San Diego Padres Option Spangenberg to Triple-A, Mets Claim Baumann

The San Diego Padres have optioned utility player Cory Spangenberg to Triple-A El Paso, keeping eight relievers in the bullpen for the time being.

As per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, the San Diego Padres have sent Cory Spangenberg down to Triple-A El Paso, presumably to get more consistent at-bats. Sending Spangenberg down makes sense, considering the lack of playing time he’s seen how ineffective he’s been at the plate.

Friars’ manager Andy Green‘s clear preference to try and get Chase Headley going by giving him the bulk of the time at third base while Christian Villanueva is out, means Spangy is unfortunately left as the odd-man out.

Spangenberg, 27, is a career .262/.319/.399 hitter in 913 career at-bats since 2014. Last year, 129 games, was the most time he’d spent at the major league level. Over 444 at-bats, he hit .264 with a .723 OPS, thirteen home runs, 46 RBI, and eighteen doubles.

Padres were hoping for ’17 Spangy

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This was surely the type of productivity that Green and AJ Preller were hoping for out of Spangenberg this season.

Things just simply haven’t worked out that way so far for the 27-year-old.

In 56 at-bats this season, at a variety of positions in the field, he’s hitting just .196/.237/.357 with two homers, three doubles, twenty strikeouts (!!!), and just two bases-on-balls.

Granted, he’s not getting consistent enough playing time to play himself out of his slump, but this level of production simply will not cut it, even in a bench role.

If Spangenberg can find his swing in El Paso, there’s no reason to think his roster spot won’t be here waiting for him, even in a bench role.

Baumann claimed by the Mets

Again from Cassavell, reliever Buddy Baumann was claimed by the New York Mets after being designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Padres. Baumann, 30, was DFA’d when the Padres selected the contract of Eric Lauer.

In 27.2 major-league innings with San Diego, he’s pitched to a 3.58 earned-run average with 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Next: Breaking Out Bats May Be Tough vs. Mets

In 6.2 innings for El Paso this season, Baumann held a flawless earned-run average with nine strikeouts and five walks.