Padres Sign Three Minor League Free Agent Pitchers
(Grant Sides) Credit: Charros
It has been a slow winter, but the San Diego Padres did make a few additions to their team on Friday. Three minor league pitchers were signed. Here is a look at each hurler:
The San Diego Padres made a few depth signings on Friday, bringing three new pitchers to the organization on minor league deals.
Eric Stout, Grant Sides, and Ryan Colgate all will join the Padres organization for the first time in their careers in hopes of latching on with the big league club at some point in 2019.
Stout, 25, is a former 13th round draft pick of the Royals in 2014, and had a brief cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2018, appearing in just three games for Kansas City.
He pitched only 1.2 innings, giving up six earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. The left-hander sits in the low-nineties with his fastball, and also features a slider and changeup in his repertoire. He hasn’t been especially successful in the upper levels of the minors as he lacks above-average strikeout ability.
Sides will be joining his third organization since 2011, the year he was drafted.
A 29-year-old right-hander, Sides, didn’t pitch in affiliated ball in 2018, instead pitching in independent ball for the York Revolution. He was dominant there, pitching to a 1.44 ERA accompanied by 13.8 strikeouts per nine over 31.1 innings pitched. His strikeouts per nine was tops in the Atlantic League and his ERA was sixth. Sides has never had trouble striking out opponents, but has struggled with walks throughout his time in the minors.
The 25-year-old Colgate also pitched in the independent leagues last year, suiting up for the Florence Freedom for 11 games. Of the three signings, he has the least amount of pro experience, pitching in just 60 games over three seasons of MLB-affiliated ball since being drafted in 2015. Colgate pitches from the right side and has yet to pitch above A-ball.
Although none of these three project to be elite bullpen pieces, there is a reason why they have been brought in over seemingly more established options. They will all be interesting follows going into the season as A.J. Preller and Co. hope they have found a few more diamonds in the rough in the vein of Robert Stock and former Padre Ryan Buchter.
Born and raised in Vista, Ryan has been a Padres fan since birth. Currently attending Palomar College, Ryan is trying his hand at expressing his passion for baseball through writing. There is no better life than the baseball life.
Padres have a good track record of finding diamonds in the rough, if one of them pans out the minor investment will be worth it. In Balsley and Preller we trust.