San Diego Padres three must-have offseason acquisitions
The San Diego Padres had another disappointing season and lineup changes are expected. We have three must-have acquisitions for the Friars this offseason.
It’s that time of the year for Major League Baseball teams like the San Diego Padres who aren’t competing for a World Series title. Their front office personnel staff gathers to meet and evaluate the current state of the franchise.
For the Padres, there were some exciting times in the regular season, but the end results were quite disappointing once again. The Padres finished last in the National League West standings for the third time in the last four seasons. So, expect changes to the roster in order to reverse their fortunes in the win-loss column.
This offseason requires Padres general manager A.J. Preller to be active on both the free agent and trade market, especially after Executive Chairman Ron Fowler’s edict for the Friars to field a more competitive team next season. Suddenly, 2020 has become a win-now scenario or heads will roll. Thus, Preller must seek out acquisitions that provide a clear path to contention.
If you’re wondering what those acquisitions might be, we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list for you.
Top-Flight Starting Pitcher
One of the glaring weaknesses for the San Diego Padres was a lack of a top-flight starting pitcher atop of their rotation last season. Unfortunately, this request isn’t easy to fulfill as the best option for the Padres to acquire an ace is through the free-agent market. However, it won’t be an easy task as a number of teams will be seeking the same need. The Friars may have one advantage over the competition as they can add salary to their payroll without going over-budget.
Pitchers on of their wish list will include Gerrit Cole, Madison Bumgarner, and Zack Wheeler could be another option if the price tag for the other two becomes too expensive. The hope for this acquisition is it takes some pressure off Chris Paddack to become an immediate No. 1 starter and allows him to grow into the role at his own pace.
Spring training is where this free-agent signing will pay off as a relationship will develop among the starting staff. The younger pitchers will gain a sounding board to vent their frustrations as the stature of a pitcher like Cole can reassure them that their struggles aren’t the end of the world. In fact, the best pitchers in the game were in their shoes at some point in their own careers. It’s all about just trusting your pitches and consistently getting outs.
Signing a top-flight starting pitcher is going to be a tricky proposition as a bidding war is expected to break out for the above targets this offseason.
Left-hand Hitting Outfielder
The San Diego Padres outfield mix is a mess as Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfro still haven’t convinced anyone that they’re everyday players. Both struggled mightily to hit right-handed pitching (Margot .200 and Renfro .208), but each could draw interest on the trade market despite their disappointing production. Unfortunately, the sand in the hourglass is running thin for their potential to be fulfilled as the Padres must resist the temptation of keeping them for another season. Choose one and deal the other in a package to acquire a proven left-hand hitting outfielder.
This type of acquisition may come down to targeting the right player who can come to San Diego and make the Padres lineup more complete from top-to-bottom. An intriguing option could be Colorado Rockies OF Charlie Blackmon, who would be the perfect addition between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the batting order.
However, the one stumbling block for acquiring Blackmon could be he’s owed $43 million over the next two seasons, but he’s the type of contact hitter (lifetime .304 batting average) the Padres lineup has lacked since Tony Gwynn. Plus, Blackmon is versatile enough to play all three outfield positions.
The reality is players of Blackmon’s ability are rarely made available on the trade market, but the Rockies’ recent lack of success might force them to make a deal of this nature. Their farm system hasn’t been producing quality prospects of late, so the next logical step is trading a quality piece of the major league roster. The Padres might be able to pry Blackmon loose with the right mix of prospects and major league talent offered in a trade proposal.
Second Baseman
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Fielding a second baseman has been a sore spot for the San Diego Padres far too long. Preller may need to find a team that matches the Padres needs and the perfect trade partner could be the Seattle Mariners. They have an excess of middle infielders and Dee Gordon is the logical trade candidate because he’s owed $13.5 million for next season with a $1 million buyout for 2021. The Padres want to move Wil Myers (3yrs/$68.5 million) and he becomes an ideal short-term solution for the Mariners’ lack of production from the middle of their order.
The Padres may need to add more financial incentives to the deal by taking on the contract ($33 million owed) of struggling starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. It would leave the Mariners with only one other player (Kyle Seager) on a guaranteed contract for next season. Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has previously stated that Kikuchi is a key piece to his rebuilding effort, but this trade gives him the type of contract flexibility to make other necessary moves that improve the roster. Plus, Gordon’s departure opens the second base position for Shed Long, who impressed many with his September play.
Gordon is a perfect addition to the top of the San Diego Padres batting order as his speed is a tremendous asset. Gordon’s main job is to get on base, then into scoring position by either stealing second or taking the extra base on a hit. It’s all about putting pressure on the defense in trying to contain him, which could result in unforced errors and puts a run on the scoreboard for the Padres.
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A deal of this nature may involve more moving parts, but the framework is this there for both sides to consummate a deal.