Padres re-acquire Jabari Blash

There was a bit of consternation a few days ago when the Padres designated OF Jabari Blash for assignment for what amounted to a 3rd catcher. On one hand, the Friars were battling the injury bug, needed some bodies on the major league roster and the inexperienced Blash wasn't being used much. On the other hand, Blash is a 26 year old power hitter with years of possible team control ahead of him if they could just stick with him (and maybe choose to play him more).

Today, the Padres worked out a deal for the former Rule 5 draft pick to return to the franchise and get a chance to develop down in AAA. Normally rule 5 picks are required to stay on the major league roster all season in order to stay with the club that drafted them, but the Padres found a different way to keep him. Once Blash was DFA and cleared waivers, the Padres were free to work out a deal with his original club to keep him. Today they completed such a deal and have acquired Virgin Islands-born slugger for a player-to-be-named-later or cash. The Friars then outrighted him to AAA El Pasp. I find the deal to be a bit humorous since the Padres and Mariners already had a similar such trade -- but in reverse -- where San Diego is owed a player-to-be-named-later or cash for Nick Vincent.

While perhaps not the best process (i.e. the DFA of a young promising hitter for a third catcher claimed on waivers), the results work out well both for the Padres and Blash. The Padres get to keep his rights and Blash gets to work on his game in AAA one more year. If the Padres had kept Blash on the major league roster all season, there was a good chance that they would want him to work on his game a bit more in AAA next year. For Blash, that would have been a bit of a waste of his age 26 season and being 27 in AAA is starting to look pretty old for a prospect. The best thing for him was to get at bats right away. Now, perhaps the major league time could have made time for him on a team going basically nowhere, but that's water under the bridge now. Or maybe a better expression would be homers over the wall. At least for the El Paso Chihuahuas.