Trending: Padres, pitching coach Ruben Niebla agree to new multi-year contract, amid controversial claims, as Padres confirmed to land Yankees slugger…See Details
The Padres and pitching coach Ruben Niebla agreed on a new contract Friday.
Terms of the multi-year deal were not immediately known. The contract had been expected to be completed for some time, and Niebla took part in organizational meetings that began Wednesday.
Niebla, a 52-year-old Calexico native, took over as Padres pitching coach in 2022 and has overseen the modernization of the team’s pitching program. In his tenure, the Padres have enhanced their use of certain technologies, including biometric analysis of pitchers’ deliveries.
On the field, the Padres have excelled while frequently turning over their pitching staff.
They are the only MLB team to have a different pitcher save at least 28 games in each of the past three seasons. The Padres got 930⅓ innings from pitchers with an ERA under 4.00 in 2023, but 728⅓ of those innings were gone by the start of ’24. The Padres still finished with a 3.86 ERA, just 0.13 points off the previous year.
The Padres are one of two MLB teams to have had 11 different pitchers make at least 20 starts in at least one of the past three seasons. And where Padres starters had a 3.80 ERA, the other team (the Royals) ranked 22nd with a 4.43 ERA.
The team has not announced Niebla’s contract, but they are expected to do so once they finalize deals with the rest of the staff. His deal comes the same week as the Padres and manager Mike Shildt agreed to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 season. Shildt, who was originally under contract through the 2025 season, also receives a significant raise.
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Padres listed among top potential landing spots for Yankees slugger
Will the San Diego Padres spend some money this offseason after operating on a much smaller payroll in 2024?
Their decision to do so didn’t hurt them at all this past season. In fact, they improved from 82 to 93 wins after losing some significant pieces from their 2023 roster, even trading Juan Soto to the New York Yankees.
Soto is now a free agent, however. Newsweek lists the Padres as a potential landing spot for the young slugger. It’s always possible that the Padres could try to reunite with the 26-year-old outfielder, which would strengthen a lineup that already has Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth.
“The Padres could be the ideal spot for Soto to land, but it would have to include some deferred money, much like the Ohtani contract.
San Diego offered Soto a contract extension north of $400 million while he was with the Padres. Ultimately, nothing ever came of it.
Now that Soto’s a free agent, the Padres could offer him a huge $600 million contract that includes some deferred money to sway him back to San Diego.”
Soto had a very impressive season with the Bronx Bombers. The 26-year-old superstar hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .989 OPS. He also had a 178 OPS+ and posted a 7.9 Wins Above Replacement.
He’ll be expensive, which might work against the Padres, who were fiscally conservative this season. But having him back would give them a good chance to fight for a National League West title and challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for a change.
We’ll see where he lands this winter.
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