Padres re-sign reliever to minor-league contract after stint in Japan

The San Diego Padres have reunited with a familiar face this offseason, but it's still yet to represent an impact move by the front office. The team has continued to make smaller additions at the margins as rumors swirl.

This week, the Padres signed right-handed reliever Jose Espada to a minor-league contract for the 2025 season.

Espada, a former fifth-round pick (No. 152 overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, pitched in San Diego's system during the 2022-23 seasons. He threw the lone MLB inning of his career for the Padres on Sept. 24, 2023, recording two strikeouts and two walks in a scoreless ninth inning of relief in a 12-2 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Espada has otherwise been a career minor leaguer, posting a 26.59% strikeout percentage over 374 career innings with the affiliates of the Blue Jays, Padres and Boston Red Sox. In his last stint in the minors, he posted a 2.79 ERA in 19 1/3 innings across nine games with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in El Paso in 2023.

Journeyman reliever Jose Espada returns to Padres after season in Japan

Espada spent the 2024 season in Japan pitching for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball. It was a rather forgettable showing for the 27-year-old, who posted a 5.00 ERA and a 13.5% strikeout percentage over 27 relief innings despite seeing improved numbers while pitching for the Swallows' minor league team.

According to MiLB Central, Espada's contract with the Padres for 2025 also includes a non-roster invite to spring training, but he is expected to begin the season in Triple-A El Paso, where he spent his most recent stint in MiLB just over a year ago at the end of the 2023 season. While he is not currently on the Padres' 40-man roster, he will still get a shot at joining San Diego's Major League bullpen in 2025.

Espada's poor strikeout numbers in Japan seem to be an anomaly, so the Padres will hope that a return to the familiar environment in El Paso can help him get back on track. Plus, they get the added peace of mind from adding a known commodity to their minor league bullpen depth.

More Padres content from Friars on Base