Padres trade Barlow to Guardians for De Los Santos

The Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres swapped relievers Friday.

Cleveland acquired right-hander Scott Barlow from San Diego in exchange for righty Enyel De Los Santos, the teams announced.

Barlow, 30, split his 2023 between the Padres and Kansas City Royals. He posted a 4.37 ERA, 3.42 FIP, and 1.40 WHIP with 79 strikeouts, 34 walks, and 13 saves in 63 appearances.

He got off to a slow start but improved after joining the Padres, putting up a 3.07 ERA and 3.15 FIP over 29.1 innings wearing brown and gold. He was a key member of Kansas City's bullpen over the 2021 and '22 seasons, posting a cumulative 2.30 ERA and 1.10 WHIP along with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Connecticut native is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $7.1 million in arbitration this year.

De Los Santos, meanwhile, was a reliable member of Cleveland's relief corps over the past two years. He put up a 3.29 ERA and 1.14 WHIP along with a career-high 62 strikeouts in 70 games during the 2023 season.

The 27-year-old is a five-year major-league veteran who owns a career 4.20 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 184.1 innings with three teams. MLBTR projects him to earn $1.2 million in arbitration in 2024.

Cleveland also avoided arbitration with outfielder Ramón Laureano, signing the veteran to a one-year, $5.15-million contract, a source told Zack Meisel of The Athletic.