JP Sears is returning to the minor leagues after just one start during his time with the San Diego Padres.
After a rough debut against the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres announced on Tuesday that Sears has been optioned to Triple-A El Paso. The team will now use a nine-man bullpen and recalled reliever Sean Reynolds in a similar move.
This appears to be a reflexive move at first glance. In Monday’s defeat, Sears struck out four batters while giving up five runs on ten hits and a walk in five innings. He also didn’t demonstrate the kind of potential the Padres had hoped for when they acquired him from the Athletics around the trade deadline.
However, beneath it all, this relegation could indicate a more significant upheaval or a deliberate break in the rotation shuffle.
Padres option pickup deadline JP Sears made a spectacular move.
Sears hasn’t been demoted since the 2022 season. He has a 5.12 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 116 innings this season between Oakland and San Diego. He appeared to be a traditional “change-of-scenery” candidate and had been a reliable, if unimpressive, member of the A’s rotation. His status has rapidly altered along with the scenery.
Over the weekend, Randy Vásquez was already optioned by the Padres. The rotation has been temporarily reduced to four arms due to Sears’ option: Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease, and Nestor Cortes, another deadline addition.
This abrupt change creates two fascinating opportunities. The first is a swift recall for Vásquez, who may be holding out for a better matchup after displaying glimpses of back-end rotation ability earlier this season. The second situation, which is possibly more intriguing? Michael King’s comeback.
King had been recovering from a lengthy spell in Illinois. He may be getting close to making a comeback after starting a rehab assignment recently. The short-term shift to a bullpen-heavy strategy would make sense if San Diego intends to add him back into the mix.
In any case, it is startling that Sears was demoted so soon. A trade deadline acquisition is rarely discarded so quickly. It highlights how narrow the margins are in their pursuit of October, even though the Padres may see it as a temporary reset. There is no time to wait for recoveries in San Diego.
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