The Braves gave up on catching prospect Christian Bethancourt.
Maybe they should have tried him as a pitcher.
Bethancourt, traded by the Braves to the Padres in December of 2015, has made San Diego’s roster and he will be used as both a pitcher and a backup position player.
Padres manager Andy Green confirmed Bethancourt will start as a relief pitcher but could be used at other positions too.
"That's the way we're looking at him primarily right now," Green said, according to MLB.com. "The eighth bullpen arm, which, when you look at our schedule, is incredibly necessary. He gives us a flexibility that no other bullpen arm can do, which is pinch-hit capabilities and cover the field capability."
Bethancourt, who has played eight major league seasons as a catcher, made two pitching appearances for the Padres in 2016.
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