*Photo from Sporting News*
Now, the San Diego Padres may have just signed a pitcher, but I think personally he's more well known for his accomplishments with the bat. The Padres and LHP Daniel Camarena have agreed to a minor league contract, according to the Padres transactions page, so the deal is official.
Last season, due to the glut of injuries on the Padres pitching staff, Camarena, who is a San Diego native, made his MLB debut in his hometown Petco Park. He didn't have the best numbers, finishing with a 0-1 record with a 9.64 ERA and 2.03 WHIP, throwing 9 1/3 innings in 6 relief appearances out of the bullpen. In the offseason, he was outrighted off the 40 man roster.
However, Camarena is more known for what he did at the plate in the major leagues. When he debuted on July 8, he was thrust into action in a long relief role, so he had to bat for himself, with the bases loaded and two outs, against Max Scherzer, one of the best pitchers in the game. What did Camarena do? Oh, just became the first relief pitcher since 1985 to hit a grand slam, kickstarting the Padres comeback win.
Camarena originally joined the Padres organization in the winter of 2019-2020, after the New York Yankees, the team that drafted him, had cut ties with him. He had been selected to the Yankees 40 man roster briefly in 2019, but never pitched in a major league game for them. After the 2020 minor league season got cancelled, Camarena started 2021 with Triple A El Paso.
The majority of the season for Camarena was spent in El Paso, where, in a hitters ballpark, Camarena posted a 4.75 ERA in 83 1/3 innings pitched at the Triple A level. In parts of 5 seasons at Triple A, the 29 year old has a career 5.32 ERA, but his 7.7 walk percentage is a true strength of his.
The signing of Camarena marks another minor league deal by the Padres, as they've also signed Webster Rivas, Jose Castillo, Aderlin Rodriguez, Luke Westphal, and many, many more, as they brace for the impact of 40 man roster prospects not being able to play at the start of the season if the lockout continues on.
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