After qualifying for the playoffs in three of the past four seasons and posting back-to-back 90-win campaigns for the first time since 2010, the San Diego Padres still find themselves at a turning point. Despite that regular-season success, they have not advanced to what would be just the third World Series appearance in franchise history since joining Major League Baseball as an expansion team in 1969.
Their roster questions have been magnified by recent losses in the starting rotation. Dylan Cease departed in free agency to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays, while Yu Darvish is sidelined by an elbow injury that is expected to keep him out until 2027. As a result, pitching has become San Diego’s most pressing need. That doesn’t necessarily require adding a top-of-the-rotation arm; building organizational depth can be equally vital.
The Padres addressed that need this week with a depth move, signing 25-year-old right-hander Evan Fitterer. The acquisition was revealed Monday on Minor League Baseball’s official transactions page. Fitterer, a free-agent starter, has long been viewed as an intriguing arm. When the Miami Marlins selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, SB Nation Marlins writer Spencer Morris labeled him “one of the more exciting names to follow” from that draft class.
Miami clearly shared that enthusiasm. Although the Marlins waited until the 141st overall pick to draft the then-19-year-old out of Aliso Niguel High School in California, they made an aggressive financial commitment. Fitterer, who became the highest-drafted player ever from that small public high school, received a $1.5 million signing bonus. The slot value for that pick was just $390,000, meaning Miami nearly quadrupled the recommended amount.
That sizeable bonus convinced Fitterer to forgo his commitment to UCLA and begin his professional career instead. He joined the Gulf Coast League Marlins, Miami’s rookie-level affiliate, marking the first step in what the Padres now hope will develop into valuable pitching depth within their organization.