SAN DIEGO _ Tuesday's All-Star Game, it turns out, was Brad Hand's last game in a Padres uniform.
The Padres shipped both Hand and right-hander Adam Cimber to the Cleveland Indians in return for catcher Francisco Mejia, ESPN's fifth-ranked prospect in the game and precisely the sort of haul that general manager A.J. Preller was hoping for when he held onto Hand at last year's non-waiver trading deadline.
"Comparable to what was there last year," Preller said Thursday, "you had a team in Cleveland (that) obviously valued the two relievers. They valued Brad a ton. They valued Cimber. They asked about him throughout the course of the spring _ both players.
"Over the course of the last 10 days or so when we started talking more serious with Cleveland, we were consistent that the guy who made the most sense for us was Mejia."
Given Hand's rise to excellence in San Diego _ from waiver claim to two-time All-Star _ the Padres believed they were justified in holding out for the top prospect in the Indians' organization.
Signed to a three-year, $19.75 million extension in January, Hand is tied for third in the NL with 24 saves and is striking out batters at a career-best 13.2 per nine innings while fashioning a 3.05 ERA, up slightly from last year's 2.16 mark.
Since joining the Padres in April 2016, Hand has thrown more innings (213) than any other reliever and has more strikeouts (280) than everyone but the Yankees' Dellin Betances (298).
"From a credibility standpoint, from a belief in the industry standpoint, you're always a little skeptical of maybe a one-hit wonder," Preller said. "Somebody that does it for one season _ can they repeat? He's obviously shown he's one of the better relievers in the game. Cleveland believes that and they acquired one of the best relievers in the game."
Cleveland also received the 27-year-old Cimber, a 2013 ninth-rounder who has posted a 3.17 ERA, 51 strikeouts and a 1.08 WHIP in 481/3 innings in his first season in a big league bullpen.
The price for the two Padres relievers appears to be hefty for the AL Central-leading Indians, who have a 7{-game lead in the division and are pursuing their first World Series title since 1948.
The switch-hitting Mejia is only 22 years old and hitting .279/.328/.426 with seven homers and 45 runs in the Triple-A International League. Last year, Mejia had 14 homers and 52 RBIs to go with a .297/.346/.490 batting line in 92 games in the Double-A Eastern League and he penned a 50-game hitting streak the previous season in A-ball.
Mejia has also played 28 games in the outfield this year at Triple-A Columbus, adding a measure of versatility as the Dominican looks to force his way onto San Diego's 25-man roster, perhaps before season's end.
For now, Mejia _ who was invited but did not play in a third straight All-Star Futures Game _ will report to Triple-A El Paso as a catcher.
"We like the bat and we like his potential and ability behind the plate," Preller said. "Again, in today's baseball, it's always nice having guys who give you options. He's been able to move out from behind the plate and play some third base and play some outfield. Our scouting group that has gone out and seen him, we've seen him a lot over the last few years, both in the Indians system and the Arizona Fall League. We think he can catch."
Which again adds more depth to a position that's been restocked since Austin Hedges became the big-league regular.
Double-A catcher Austin Allen leads the Padres' system with 18 homers, Luis Torrens is having a solid year in the California League after sticking last year as a Rule-5 pick and 2017 second-rounder Luis Campusano is holding his own as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League.
At the big-league level, Hedges _ a defensive whiz who has struggled mightily on offense _ is hitting .320/.370/.500 with two homers and seven RBIs in 15 games since returning from the DL.
Ranked the game's top catching prospect by MLB.com, Mejia, only adds to the Padres' newfound riches at the position.
"It's hard to find any premium-position young prospect that a team is willing to move," Preller said. "I think from our standpoint, having options at that spot and all the positions, that's the goal and that's the key."
Added Preller: "Hedgey, he brings a ton to the table ... (but) the 130- to 140-game guy, you don't see as much of that anymore. We've talked about what this means for us down the road. In the short-term, we have two of the top catching talents in the game in one organization."
Before Hand's departure, the Padres had two of the best relievers in the game in one bullpen.
His departure likely leaves right-hander Kirby Yates as the Padres' closer, although Yates, too, has emerged as a trade target in his second year in San Diego. The 31-year-old reliever is 3-0 with a 1.43 ERA, 48 strikeouts and an 0.88 WHIP in 372/3 innings. He has already converted two saves this year.
"I think Kirby was equally deserving to go to the All-Star Game," Preller said. "He's performed the last two years like arguably a top-10 reliever in the game."
