San Diego Global Reach: Padres Sign Reliever Who Dominated International Competition

The San Diego Padres signed Jose Espada to a minor-league deal this week, which includes an invite to spring training, according to MiLB Central.

Espada played one game with the Padres in 2023 before joining the Tokyo Yakult Swallows for the 2024 season in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Despite finishing the NPB season 0-2, Espada posted a 2.69 earned run average over 60.1 innings. He also earned eight saves in nine opportunities.

Espada returns to the Padres after he reportedly declined an offer to remain with the Yakult Swallows for another season.

Espada has been part of professional baseball since 2015, despite only a brief appearance at the major league level. He previously played in the Red Sox and Blue Jays organizations before signing with the Padres out of independent ball in 2022.

That year, the Puerto Rico native delivered his best performance, posting a 2.81 ERA over 83.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A while working in a multi-inning role. He struck out an impressive 32.3 percent of batters faced but also recorded a 12.5 percent walk rate.

Espada made his big league debut in September 2022 against the Kansas City Royals. The Padres went on to win, 12-2, and Richie Palacios swung through a 2-2 slider for the first strikeout of Espada’s career.

Espada came a long way when he stepped on the big league mound that day. He had been pitching in an independent league when COVID-19 shut down Minor League Baseball and sent him scrambling to figure out a way to make a living while staying in shape for the big leagues.

“It’s part of the nerves I was feeling,” Espada said through interpreter Danny Sanchez. “It felt like I was a little quick to home plate with my delivery, but I was able to calm down and move past it.”

Espada ultimately pitched a scoreless ninth inning, recording two walks and two strikeouts. The ball from his first strikeout, which catcher Brett Sullivan tossed into the dugout, rested in his glove on the chair in front of his locker.

“I’m going to hold onto that for the rest of my life,” he said back then.

Returning to the Padres will give Espada a chance to join one of the National League’s best bullpens with arms like Robert Suarez, Adrian Morejon, Yuki Matsui, Bryan Hoeing and others.