San Diego Padres trade for Mike Clevinger

The San Diego Padres have continued to dominate the trade deadline as they have acquired Mike Clevinger from the Cleveland Indians.

It is the San Diego Padres trade deadline, and we are all just living in the aftermath.

The Padres have already had an active weekend, overhauling the catcher position, upgrading their bullpen, and adding a power bat. On Monday morning, they made yet another move, this time upgrading their rotation by adding Mike Clevinger from the Cleveland Indians.

The Indians were expected to trade Clevinger, if not at the trade deadline, then in the offseason. He had alienated his teammates in the wake of his breaking COVID-19 protocols with Zach Plesac, but not telling anyone and getting on the team flight. Several members of the team had expressed their willingness to opt-out of the season had Clevinger been reinstated after being placed on the restricted list.

His start on Wednesday was essentially a trade showcase. Despite three weeks between starts, he performed well, allowing two runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings, striking out six batters. However, with his excursion and the Indians’ rotation depth, Clevinger was expected to be dealt.

For the Padres, this is an immediate upgrade to the rotation, and another controllable arm as they look to build a buzzsaw in the rotation. He immediately slots in as the Padres’ new ace as they seek to topple the Dodgers. The rebuild is emphatically over.

At this point, the Indians’ full return is not yet known. According to Jon Heyman, outfielder Josh Naylor and pitcher Cal Quantrill are part of the package heading back to Cleveland. Jeff Passan lists shortstop Gabriel Arias as a part of the return as well.

The San Diego Padres have owned the trade deadline thus far. Adding Mike Clevinger is yet another salvo as they look to take control of the NL West and embark on a deep run in the postseason.