San Diego Padres add bullpen piece in Matt Wisler

Nearly four years to the day from when he was traded to Atlanta, the San Diego Padres have brought Matt Wisler back into the fold.

Back before the 2015 campaign, Matt Wisler was one of the top prospects in the game, a consensus top 100 prospect for the second consecutive year. It was expected that he would be a key part of the San Diego Padres rotation for years to come, but he was sent to Atlanta as part of the deal that brought Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton to San Diego. He was then sent to Cincinnati at the trade deadline in 2018, part of the package that brought back outfielder Adam Duvall.

Bow, nearly four years after first being sent away by the Padres, Wisler is back. He was acquired by the Padres in exchange for minor league reliever Diomar Lopez, as he has come back to where it all began.

After years of struggling to gain traction as a starter in the majors, Wisler may have found his calling. He was converted to the bullpen in Cincinnati, where he posted a 2.03 ERA and a 0.975 WHiP in 13.1 innings, striking out 11 batters with only two walks.

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Given his history as a starter, it is possible that Wisler could function as a multi-inning reliever for the Padres. The bullpen does have some solid options before closer Kirby Yates, with Craig Stammen and Adam Warren providing a solid duo. However, they could use a pitcher like Wisler who could function in a fireman role.

In exchange, the Reds received minor league reliever Diomar Lopez. Lopez has an excellent fastball, and can hit 97 MPH with regularity. He does have plenty of command issues, and his secondary pitches need work. However, at just 22 years old, he is the type of pitcher that could develop into a useful major league option.

In bringing in Wisler, the Padres are making another move designed to help them win as many games as possible this season. Yes, they have a young rotation, but adding an arm like Wisler to the bullpen will help mitigate some of those growing pains as the Padres look to develop those arms at the major league level.

It took some time, but Matt Wisler is finally set to make his debut with the San Diego Padres. He just needed four more years and two other organizations first.