Right handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada, 26, was claimed off waivers by Padres general manager AJ Preller on November 6, 2023 after being released by the Chicago Cubs. Estrada had struggled in the Cubs organization, throwing only a fastball and splitter after the organization told him to sideline his changeup.
In an April piece in The Athletic, Dennis Lin chronicled the pitchers struggles with his pitches and the organization: The Cubs had Estrada lean on his fastball and throw significantly more sliders than changeups. Then, in 2023, they tried to teach him a splitter, with the ball wedged between his index and middle fingers.