The San Diego Padres, currently on the outside of the postseason picture, bolstered their roster for a playoff run, acquiring first baseman Ji Man Choi and veteran left-hander Rich Hill from the Pittsburgh Pirates, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
Heading to Pittsburgh are first baseman Alfonso Rivas, and a pair of minor leaguers — left-hander Jackson Wolf and outfielder Estuar Suero, per ESPN.
Despite their big-budget payroll, the Padres have failed to follow their 2022 run, when they advanced to the National League Championship Series. They enter play against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday at 52-55, good for fourth place in the NL West and 8 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They are five games out of the final wild-card berth in the NL.
San Diego was rumored to be a trade deadline seller, but after a sweep of the American League West-leading Texas Rangers over the weekend, the Padres apparently shifted gears.
The Padres will be the 13th team for the 43-year-old Hill. He was 7-10 in 22 starts for the Pirates this season, posting a 4.76 ERA in 119 innings.
In 372 career games (243 starts) since 2005, Hill is 89-69 with a 3.93 ERA over 1,378 innings.
Choi, 32, has been limited to 23 games because of an Achilles injury and is batting .205 with six home runs and 11 RBIs. Since entering the majors in 2016 with the Los Angeles Angels, Choi also has played for the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.
He is a career .238 hitter with 92 doubles, 67 home runs and 236 RBIs in 509 games. In San Diego, he will provide a left-handed bat off the bench or at designated hitter, most likely.
Rivas, 26, appeared in eight games for San Diego and hit .200 (3-for-15) with one RBI this season.
Wolf, 24, is 8-9 with a 4.08 ERA this season for Double-A San Antonio. He struck out 105 batters in 88 1/3 innings. He was San Diego’s fourth-round draft pick in 2021.
Suero, who turns 18 later this month, is batting .216 with four home runs and 23 RBIs in rookie ball.
–Field Level Media