San Diego Padres: Adam Cimber Makes Opening Day Squad

As per reports, the San Diego Padres have given out one of their coveted bullpen spots to someone who, before Spring Training, was an unlikely recipient.

As per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, Adam Cimber has made the San Diego Padres Opening Day roster. Coming into camp, Cimber, 27, wasn’t exactly on many people’s radar as a legitimate roster candidate.

Then, Cimber blew the socks off of the batters he faced in the Cactus League, and here we are. He figures to fit in nicely behind Brad Hand, Kirby Yates, Kaz Makita, and Craig Stammen, among others.

Originally a Padres’ draft pick in the ninth-round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft, Cimber spent five seasons in the Friars’ farm system before coming into camp this year.

He has been going back and forth between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso since the 2015 season having mostly success.

Barring six games he appeared in for El Paso in 2015 and 2016, his earned-run average over since 2015 is a combined 3.07 over 309+ innings.

I guess he should have been on our radars, huh?

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How will Cimber fit into the San Diego Padres’ plans?

This decision will be solely up to Padres’ manager Andy Green and the rest of his coaching staff.

The general consensus seems to be that Green will be employing a “bullpen-by-committee”, with Brad Hand as the exception, seeing that he’s been extremely effective as the team’s closer.

Just last season he has a 2.16 earned-run average with a 0.933 WHIP and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

I get the feeling Green won’t be messing with a good thing so until Hand gives him reason to change his course of action, Hand is likely cemented into his place as the team’s shut-down guy.

With the overall effectiveness of Stammen and Yates through the spring, as well as the largely-unseen repertoire of Makita (which should play very well until the league gets a book on him), a batter-to-batter strategy is most likely what we’ll see.

Next: A Few Sure Things for the Padres

Adam Cimber should add another wrinkle to the fabric of the Friars’ bullpen. Hakuna Matata (Cimber, get it?).