The San Diego Padres are in a bit of a tough spot with their payroll right now. They have a lot of money wrapped up in their stars, so they weren’t able to retain some of their top talent, including Dylan Cease.
The Padres pitching staff is quickly getting older and they don’t have the top prospects to take over. As a result, they need to hit a home run with some under-the-radar moves this offseason.
On Wednesday, the Padres made a solid move in the right direction by signing 28-year-old pitcher Justin Yeager to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, per MLB’s transaction log.
Yeager is coming off a huge year in Double-A and Triple-A with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Across 57 1/3 innings split between the two levels of the minor leagues, Yeager held a 2.04 ERA. He struck out 50 hitters and allowed only 35 hits and two home runs. In 21 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, he held a sub-1.00 ERA with an incredible .130 batting average allowed.
The righty has never cracked the big leagues, but after such a dominant season, there’s a lot to be excited about with the veteran reliever.
The Padres may have struck gold with a signing that many are looking past.
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