3 Padres who don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster

LHP Jay Groome

Every manager would love to balance out their rotation with at least one left-handed starter, but if that means adding Jay Groome into the mix, Mike Shildt would be better off with five right-handed pitchers. While Groome may have broken the El Paso record for most strikeouts in a season during his 2023 campaign, he walked almost as many batters.

Groome may be the only left-handed starting pitcher currently on the Padres 40-man roster, but what good is that if he can't find the plate? The southpaw was woefully inaccurate in the minor leagues last season, and unless Groome is able to show major improvement in that area, he's got no place on the Padres 40-man roster.

After a successful stint in the minor leagues during the 2022 season, Groome's numbers from 2023 were horrific. The former first-round pick posted an 8.55 ERA in 30 starts at Triple-A with a 2.10 WHIP. Groome walked 112 batters in over 130 innings of work. A walk-rate of nearly 17% will not get it done in the big leagues.

Groome is out of minor league options, so if the Padres cut him loose, the lefty will have to pass through waivers and accept an outright assignment in order to remain with the organization. Groome was highly-touted prospect about five years ago, but after nearly doubling his walk total from a year ago, you'll have to squint pretty hard to see him maintain his spot on the 40-man roster.