IBC

BlueJays trade Christofer 21-Torin, 2024 Draft Pick 131 to Padres for 2024 Draft Pick 112

Pretty straight forward ... I had a specific pitcher targeted for pick 112 but Dan took at 107. Thought about another pitcher but the more I dug into him the less excited I was about drafting him so I dropped in the draft to get a SS/2B the scouting community is split on as will be seen when I post some reviews later.

Obviously, Dave moves up in the draft ... which is crawling once again.

Marlins trade Jordan Romano, Jeremy Pena, Calvin Faucher to Padres for Geraldo Perdomo, Jacob 22-Melton, Blake 24-Burke

Nils got some good young talent. Perdomo, a 25 year young switch hitter who projected to have a .340 OBP, is a solid SS who would have been the Padres lead off hitter in 2025. Melton is a well regarded CF prospect known for his power/speed combination and has ranked well: BA HOU #2, MLB HOU #3, BP HOU #4. Burke is powerful 1B and recent draftee.

Like many teams, the Padres are dealing with a multitude of injuries to both their starting and relief pitchers so adding Romano and Faucher to the pen arms was the key. I have followed and liked Pena since he played baseball at the University of Maine. He is a slightly better fielding SS then Perdomo (as wrell as 2 years older) with more power and comparable steals who will likely bat 6th in the revamped Padres line-up. .

Yankees trade Nolan Jones, Luis 0-Ortiz to Padres for Ryan 22-Clifford, Walker 24-Janek

Z gets younger and adds raw potential ... Walker Janek was deemed to be the best Catcher available in the 2024 draft. I had 2 good "24" Catchers so I could afford to trade him. Clifford is powerful 1B/COF with a strong arm who will likely become a COF in real life as he appears to be blocked by Pete Alonso. Both are young and targeted for a major league career.

The Padres, not surprised but not thrilled to be ranked in the bottom third of the IBC in the currently unfolding power ranking (nice work from Pat and Nils) continue to try win now. In real life, Jones is having a stinky year with the Guardians so this might be his best ZiPS projection he will see as his 109 OPS+ is slightly better than Will Brennan's 105. And his FR rating at COF defense does not bode well for home games in spacious Petco Park. But his AV D rating at 3B could be helpful against RHP if/when the Padres try to load up with lefties as he does to project against RHP. The real get is Luis Ortiz to strengthen and lengthen the Padres SP rotation - particularly in the beginning of the season when we have many pitchers on the IL. His projected 105 ERA+ will slot him near the top after Cortes gets his couple of starts before going on the IL. And he had a decent year in real life with the Pirates and is even better this year with the Guardians. "What is interesting about Ortiz’s last season was the strides he made in his pitchability and continuing that into this year. With the addition of a cutter beginning last season, it provided him a pitch that he commanded the best (111 Location+) and a pitch that he can use on the inner half of the plate against lefties" as detailed here: https://pitcherlist.com/stuff-vs-result ... uis-ortiz/.

Reds trade A.J. Blubaugh to Padres for Jose Butto

Likely the first of many trades this weekend as the IBC Padres are going to get reformed with an emphasis on 2026 and beyond. Ken receives a solid relief pitcher/occasional starter with a strong 2025 ZiPS projection of 3.50 ERA, 77/30 K/BB in 69.1 IP and a 116 ERA+. He's only 27 ... His real life WHIP of 1.52 this year is mildly concerning but with the small number of innings middle relief pitchers pitch one or two bad outing can inflate their WHIP.

The IBC Padres start to reshape their current and future rotation with AJ Blubaugh. He is probably a #4 SP with a solid floor. BA and MLB Pipeline rate him #9 in the Astros organization while BP sees as the Astros #10. This years ZiPS projection for him is 4.31, 96/42 (110.7) and a 96 ERA+. I believe he will part of the Astros starting rotation next season and I believe he will receive a better projection but he'll likely slip into this year's IBC Padres rotation after numerous trades are completed.

