*Photo from Bleacher Report*
The San Diego Padres do not have very many weaknesses, if they even have one. They have seen to that with their offseason upgrades this winter. Now, the bullpen has gotten better. Right after they signed Mark Melancon, the Padres have signed RHP Keone Kela to a one year, $1.2 million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. There are also incentives in Kela's deal that could push the total value to $3.725 million. The Padres have confirmed the deal.
Kela spent the 2020 season in the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen, posting a 0-0 record with a 4.50 ERA, throwing just 2 innings in 3 appearances before he was hampered by a forearm strain and being placed on the Covid-19 list. In his 6 major league seasons, Kela has a 21-11 record with a 3.24 ERA, throwing 216 2/3 innings and saving 28 games in 231 relief appearances.
Kela has his fair share of injury history throughout his 6 year career. Besides straining his forearm in 2020, he has also missed time in the 2016, 2017, and 2019 seasons due to several arm related injuries. He is getting a one year deal with the Padres in the hopes that he can be a serviceable reliever who can hopefully shake the injury bug.
Kela gives the Padres another option for closing games, alongside Melancon and Emilio Pagan, and potentially even Drew Pomeranz, after the Padres lost Kirby Yates and Trevor Rosenthal in free agency. Kela's 28 saves may not make him the first choice for closing games, but if Melancon and/or Pagan get injured at any point in the season, Kela could see an increased load in the closers spot in the Padres bullpen.
The Padres have as many as 16 players who are in the mix for bullpen spots after Kela and Melancon signed. Kela joins a bullpen that includes Melancon, Pagan, Pomeranz, Pierce Johnson, Matt Strahm, Tim Hill, and Craig Stammen, with Adrian Morejon, Ryan Weathers, Javy Guerra, and Dan Altavilla also in the mix for innings.
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