The San Diego Padres recently signed right-handed pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league deal, as indicated by the team’s transaction log. Edwards, who is 32 years old, has had an interesting career in Major League Baseball. Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 48th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, he was later traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2013. He made his debut with the Cubs in 2015 and was a part of their 2016 World Series championship team.
Edwards struggled during his time with the Padres, giving up six earned runs in just 1.2 innings, resulting in a high 32.40 ERA. However, he later signed with the Seattle Mariners and went on to play for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, and Nationals before signing a minor league deal with the Cubs in the offseason. During his time in the minor leagues with the Cubs, Edwards performed well, posting a solid 1.85 ERA across 20 appearances.
With a career 3.54 ERA in 295 relief appearances, he will now be looking to make an impact on a Padres’ bullpen that currently ranks 15th in Major League Baseball with a combined ERA of 3.83. The addition of Edwards could help improve their bullpen performance and give them more options for late-game situations.