San Diego, CA
Padres roster review: Tom Cosgrove
TOM COSGROVE
- Position(s): Left-handed pitcher
- Bats / Throws: Left / Left
- 2024 opening day age: 28
- Height / Weight: 6-foot-2 / 190 pounds
- How acquired: 12th round in 2017 (Manhattan College)
- Contract status: Earned $750,500 in 2024; will not be arbitration-eligible until 2027.
- fWAR in 2024: Minus-0.2
- Key 2024 stats: 0-1, 11.66 ERA, 0 saves, 2 holds, 15 strikeouts, 6 walks, 1.98 WHIP, .354 opponent average, 14⅔ innings (18 games)
STAT TO NOTE
- .458 — The batting average against Cosgrove’s sinker in 2024, more than double the batting average (.220) he allowed off the pitch while finishing in the top 1 percent in the majors in exit velocity (83.9 mph) as a rookie in 2023. One reason: His sinker lost a bit of its bite, as it sat 90 mph after averaging 91.0 a year earlier. His four-seamer was also down from 92.0 mph in 2023 (.175 opponent avg.) to 90.3 in 2024 (.412 opponent avg.)
TRENDING
- Down — The other minor league pitcher arrested in Jacob Nix’s mistaken house incident, Cosgrove was actually recovering from Tommy John surgery when he pulled Nix out of the doggy door upon realizing their mistake. Nix ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor trespassing but never pitched in the organization again. Cosgrove, on the other hand, was never charged and took a giant step in his development when pitching development director Rob Marcello suggested dropping his arm slot to three-quarters to ease the stress on his elbow. The change morphed a hammer curve into a sweeper and Cosgrove took off from there, forcing the Padres to protect him from the Rule 5 draft ahead of the 2023 season. The move paid off as Cosgrove proved to be one of the hardest pitchers to square up as a rookie, leading the majors with an average exit velocity of 83.9. The sophomore slump, however, was quite severe as Cosgrove allowed six runs in one-third of an inning in his fourth appearance of the season, had a 10.50 ERA when he was demoted to Triple-A El Paso at the end of April. Cosgrove struggled initially upon returning to the Pacific Coast League, allowing 14 earned runs in his first 5⅓ innings. He earned his first return trip to the majors by allowing one earned run over nine innings, but elbow inflammation sent him to the injured list after just three appearances. Cosgrove allowed just two runs and a .207 batting average over his final 15⅓ innings with El Paso (18 strikeouts), but he was not needed after the Padres restocked the bullpen at the trade deadline (he was recalled as bullpen depth during Martín Pérez’s paternity leave but not used).
2025 OUTLOOK
- With Tanner Scott departing as a free agent, the Padres will need their pre-arb relievers to step up if they’re going to remain competitive under current budget constraints. Before 2024, Cosgrove was viewed as an important piece in a contending bullpen, so the Padres will hope he can re-harness what made him so successful as a rookie.
Roster rankings
- 30. RHP Stephen Kolek
- 31. RHP Juan Nuñez
- 32. C Brett Sullivan
- 33. UT Tyler Wade
- 34. LHP Wandy Peralta
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