The San Diego Padres traded right-hander Joaquin Benoit to the Seattle Mariners Thursday for prospects, including 19-year-old right-hander Enyel De Los Santos.
In his first professional season in 2015, Santos struck 71 batters in 62 1/3 innings between the Arizona League and Class A short season in the Northwest League.
“Enyel has a big frame (6-foot-3) and a power arm and was one of the better guys in the Northwest League last season,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Thursday to Padres.com. “He has a chance to be a quality starter down the road.”
The Padres had recently extended the option on Benoit’s contract for $7.5 million. Preller will now look to incumbents like Kevin Quackenbush, Nick Vincent, Jon Edwards and Brandon Maurer to pitch in the late innings, while the possibility of an outside candidate is still possible.
There’s also a chance the team moves Maurer to the starting rotation, something he did with the Mariners before being traded to the Padres last offseason.
The other prospect in the trade, 23-year-old middle infielder Nelson Ward, has batted .270 with a .356 on-base percentage since being picked by Mariners in the 12th round of the 2014 Draft.
“He’s a middle infielder who has put up some numbers and gets on base,” Preller said to Padres.com.