Rays trade Jordan Westburg, Kumar Rocker, Colt 23-Emerson, Eduardo 23-Beltre to Padres for Manny Machado, Josh Hader, Kyle Schwarber

At the time this trade was completed Matt's Rays sit in 1st place in the ALE with a 4.5 lead and a 30-16 record ... The Padres are underperforming at 21-24 and 4.5 games back in the NLW.  Schwarber is hitting .244/.332/.448 with a team leading 13 HR, 28 runs & 30 RBI in 45 games.  Machado is at .207/.259/.432 with 11 HR, 27 runs & 25 RBI in 45 games.  Hader had a rough first few outings and sits on an 1-1 record with 7 saves, a 6.06 ERA, 27/13 K/BB in 13.1 IP ...  

Matt is getting 3 really good proven major league players who should perform better the last 2/3 of the 2025 IBC season then they did in San Diego the first 1/3 of the season.

I love Kumar Rocker.  He has the potential to become a solid 1/2 SP.  His 107 ERA+ ZiPS projection this year will slot into the 2025 Padres rotation when he comes off the IL and I expect it will be better in the future.  Colt Emerson is going to be a major league player.  Keith Law, in his recently updated top 50, rated him #6.  He is money in the bank as consensus top 50.  Westburg, a former top 100, will return from the Il soon and take over 3B with his solid 115 OPS+ projection.  Beltre is a power/speed combo OF who I truly believe will evolve into a top 100 prospect going into 2026 ... 

Still up for grabs include Walker, O'Neill, Schmidt, Romano ...  

Pirates trade Alex Call, Samuel 0-Aldegheri to Padres for Justin Verlander, Otto Lopez, Ryan Fernandez

The roster turn over continues as Jake picks up 3 players he asked about. Verlander is on the IL and really didn't factor into my future plans. Lopez is a solid infielder who was a utility infielder/defensive replacement for the IBC Padres and I have plenty of that type. Fernandez is a helpful MR.

The real "get" for me is Sam Aldegherri. BA rates him as the real life Angels #3 while Fangraphs and MLB Pipeline rates him as LAA #5. The 23 year young Italian-born lefty has been mowing down minor league batters and has seen success in the majors. His ZiPS projection for 2025 sucks (83 ERA+) but I expect it to be much better in 2026 and beyond. The polished four-pitch southpaw is universally regarded as "a high-floored no. 4/5 starter and a fantastic story because he’s coming from a place that has rarely produced pro baseball players." The IBC Padres need some balance in it lefty/righty balance to the rotation and I see him slotting in behind Cortes, Rocker, Smith and Ortiz in next year's rotation. Alex Call is a needed fill-in as I expect to trade some OF. He is a VG defensive LF who will likely be a defensive replacement and bottom of the order hitter against LHP. I will be shocked if he is still with the Padres beyond this season.

Guardians trade Michael Kennedy, Chase Meidroth to Padres for Jordan Romano, Jordan Westburg

Pat was one of a few GMs who inquired about Westburg after the IBC Padres received him in a recent trade.  Westburg, when healthy, is a fine 3B.  Romano is steady, older, sometimes CL who will help Pat's bullpen and both these players will help his team.

