Padres strike trade with Reds to aid pitching depth after Dylan Cease injury

Well, Padres fans, the Connor Joe era in San Diego is officially over. After logging just seven forgettable games with the Friars, Joe has been traded to the Cincinnati Reds.

In the middle of a game on Friday night against the Colorado Rockies, the San Diego front office staff acquired Reds minor league reliever Andrew Moore.

Padres acquire minor league reliever in exchange for Connor Joe

Following Dylan Cease getting pulled mid-game with a supposed cramp, Padres fans started wondering that, if he is actually hurt long-term, who could be viable options to replace him in the interim.

Enter Andrew Moore, perhaps? He has never played in the majors, but he has been decent out of the bullpen for Double-A Chattanooga. Moore has 12 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings with a .103 batting average against, but his 4.03 ERA and eight walks tell a different story. At 25 years old, it's time to figure out if Moore is worthy of playing in MLB or not, and maybe the Padres are taking a chance on him, if he winds up being needed.

With Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Matt Waldron out, and Kyle Hart being relieved of his duties, pitching depth is becoming worrisome for San Diego. Moore could provide some reinforcements, and would likely do so as a reliever. Perhaps another bullpen guy would transition into a starter with Moore logging innings out of the pen.

As for Connor Joe, the 32-year-old was hardly productive. He played in seven games as a Padre, batting 0-for-9 with a walk. Signed as a free agent this past offseason, Joe showed signs of being a solid player at spring training. He hit .316 in the spring with five doubles and nine walks, but unfortunately that never translated into regular season success.

With that, we bid Connor Joe a farewell. He clearly never had a cemented spot here. Hopefully, Moore can prove himself to be a late bloomer, and aid a pitching staff that is all hands on deck just one week into May.