.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.