There is no question that the San Diego Padres are gunning for the first championship in team history. After making numerous trades to upgrade their roster over the past couple of seasons, the Padres were expected to ba quite active at this season’s trade deadline.
On Sunday, they fired their first salvo. They have emerged as the surprising winners of the Adam Frazier sweepstakes, acquiring him from the Pittsburgh Pirates for three minor leaguers.
The San Diego Padres are acquiring second baseman/outfielder Adam Frazier from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 25, 2021
Frazier, 29, leads baseball in hits this year and is not a free agent until after the 2022 season. One of the best bats on the trade market.
San Diego Padres add more depth to roster with Adam Frazier
Frazier fits perfectly with the type of player that the Padres covet. He makes a tremendous amount of contact, having struck out only 291 times in his 2228 career plate appearances. The All Star is in the midst of his best season in the majors, posting a .327/.392/.453 batting line with 28 doubles and a major league leading 125 hits prior to Sunday’s slate of action.
He also fills a void in the Padres’ lineup. San Diego has a very right handed heavy roster, with a solid left handed hitter one of their priorities before the deadline. Add in Frazier’s ability to play in the outfield, and he fits the Padres’ roster image even more.
In exchange, the Pirates have landed three minor leaguers in Tucupita Marcano, Jack Suwinski, and Michell Miliano. Marcano was the only one of those players ranked amongst the Padres’ top 30 prospects, as he was considered their fifth best prospect according to MLB.com.
Marcano was a part of the Padres’ vaunted 2016-17 international signing class, although he did not garner the same level of attention as the bigger names. A solid contact hitter with a strong approach at the plate and decent speed, Marcano had made his major league debut as a utility man. He did struggle, posting a .485 OPS with just one extra base hit in 50 plate appearances. However, he has a .811 OPS in Triple-A, and at 21 years old, still has plenty of time to develop.
Suwinski, a 15th round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, is a bit of a project. He has impressive power, but also has a lot of swing and miss in his game. His ability to make consistent contact could go a long way to determining if he can become a major league caliber outfielder, or if he ends up as minor league filler. Thus far, he had shown that he had taken major steps forward, producing a .949 OPS in 267 plate appearances in Double-A, hitting 15 homers. His approach has improved, as he has struck out 74 times, but has also drawn 47 walks as he is showing more patience at the plate.
Miliano was another part of the Padres’ 2016 international signing class, a pitcher with an impressive fastball although he needed to refine his command. That scouting report still holds true, as Miliano has posted impressive strikeout rates with shaky command. Between his two stops in A-ball in 2021, he has posted a 3.60 ERA and a 1.400 WHiP in his 30 innings, striking out 59 batters with 25 walks.
The San Diego Padres are determined to win their first championship. Acquiring Adam Frazier is another step towards that goal.