The San Diego Padres have recently signed right-handed pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league deal, as indicated by the team’s transaction log. This marks a new chapter in his career, as he most recently played in Major League Baseball with the Washington Nationals in 2023, where he had a 3.69 ERA in 32 appearances spanning 31.2 innings.
Originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 48th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, Edwards was later traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2013. He made his debut with the Cubs in 2015 and was a part of their 2016 World Series championship team. Edwards was with the Cubs until midway through the 2019 season when he was traded to the Padres at the deadline.
However, Edwards struggled during his time with the Padres, giving up six earned runs in just 1.2 innings, resulting in a high 32.40 ERA. He later signed with the Seattle Mariners and went on to play for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, and Nationals before signing a minor league deal with the Cubs in the offseason.
During his time in the minor leagues with the Cubs, Edwards performed well, posting a solid 1.85 ERA across 20 appearances. With a career 3.54 ERA in 295 relief appearances, he will now be looking to make an impact on a Padres’ bullpen that currently ranks 15th in Major League Baseball with a combined ERA of 3.83