Before the Padres plucked Stephen Kolek out of the Mariners’ farm system in the Rule 5 draft in December, he’d been flipped from the Dodgers to Seattle in a minor transaction in April 2021.
The way that trade had been presented to Kolek was as a courtesy move. The Dodgers were out of spots and the Mariners were willing to take him in, but the terms of the transaction were going to remain a mystery until Kolek forced his way into the majors.
That was the deal offered by former Mariners pitching coach Max Weiner, now the pitching coach at Kolek’s alma mater at Texas A&M, and that momentous occasion arrived last week in the Seoul Series.
Among the congratulatory texts was the answer Kolek had long wondered:
Kolek cost the Mariners … $1.
Consider it a footnote in an unlikely path to a contender’s bullpen as a Rule 5 pick.
“I’m extremely proud of that,” Kolek said. “It’s great to look around the locker room and see a lot of talent we have here, and to be a part of it is a special thing. I’m just grateful to be here and excited to get to work … and prove myself.”
It’s unlikely because contending teams usually aren’t in the market for minor leaguers who can’t force their way onto other teams’ 40-man rosters. Usually, Rule 5 picks are upside plays that rebuilding teams attempt to stash in the majors.
Luis Perdomo. Jabari Blash. Allen Cordoba. Luis Torrens. Miguel Diaz.
These were the players that Andy Green was handcuffed to as the Padres tore down A.J. Preller’s first attempt to build a winner.
The opportunity for Kolek is quite different. Mike Shildt’s Padres expect to contend, and with Steven Wilson traded away in the mid-March Dylan Cease deal there’s a giant hole in middle relief that’s up for grabs.
“Shildty, every time I’ve talked to him, it’s like the roles of the bullpen this year are a little more up for grabs,” Kolek said. “There are no dead-set roles as to who is going to go in when. Just be ready for any opportunity.”
Toward that end, Kolek forced his way into the Padres plans by striking out seven over 6⅔ shutout innings this spring after a crash-course introduction to the organization that saw him get married in January, participate in Joe Musgrove’ pitchers camp three days later and head to spring training not long after that.
At least the Seoul Series provided Kolek and new wife Jessica with a mini honeymoon (TBD on the real thing) amid a memorable MLB debut.
With the Padres using seven relievers in that first game in South Korea, Kolek was called into the eighth inning of a late-and-close game. He coughed up two runs in two-thirds of an inning, but still handed a lead to Robert Suarez, the only owner of a set role in the Padres’ bullpen thus far.
Kolek’s future in the organization is far from guaranteed, as he must remain on the Padres’ active roster or be offered back to the Mariners as Blash and so many others have been over the years as Rule 5 picks.
For now, Kolek is happy to be competing for his spot in the pecking order in the Padres’ new-look bullpen.
“There’s a lot you can get caught up in,” Kolek said. “I’m just trying to stick to the process of doing what I can to prepare every day and take it one day at a time. The rest of it will sort itself out.”
Triple-A El Paso sets roster
With the Triple-A season beginning Friday, the El Paso Chihuahuas announced their roster with an expected but noticeable absence: Woo-Suk Go.
While Go had been optioned to Triple-A El Paso during the Seoul Series, it remained unlikely that he would start his season in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League instead of a far safer landing spot at Double-A San Antonio. In fact, the only pitcher in MLB.com’s top-30 Padres prospects headed to El Paso is reliever Alek Jacob (19).
The full Chihuahuas roster follows:
Pitchers (18): RHP Lake Bachar, LHP Daniel Camarena, LHP Ryan Carpenter, LHP Austin Davis, RHP Jeremiah Estrada, RHP Matt Festa, LHP Paul Fry, RHP Logan Gillaspie, LHP Jay Groome, RHP Nick Hernandez, RHP Alek Jacob (19), RHP Kevin Kopps, LHP Adrián Morejón, RHP Gabe Mosser, RHP Sean Reynolds, RHP Randy Vasquez, RHP Nolan Watson.
Catchers (3): Kevin Plawecki, Chandler Seagle, Brett Sullivan.
Infielders (4): Matthew Batten, Clay Dungan, Mason McCoy, Nate Mondou.
Outfielders (5): Bryce Johnson, Tim Locastro, Oscar Mercado, Cal Mitchell, Tirso Ornelas (30).
First appeared on www.sandiegouniontribune.com