San Diego Padres
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If the Nationals take my advice and trade Stephen Strasburg, the San Diego Padres should absolutely be their first call. Not only do they have the prospects to get him, but they’re a team on the cusp of contention with an outside shot at making this year’s playoffs.
They also happen to have a good collection of young pitchers without a veteran ace to front them. Who better to mentor Chris Paddack through a season with an imposed innings limit than the man who made the mold?
Outside of Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, the Padres don’t have much in the way of future financial obligations, so they can add Strasburg’s yet-to-be-dispersed $100MM without any trouble.
But what the Padres have over every other team in baseball is a surefire pitch to convince Strasburg to stay. Remember, he has TWO opt-outs that could release him to free agency after 2019 or 2020, and any team moving significant prospect capital will want some security that he will stay long term.
For the Padres, this should be a lock. Not only would Strasburg be moving from a bandbox in Washington to the league’s most forgiving stadium in Petco Park, but he’s a hometown kid who played his college ball at San Diego State. He is beloved there. He loves to be beloved. It’s a perfect fit!
The Padres aren’t going to want to deal from their plethora of top prospects, but if there’s a guy to go all-in for, it’s Scherzer…er, I mean Strasburg. It’s Strasburg.