Padres News: Friars Round Out Rotation, Sign Former All-Star Starting Pitcher

The Padres signed right-handed starter Michael Wacha, pending a physical. The former All-Star and NLCS MVP will slot into the back of San Diego's rotation.

The Padres have presumably finished off their starting rotation, adding a former All-Star and NLCS MVP to their roster. The Friars have signed right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha to a contract, pending a physical.

Free-agent right-hander Michael Wacha in agreement with Padres, pending physical, sources tell @TheAthletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2023

Wacha burst onto the scene in 2013 with the Cardinals, posting a 2.78 ERA in 64.2 innings in the regular season and then dominating in the first two rounds of the postseason. Between the NLDS and NLCS that year, Wacha posted a 0.43 ERA (one run in 21 innings), and his 13.2 shutout innings in the NLCS earned him the MVP Award for that series. Things weren't as pretty in the World Series — he got battered for eight earned runs in 9.2 innings in two starts against the Red Sox — but the future was bright for the 22-year-old flamethrower from Texas.

The next two years were solid, as Wacha posted a combined 3.31 ERA between 2014 and 2015, making his first All-Star team in the latter year. But in his final four years in St. Louis, his ERA ballooned to 4.39 and he lost some of his luster. Wacha went to the Mets and the Rays in 2020 and 2021, respectively, and he combined for a 5.39 ERA between those two spots.

Last year, though, Wacha had a resurgence, going 11-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 23 starts for Boston. His walk rate was the same as the previous two years and his strikeout rate was actually down, so most of the improvement came from doing a better job keeping the ball in the ballpark — his HR/9 went from 2.4 in 2020 to 1.7 in 2021 to 1.3 in 2022. Accordingly, his FIP went from 5.25 to 4.47 to 4.14.

Wacha could be a sneaky solid addition to the back of the San Diego bullpen. He won't be expected to be the ace on a staff with Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Blake Snell, so he can ideally settle into the fifth-starter role and give the Padres solid value.

Even if he never regains his early form, he can still be a valuable asset to a surging Padres team.