RON MARINACCIO

• Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
• Bats / Throws: Right / Right
• 2025 opening day age: 29
• Height / Weight: 6-foot-2 / 205 pounds
• How acquired: Via trade with Chicago White Sox in January 2025
• Contract status: Will not be arbitration-eligible until 2026
• fWAR in 2024: Minus-0.1
• Key 2024 stats: 1-0, 3.86 ERA, 0 saves, 1 hold, 25 strikeouts, 10 walks, 1.20 WHIP, .217 opponent average, 23⅓ innings (16 games)

 

STAT TO NOTE

• .952 — Right-handed opponents’ OPS against Marinaccio in the majors in 2024, up from .576 in 2022 and .731 in 2023. Marinaccio has remained effective against lefties during his three years in the majors (.479, .670, .553), so taking a step forward in his career could hinge on ironing out the drastic platoon split that occurred in 2024.

 

TRENDING

• Idle — Marinaccio lost his freshman year at the University of Delaware to an elbow reconstruction, moved from the rotation to the bullpen and was drafted in the 19th round in 2017. He worked exclusively in relief in the minors, amassing a 3.32 ERA, 27 saves and a strikeout rate of 12.3 per nine innings over parts of seven minor league seasons. He was added to the 40-man roster after the 2021 season, made the opening day roster the next season and taxied between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Yankees the last three years. Marinaccio appeared in 40 games in the majors in 2022 (2.05 ERA), 45 games in 2023 (3.99 ERA) and 16 games in 2024 (3.86 ERA), striking out 10.8 batters per nine innings over that time. While he has a history of missing bats in the minors and majors and a changeup that intrigues the Padres, he struggled mightily against righties in 2024 (see stat to note). The low-80s sweeper was an effective pitch against righties (.077 opponent average), but a mid-90s fastball (.429) and a low-80s changeup (.500) were hit hard. In contrast, Marinaccio didn’t allow a hit on any of the 112 four-seamers he threw to lefties. He allowed a .318 average off changeups to lefties, while he threw just seven sweepers to lefties. Marinaccio missed time in 2022 to shoulder inflammation and a stress reaction in his shin. He was designated for assignment in September, claimed by the White Sox and then DFA’d again last week after Chicago signed left-hander Martín Pérez, clearing the way for the Padres to acquire Marinaccio for cash considerations.

 

2025 OUTLOOK

• Marinaccio arrives as a depth option for the bullpen. He has one option left, so he’ll likely move between Triple-A El Paso and the majors throughout the year if he doesn’t make the opening day roster as a middle-relief arm capable of taking down more than two innings at a time if necessary.

 

Roster rankings

• 5. OF Jackson Merrill
• 6. RHP Yu Darvish
• 7. INF Luis Arraez
• 8. INF Xander Bogaerts
• 9. RHP Robert Suarez
• 10. INF Jake Cronenworth
• 11. RHP Jason Adam
• 12. RHP Joe Musgrove
• 13. Adrián Morejón
• 14. RHP Jeremiah Estrada
• 15. RHP Matt Waldron
• 16. INF Eguy Rosario
• 17. RHP Randy Vásquez
• 18. RHP Bryan Hoeing
• 19. LHP Yuki Matsui
• 20. RHP Sean Reynolds
• 21. C Luis Campusano
• 22. RHP Jhony Brito
• 23. RHP Alek Jacob
• 24. OF Tirso Ornelas
• 25. RHP Ryan Bergert
• 26. RHP Henry Baez
• 27. LHP Omar Cruz
• 28. OF Brandon Lockridge
• 29. LHP Tom Cosgrove
• 30. RHP Stephen Kolek
• 31. RHP Juan Nuñez
• 32. C Brett Sullivan
• 33. UT Tyler Wade
• 34. LHP Wandy Peralta