Twins and Padres make Opening Day deal

MLB: Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins

It was Opening Day for Major Baseball League on Thursday. However, that did not stop the Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres from making a trade. The Twins traded closer Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker to the Padres for pitchers Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan. Minnesota will also receive a player to be named later, while the Padres are receiving $6.6 million according to ESPN.

The biggest name in the deal is Rogers, a native of Littleton, Colorado, who now becomes the Padres’ closer. Last season Rogers was an American League All-Star. He pitched in 40 games, and had a record of two wins and four losses, with nine saves and an earned run average of 3.35. In 40 1/3 innings pitched, Rogers gave up 38 hits, 15 earned runs, and eight walks, to go along with 59 strikeouts, and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.14. In 2019, Rogers put together a 30 save season for Minnesota. The Padres become Rogers’s second Major League team as he spent the last six seasons with the Twins.

Rooker, a native of Germantown, Tennessee, spent the last two seasons with the Twins. In 2022, he batted .201 with nine home runs and 16 runs batted in. During 58 games, 213 plate appearances, and 189 at bats, Rooker scored 25 runs, and had 38 hits, 10 doubles, 15 walks, 75 total bases, an on base percentage of .291 and a slugging percentage of .397.

Paddack, a native of Austin, Texas, struggled with the Padres in 2021. He had a record of seven wins and seven losses with an earned run average of 5.07. He was simply one of numerous Padres players to underachieve in 2021.

Pagan, a native of Simpsonville, South Carolina, pitched better than Paddack in 2021. In 67 games, he had a record of four wins and three losses, with an earned run average of 4.83. Prior to playing with the Padres in 2020, Pagan spent one season each with the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics.

This is the second trade the Padres have made this week. On Tuesday, they traded catcher Victor Caratini to the Milwaukee Brewers. 

 

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