The San Diego Padres announced that they selected right-handed pitcher from the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.
Previously ranked as the No. 8 prospect and No. 2 pitcher in the Orioles’ farm system, Nuñez is now ranked as the Padres’ No. 11 prospect and No. 7 pitcher.
The 24-year-old spent the 2024 season at the High-A level, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.45 ERA, 1.091 WHIP, and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings over four starts and three relief appearances, despite dealing with a shoulder injury. Across his minor league career, he has a 4-13 record with a 3.32 ERA, 1.249 WHIP, and 288 strikeouts in 230.2 innings.
The Padres’ current rotation features Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish, and Michael King at the top. With Joe Musgrove out for the 2025 season, Randy Vásquez and Matt Waldron are projected to fill the fourth and fifth spots. However, Nuñez, who has started 45 of his 58 career minor league games, could be a contender for one of those roles. As a Rule 5 Draft pick, Nuñez must remain on the Padres’ major league roster in 2025, making the jump from High-A to the majors a possibility.
Interestingly, reports on Wednesday suggested the Orioles were exploring a trade for Cease. While the Padres were rumored to be stockpiling prospects for a potential Garrett Crochet trade, the White Sox ultimately sent Crochet to the Red Sox instead.
Despite missing out on Crochet, the Padres added a promising young pitcher from Baltimore without trading Cease. If a Cease trade is still in play, San Diego might use the opportunity to acquire additional top prospects from the Orioles’ farm system.
Leave a Reply