A.J. Ellis didn’t spend much time with Walker Buehler in a Dodgers uniform, but that short overlap may have paid off for the Padres in a big way.
Ellis was a backup catcher for Los Angeles when Buehler was drafted by the Dodgers in the summer of 2015. Buehler then spent his first year in the organization rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Ellis was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in August 2016, and two years after that, he wrapped up his playing career with San Diego. When he retired, Ellis moved into the Padres’ front office in February 2019 and has held a range of roles there since.
The two still had a bridge back to the Dodgers, though. Buehler went on to become one of the National League’s best pitchers from 2017-22, making two All-Star teams and posting a 47-22 record with a 3.27 ERA in Los Angeles. So when Buehler hit free agency this past winter, Ellis’ ties to his old organization reportedly mattered.
“Through those relationships [Ellis] became convinced Buehler, who won two World Series rings, prioritized winning and was all-in on being open to change and a potentially different role,” according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
That helped lead Buehler to the Padres on a minor league deal in February. The contract paid $1.5 million in the majors plus incentives, a steep drop from the one-year major league pact he signed with the Boston Red Sox the year before. By the numbers, it was a cut of as much as $19.5 million if he made San Diego’s Opening Day rotation.
He did a lot more than just make the team. Buehler finished the regular season tied for the Padres lead in starts with 32, was second on the club with 153.2 innings and 131 strikeouts, and now could get the ball for Game 3 if the wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs goes that far.
For the Padres, that’s value. His 4.63 ERA ranked eighth-highest among pitchers who threw at least 150 innings, but his 4.36 SIERA lined up closely with Michael King’s 4.39, a sign that the underlying results weren’t as far apart as the surface numbers suggested.
This wasn’t the peak Buehler who dominated early in his career, but it was the version San Diego needed: durable, dependable, and good enough to keep the rotation afloat while others couldn’t. Casey Mize, Griffin Canning, Robbie Ray, German Marquez and Matt Waldron all struggled badly, while Nick Pivetta, Lucas Giolito and Joe Musgrove were unavailable to varying degrees.
Buehler did finish the 2024 World Series for the Dodgers with a scoreless inning in Game 5 against the New York Yankees, and the Padres would love to see that October version again. Even if they don’t, the deal already looks like one of the best they’ve made all year.
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Padres Owner Just Added Heat To A Rivalry Fans Already Feel
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Padres Owners Already Face A Harsh Test In San Diego
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The first real test for the new leadership may come less on the field than on the balance sheet. An anonymous general manager has pointed to the financial strain created by the clubs major payroll commitments to key players, the kind of burden that can complicate even an ambitious contender. Feliciano, though, has framed those obligations as opportunities, a sign that the Padres are trying to think bigger, even as the challenge of sustaining that vision in San Diego begins immediately. [Read more 🡒]