SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres today announced they have signed right-handed pitcher Fernando Rodney to a one-year Major League contract for the 2016 season with a club option for the 2017 season. In addition the club has also acquired right-handed pitcher Jean Cosme from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-handed pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne. Executive Vice President/General Manager A.J. Preller made the announcements.
Rodney, 38, split the 2015 season between the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs, going 5-5 with 16 saves, a 5.68 ERA (32 ER, 50.2 IP) and 43 strikeouts against 25 walks in 54 games for the Mariners before going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA (1 ER, 12.0 IP) and 15 strikeouts against four walks in 14 games for the Cubs. Prior to last season he went a combined 8-12 with 133 saves, a 2.21 ERA (51 ER, 207.2 IP) and 234 strikeouts against 79 walks while holding opponents to a .207 (157-for-759) average in 213 appearances over the previous three seasons (2012-14) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2012-13) and Mariners. A two-time American League All-Star in 2012 with the Rays and 2014 with the Mariners, he also led the American League with 48 saves in 2014. Over the last four seasons he has compiled 149 saves, the second-most in all of Major League Baseball in that span, to go along with a 15-17 record, a 2.80 ERA (84 ER, 270.1 IP) and 292 strikeouts against 108 walks. Originally signed by the Detroit Tigers as a non-drafted free agent in November 1997 out of the Dominican Republic, he has gone 37-55 with 236 saves, a 3.71 ERA (289 ER, 700.1 IP) and 685 strikeouts against 341 walks in 700 relief appearances over parts of 13 seasons with the Tigers (2002-03, 2005-09), Los Angeles Angels (2010-11), Rays (2012-13), Mariners (2014-15) and Cubs (2015).
Cosme, 19, went 3-5 with a 4.74 ERA (30 ER, 57.0 IP) and 53 strikeouts against 18 walks over 12 starts for Single-A Aberdeen in 2015. The right-hander signed with the Orioles as a 17^th-round selection in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Puerto Rico and made his professional debut with the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League Orioles that year. Over his two professional seasons (2014-15) he has gone 5-5 with a 4.73 ERA (38 ER, 72.1 IP) and 70 strikeouts against 26 walks over 21 games, 13 starts.
Despaigne, 28, went 5-9 with a 5.80 ERA (81 ER, 125.2 IP) and 69 strikeouts against 32 walks over 34 games, 18 starts, for San Diego in 2015. The right-hander signed with the Padres in May 2014 as a minor league free agent and made his Major League debut later that year for San Diego. A native of Havana, Cuba, he has gone 9-16 with a 4.74 ERA (117 ER, 222.0 IP) and 134 strikeouts against 64 walks in 50 games, 34 starts, over parts of two Major League seasons (2014-15) for the Padres.
With today's transactions the Padres currently have a full 40-man roster.