The San Diego Padres have brought on board relief pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr. with a minor league contract. Honeywell, who made quite an impression as a standout during the 2024 postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is looking to carve out a new path with the Padres.
His last appearance in Major League Baseball was during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series. In that game, he struggled a bit, allowing five runs in the eighth inning, which, well, kind of sealed the Dodgers’ fate for that match. But, in a way, he did play a unique role by saving the bullpen for Game 5, where the Dodgers eventually triumphed over the Yankees. Not your usual heroics, perhaps, but effective nonetheless.
Earlier in the postseason, in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, Honeywell had a similar contribution. He pitched a career-high 4.2 innings in Game 5, really pushing his limits to give the primary bullpen a needed break.
After the Dodgers’ defeat in that series, Honeywell famously remarked, “We’ve got to save the dogs,” referencing his teammates in the bullpen. Interestingly, that season saw the Dodgers’ bullpen dubbed the “Bullpen Dawgs,” a name coined by Alex Bashear who likened his crew to a pack of dogs.
Honeywell joined the Dodgers off waivers in July 2024 and went on to pitch 34.1 innings over 18 regular season games in Los Angeles, sporting a respectable 2.62 ERA.
Now, he’s embarking on a new journey with the Padres, who are one of the Dodgers’ chief rivals. Last year, Honeywell played in 36 games with San Diego, putting up a 4.05 ERA through 46.2 innings.
Although his major league appearances have dwindled since the World Series, his new minor league contract with the Padres might present a fresh opportunity. Last season, he remained unsigned but later joined the San Francisco Giants on a minor league deal, which didn’t last long as they released him before the season started.
Honeywell’s recent track record hasn’t exactly been stellar, so landing this deal with the Padres seems pretty significant. The team’s President of Baseball Operations, AJ Preller, is known for his knack for reviving players’ careers, so it will be interesting to see if Honeywell can emerge as a hidden gem in this organization.
