Padres All-Star Admits First Trade Was 'Super Jarring'

San Diego Padres All-Star relief pitcher Jason Adam reflected on the first time he was traded in the minor leagues and how shocked he was by the decision.

The Royals drafted Adam, a native of the greater Kansas City area, in the 2010 MLB draft. After promoting him to Triple-A, they dealt him to the Minnesota Twins for veteran Josh Willingham in the final year of his MLB career.

"Yeah, it was super jarring," said Adam. "So I had been a starter in my minor league career and then they moved me to the bullpen. They’re like, ‘Hey, we need a long guy in the big leagues,’ and I was bad as a starter, so they’re like, ‘We’ll try you out.’ I was doing all right out of the pen, got promoted to Triple-A, and I’m thinking, ‘I’m knocking on the door of the big leagues.’ So when I saw our manager talking on the phone and looking at me, I’m like, ‘Oh, maybe I’m getting called up.’ And he called me over and he was like, ‘Hey, you just got traded to the Twins.’"

Adam stayed with the Twins organization through 2016 after a number of surgeries before joining the Padres midway through the 2017 season. He stayed there for less than a month before they released him and he rejoined the Royals, for whom he would make his MLB debut.

The reliever found his way back to San Diego in the 2024 season, when the Rays sent him to the Padres for Dylan Lesko, Homer Bush Jr., and J.D. Gonzalez. Since joining the Padres, the 33-year-old has fantastic numbers, posting a 1.45 ERA through 74 appearances.

His 1.70 ERA in 2025 leads the Padres, and he made the All-Star team for the first time in his career this season.

The Padres hope Adam can continue to produce in their hunt for the playoffs, as they are breathing down the San Francisco Giants' neck in the Wild Card. They'll look to take the spot on Saturday, as they look to win a series against the Philadelphia Phillies after a win on Friday. First pitch is at 4:35 p.m. PT.

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