Sent to San Diego with Woody Williams in a December 1998 deal that brought Joey Hamilton to Toronto, the Dominican fastballer was repeatedly optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas for not heeding his club’s pleas to vary his pitches. “Right now, he’s not a pitcher, he’s a thrower,” Padres GM Kevin Towers told the San Diego Union-Tribune in August. “[But] he’s got exceptional stuff.” Almanzar spent more time in the Padres’ bullpen in 2000, posting a 4.39 ERA in 62 appearances.
