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San Diego Padres Select Baltimore Orioles’ Top Prospect Juan Nuñez in Rule 5 Draft

The Baltimore Orioles failed to protect their No. 8 prospect from the Rule 5 Draft, allowing the San Diego Padres to add right-handed pitcher Juan Nuñez to their own farm system.

Sam Connon

Jun 1, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A Baltimore Orioles hat and glove are seen in the dugout during the fourth inning of the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Jun 1, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A Baltimore Orioles hat and glove are seen in the dugout during the fourth inning of the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Minnesota Twins at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images
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The San Diego Padres selected right-handed pitcher Juan Nuñez from the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, the team has announced.

Nuñez was ranked as the No. 8 prospect and No. 2 pitcher in the Orioles’ farm system. He is now ranked as the Padres’ No. 11 prospect and No. 7 pitcher.

The righty, who turned 24 years old last week, spent the entire 2024 season in High-A. He went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.091 WHIP and 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings across four starts and three relief appearances, battling a shoulder injury along the way.

For his minor league career, Nuñez is 4-13 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.249 WHIP and 288 strikeouts in 230.2 innings of work.

The top half of the Padres' rotation is made up of Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Michael King. But with Joe Musgrove out for the 2025 season, Randy Vásquez and Matt Waldron are currently in line to be San Diego's fourth and fifth starters.

Nuñez could be in the running to poach one of those spots, considering he has served as a starter in 45 of his 58 career minor league appearances. As is required for Rule 5 Draft picks, Nuñez will have to be on the Padres' major league roster in 2025, so the leap from High-A swingman to big league starting pitcher is not out of the question.

Ironically, reports surfaced Wednesday that the Orioles were interested in trading for Cease. It seemed like a logical fit, since San Diego was looking to stockpile prospects for a potential Garrett Crochet trade, but the Chicago White Sox dealt Crochet to the Boston Red Sox instead.

Even with Crochet off the board, the Padres went out and added a talented young arm – courtesy of the Orioles – without having to part ways with Cease. If a Cease trade is still on the table, perhaps San Diego can add some more top 10 prospects out of Baltimore’s organization.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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