SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres have acquired right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagán from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Manuel Margot and catcher/outfielder Logan Driscoll, Executive Vice President/General Manager A.J. Preller announced today. 

In 66 games for the Rays last year, Pagán led the bullpen in saves (20) and strikeouts (96), despite playing the first two weeks of the season with Triple-A Durham. The 28-year-old set career highs in ERA (2.31), appearances, innings pitched (70.0), strikeouts, WHIP (.081) and opponent AVG (.179), and among American League relievers, the right-hander’s WHIP ranked 2nd, his opponent AVG was T-4th, his strikeout total was T-5th and his 12.34 SO/9 ranked 13th. He posted an identical .179 opponent clip to both left and right-handed batters, and he appeared in four games during the Rays’ 2019 playoff run for his first-career postseason experience, allowing 2 ER in 3.0 IP for a 6.00 ERA.

Originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 10th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Belmont Abbey College (NC), the Simpsonville, South Carolina native has posted a career 3.26 ERA (66 ER, 182.1 IP) with a .206 opponent AVG, 0.98 WHIP and 215 strikeouts against 40 walks in 155 appearances between Seattle, the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay. Pagán owns a career .659 opponent OPS and competed for Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.