Aaron Poreda

AARON POREDA
LEFT HANDED PITCHER
Born: October 1, 1986
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 240
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Drafted: 1st Round, 25th Overall Pick, 2007 (White Sox)
How Acquired: Rule 5 Draft, Minor League Phase
College: University of San Francisco
Agent: Matt Sosnick

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

Poreda was primarily a football player in high school and wasn’t selected in the baseball draft, but he went in the first round out of college as the result of being a big LHP who threw hard.  His fastball sat in the low 90s but often reached the mid-90s, hitting as high as 100.  His slider needed work and he didn’t have much of a change.  He threw from a three-quarters angle.  Baseball America rated him the White Sox’ top prospect prior to 2008 and #2 prior to 2009.  He went to San Diego in the Jake Peavy trade at the 2009 deadline.  His stuff started declining after the trade, as his delivery “fell apart,” in BA’s words.  He ranked as the Padres’ #10 prospect going into 2010.  A year later he was struggling so badly with his control that the Padres removed him from their 40-man roster and he cleared waivers.  After the season they didn’t even put him on their AAA roster and the Pirates claimed him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.

2007
R+:  4-0-0, 1.17 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 46.1 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 9.3 K/9

Poreda dominated the advanced rookie Pioneer League, which probably wasn’t much of a challenge.

2008
A+:  5-5-0, 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 73.1 IP, 2.2 BB/9, 5.6 K/9
AA:  3-4-0, 2.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 87.2 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 7.4 K/9

Poreda put up very good numbers, except for a low K rate, in a season divided between high A and AA.

2009
AA (CWS): 5-4-0, 2.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 64.1 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 9.7 K/9
AAA (CWS):  0-0-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 8.3 K/9
AAA (SD):  0-3-0, 7.16 ERA, 1.99 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 10.2 BB/9, 8.3 K/9
MLB (CWS):  1-0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 6.5 BB/9, 9.8 K/9
MLB (SD):  0-0-0, 3.86 ERA, 2.57 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 19.3 BB/9, 0.0 K/9

While still with the White Sox, Poreda pitched very well, including a good K rate, although his control started to slip.  As soon as the trade occurred, though, the bottom fell out and he couldn’t throw strikes any more.  His stuff was still fine; his fastball averaged about 92-93 and reached 95 after the trade.

2010
AA:  0-1-0, 2.52 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 25.0 IP, 9.4 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AAA:  1-1-0, 4.97 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 29.0 IP, 11.8 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

The Padres moved Poreda to the bullpen and he split the season between AA and AAA.  He was hard to hit and kept the ball in the ballpark.  In fact, over his entire minor league career he’s allowed just 0.3 HRs per nine innings.  But he walked over a batter an inning, well over in AAA.

2011
AAA:  4-3-0, 5.43 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 69.2 IP, 8.1 BB/9, 10.2 K/9

Things continued in the same vein, although Poreda did manage a very high K rate and he got the walks down a little.

2012
AA:  2-0-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 16.0 IP, 6.2 BB/9, 6.2 K/9

Poreda appeared to be an interesting flier for the Pirates.  He still has the sort of stuff that could make him a very good reliever, if he can start getting his pitches over the plate.  He had reasonably good control with the White Sox, so it’s not inconceivable that he could at least get back to where he was.  The fact that the Padres didn’t even put him on their AAA roster, though, wasn’t a good sign, nor was the fact that he cleared waivers in June 2011.  Unfortunately, after he made three starts for Altoona at the beginning of the season, he went on the disabled list with a sore shoulder and did not return.

Poreda won’t be eligible for minor league free agency for another year, so he should be back with the Pirates.  If he’s healthy they’ll probably try him again at Altoona.

STATS
Baseball Reference–Majors
Baseball Reference–Minors
Fangraphs
MLB.com
MiLB.com
CONTRACT INFORMATION
2009: $400,000
2013: Minor league contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: $1,200,000
MiLB Debut: 2007
MLB Debut: 7/12/2009
MiLB FA Eligible: 2013
MLB FA Eligible: 2017
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Added to 40-Man: June 9, 2009
Options Remaining: 0 (USED: 2009, 2010, 2011)
MLB Service Time: 0.070
TRANSACTIONS
June 7, 2007: Drafted in the 1st round, 25th overall pick, by the Chicago White Sox; signed on June 15.
June 9, 2009: Contract purchased by the Chicago White Sox.
July 31, 2009: Traded by the Chicago White Sox with Dexter Carter, Clayton Richard and Adam Russell to the San Diego Padres for Jake Peavy.
June 13, 2011: Designated for assignment by the San Diego Padres; outrighted to AAA on June 16.
December 8, 2011: Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.