Inside The Padres

Padres Option Randy Vasquez To Make Room For Trade Deadline Acquisition on Roster

Nelson Espinal|
Aug 2, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez (98) throws a pitch during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Aug 2, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez (98) throws a pitch during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

Starting pitcher Randy Vasquez's locker is cleared out at Petco Park as the San Diego Padres make a roster move.

The Padres are sending Vasquez down to the minor leagues to make room for the newly-acquired starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. The Friars landed Cortes in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Vasquez gave up five runs in four innings on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, getting charged with a loss for allowing eight total hits.

More news: Padres' AJ Preller Has Epic Quote to Wild Trade Deadline

This season, Vasquez has a 3.93 ERA, a solid number, but the advanced metics indicate luck played a part in his mark. His expected ERA is 5.94, a number much worse than the actual figure.

According to Baseball Savant, he sits at the 3rd percentile in expected ERA, 12th percentile in expected batting average, and at the bottom in terms of whiff percentage and strikeout percentage. His fastball sits at 93 mph.

More news: Padres Tried to Acquire Mackenzie Gore From Nationals in Potential Blockbuster Trade Deadline Deal

Cortes, on the other hand, has several seasons of good pitching. He manages to avoid walks and runs at an impressive level, even with mediocre stuff.

During his five-year stint with the New York Yankees, Cortes posted a 3.61 ERA in 85 starts with a 114 ERA+.

The Padres are banking on him delivering like he has in the past and not like he has this season. He made two starts for a total of eight innings, giving up eight runs, five of which were home runs.

If he returns to form in San Diego, the ball club will have a solid back of the line starter on their hands.

More news: Padres Make Massive Roster Move, Overhaul Squad Ahead of Friday’s Game

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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