Padres acquire lefty starter Sean Manaea from Athletics
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Padres have made a deal with the Oakland Athletics to acquire starting pitcher Sean Manaea.
Saturday was a bit of a downer for Padres fans as a key deal to help improving the team fell through with the New York Mets. It appears Padres general manager A.J. Preller worked long into the night to look elsewhere to improve the team.
His search ended with the Oakland Athletics and their left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea. According to reports, the Padres have acquired Manaea from Oakland in exchange for prospects.
Left-hander Sean Manaea has been traded to the San Diego Padres, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 3, 2022
Full trade, per source: Oakland gets Euribiel Angeles and Adrian Martinez, San Diego gets Sean Manaea and Aaron Holiday.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) April 3, 2022
The Padres parted with Euribiel Angeles and Adrian Martinez, the No. 12 and 26 prospects in the organization in order to acquire Manaea and right-handed pitcher Aaron Holiday, Oakland’s 13th round pick last season.
Manaea is a talented southpaw that gives the Padres’ starting rotation an instant boost. After battling shoulder issues and rehabbing from surgery between 2018 and 2019, he has been mostly healthy since. He has flashed All-Star level production. In early 2018, he tossed the Athletics’ first no-hitter in eight years against the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
Last year, he turned in fully healthy season, making 32 starts. He posted a 3.91 ERA and 104 ERA+. He owns a career 3.86 ERA and 107 ERA+.
What sets him apart is his ability to go deep into games. He was one of just a handful of pitchers in baseball with multiple complete-game shutouts last year. His 179 1/3 innings pitched last season would have been second on the Padres, only behind Joe Musgrove.
He faced the Padres at Petco Park last year, pitching six innings, allowing just one hit and no runs with nine strikeouts.
Manaea also is skilled at avoiding an excess amount of walks. He was in the 89th percentile for walk rate last season and 97th in 2020. Among qualified starters, he was 14th in walk rate last year.
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This is a one-year rental, barring an extension by the Padres, as Manaea is set to become a free agent after this year. He is owed $9.75 million in 2022.
With hopefully his health concerns behind him, Manaea is on a trajectory to become a quality, reliable starter. The Padres add him to the mix of solid starting pitchers, including Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Musgrove, and Mike Clevinger.
This causes to wonder if Preller is working on another move to shed some pitching depth in order to acquire another outfielder. At any rate, Manaea is a welcome addition as a solid, lefty veteran with playoff experience.
Manaea now joins his former manager, Bob Melvin, in San Diego. He will pitch against his former club in a Padres uniform on Sunday.
Sean Manaea was scheduled to start for the A’s against the Padres today.
Sean Manaea is now scheduled to start for the Padres against the A’s today.
— jesse agler (@jesseagler) April 3, 2022
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.
I wasn’t thrilled to lose Martinez but I think we’re in a stronger position than before the trade. I could see AJ flipping him and/or another starter with caratini for serious OF help. The Mets OF off of a down season is NOT enough for this haul. I’d like to see us in a six man rotation to start the year. I’d like to see it until the all star break to be honest. We have so much starting pitching and we can still hide Paddack and weathers in AAA until the allstar break and deal from strength. I know AJ cannot even spell patience let alone exhibit it. Please AJ, don’t overpay just because you’re inpatient.
his looks like a great deal for the A’s.
Yes, Manaea will likely help, a little, but the Padres only have him for ONE year, and he is only a tick above average [“He posted a 3.91 ERA and 104 ERA+. He owns a career 3.86 ERA and 107 ERA+.”] If they got Montas instead (2 years, and much better) then that would make more sense.
They also have 8 to 10 starters, which is nice, but this means this trade was not a huge need, at least relatively speaking, in light of other necessary moves (e.g. LF; getting rid of Hosmer). This will also decrease the value of other starting pitchers, like Paddack.
Further, while more of an apples-to-oranges comparison, this is somewhat like trading for Adam Frazier at the trade deadline (i.e. there were other needs, like starting pitching, and zero need to buy high on a light hitting second second baseman).
6 months from now the Padres will have nothing from this trade. The A’s will have 12 to 14 years of Major League service for 2 players, one who has a low ceiling as a pitcher, but may be back-end starter, or a good-ish middle reliever. But the Angeles kids is the real get here, he has a high ceiling, and can play several infield positions, and is on 19, yet he will arrive in a couple of years. [James had him listed as the #7 prospect, and I agree.]
Maybe this makes more sense if there are other working parts (e.g. trades; signings). But as of now, because of this trade, the Padres are in luxury tax area for the 2nd year, which they were desperately trying to avoid (understandably so). Yet they still have no left fielder, they still have Hosmer(!!?), etc.
I really hope there is more to come ………….
Now, with 6-7 quality starters, I expect to see a trade for outfield help, sometime today…I’m really hoping it’s Bryan Reynolds….stay tuned….