The wild offseason of former Braves pitcher Tyrell Jenkins continues.
The San Diego Padres made a waiver claim for Jenkins on Tuesday, marking the fourth franchise in the past month for the one-time touted Braves prospect.
On Dec. 8, the Braves traded Jenkins to the Texas Rangers with pitching prospect Brady Feigl for Luke Jackson, another touted prospect. Jackson was a first-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2010.
Apparently when the Rangers made the trade, Jenkins wasn’t the guy they really wanted, or they made an abrupt about-face. On Dec. 21, the Rangers designated Jenkins for assignment.
Two days later the Cincinnati Reds claimed Jenkins off waivers.
Sometime after that, Jenkins became available again to major league teams, and the Padres decided they wanted him.
The Braves acquired Jenkins from the Cardinals in October 2014 in the trade that sent Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden to St. Louis and also brought Shelby Miller to the Braves.
Jenkins’ ranking among Braves pitching prospects slipped over the past two years as the team continued to trade for and draft young pitchers who surpassed Jenkins on the potential meter. His movements since Dec. 8 would indicate that his potential still intrigues teams, but then it doesn’t so much.
Jenkins made his major league debut last season. He appeared in 14 games for the Braves, making eight starts. He finished the season with a 2-4 record and a 5.88 ERA. In 52 innings, he allowed 55 hits and walked 33. He struck out 26 and allowed 11 homers. He had a WHIP of 1.69 and opposing batters hit .279 against him.
A 6-foot-4, 210-pound right-hander, Jenkins was a major college football prospect as a quarterback, having signed with Baylor out of high school.
