Padres Reportedly Interested in Adding Former Dodgers All-Star to Starting Rotation

Would it make sense for the Padres to make this move?

The San Diego Padres have had a quiet offseason this far, outside of trading away star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. In the deal, they brought back some needed pieces that should help within the starting rotation. 

San Diego has seen multiple members of their starting staff from 2023 left in free agency, and they boast a fairly inexperienced staff behind Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. The team has been looking to bring in more talent, but they have also been trying to keep salary costs down simultaneously. 

According to The New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Padres are interested in potentially adding former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mix. The team needs more veteran starting pitching help, and Ryu could help fill the mold in the rotation.

"But San Diego may be more interested in a starter like Hyun-Jin Ryu."

Per Jon Heyman of The New York Post

After coming back from Tommy John surgery, Ryu made 11 appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays last season. He looked effective during his outings, posting a 3.46 ERA across the board. 

The former All-Star pitcher showed that he could still make an impact within a rotation and could help guide this young San Diego staff. Ryu would be a solid addition for the Padres and wouldn't likely cost too much for the Padres to bring him in.

The Padres could kill two problems with this signing and add more experience to their rotation. It would help new manager Mike Shildt out throughout the season and provide more depth for a position teams can never have enough options for.