Padres must avoid added Kade Anderson pressure on Ethan Salas decision

Kade Anderson, baseball’s top pitching prospect, is headed to Seattle. That sparks a question that is already racing toward other franchises with a top end prospect like the Padres: If the Mariners are willing to unleash their prized prospect, why shouldn’t San Diego do the same with Ethan Salas?

The easy answer is because Anderson’s promotion has nothing to do with Salas’ development. We can appreciate the Mariners’ aggression without turning Anderson into a stopwatch. Seattle is promoting a polished 22-year-old who forced the issue with a 1.06 ERA, 135 strikeouts and 13 walks across 93 1/3 innings at Double-A. He’s been so dominant that leaving him in Arkansas became harder to justify than promoting him.

Salas has made an impressive case of his own. He entered Aug. 21 slashing .344/.417/.623 with a 1.040 OPS since joining El-Paso. But there’s more nuance to it.

Kade Anderson earned a job the Padres cannot offer Ethan Salas

Anderson arrives with a defined assignment. Seattle will hand him the ball every five or six days and ask him to retire major-league hitters. His development will continue through actual competition.

What would Salas receive in San Diego? Most likely, he would become a third catcher when rosters expand from 26 to 28 players in September. Luis Campusano and Freddy Fermin would remain ahead of him for regular work. Salas might catch once or twice per week, pinch-hit occasionally and spend the rest of his time watching games from the dugout.

Seattle is handing Anderson the ball. San Diego would be handing Salas a folding chair. In other words, it’s exposure, and not development.

Catcher is already the most demanding position on the field. Salas would need to learn a new pitching staff, prepare scouting reports and handle games carrying postseason consequences. He would be doing all of that while trying to maintain the offensive rhythm that has finally returned after nearly a full lost season.

A September cup of coffee makes sense when it comes with meaningful playing time. Otherwise, it’s a ploy to boost ticket sales and souvenirs.

A possible MLB lockout makes the Ethan Salas decision even easier

There is also a larger consequence that has nothing to do with September. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Padres are flirting with the possibility of promoting him. But adding Salas to the 40-man could block them from communicating with him during an impending MLB lockout. Salas would also be unable to play in Triple-A if the major-league season were delayed while the minor-league schedule continued.

Waiting until after Sept. 1 would not provide a workaround. Any major-league promotion requires the Padres to add Salas to the 40-man roster. The real choice is promoting him and accepting the potential lockout restrictions or keeping him off the roster and preserving his access to the organization and Triple-A games.

That should end the debate. San Diego would be risking months of potential development for a few weeks in which Salas will not be getting a ton of reps. It’s hard to see where that exchange makes sense.

The Padres have already moved Salas aggressively throughout his career. Showing restraint now would not represent a sudden loss of confidence. It would demonstrate that the organization finally values his development more than the excitement surrounding his arrival.

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