Padres Rumors: Friars Have Reportedly Expressed Interest in 3 Free Agent Pitchers

Could the Padres bring in a veteran arm to complete their rotation?

The San Diego Padres have pitchers and catchers reporting to Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday to begin Spring Training, and there are plenty of questions revolving around the rotation.

Will it be experienced enough? Could they use another veteran arm?

Their bullpen is complete with the signing of Wandy Peralta, but three free-agent starters are still available and have been tied to the Padres as a possible landing spot.

"Veteran pitchers who remain unsigned include Hyun-Jin Ryu, Eric Lauer and Michael Lorenzen, and the Padres have expressed at least some interest in all three."

Dennis Lin via The Athletic

Ryu, 37, had Tommy John surgery in 2022 and returned to Toronto's lineup in August 2023. He pitched 52.0 innings across 11 games in 2023 before opting for free agency in November.

The veteran southpaw has won a career-high 14 games in four seasons and was a Cy Young finalist with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 and the Blue Jays in 2020.

Eric Lauer, 28, is a former Padre and was part of the trade that brought Trent Grisham to San Diego. 

Injuries have plagued him the last couple of seasons, and his 2023 was a complete disaster. He only saw 46.2 innings with the Milwaukee Brewers and took a 6.46 ERA to Triple-A, where he wasn't much better. He finished the season with a 5.15 ERA in the minors across 43.2 innings.

Michael Lorenzen is the healthiest option for the Padres and was an All-Star for the Detroit Tigers last season. 

He was traded to the Phillies and pitched a no-hitter against the Nationals in August. Soon after, he quickly faded and was moved to the bullpen. Since the no-no, he surrendered 27 earned runs in 30.1 innings.