ORLANDO -- The Padres’ bullpen is their biggest strength right now -- and they’ve spent the first few weeks of their offseason adding to that strength.
They did so again on Monday. San Diego agreed to a one-year Major League deal with right-hander Daison Acosta, who is expected to join an already deep bullpen.
Acosta, 27, has pitched eight Minor League seasons in the Mets and Nationals systems, without ever earning a big league breakthrough. At three levels of the Nationals’ system last year, he posted a 2.42 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 52 innings.
“Our analytics group … and our scouting group both feel like he’s a guy that there’s more in,” said general manager A.J. Preller, speaking from the Winter Meetings in Orlando. “He’s got the stuff to go perform and pitch, and the ability to get righties.”
The move comes on the same day that Preller and new manager Craig Stammen said they expect Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and David Morgan to remain in the bullpen. All three had been considered options to potentially transition to the rotation.
That leaves the Padres’ with a crowded relief mix -- though they won’t complain. All three of their recent signings -- Acosta, Ty Adcock and Kyle Hart -- have options remaining and can be sent to the Minors.
“It’s a chance -- with Adcock and Acosta and Hart -- to get a little more depth to the staff,” Preller said. “We’ve got roster spots available and players that have the ability to go back and forth, Minor Leagues to big leagues.
“Similar to some of the guys we’ve had some success with in the last few years, [Acosta] is a guy that we feel like, even though he’s a Minor League free-agent-type that’s been around for a few years, we think there’s more in there and some things that we can unlock with our pitching group. We were excited to get him, for sure.”