The Padres have added another arm to the mix, signing veteran reliever Trevor Gott to a minor league deal and sending him to Triple-A El Paso, according to MLB.com’s transaction tracker.
Gott had been in the Nationals organization for the first half of the season before becoming a free agent in early July. His arrival comes as San Diego cleared room by releasing two other right-handed pitchers with major league experience, J.P.
France and José Leclerc, yesterday. Gott is set to fill one of those openings with the Chihuahuas.
The 34-year-old’s work at Triple-A Rochester this season produced a 3.55 ERA over 26 appearances, but the deeper numbers were much rougher. His 5.16 FIP and 5.75 xFIP told a less flattering story, and the strikeout and walk rates backed that up: 19% strikeouts and 10.6% walks. The ERA stayed in check thanks in part to a .272 batting average on balls in play and an 80.2% strand rate, both on the fortunate side.
Gott last appeared in the majors in 2023, when he logged exactly 29 innings between the Mariners and Mets. He struck out 23.8% of opposing hitters and finished with a 4.19 ERA, though his 3.49 xERA suggested a stronger performance underneath.
After reaching free agency that offseason, he had a path to more big league work, but Tommy John surgery shut that down. He spent that year on the A’s 60-day injured list and didn’t pitch at all.
Gott later signed a minor league deal with Seattle and struggled to an 8.20 ERA in Triple-A last season.
For much of his career, Gott was a usable major league reliever, putting up a 4.65 ERA across 243 2/3 innings in eight seasons. Lately, though, injuries and ineffectiveness have defined the last few years more than anything else. For San Diego, he arrives as veteran non-roster depth, but because the deal came after September 1, he won’t be eligible for the postseason.
In Other News...
Padres Are Already Feeling Ethan Salas Impact In One Tough Spot
The Padres kept reshaping their catching picture this week, designating Blake Hunt for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot after activating Nick Pivetta from the 60-day injured list. It was a harsh reminder of how crowded that part of the roster has become, even for a player like Hunt, who has posted strong minor league numbers and looked like the kind of depth piece a club would want to keep around.
Ethan Salas is a big reason the squeeze has gotten tighter. His rapid climb through the system and into the majors has changed the way San Diego has to think about the position, pushing the organization to juggle its catching depth chart in real time. For Hunt, the issue was never just performance, it was timing and traffic, with multiple catchers already in the way of any clear path forward. [Read more 🡒]
Former Astros Pitching Bets Just Took Another Rough Turn
The Padres latest round of roster churn included a pair of familiar names with some upside but little recent traction. J.P. France and Jos Leclerc, both right-handed pitchers on minor league contracts, have been released after each spent time trying to work their way back into form in the organization. France had logged 10 2/3 innings for San Diegos Triple-A club, while Leclerc moved through four minor league levels as the Padres continued to sort through depth options on the pitching side.
For both pitchers, the next step appears to be free agency again, which keeps the door open for another club willing to take a look. It is the kind of turn that comes with this stage of the season for fringe arms: a chance to reset, find a better fit, and hope the next stop offers a cleaner path back to the majors. [Read more 🡒]
Padres' Luis Robert Miss Suddenly Looks Very Different
Luis Robert Jr.s sudden move from the Mets to the Orioles has already taken an awkward turn, and it matters for the Padres because San Diego had been among the teams that showed interest in him before the waiver picture changed. Instead of landing in a fresh spot and getting a chance to reset, Robert is now on the 10-day injured list with left hamstring discomfort, a reminder of how fast a waiver claim can go from an intriguing add to a wait-and-see situation.
For the Padres, the update also changes the way that missed opportunity looks in hindsight. Robert had been the kind of name that could have fit into a bigger conversation about adding impact, but the injury adds another layer to why they may have hesitated. What looked like a simple case of another club beating them to the wire now comes with the kind of uncertainty that can make a front office feel a little better about standing pat. [Read more 🡒]