Salas Gets The Call

(This is the audio-only podcast version of Tuesday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode on YouTube, click here) The Padres have called up 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas, and the timing couldn’t be more interesting. Salas joins the Padres in Cincinnati as the club begins its stretch run, with the Pads battling on the daily for a playoff spot while managing fatigue and injuries. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com joins us from Cincinnati (or Kentucky) to analyze AJ Preller’s decision. Is this the right time to put a young catcher in the middle of a playoff race? What are the risks of exposing Salas to the big leagues now, and how does AJ expect him to be used? Salas gives the Padres another left-handed bat at a time when they don’t have Gavin Sheets and have lost Luis Rengifo for the season. Salas could be a potential pinch-hitting weapon and the positional flexibility allows Crain Stammen to use Campusano at DH. But what about the catching? Salas has played 24 games in AAA El Paso, with only 17 appearances behind the plate. Is he ready for the world of PitchCom and ABS (modern technology that isn’t used in Double A)? We are about to find out. Should we believe his numbers in the PCL or San Antonio? Marty was also generous enough to save :60 seconds for some thoughts on Luca Bombino's farewell video to the City of San Diego. Bombino’s transfer became official on Tuesday and he was already in the matchday squad for Stoke City. Fare thee well to a class act and good luck on the next chapter, Luca. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com