Orioles acquire Despaigne from Padres
The Baltimore Orioles found that elusive rotation piece Thursday, acquiring right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor-league right-hander Jean Cosme.
Despaigne, a Cuban defector who signed with the Padres ahead of the 2014 campaign, crafted a 4.74 ERA (75 ERA+) with a 1.31 WHIP in two years with San Diego, struggling this past summer to replicate the success he enjoyed as a rookie. Bouncing between the rotation and bullpen, the 28-year-old stumbled to a 5.80 ERA (63 ERA+) over 18 starts and 16 relief outings in 2015, posting just a 12.6 percent strikeout rate while allowing 17 homers in 125 2/3 innings (1.22 per nine).
Still, despite his struggles last season, Despaigne could contend with newcomer Vance Worley for the final spot in Baltimore's rotation this spring following the departure of left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.
The Padres, meanwhile, will add another new face to a farm system vastly improved in recent months through a series of trades that unloaded much of the club's veteran talent, including Craig Kimbrel, Joaquin Benoit, Yonder Alonso, and Jedd Gyorko.
Cosme, a 17th-round pick in the 2014 draft, spent last summer with Low-A Aberdeen of the New York-Penn League, posting a 4.74 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP in 12 starts while notching 53 strikeouts and allowing just two homers in 57 innings.