Padres Acquire Veteran Reliever From Rays to Bolster Bullpen

Ricardo Sandoval | Jul 28, 2024

Jul 12, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jason Adam (47) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

To no one's surprise, the San Diego Padres made a trade before Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline. The Padres acquired right-handed reliever Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Padres sent out multiple prospects to the Rays in return.

Robert Murray of FanSided was among the first to report the trade via Twitter/X.

Trade: The San Diego Padres are acquiring reliever Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays, pending medical review, according to sources familiar with the deal.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 28, 2024

Big return, per Joel. Lesko was Padres’ No. 3 prospect, per @MLBPipeline, Bush No. 8, Gonzalez No. 12. @KileyMcd @JeffPassan also on this. https://t.co/rj0sVpQbqD

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2024

This trade for San Diego will likely be the first of a couple in store for the Friars.

The 33-year-old reliever will be under team control through the end of the 2026 season. The veteran reliever's cost was quite hefty, but the Padres needed to add some reinforcements to their bullpen.

The Nebraska native has been great for the Rays this season. In 47 appearances, he recorded a 4-2 record with a 2.49 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and a 0.89 WHIP.

The Padres will be Adam's fifth team of his career. He started his career with the Kansa City Royals in 2018. Since then, he's bounced around from the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, and now the Padres.

The Padres sit in a great position as we approach the deadline. They are only 5.5 games behind the Dodgers in the lead for the National League West and have won seven games in a row coming into Sunday.