4 years agoThe San Diego Padres have agreed to a deal with free-agent reliever Mark Melancon. The deal with Melancon will become official once he's passed a physical. Melancon posted 11 saves in 13 attempts, a 2.78 ERA, and a 1.28 WHIP in 22 2/3 innings pitched for the Braves in 2020. While his strikeout rates declined, he remained effective. Melancon's negative overall launch angle allowed, a better than league average xBA, an overall barrel percentage of 4.2%, and an above-average spin rate on his curveball supported his 2020 performance. Melancon should be in the mix for saves with the Padres, though the Padres bullpen is very deep with closer options. Melancon will likely share closing duties with Drew Pomeranz, Emilio Pagan, and Keone Kela. Of course, if he comes out of the gate strong, there is the possibility he can pull away from the pack, just as he did in Atlanta in 2020. If Melancon, who will be 36-years old on Opening Day, can remain healthy, he has the opportunity to post a low number of double-digit saves for the Padres working in a committee, with the potential for more.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller
Source: Dennis Lin on Twitter