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Padres Option Slumping Starter To Triple-A, Recall Reliever

On Thursday afternoon, the San Diego Padres announced that they optioned Matt Waldron to Triple-A El Paso and recalled right-handed reliever Logan Gillaspie to take his place on the roster. The announcement comes after Waldron’s abysmal outing on Wednesday, giving up 10 earned runs to the Minnesota Twins. Waldron had struggled for over a month despite anchoring the rotation for parts of the season. Now, the Padres have a hole to fill in their rotation amid their stretch run.

Padres Option Matt Waldron To Triple-A, Recall Reliever Logan Gillaspie

After Waldron’s disappointing showing on Wednesday, speculation started swirling about what the team might do with the struggling knuckleballer. While some believed the Padres might keep him in the rotation for now, the team made it clear that they were not willing to compromise their postseason push while they waited for Waldron to figure things out. It is still possible that he could rejoin the team later this season, possibly in a relief role, but that remains unclear.

Gillaspie had already spent some time in the majors this season. His return gives the Padres valuable bullpen depth and a chance to ease the workload on some of their other young relievers like Sean Reynolds.

San Diego Must Fill Rotation Spot

Waldron’s demotion opens a slot in the Padres rotation, although the team’s options to replace him are somewhat limited. The first and most likely option to fill Waldron’s spot is Randy Vásquez. Vásquez, 25, started the season as part of San Diego’s starting rotation before being optioned to Triple-A El Paso earlier this month.

This year, the righty accumulated a 3-6 record with a 4.63 ERA in the big leagues. Additionally, Vásquez has struggled since his return to the minors. In his two starts with El Paso this month, he has allowed 10 earned runs and three home runs in only 7 1/3 IP. Vásquez’s recent struggles could lead the team to consider another, perhaps more intriguing, option.

Padres Could Add Rising Prospect To Rotation

After a whirlwind of trades this year that profoundly reshaped the Padres’ new farm system, the team lost promising pitching prospects like Robby Snelling and Dylan Lesko. However, now that the dust has settled, young lefty Omar Cruz has emerged as one of San Diego’s most intriguing minor league hurlers. 

Cruz could be a good fit in the Padres rotation. The 25-year-old southpaw has a 3.18 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 76 1/3 IP in the minors this year. The team could be willing to take a flyer on him to see if he can eclipse, or at least match, the production from Vásquez this year. Cruz offers a solid fastball and changeup as his two primary pitches. His velocity doesn’t impress, but he has shown good command and effectiveness, particularly with his changeup. He also keeps walks to a minimum, allowing only 23 this year. His extensive minor league experience could lead him to a seamless transition to the majors. However, the Padres may hesitate to throw a rookie hurler into the mix during an intense postseason push in the National League. 

So Long Knuckleball…For Now

Even without Waldron, the Padres are still in good shape. The team has been on a hot streak since the All-Star break and has shown no signs of slowing down. The success of their rotation has been a significant part of their recent dominance, and their pitching has thrived even amid injuries and inconsistency in the back end of the rotation. The Padres will seek to continue to piggyback off the success of their hurlers, and getting rid of their struggling knuckleballer maximizes their chances of success going forward.

 

Photo Credit: © Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Arellano

Drew Arellano

Drew is a San Diego-based writer and screenwriter with a deep passion for baseball, football, and movies. He is also a lifelong Padres fan.

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