Phillies quietly sign free agent pitcher after promising 2024 minor league season
While we all wait for the Philadelphia Phillies front office to start making moves with the big league roster this offseason, an under-the-radar move went largely unnoticed earlier this week with the signing of an unheralded minor league pitcher.
Based on previous winters, we know this front office, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and now new general manager Preston Mattingly, like to load up on pitching depth in the offseason.
They were at it again when they signed right-handed reliever Nicholas Padilla to a minor league contract, according to Steve Potter of Philliesbaseballfan.com.
You’re forgiven if you’ve not heard of Padilla before. The 27-year-old has only thrown 6 1/3 innings in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox up to this point in his career. His 5.68 ERA and ugly 2.21 WHIP aren’t anything to write home about.
However, Padilla had a promising season in the minors in 2024, so there was enough under the hood to entice the Phillies to give him a shot.
Throwing 37 innings in the White Sox’s farm system across the Complex League (2 2/3), High-A (3 2/23) and Triple-A (30 2/3), he registered a 2.92 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 46 strikeouts.
The former 13th-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays doesn’t feature what’s considered high velocity these days but knows how to use his stuff to get swings and misses. He throws a 92 mph cutter and 94 mph sinker with a sweeper and curveball in the low 80s.
Despite the underwhelming arsenal and only throwing 100 pitches in the majors in 2023 while being shuttled between Triple-A and the majors, Padilla generated a 34.1 percent whiff rate, which would put him in the upper echelon of the league if he qualified — which he was far from doing. He had six strikeouts to one walk in his small 4 2/3 inning sample.
He also pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, appearing in three games. He picked up a win and kept a clean slate, giving up two hits in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Where Padilla will fit in the Phillies’ 2025 plans remains to be seen. Being a depth reliever in Triple-A could earn him a shot when the inevitable happens, and the big league club needs arms. He has one MiLB option remaining, so he could see multiple trips between Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia if his performance and the team’s needs necessitate it.
