Padres GM: Valverde 'has a good chance of making the team'

After being released by a pair of teams in consecutive years, right-handed reliever Jose Valverde appears to have found a home on the West Coast. 

Valverde agreed to a minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres in January and is pitching his way into a job this spring.

"He has a good chance of making the team," Padres general manager A.J. Preller told Barry Bloom of MLB.com. 

The soon-to-be 37-year-old has allowed three runs (two earned) in four innings, but has held opponents to a .188 average while managing three strikeouts. 

"I feel like I'm 21 because I'm throwing 98 (mph)," Valverde said. "I'm surprised because I haven't walked anybody yet. I'm throwing my fastball, my cutter for strikes. That's pretty good for spring training."

Valverde made 146 appearances over two seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 2011-12 and believes an abundance of stress on his arm resulted in the 5.63 ERA and 1.45 WHIP he posted in 40 innings over the last two seasons. 

"I pitched a lot, I pitched too much in Detroit, I think," Valverde said. "But that's what happens. When a team is winning, you have to pitch every day. The time off has been good for me. I swam a lot. I worked hard down in the Dominican Republic. Thank God, right now my arm is in good shape."