The Padres remain in contract on a minors agreement with free-agent righty Wilmer Font, MLBTR has actually discovered. He’ll remain in Major League Spring Training and also complete for a lineup area. Font is repped by the OL Baseball Group.
Font, 32, has actually invested the previous 2 periods pitching with the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization and also has actually tossed rather well abroad. After investing components of 5 major league periods oscillating in between Triple- An as well as the Majors in a swingman duty, he sealed himself as one of the leading beginning bottles for a Landers club that won the Korean Series in 2022.
Over the previous 2 periods, Font possesses a 3.03 period with a 24.5% strikeout price versus an excellent 5.9% stroll price. Font, that balanced 95.1 miles per hour on his heating system throughout his last major league project in 2020, likewise caused ground balls at a healthy and balanced 53% clip throughout his time in the KBO.
Given Font’s solid proving as a beginning bottle in South Korea, he’ll offer the Friars some deepness at the rear of their turning, where they’re dealing with some unpredictability. The hope is that Nick Martinez, that worked as a swingman in 2022 and also invested even more time in the ‘pen than in the turning, can hold back the 4th area on the beginning personnel for the mass of the period. Longtime Mets righty Seth Lugo, that was a starter earlier in his job yet has actually functioned as a bullpen arm in current periods, was authorized with the suggestion that he’ll go back to a beginning duty on in San Diego.
Martinez pitched simply 106 1/3 innings in 2022, however, and also Lugo logged just 65 innings as a full time reducer, so it’s reasonable to bring some deepness with the possible to cover innings. Font acquired 184 innings over 28 begins in the KBO in 2022– approximately almost 6 2/3 innings per trip– so he’s greater than efficient in consuming innings in Triple- An as well as delving into a major league turning if he manages himself well in the minors. He might likewise damage camp in a lengthy alleviation duty if he reveals well in Spring Training, and also it deserves keeping in mind that the Padres made use of a six-man turning early in the 2022 period, which opens up that door if Font requires his method right into the formula.
Font will certainly sign up with lefties Adrian Morejon, Ryan Weathers and also Jay Groome, plus righties Pedro Avila, Reiss Knehr, Julio Teheran and also Aaron Brooks in consisting of a wide range of turning deepness forSan Diego Each of Morejon, Weathers, Groome, Avila and also Knehr is currently on the 40-man lineup, which might provide a boost over Font when it pertains to locating their method to the major leagues, yet Font’s 2021-22 run in the KBO was truly remarkable and also ought to place him for a major league check out some factor, as long as he has the ability to pitch fairly well very early in his Padres period.
