San Diego Padres Release Former First Round Pick
By Dylan Smith
On Friday, the San Diego Padres announced that they have released former first-round pick, Cory Spangenberg.
On Friday, the San Diego Padres announced that they have released utilityman Cory Spangenberg. The lefty was apart of the notable group of Padres that were designated for assignment on Tuesday. Spangenberg is now free to sign with any team. Could he still provide a club with value?
The San Diego Padres selected Cory Spangenberg 10th overall in the 2011 MLB Draft. The lefty then debuted for the Padres in 2014. He primarily playing second and third base during his tenure, while also spending some time in the club’s outfield.
Spangenberg showed plenty of promise during 2014-15, posting OPS+s of 119 and 105. The lefty was never able to repeat similar production. In 2018, Spangenberg hit 7 home runs, drove in 25 RBIs, slashed .235/.298/.362 and posted an OPS+ of 83. In the two prior seasons, the infielder posted OPS+s of only 78 and 92, far below respectable levels.
Even though he has struggled with the bat, Spangenberg should be an interesting piece on the free agent market. The utilityman does not turn 28-years-old until March, can be controlled for two more years, and has proved to be a useful bat against right-handed pitching.
Over his five year career, Spangenberg has slashed a respectable .271/.331/.423 versus right-handed opponents. This is a big difference when compared to his slash line versus left-handed opponents, where he has hit .214/.275/.288.
For a team looking for an under the radar bench bat, Cory Spangenberg may be their answer. While he has never been a stellar defender, his versatility could still prove to be very valuable when coming off the bench.
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In the end, we also have to remember that Spangenberg is still only 27-years-old. Even though he struggled as a member of the San Diego Padres, he could still find success in another uniform. Another team could find Spangenberg to be useful and it could cost them very little. I would expect the former Padre to be on another big league squad in 2019.