While not the toolsiest guy on the field, Meidroth always has a professional approach at the plate and works consistently solid at-bats. He knows the strike zone, takes his pitches, and adjusts his swing to the pitcher he is facing.  In real life so far this season he is hitting .289 with .373 OBP, 8 SB and a 108 OPS+ so it is easy to see his future ZiPS projections as better than his 2025 line: .248/.361/.340 with 8 SB (AV @ 2B, 3B, SS).  He has better than average defensively and the 23 year young will slot right in as the IBC Padres starting 2B.  Kennedy is a very young southaw starting pitcher in the Guardians organization - and they do know how to develop pitchers.  MLB Pipeline rated #18 and wrote, "Kennedy's fastball averaged just under 90 mph and peaked at 93 last season, though it was effective because he creates deception and carry with a flat approach angle. Hitters also can't sit on his heater because he has a pair of solid secondary pitches that elicit a lot of chases. His sweeping low-80s slider keeps left-handers in check and his sinking low-80s changeup keeps right-handers at bay.  Kennedy's lack of overpowering stuff leaves him with little margin for error, but he rarely makes mistakes. More athletic than physical, he repeats his delivery and pounds the strike zone, with his 6 percent walk rate last year ranked third among teenagers in the full-season Minors (minimum: 80 innings). His floor stands out more than his ceiling, and he'll have to prove he can get higher-level hitters out without huge velocity, but his feel for pitching is impressive."

Yankees trade Grant 23-Taylor to Padres for Clarke Schmidt

Schmidt is a solid mid-rotation SP who plays for the real life Yankees. Z traded him to me and now he happily gets back - and his 2025 ZiPS projection of 3.91 ERA, 109/45 K/BB in 106.0 IP with a 106 ERA+ will play well for the IBC Yankees ... I could have kept him.

But Grant Taylor is special. Taylor is two years removed from having Tommy John surgery, which he had in 2023, and he’s one year removed from a lat injury, which ended his 2024 season. There's a good reason for the White Sox to limit his innings, but the team has indicated his move to a relief role could be permanent. In 13 games (six starts) with the AA Barons, Taylor been nothing short of impressive, as he is pitching to a 1.08ERA, 0.88 WHIP and has 33 strikeouts in 25 innings. I believe he will be the CL for the real life White Sox this season and quite likely the CL for the 2026 IBC Padres. I also think he will successfully return to the rotation eventually just as Chris sale and Garrett Crochet have done ...

Update: I incorrectly stated Z traded me Schmidt when, in fact,l Nate did ...

Marlins trade Jacob Melton, Nestor 23-German to Padres for Nestor Cortes

Cortes will return next season and if Nils still owns him, he should be a top of the rotation option.

The IBC Padres got back OF Melton who was just recently promoted to the real Astros. He went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base during Thursday's 8-2 win over the Pirates. Melton picked up a couple of career firsts in Friday's big win. First, he picked up his first two RBI of his big league career with a two-run single. Then, he showed off his speed and stole second for the first stolen base of his career. It's a good first step for the 24-year-old, who should continue to get an extended look at playing time with Yordan Alvarez (hand) on the injured list for the foreseeable future. I am confident that a solid showing will improve his ZiPS projection of .216/.266/.355, 13 HR, 19 SB, 74 OPS+ (VG @ RF, AV @ LF, CF). In the meantime he will serve as the 5th OF and defensive replacement in RF for the 2025 IBC Padres. German, the 11th-round pick from the 2023 MLB Draft who's rapidly making a name for himself. With a combined 2.93 ERA and a 12.6 K/9 rate through High-A and now Double-A, German is turning heads with his command and a mature four-pitch mix. His Double-A debut on May 16 saw him toss 5 2/3 scoreless innings, a performance that had MLB.com analysts calling him the Orioles’ “most pleasant surprise” in the farm system this year. He will be on the IBC Padres draftee roster this season but he will get a projectionnext season and has a real opportunity to develop into a solid #3 SP.

Mets trade Jacob Reimer, Tyler Stuart, Cam Schlittler to Padres for Tyler O'Neill, Nolan Jones

Jones is projected to be an OBP Machine but he didn't demonstrate while on the IBC Padres but hopefully his performance will improve with John's Mets. O"Neill had a monster real life 2024 while playing for the Red Sox so he has a nice ZiPS projection when he returns from the IL. I expect both players to help John in 2025.

