Padres acquire five players in trade with New York Yankees
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres have acquired right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka from the New York Yankees for outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, President of Baseball Operations & General Manager A.J. Preller announced today.
King, 28, posted a 4-8 record with six saves and a 2.75 ERA (32 ER, 104.2 IP) in 49 games for the Yankees in 2023. He was the only pitcher in MLB last season and just the second pitcher in Yankees franchise history to record at least five saves and make at least five starts in a single season (other: Dick Tidrow, 1977). As a reliever, he posted a 3.08 ERA (22 ER, 64.1 IP) in 40 appearances, and as a starter, he recorded a 2.23 ERA in 40.1 IP (10 ER). King held left-handed hitters to a .179 average (29-for-162) while righties hit .259 (59-for-228) against him. Over 115 career games (19 starts), the 6-foot-3, 210-pound righty has a 3.38 ERA (93 ER, 247.2 IP), 1.19 WHIP, .228 average against, and 282 strikeouts to just 83 walks (10.25 SO/9.0 IP, 2.75 BB/9.0 IP). He was originally selected by the Miami Marlins in the 12th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft before being traded to New York in 2017.
Brito made his Major League debut in 2023 and went 9-7 with one save and a 4.28 ERA (43 ER, 90.1 IP) in 25 appearances (13 starts) over five separate stints with the Yankees. His nine wins on the season were sixth-most among MLB rookies. The 25-year-old went 6-1 with one save and a 1.43 ERA (6 ER, 37.2 IP) in 12 relief appearances as opposed to a 3-6 record with a 6.32 ERA (37 ER, 52.2 IP) in 13 starts. Brito was originally signed by the Yankees as an international free agent in 2015.
Vásquez, 25, made his Major League debut against the Padres on May 26, 2023 at Yankee Stadium and posted a 2-2 record with a 2.87 ERA (12 ER, 37.2 IP) and 33 strikeouts in 11 games (5 starts) last season. As a starter, he went 1-2 with a 2.42 ERA (6 ER, 22.1 IP), allowing two or fewer runs in each of his five starts. In six relief appearances, he went 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA (6 ER, 15.1 IP). In 85 career minor league games (81 starts), Vásquez collected an 18-21 record with a 3.41 ERA (147 ER, 388.0 IP) and 427 strikeouts.
Thorpe made his pro debut in 2023 and was named the Yankees Minor League Pitching Prospect of the Year after going 14-2 with a 2.52 ERA (39 ER, 139.1 IP) in 23 combined starts between Single-A Hudson Valley (18 GS) and Double-A Somerset (5 GS). He led all Yankees minor league pitchers wins, ERA and strikeouts and posted a 0.98 WHIP (38 BB), .200 opponents average (99 H) and 11.76 SO/9.0 IP. The 23-year-old was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, and following a promotion to Double-A on August 8, he was named the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Month for August. Thorpe was originally selected by the Yankees in the 2nd round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Calif.).
Higashioka, 33, batted .236 (57-for-242) with 13 doubles, 10 HR, 34 RBI and 14 walks in 92 games with the Yankees last season. He set career highs in games played, hits, doubles and RBI, and tied his career high in home runs. Higashioka was also the catcher for Domingo Germán’s perfect game on June 28, 2023 at Oakland, marking the second time he has caught a no-hitter in MLB (also: Corey Kluber, 5/19/21 at TEX). He is a career .210 (180-for-858) hitter with 40 HR and 121 RBI in 314 games. Higashioka, who was the longest tenured player in the Yankees organization, was a 7th round selection by New York in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif.