All the information you want regarding MLB news and the San Diego Padres on Thursday, August 22, 2024.After being designated for free agency following a DFA, Carl Edwards Jr., a right-hander, is back with the Padres in less than a week. This week, the parties reached an agreement on a minor league contract, according to the team’s MLB.com transaction log. Edwards was originally scheduled for assignment by San Diego on August 12. Three days later, after clearing waivers, he chose free agency.
Edwards has now spent three seasons with San Diego, having signed two minor league contracts this summer. During his previous stay with the Friars, the 32-year-old pitched in only one game and failed to record an out while allowing three players to reach base. Yuki Matsui, his teammate, saved him by escaping the jam and loading the bases.
Aside from his unsatisfactory major league debut, Edwards has performed admirably at Triple-A this season, pitching for the Padres and Cubs’ Triple-A clubs with a 3.30 ERA. He has struck out 22.2% of his opponents on average, but he has also had trouble cutting down on free passes, walking 14.3% of batters in 46 1/3 innings.
Edwards was a fixture in the Nationals’ bullpen from 2022 to 2023, throwing 93 2/3 innings, racking up a 3.07 ERA, and walking 10% and striking out 20% of batters, respectively. His shoulder suffered a stress fracture toward the end of the 2023 season. The right-hander has now split time between the Cubs, Nationals, Padres, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Braves, pitching in portions of ten major league seasons. With a lifetime earned run average of 3.54 and high strikeout and walk rates of 28.1% and 12.7%, respectively, he is rather formidable.
The Padres have one of MLB’s deepest and most skilled bullpens after adding Tanner Scott, Jason Adam, and Bryan Hoeing to their already stellar relief corps after the trade deadline. Edwards will have difficulty breaking into the lineup because of this, but in his previous tenure with the team, he was working out of the Triple-A rotation. Edwards may be used in late relief or as a spot start if the Padres suffer any late-inning injuries. This is especially true if the roster is expanded to 28 players in September.
