San Diego Padres Aggressively Trying to Acquire Starting Pitching
The major-league trade deadline is July 31, and the San Diego Padres are aggressively trying to acquire starting pitching for the stretch run.
It’s all quiet on the trade front as the major league trade deadline is on July 31 at 4pm ET. This is the last day for teams to make a deal as the powers that be eliminated the waiver trade deadline, so playoff-contending clubs can no longer make that last-minute addition to their roster.
Still, without much movement from the buyers or sellers thus far, you can expect players to be changing uniforms before the Wednesday deadline. It seems like every ballclub in the playoff chase is looking to upgrade their starting rotation for the stretch run. However, no team has been willing to meet the high price tag that comes with acquiring such a pitcher.
One of the clubs in pursuit of starting pitching is the San Diego Padres. Make no mistake, the Padres general manager A.J. Preller is quite pleased with the development of his young staff but leaning on them to keep the team in the wild-card race is a lot to ask from an inexperienced group. The addition of a veteran starter wouldn’t be the worst move for the Friars at the deadline.
The jury is still out on how many starting pitchers will be moved by the deadline, but the Padres have the right mix of major/minor league talent to pry an ace away from a struggling team. Let’s take a look at some of the Friars’ desired targets:
Potential targets for the San Diego Padres
Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians
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At times, Trevor Bauer has been the lone bright spot on the mound for the Cleveland Indians this season. His has success has been due to a wide (fastball, splitter, curve, slider, and change-up) range of pitches that keeps batters off-balance and uncomfortable in the box. This type of repertoire comes in handy when you have to shut down opposing lineups come October.
If the San Diego Padres decide to pursue Bauer, they may not have put together a large package to pry him away from the Indians. Despite leading the American League wild-card race, the Indians has some tough fiscal decisions ahead of them. Now, they aren’t ready to clean house, but Bauer could garner $20 million in salary arbitration next offseason, which could hinder them from adding salary in other potential moves.
It might be smart for the Indians to peddle Bauer for a proven hitter that extends their lineup and increases the chances of them securing a playoff berth. However, their emergence in the chase to catch the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central title might be enough evidence for the front office to put off their decision on Bauer until the offseason.
Zack Wheeler, New York Mets
Wheeler’s trade value came into question when he found himself on the injured list with shoulder fatigue. Even though Wheeler’s MRI results showed no structural damage in the area, it was buyer beware until he could get on the hill and show his worth in an actual game.
For Wheeler’s sake, he was able to show his value to a contending team by throwing five 1/3 innings giving up six hits, three runs and striking out seven batters in his first start since July 7. His performance renews Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen’s commitment to moving the free-agent-to-be prior to the deadline. It will prevent Wheeler from accepting a qualifying offer that could exceed $19 million next offseason.
As the Mets continue their downward spiral into mediocracy, the Padres may have to ask themselves if their asking price is too high for a rental. The Mets may have tempered their expected return if they want to move Wheeler before the deadline.
Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets
No question that Syndergaard has long been coveted by Preller. He feels Thor has the makeup and pitching repertoire to become the ace of the Padres starting rotation. Why not, he’s a righthander that can consistently throw in the high 90s and strikeouts close to 10 batters-per-nine-innings. His slider can fall off the table with the best of them. Syndergaard’s career record of 44-27 with a 3.21 ERA is something a young staff can strive for in their own careers.
Despite all of the recent struggles for Syndergaard, he is a top pitcher and it would make sense for the Padres to acquire him. The Mets are expecting a king’s ransom in return, but the Friars have the assets to pry Thor out of Flushing. Swinging a trade of this nature pushes the San Diego Padres a notch ahead of the competition for a wild-card berth. Plus, Syndergaard stabilizes their starting rotation for years to come.
Next. Twins bolster bullpen by acquiring Sergio Romo. dark
We may not be able to predict where these pitchers will be playing after Wednesday, but you can expect a number of teams to pursue them prior to the deadline.