Padres bet on bounce back with low-risk signing of former Guardians star pitcher

The San Diego Padres are doing that classic December thing where they quietly slide a lottery ticket across the counter and say, “Sure, why not?” Per Aram Leighton of Just Baseball,  San Diego has agreed to a minor-league deal with right-hander Triston McKenzie, and it includes a Spring Training invite. It’s the kind of move that won’t win a headline war today — but could matter a lot if even a fraction of the old version shows up in Peoria.

There is still a lot of gloss on McKenzie's resume. He has a 4.07 ERA over his 442 innings since making his debut in 2020. And Padres fans do not require a scouting thesis to understand that this is interesting because at one time, he seemed like a potential frontline starter. In 2022 he was incredible — 2.96 ERA, 3.9 WAR, 190 Ks in 191 1/3 innings.

Then the last three seasons happened.

Padres take a low-risk flier on former Guardians star Triston McKenzie

For parts of the last three seasons, McKenzie has posted a 5.46 ERA in approximately 97 1/3 innings; and has spent time bouncing between both Triple-A and major league action. The results were poor in his limited appearances (four) in major league action in 2025, posting an 11.12 ERA in 5 2/3 innings.

It's reasonable to have some level of concern with regard to this player. Cleveland is not known to give up on pitchers quickly. If a pitcher cannot provide a sense of stability after passing through their pitching lab, it may be fair to question what remains in terms of value.

But this is where the Padres’ logic kicks in. The risk is minimal. The upside is obvious. And if there’s a coaching staff you’d bet on to find something — anything — it’s the one led by Ruben Niebla, who has made a habit of helping pitchers reassemble themselves.

Spring Training will tell the truth fast. If McKenzie’s command returns and the stuff looks anything like it once did, the Padres may have found a sneaky 2026 contributor. If not? It’s a low-cost swing, and sometimes the best roster upgrades start exactly like that.