Padres acquire right-hander Jason Adam Rays in exchange for three prospects, according to announcements from both clubs. The Padres are sending the right-hander Dylan Leskoacrobat Homer Bush Jr. and receiver JD Gonzalez in Tampa. The Friars designated the right-hander Glenn Otto for the mission of opening a roster spot while the Rays reintegrate Jeffrey Springs from the 60-day injured list to take Adam’s place.
Like so many players before him, Adam played his way through the league before finally becoming the best player of his kind in Tampa. He was drafted by the Royals in 2010 and went on to spend time in several organizations, including the Padres, as well as the Twins, Blue Jays and Cubs. He was not retained by the Cubs after 2021, at which point he had a 4.71 ERA in 78 1/3 major league innings. He struck out 27.9% of the batters he faced, but also walked a high 11.4%.
The Rays signed him for 2022 and he has taken his game to another level since then. He made 170 appearances as a Ray with a 2.30 ERA, a 30.4% strikeout rate, an 8.3% walk rate and a 44.7% ground ball rate. He had 24 saves and 51 holds during that span. That includes 47 appearances this year with a 2.49 ERA. His 27.8% strikeout rate in 2024 is a few notches below recent years, but his 47.3% ground ball rate is a career high.
Every team in contention is looking to bolster their bullpens this time of year, and that’s especially true for the Padres. Their relief corps has a combined 4.19 ERA, which ranks in the bottom third of the league. They’ve had some good results Robert Suarez, Jeremiah Estrada, Yuki Matsui and others but guys like Wanda Peralta And Enyel De Los Santos have struggled, with Peralta currently on injured reserve.
The addition of Adam and his skills to this relief group is naturally appealing, as is his modest salary. Although he turns 33 next month, his long road to establishing himself at the major league level has led to him having a delayed path to notable earnings. He first qualified for arbitration in 2023 as a Super Two player and earned $1.775 million last year, getting a modest raise to $2.7 million here in 2024. He is eligible for two more seasons of arbitration before being scheduled for free agency after 2026.
The Padres had to make significant pay cuts during the offseason, leading to Juan Soto The Yankees tried to make a trade with them. They did try to field a competitive team here in 2024 and succeeded. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak that has propelled them to 57-50 and possession of a wild card spot in the National League. But they appear to want to avoid the competitive balance tax this year and are currently on track to do so.
RosterResource pegs their CBT figure at $225 million, which is about $12 million shy of the $237 million base threshold. That seems to give them some decent wiggle room, but it’s just an unofficial estimate. Adam has less than $1 million to pay this year, so it will only marginally increase San Diego’s CBT number, perhaps leaving management room to make other moves.
The Rays aren’t buried in the standings, but they’ve decided to sell this year, apparently due to a combination of depth and a seller’s market. They’re currently 53-52, just four games out of a playoff spot, but they’ve already traded several established major league players for younger talent. They’ve sent Zach Eflin to the Orioles, Aaron Civale to the brewers, Randy Arozarena to the Mariners and now Adam to the Padres.
They still have a chance to compete down the stretch, but haven’t shied away from making these kinds of moves, seemingly content to add young talent and save money while trying to fill in the lost talent within their own system. With Springs, Shane Baz And Drew Rasmussen As they approach their return from elbow surgery, they have replacements ready to go. Baz came in to take Civale’s place and Springs is set to do the same for Eflin. Arozerena’s playing time can be given to players like Richie Palacios Or Jonny DeLucawhile the club still has some intriguing relievers on hand and can likely put together a solid relief corps even without Adam.
Lesko, 20, is considered the most intriguing piece of their return in this deal. The Padres selected him 15th overall in 2022 and he has received plenty of love from prospect evaluators since then. His time in the minor leagues saw him miss a lot of bats, but also the strike zone. He pitched 69 2/3 innings in 16 starts at High-A this year with a 6.46 ERA. He struck out 25% of the batters he faced but walked 16.5% of them.
Despite his control issues, he is still considered one of the league’s top prospects. FanGraphs currently ranks him 88th overall and MLB Pipeline ranks him 76th. Baseball America had him as high as 38th at the start of the year, but he is no longer in the top 100 and was recently bumped up to No. 5 in the Padres’ system. Perhaps the Padres are getting rid of a prospect they’ve grown tired of or they’ve simply accepted this as the price of getting a quality, affordable, controllable reliever. Either way, Tampa has a solid reputation for getting the most out of players and could possibly get Lesko back on track in the coming years.
Bush is naturally the son of a former major league player. Homer BushThe younger Bush was selected in the fourth round by the Padres last year. He is a speed and defense specialist with a contact-based approach to batting. In 130 minor league games, he has seven home runs, a 9.5% walk rate and a 15.7% strikeout rate, which has given him a .290/.383/.379 average. He also has 65 steals in 76 attempts. He currently ranks 12th in the Padres’ system in batting average.
Gonzalez was a third-round pick last year and BA currently has him ranked No. 8 in the system. He’s hitting just .205/.322/.230 in Single-A this year, but he’s projected to potentially be a two-way player behind the plate one day.
Otto was claimed off waivers in September. He began the year on the injured list with a right teres major strain. He began a rehab assignment in early June and was optioned later that month. He has pitched 15 1/3 innings in the minor leagues this year with a 7.63 ERA. The Friars will have a few days to consider trades or placing him on waivers.
The Padres made a notable upgrade to their bullpen for the final stretch, but they’re certainly not done. USA X’s Bob Nightengale reports that they’ll now turn their attention to the rotation. The Rays have already made a number of forward-looking moves, but could perhaps consider more, with players like Pete Fairbanks, Brandon Lowe And Yandy Diaz Candidates are expected to attend in the coming days.
FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first to report that Adam was headed to the Padres on X. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reported Lesko’s inclusion on X. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on X that Bush and a third prospect were also going to Tampa. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman was the first to report that Gonzalez was on X.