Padres sign recently released Astros pitcher to minor league contract

The San Diego Padres signed right-handed pitcher JP France to a minor league contract Sunday after his release from the Houston Astros organization. The 31-year-old will report to Triple-A El Paso after spending the previous three months with Triple-A Sugar Land following an outright assignment.

France appeared in only three major league games for the Astros this season before being designated for assignment. He allowed six earned runs across 6 2/3 innings while issuing five walks and recording four strikeouts. At Triple-A Sugar Land, he compiled a 3.72 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with a 23.1% strikeout rate, although he also walked 14.8% of opposing hitters. His 83.1% strand rate, along with a 6.90 expected ERA and 6.00 xFIP, suggested his run prevention outperformed the underlying metrics.

That versatility appears to be the main reason for San Diego’s interest. France has experience as a starter, reliever and bridge pitcher, giving the Padres another option to cover the middle innings. With Michael King and Walker Buehler serving as the team’s only traditional starters, San Diego has relied on multiple pitchers to complete games. The Padres entered August with a 4.68 rotation ERA, ranking ahead of only the Colorado Rockies among National League clubs.

France owns a 4.49 ERA across 172 1/3 career major league innings, with most of that workload coming during his 2023 rookie campaign. He went 11-6 with a 3.83 ERA over 136 1/3 innings that season, while his 13 quality starts led all American League rookies. Since the start of 2024, however, he has recorded a 7.00 ERA in 36 major league innings after injuries, including shoulder surgery, interrupted his progress.

For the time being, France is expected to provide organizational pitching depth at Triple-A while waiting for his next opportunity in the majors.

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