Padres pick up righty Jenkins off waivers
SAN DIEGO -- The Padres added another arm to their rotation mix Tuesday, claiming right-hander Tyrell Jenkins off waivers from Cincinnati.
The 24-year-old spent the 2016 season with Atlanta, where he posted a 5.88 ERA in 14 appearances (eight starts).
Jenkins has shuffled around quite a bit already this offseason. In December, he was sent from Atlanta to Texas in a trade, before being claimed off waivers by Cincinnati later in the month.
Jenkins is merely the next name to be added to a crowded rotation battle. Christian Friedrich and Luis Perdomo figure to be favorites for starting jobs, along with Jhoulys Chacin and Clayton Richard, who signed last month.
That would appear to leave Jenkins fighting for the final rotation spot, along with Jarred Cosart, Paul Clemens and Cesar Vargas.
In 83 2/3 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett last season, Jenkins posted a 2.47 ERA. During his seven-year Minor League career, he never posted high strikeout totals. But he also managed to limit the long ball extremely well. He did, however, allow 11 homers in 52 innings during his debut season in the Majors.
Jenkins' inclusion means the Padres' 40-man roster is now full. But they'd still like to make a few more additions before Spring Training -- notably at shortstop and on the mound. To do so, they'd need to clear space, potentially by designating a reliever for assignment.