Padres just made a tough roster call on 2 players pushing to break camp

The San Diego Padres already began the process of trimming down their roster, reassigning and optioning multiple players over the past week and change. That work continued following the conclusion of the World Baseball Classic, as the team removed three players from Opening Day consideration.

Ty Adcock is the most notable name among that group, having signed a one-year MLB deal with the team over the offseason. There was some dormant hype surrounding his addition, with the hope that he'd evolve into a quality bulk reliever in a loaded Friars bullpen.

Unfortunately, an oblique injury slowed him down, and the Padres opted to send him to Triple-A El Paso to get a little more seasoning before returning to the majors. Meanwhile, Jackson Wolf and Samad Taylor, two non-roster invitees to camp, have been reassigned, effectively ending their chances of making the team's Opening Day roster.

Ty Adcock, Samad Taylor fall short in spring training, fail to make Padres' Opening Day roster due to improved depth

Adcock's dismissal marks the second notable bullpen decision the Padres have made this spring, following Daison Acosta's saga of being designated for assignment and and outrighted to the minors.

Because Adcock has a minor-league option year remaining, he doesn't need to be DFA'd in order to pitch for El Paso. That, in turn, means he's more likely to see time in San Diego this year, since he remains on the team's 40-man roster.

Taylor's reassignment is the other notable piece of news to note. A versatile infielder and outfielder, the 27-year-old has posted respectable defensive metrics at five positions (second and third base, plus all three outfield spots) in his brief MLB career. He's also quite fast, which made him an intriguing minor-league signing back in January.

Unfortunately, he hit just .235/.265/.300 (38 wRC+) in 17 spring training games, and the Padres' significantly improved bench depth all but ensured he wouldn't find a place with the big-league team by the end of camp. If he hits better in the minors, he could get some run as a late-game defensive substitute and pinch runner, don't expect to see Taylor take too many at-bats in San Diego.

Meanwhile, Wolf is turning himself into an intriguing pitching prospect, having cruised through spring training with a 2.38 ERA (3.87 FIP) in seven appearances (all out of the bullpen). He chewed up a ton of innings in the farm system last year, and there's usually a place in the majors for 6-foot-7 southpaws. He'll also open the season in Triple-A, with an outside chance of returning to the big leagues if things go really poorly for pitching staff (or really well for him).