The Padres re-signed the lefty Austin Davis on a minor league contract, reports Fanisided's Robert Murray. The KHG Sports client was selected for work after the trade deadline and was selected by free agency over the weekend. He will likely return to Triple-A El Paso in this new deal and continue to serve as the Friars' depth.
Davis, 31, appeared in seven games with the Padres after his contract was optioned to the major league roster in late June. He gave up seven runs in seven innings, though four of those home runs came in one miserable outing against the D-backs on July 7. Davis spent most of the season in El Paso, where he was sharp: 29 innings, 3.10 ERA. , 29.8% strikeout rate, 12.9% walk rate, 47.7% ground ball rate, no home runs allowed. Of course, the Padres and Davis would prefer a lower walk rate, and it's not unreasonable to expect either pitcher to continue to avoid home runs. That said, Davis' strikeout and on-base combination has been strong in Triple-A this year.
This short run with the Padres was Davis' first major league stint since 2022. He has now pitched in parts of six major league seasons. A 5.77 career ERA in 151 1/3 innings won't stand out (at least not for the right reasons), but Davis has consistently shown the ability to miss bats, keeping the ball in the yard at a decent clip. , and avoid hard contact. He has fanned 23.7% of his opponents, held hitters to 1.18 HR/9 and posted an exit velocity of 87 mph for a rough 33.5% in his MLB career.
San Diego's aggressive deadline has been extended Tanner Scott, Jason Adam again Bryan Hoeing in what was already a deep and talented major league bullpen. Scott joins Adrian Morejon again Yuki Matsui as left in Mike Shildt's bullpen, giving the Friars captain three southpaw options in the majors (to say nothing of the current injuries Wandy Peralta). Davis would add an experienced lefty to the El Paso roster, who could be among the first in line to call if the Padres need another lefty or just a new arm at some point.
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