BA wrote this about Schlittler today, "The organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2024, Schlittler has continued to quietly mow down hitters at Double-A. The righthander added a cutter to give himself another option against lefties. The results have been stark. Through May, he’d punched out 58 hitters, good for third-most in the system. He was promoted to Triple-A on June 3." He only has a 89 ERA+ ZiPS projection this season but it should be much better in 2026 and beyond. Tyler Stuart is towering at 6'9" and after early arm soreness is now pitching at AA. His 93 ERA+ ZiPS projection may get him a few starts for IBC Padres this season but acquring the big righty is really looking at the future as well. Reimer is another quickly rising 3B whom BA also wrote about today, "With his strong batting eye intact, Reimer has gotten to more power at High-A by improving his timing out front and the rotational torque in his swing." Through 48 games in High-A, Reimer is slashing .317/.412/.572 with 16 doubles, 8 HR, and a .985 OPS. He’s hitting for power, drawing walks, and improving his K rate.

Orioles trade Grant McCray, Ben Kudrna, Wilfri 24-De La Cruz, Tim Elko to Padres for Charlie Morton, Christian Walker, Brock Burke, Justin Topa

Dan inquired about bolstering his pitching and he received Morton for rotational support along with a righty/lefty combo of bullpen support in Topa and Burke. Walker remains an EX defensive 1B who has a solid projection due to his previous success.

Kudrna is a young righthanded SP whom the pundits like: BA KCR #5, FG KCR #6, MLB KCR #4, BP KCR #13. Kudrna has a solid 6-foot-3 frame to which he’s added strength since turning pro. He attacks hitters with a four-seam fastball that sits 91-95 mph with good carry and he occasionally touches 97 while pitching at AA in real life so far this season. McCray was once heavily -hyped but started out slow in 2025. But since since May 10, yhe young lefty is 27-85 with 2 home runs, 2 triples, and 5 doubles. McCray is very fast and when locked-in, the swing is a pretty one: relaxed, quick and confident while boasting surprising power. But he whiffs a lot. His VG defensive rating in RF although he is AV in CF & LF. De La Cruz is highly regarded very young SS playing in the DSL so he is a long way away. Elko has always hit at every level he's played at and he got off to a red-hot start in the minor leagues before being called up to make his MLB debut on May 10th against the Marlins. He was sent back down to Charlotte on May 23rd despite hitting three home runs in his first 10 games on a roster that otherwise lacks power bats. He was recently recalled to the majors and Elko has started at first base and hit sixth in each game since being recalled on Wednesday. He has one hit in each contest and provided the game-winning knock in the 10th inning Thursday. The real life White Sox are going to roll with him for a while and so are the IBC Padres - and if he doesn't work Goodman will play 1B.

Yankees trade Jeral 0-Perez, Jesus 0-Rodriguez, Zach 23-Thornton to Padres for Hunter Goodman

Hunter Goodman is having a good year for the real life Rockies who are not having a good year. He can play Catcher, 1B, LF & RF and he hits the ball it tends to go a long way. He will certainly add some pop to Z's Yankees squad.

Jeral Perez is showing some pop as well. Playing all the infield positions but 1B at high-A in 2025 he already has 11 HR and 14 doubles in just 208 AB. I believe in the long run he will end up at 3B but for right now the 20 year young righty adds depth to the IBC Padres all ready deep pool of SS talent (along with Pena, Meidroth, Emerson, Torin and De La Cruz ...) Rodriguez plays all over as well as but the 23 year young lefty who has had an electric season so far, hitting to a .898 OPS in 43 games at AAA with an even strikeout-walk ratio and a solid slash line of .354/.447/.451. He will be the IBC Padres back-up Catcher where he has a VG defense rating. Thornton has got a funky left-handed delivery that makes his stuff play up and he was been named the Eastern League (EL) Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 19-25. Moreover in real life in 2025 Thornton is 6-0 with a 1.53 ERA and a 65/7 K/BB in 58.3 IP split between High-A and AA. Glad to have him join the solid pool of young SP the IBC Padres are assembling for 2026 and beyond.