According to his MLB.com profile page, right-hander signed a minor league contract with the Padres earlier this month. The two teams are getting back together because the 27 year old, played for San Diego in 2022–2023 before joining the Yakult Swallows in the winter.
He pitched 27 bullpen innings with the Swallows with a 5.00 ERA, so the transfer to Japan wasn’t as big of a showcase as he had wanted. In a sharp decline from the 26.59K% he recorded across 374 minor league innings, his strikeout rate fell to only 13.56%.
He had previously shown a lot of quality in the affiliated levels, including a 2.79 ERA in 19 1/3 innings with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in 2023, even though his records with the Swallows’ minor league team were significantly superior.
His 2023 MLB debut, which consisted of a single cup of coffee outing, was made possible by impressive Double-A and Triple-A performances. In a scoreless mop-up inning, He recorded two strikeouts and two walks during the Padres’ 12-2 thumping of the Cardinals on September 24, 2023.
The highlight of His professional career, which started as a fifth-round selection by the Blue Jays in the 2015 draft, was that brief appearance. In addition to his time with the Padres and Swallows, Espada also spent time in the Red Sox development system and in independent ball.
Espada has long been able to miss bats despite having control concerns, which makes his declining strikeout stats in the NPB all the more confusing. He could be able to get back on track by returning to Triple-A El Paso, and the Padres will be able to add a reliable player to their list of bullpen depth arms.
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