Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
According to MLB Pipeline's mid-season prospect rankings, 13 of the top 30 prospects in the Padres system were acquired by trade, draft or international signing since the June draft.
Topping the list is 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza, who the Padres acquired just after the All-Star Game in a trade from Boston for left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz.
Espinoza is one of three recent acquisitions in the top five Padres prospects and one of 13 pitchers among the 30. Eleven of those pitchers are in low Single-A or lower.
Rounding out the top five prospects in the Padres' system according to the Pineline are: 2. Triple-A El Paso center fielder Manuel Margot, 3. El Paso right fielder Hunter Renfroe, 4. Right-handed pitcher and top June draft pick Cal Quantrill, and 5. recently-signed Cuban left-handed pitcher Adrian Morejon.
The second five are: 6. High Single-A Lake Elsinore shortstop Javier Guerra, 7. Low Single-A pitcher Chris Paddack, 8. first-round draft pick left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer (with short-season Single-A Tri-City), 9. Lake Elsinore center fielder Michael Gettys, and 10. Lake Elsinore second baseman Luis Urias.
Right-handed pitchers Espinoza, Paddack (from the Marlins for Fernando Rodney) No. 18 Hansel Rodriquez (from Toronto for Melvin Upton Jr.) were all acquired in recent trades.
Two shortstops who slipped from the pre-season rankings each had a three-hit game Wednesday.
Guerra, who slipped from second in the system to sixth, was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple for Lake Elsinore to raise his average to .208. Ruddy Giron (.215) was 3-for-4 with a stolen base and two runs scored for Fort Wayne and is now ranked 22nd in the system. Double-A shortstop José Rondón is ranked 11th in the system.
It should be noted that Alex Dickerson is ranked the 24th top prospect in the Padres system as a first baseman. Dickerson has been with the Padres since June 28 (his second stint this season) and has homered in each of the past four Padres games.
There were two moves in the Padres' system Wednesday. Paddack was placed on Fort Wayne's disabled list with a forearm strain. Right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez was promoted from Tri-City to Fort Wayne.
AROUND THE FARM:
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (59-45): TACOMA 11, Chihuahuas 1: DH Jabari Blash (.256) was 2-for-3 with his 11th homer. 3B Carlos Asuaje (.330) was 2-for-4 with a double. Starting RHP Daniel McCutchen (9-7, 6.10 ERA) allowed 10 runs (seven earned) on 13 hits and a walk with a strikeout in 4 2/3 innings. RHP Leonel Campos (4.09) allowed two walks with a strikeout in 1 1/3 hitless/scoreless innings. RHP Kevin Quackenbush (1.50) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Derek Eitel (3.20) allowed a run on a hit and a walk in an inning.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (17-16, 39-64) - Corpus Christi 3, MISSIONS 0: LF Luis Tejada (.284) had a double in three at-bats. SS Jose Rondon (.277) was 1-for-3 with a walk. Starter Tim Berry (0-2, 5.74 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. RHP Jose Rafael De Paula (2.58) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (20-13, 52-51) - 2B Josh VanMeter (.270) was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. 3B Ty France (.338) had a homer in three at-bats. Starting RHP Brett Kennedy (4-2, 3.67 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts in six innings. LHP Trevor Seidenberger (5.77) allowed two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Gerardo Reyes (2.79) had a strikeout in a perfect inning. RHP Mark Zimmerman (3.86) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk with a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.
LOW SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (11-21, 47-55) - TIN CAPS 6, West Michigan 4: DH Carlos Belen (.224) was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. 3B Taylor Selesky (.571) was 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI. RF Alan Garcia (.224) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. CF Tyler Moore (.224) was 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs. Starting RHP Austin Smith (3-5, 4.21 ERA) allowed two unearned runs on six hits with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. RHP Louis Distacio (5.19) allowed a run on two hits with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings. LHP Jose Castillo (3.29) allowed a run on three hits with four strikeouts in two innings for his first save.
SHORT-SEASON SINGLE-A TRI-CITY (0-2, 19-21) - SPOKANE 7, Dust Devils 5: CF Buddy Reed (.224) was 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a steal, two RBIs and two runs scored. SS Chris Baker (.301) was 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs. RF Luis Asuncion (.222) was 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Starting RHP Jordan Guerrero (3-4, 4.55 ERA) allowed four runs on four hits with two walks and a strikeout in four innings. RHP Chasen Ford (7.11) gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Daniel Erb (2.66) allowed a hit with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 scoreless innings. RHP Jesse Scholtens (1.40) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout in an inning.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (13-16) - The Arizona Rookie Padres were off Tuesday.
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (19-25) - Padres 7, Reds 5 (10 innings): 2B Kelvin Alarcon (.275) was 2-for-3 with three walks, two RBIs and a run scored. 1B Elvis Sabala (.215) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. RF Jose Sotillo (.300) had two doubles in five at-bats. SS Luis Guzman (.262) was 2-for-4 with a walk and a steal. Starting LHP Jose Cabrera (2.97) gave up two runs on two hits with three walks and a strikeout in three innings. LHP Eduardo Solano (5.40) allowed a run on a hit and two walks with eight strikeouts in three innings. RHP Luis Martinez (19.23) gave up two runs on a hit and two walks in two innings. RHP Adonis Santana (2-5, 7.27) allowed a hit and a walk in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. RHP Eduwin Bencomo (6.00) issued a walk with a strikeout in two-thirds of an otherwise perfect inning to get his third save.