The San Diego Padres acquired right-handed reliever Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, fortifying their bullpen at the cost of their top pitching prospect and two other minor league players.
In exchange for Adam, a late-inning stalwart for the past three years, the Rays received right-hander Dylan Lesko, center fielder Homer Bush Jr. and catcher J.D. Gonzalez.
Adam, who turns 33 on Aug. 4, remains under club control through the end of the 2026 season. Still, the cost was heavy, reflecting a shift in the price for relief pitchers after the Philadelphia Phillies gave up right-hander George Klassen and left-hander Samuel Aldegheri to acquire closer Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels.
Tampa Bay signed Adam toward the end of spring training in 2022 after parts of four unremarkable seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. He blossomed in his first year with the Rays, posting a 1.56 ERA in 63⅓ innings, and has continued with sub-3.00 ERAs in each of the next two seasons.
In 47 innings this season, Adam has a 2.49 ERA and has struck out 50 while walking 16. All three of his pitches -- fastball, slider and changeup -- grade as above average, and he joins a Padres bullpen already replete with high-octane stuff, from closer Robert Suarez to setup men Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada.
The lack of teams looking to subtract at the deadline has compelled the Rays, whose 53-52 record is not far behind San Diego's 57-50, to nevertheless ship out Adam, outfielder Randy Arozarena (to the Seattle Mariners), starter Zach Eflin (to the Baltimore Orioles) and third baseman Issac Paredes (to the Chicago Cubs). Tampa Bay could still deal from a panoply of players -- closer Pete Fairbanks is among the best in play -- to augment what's arguably now the best farm system in baseball.
Particularly if Lesko can turn his raw talent into production. The 20-year-old went to San Diego with the 15th pick in the 2022 draft and came into the season ranked as the 88th-best prospect in baseball by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. With an elite changeup, he was expected to take a step forward this season but has struggled with a 6.46 ERA. While his 79 strikeouts in 69⅔ innings speak to the quality of his stuff, Lesko has walked 52 and allowed 11 home runs.
Bush, the son of former big leaguer Homer Bush, was a fourth-round pick out of Grand Canyon University last year and is hitting .272/.362/.347 with four home runs and 47 stolen bases at the High-A level.
Gonzalez, 18, was chosen a round before Bush and is best known for his strong arm behind the plate. At Low-A, he is batting .205/.322/.230 and has yet to hit a home run in 48 games, but his left-handed swing projects some power eventually.