MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins added another starting pitcher on the eve of the 2022 season, agreeing to a deal that will land them San Diego right-hander Chris Paddack.
To get Paddack, a 26-year-old who has been in the majors for three seasons, the Twins will part with All-Star reliever Taylor Rogers, who has been with the organization since he was drafted in 2012.
The Twins will also send outfielder Brent Rooker and cash considerations to the Padres, and will get right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan and a player to be named later.
Rogers, who will be a free agent after this season, settled for a $7.3 million, one-year deal before his arbitration hearing this spring. The Twins will pay the Padres $6.6 million toward his salary as part of the deal to keep the Padres under the luxury tax threshold.
In 319 games for the Twins over six seasons Rogers struck out 361 batters in 315 innings and had a 1.150 WHIP. The 31-year-old was an All-Star last season before his year was cut short because of a finger injury.
Paddack was 7-7 with a 5.07 ERA last season for the Padres, starting 23 games. He had a strong rookie season in 2019, going 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 141 innings. He is making $2.25 million this season and is under team control through 2024.
Drafted in the eighth round by Miami in 2015 out of Cedar Park (Texas) High School, the 6-5 Paddack was traded the next year to the Padres for reliever Fernando Rodney. He had Tommy John surgery that year and sat out the entire 2017 season before a great minor league performance in 2018 got him to the majors.
The 30-year-old Pagan has also pitched for Oakland, Seattle and Tampa Bay, where he was the Rays closer. In five big league seasons, and 244 games, he has a 3.73 ERA and 307 strikeouts in 268 innings.
His best season was 2019, when he had 20 saves and a 2.31 ERA in 66 games for the Rays. He was traded to San Diego that winter. The native of Simpsonville, S.C., played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. He pitched at Belmont Abbey before the Mariners drafted him in the 10th round in 2013.
Rooker, 27, was the 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Mississippi State. He made his big league debut in 2020, but suffered a broken arm when hit by a pitch.
He hit nine homers in 58 games last season with a .201 average for the Twins and had 20 homers in 62 games for Class AAA St. Paul.
The Twins sent pitcher Griffin Jax and outfielder Kyle Garlick to St. Paul and added outfielder Gilberto Celestino to get their roster to 28 players.
