The San Diego Padres just made a move for some bullpen depth, signing right-handed reliever Trevor Gott to a minor league deal. Remember Gott? Yeah, he actually threw for our Mariners back in 2023, along with the Mets. That season, he put up 30 strikeouts and a 4.34 ERA across 29 innings for those two clubs. Now, at 34 years old, he’s back in a big league organization.
Gott’s Track Record and What He Brings
This signing by the NL West club is clearly all about trying to add some organizational depth as they make their late-season push toward the postseason. Gott definitely brings a lot of experience, with eight years in MLB under his belt. But let’s be real, it’s been a little rocky for him lately. As Charlie Wright and Darragh McDonald from MLB Trade Rumors pointed out, “Once upon a time, Gott was a serviceable big league pitcher, posting a 4.65 ERA in 243 2/3 innings spread across eight seasons. But he had mostly been injured and/or ineffective for the better part of three years now.” That honestly lines up with what we saw and remember from his time, too. This year, he’s been pitching for Triple-A Rochester in the Nationals system, and he actually posted a respectable 3.55 ERA over 26 appearances. So, you can see why the Padres might be taking a flyer, looking for any arm that can eat some innings.
The Postseason Snag for San Diego
Gott is basically sliding right into one of the Triple-A spots that opened up after the Padres released right-handers J.P. France and Jose Leclerc on Monday. They’re bringing him in as “veteran non-roster depth,” which makes sense for a minor league deal this late in the regular season. But here’s the absolute kicker, and it’s a massive snag for San Diego’s postseason aspirations: Gott won’t even be eligible for the playoffs. That deal went down after September 1, so he’s totally out of luck for any deep playoff run.
So, while he might be able to help the Padres’ bullpen for the final few weeks of the regular season, that’s literally it. No October magic for Trevor Gott, even if he suddenly becomes unhittable for them. It’s a desperation grab for some extra arms, plain and simple, and it tells you everything you need to know about where San Diego is right now, scrambling for anything to bolster their bullpen for that postseason push, even if the guy they get can’t actually pitch in the games that truly matter.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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