Torres headed to Padres in A's swap

The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is midnight Thursday, and such a cutoff usually leads to trades between clubs, like the one that went down Wednesday between the Padres and A's.

The Padres acquired A's No. 23 prospect/left-handed reliever Jose Torres in a deal that also sent left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz and a player to be named laters to San Diego and first baseman Yonder Alonso and left-hander Marc Rzepczynski to Oakland. ESPN's Keith Law was the first one to report the deal. 

Torres is coming off something of a breakout season in which he pitched at the full-season level for the first time in his five-year Minor League career. The 22-year-old southpaw moved exclusively to the bullpen and posted a 2.69 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 80 strikeouts and 23 walks in 73 2/3 innings at Class A Beloit. Somewhat surprisingly, he was tougher against right-handers (.191 batting average against) than his fellow left-handers (.259). He was nearly perfect in a three-game cameo with Class A Advanced Stockton in September, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless frames while fanning four and walking one.

Torres was added to the A's 40-man roster before this year's Rule 5 deadline in November.

The Venezuela native earned a 60 grade from MLB.com for a fastball that typically sits in the low-90's but can touch as high as 96. His slider is considered average, and he also possesses a lagging changeup. Torres' biggest improvements came in his control -- he posted a 2.8 BB/9, much better than his career average of 3.7. His 9.8 K/9 also represented a career high at any level.

Alonso and Rzepczynski were both considered to be non-tender candidates for the Padres before Tuesday's deal. Alonso hit .282/.361/.381 with five homers (his lowest total since 2011) and 31 RBIs in 103 games and is eligible for arbitration in each of the next two offseasons. Rzepczynski posted a 5.66 ERA in 35 innings with the Indians and Padres last season and will become a free agent next year, if he is tendered a contract before Wednesday's deadline.

Pomeranz, originally a first-round pick by the Indians in 2010, posted a 3.66 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 82 strikeouts and 31 walks in 86 innings, mostly as a reliever for the A's in 2015. He is arbitration-eligible for the first time this year.