Pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. was released from waivers and opted for free agency. Before being called up on Monday, he made one major league appearance this season with the San Diego Padres.
We have made the following changes to the squad: pic.twitter.com/u5V2B7aLry
– San Diego Padres (@Padres) 12 August 2024
Edwards now has the freedom to sign with any club. The 32-year-old played briefly in San Diego after signing a minor league contract earlier this summer. It was his second stint with the Padres.
In his only appearance on the mound for San Diego, Edwards allowed all three runners he faced to reach base on two walks and one hit. His teammate Yuki Matsui replaced Edwards on the mound and helped him out.
Although his performance for the Padres was nightmarish, Edwards’ Triple-A numbers were much better.
Edwards split the season between the Chicago Cubs and Padres’ best players. Edwards posted a 3.30 ERA and has a 22.2 percent strikeout rate. He has a high walk rate of 14.3 percent.
Edwards can work in both the bullpen and the starting lineup, and most recently served in the Padres’ Triple-A rotation.
Edwards spent the 2022-23 season with the Washington Nationals. He put up several strong performances out of the bullpen, posting a 3.07 ERA in 92.2 innings.
In 2023, Edwards was hampered by a stress fracture in his right shoulder that ended his season, and his injury limited him to a minor league contract during the offseason.
The Cubs signed Edwards to a minor league contract, but after failing to make the major league roster, he opted out in June. In July, he signed a minor league contract with the Padres.
Given his recent move, it’s obvious that Edwards is hoping to find a spot on the roster of a big league team that will take him. The Padres have one of the strongest bullpens in MLB, so it was unlikely that he would make their final roster.
The Padres have won 19 of their last 22 games for the first time in franchise history. San Diego has a .289 batting average, a league-best, and is averaging 6.1 runs, also a league-best. The club has also allowed the fewest runs per game of any major league team during that stretch (3.1).
“That’s something we’ve built over the course of the season,” Jake Cronenworth told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “…The level of intent and work and what we’re trying to do every time we come to the park every day – and that’s to win, but with that goal in mind – it’s just that same drive to focus on that specific game every day.”
