Anderson Espinoza San Diego Padres Roster Review 2019

Anderson Espinoza struck out 15 of the final 44 batters he faced in the Padres organization. (Photo: Jeff Nycz).

Just over five years agone, the Padres pulled off a significant trade, aircraft All-Star starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz to Boston in exchange for RHP Anderson Espinoza. At the time, was considered one of the elevation prospects in all of minor league baseball.

Fast forrard five years and a lot has inverse. Pomeranz is dorsum to beingness an integral office of the Padres bullpen and Espinoza is on the move again, this time to the Chicago Cubs.

On Friday, the Padres shipped the oft-injured Espinoza to Chicago, in exchange for outfielder Jake Marisnick. The promising right-hander never anchored the front of the Padres rotation like many writers and fans expected. His is a cautionary reminder that 1 organization can never have also much pitching.

The 23-yr-old righty came into the 2021 flavor ranked as our number 14 prospect in a thinned out system. We wrote, "It stands to reason to soften expectations which were once placed upon the overall number 21 prospect in baseball, who drew comparisons to a young Pedro Martinez. Odds are Espinoza moves to the bullpen, but if his stuff is anything close to what information technology once was, he will be a cistron there."

Espinoza made his mark on the organization in the get-go Padres Futures Game (afterward renamed the Don Welke Classic) when he struck out a pair of Rangers prospects in a scoreless inning. That outing may accept been the summit of Espinoza's time with the organisation.

The right-hander was slated to make the opening day commencement with High-A Lake Elsinore in 2017. However, he was placed on the vii-day injured listing with forearm tightness. After trying to rehab and progressing through a throwing program for several months, the injury ulitmately required Tommy John surgery. Espinoza didn't throw a competitive pitch in 2017 or 2018 due to the injury.

Espinoza looked poised to make up for the lost fourth dimension in 2019 when spring training opened. We were onsite during his spring debut in an intrasquad game. His velocity was down merely a tick and his stuff looked playable but he struggled to detect the zone. Still, despite the early rust, it was encouraging to come across the righty take the mound in any setting. The good vibes didn't terminal long.

In his second outing in spring training, Espinoza threw merely 7 pitches. A few weeks later came the news that everyone dreaded: Espinoza would need to have a 2nd Tommy John surgery. He'd miss all of the 2019 season – the third straight season in which he did not throw a pitch in an official game.

Before the 2020 minor league flavour was wiped out due to COVID-19, Espinoza was just beginning to work through his throwing program, and was unlikely to throw a pitch until tardily in the year.

Anderson Espinoza in official action for the outset time since 2016. (Photo:Stephen Zabrecky)

On May seven, 2021, Espinoza threw his showtime competitive pitch in five years and completed two scoreless innings, flashing the mid-90s fastball and the curve that had impressed prior to all the injuries.

"The most difficult part of the rehab process is the mentality of trying to stay positive," Espinoza said afterwards that game. "But considering of what I went through, I am a amend person and a amend pitcher."  Afterward, Espinoza also detailed how his arroyo to pitching, particularly his arm care had inverse since he was younger.

The results this season were a mixed bag for Espinoza – not exactly surprising for someone who had such a long layoff. He has been limited to mostly two innings each time out, although he has seen his workload steadily increase every bit the flavour has advanced. Espinoza'southward terminal outing every bit a Padres prospect came on July 28 when he completed three innings, assuasive one unearned run. In all, he threw 61 innings after the Padres caused him.

Espinoza will head to the Cubs' chapter in South Bend, where he volition have the gamble to match up confronting his former organization.

In Marisnick, the Padres are getting a capable backup outfielder who can handle centre field. In 30 games this year for the Cubs, the 30-year-sometime outfielder is hitting .227/.294/.438 with 5 homers. Marisnick has been lauded for his defense in the outfield but the advanced metrics accept not been fond of his piece of work in recent years. His offensive production has been roughly league average so he does possess some value. Marisnick'south arrival is a homecoming of sorts – he is from Riverside and attended Riverside Poly Loftier School.

Marisnick is under contract for 2021 and has a $4 million option that comes with a $500,000 buyout.

Anderson Espinoza was one of AJ Preller'south start big prospect acquisitions for San Diego. (Photo: Jeff Nycz)

Final Thoughts:

Espinoza'southward departure from the organization is obviously a hard pill to eat. He was in one case considered an integral function of the hereafter rotation and a pillar of the Padres' organization. He has already been on the xl-man roster for two seasons and didn't seem similar he was ready to assistance the team this year or perhaps next. At 23, he is even so immature enough to develop into a big leaguer just his injury history makes it far from a slam dunk.

Marisnick has a hazard to assist the team now and is a serviceable outfielder. However, trading a guy like Espinoza for 2 months of Marisnick has had some in the fan base questioning the decision. Espinoza worked very difficult to come up back and if he can stay healthy, he can help a big league order.

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Source: https://madfriars.com/2021/07/31/padres-trade-anderson-espinoza-to-the-cubs-for-jake-marisnick/

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