The Padres recently brought back right-hander on a minor league deal, according to his MLB.com profile. This marks Gillaspie’s second stint with the organization after being non-tendered in November to clear space on the 40-man roster.
Gillaspie, 27, pitched to a 4.10 ERA over 26 1/3 innings across 28 appearances with the Orioles from 2022 to 2023. The Red Sox claimed him off waivers in September 2023, but he didn’t see any big-league action during his brief time in Boston.
Two months later, the Padres reclaimed him on waivers, shuffling him between Triple-A and the majors the maximum five times. This frequent movement may have impacted his performance, as he posted a 7.15 ERA over 11 1/3 innings in nine appearances for San Diego.
On the positive side, Gillaspie recorded a 3.77 ERA with a 21.5% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate in 45 1/3 innings at Triple-A El Paso. These numbers are solid, especially given the Pacific Coast League’s hitter-friendly environment, and represent an improvement over his prior Triple-A seasons. However, his strikeout rate has declined slightly over the past two years, accompanied by a slight uptick in walks.
Since Gillaspie is out of minor league options, the Padres will face a tough decision if they add him to the active roster in 2025. To send him back to Triple-A, they would need to expose him to waivers, potentially leaving him in a cycle of DFA assignments and outright moves. For now, though, Gillaspie provides bullpen depth for the Padres at the minor league level.
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