This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CINCINNATI -- Maybe it’s an extreme example. But Xander Bogaerts was once in Ethan Salas’ shoes.
Just over 13 years ago, Bogaerts was a 20-year-old prospect, thrust into the middle of a postseason push in late August. He played only sporadically at first, then earned a bit more playing time.
On the fly, he learned the nuances of a big league clubhouse and what it meant to be a big leaguer …
… and two months after his callup, Bogaerts was a meaningful contributor on a championship-winning team, starting all six games for the Red Sox in the 2013 World Series.
“Not to say that it was easy,” Bogaerts recalled. “It was as hard as it could have gotten. We went all the way. … You’re playing in some very important games. It was definitely hard. I tried to focus, tried to stay present. Really, I tried not to mess it up.
“Everyone’s case is different. But it’s definitely more fun when you’re playing for something, playing in important games, for sure. … [It helped me] for the rest of my career.”
Obviously, that’s the absolute best-case scenario for Salas in the coming weeks. It’s the dream scenario for the Padres. Needless to say, it usually doesn’t work out like that.
But the Padres don’t have to win a World Series for Salas’ promotion to be the right move. Sure, there’s been plenty of talk about the development Salas might be losing with his promotion to the big leagues. On Wednesday, he became the youngest catcher in the Majors since Ivan Rodriguez in 1991.
But what about the development Salas gains at the big league level -- experience he can’t really gain anywhere else? He’ll game-plan for big league hitters, alongside big league pitchers, with a big league coaching staff and big league resources. He’ll be part of a big league clubhouse (and if you’ve spent any time around Salas, you know he’s mature enough to handle that).
“I’m up here just to be me,” Salas said after his arrival on Tuesday.
That’s all the Padres are asking of him. Seriously. If Salas comes up and mashes … great! But they don’t need him to. They aren’t relying on it. And I think that’s another important factor in the decision to promote Salas (who is ranked as the Padres’ top prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 23 overall).
This isn’t June -- when Luis Campusano was hurt and Freddy Fermin could barely hit in between IL stints of his own. The Padres’ duo behind the plate is perfectly capable. Salas won’t be asked to carry the catching spot.
The Padres’ need with Salas is more for his left-handed bat, given the recent injuries to Luis Rengifo and Gavin Sheets. But they have other options for that role as well.
It’s funny. The Padres have a lot riding on Salas, long-term. If he’s as good as they think he is, they’ve got an elite up-the-middle defender and their aging core gets an infusion of youth. But they have very little riding on Salas this season.
Take the prospect status out of the equation and the move actually becomes a pretty uninteresting one -- at least as September callups go: The Padres are merely promoting a third catcher and a lefty bench bat. Happens all the time.
Obviously, it’s more complicated than that with Salas. But it’s also clear that he was the best option at Triple-A to help their roster in its current state. And it’s just as clear that the Padres won’t be asking too much of him. Unless he earns it, of course.
“We’ll see,” said manager Craig Stammen. “Go out and get a bunch of hits, it’s hard to keep a guy out of the lineup.”
That’s what Bogaerts did in the 2013 playoffs. Surely, Salas would love to do the same -- and the Padres would love the same from him.
But even then, Salas almost certainly won’t play his way into everyday reps behind the plate. The Padres are committed to not overburdening him in the big leagues. He’s a 20-year-old catcher, after all -- playing deeper into a season than he ever has, coming off a year lost to injury.
It’s much more likely that Salas is deployed mostly as a bench piece. In doing so, Stammen has flexibility to use Campusano as a DH. Stammen can pinch-hit for his catchers, too, knowing he has extra cover behind the plate. Salas himself could DH, perhaps forming a platoon with Austin Hays.
Salas remains the Padres’ catcher of the future. But he’s very much not their catcher of the present. The reality is: Salas’ role will be determined on a day-to-day basis, based on need.
These are crucially important games. Salas’ development isn’t the priority. The Padres need him to help them win.
He wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It’s exciting,” Salas said. “No added pressure. Just go out there and do my best to win every single day. I think that’s the mindset everywhere. I don’t think anything changes.”