Report: Padres Had Interest in 3 Veteran Starters

The starting rotation remains a massive question mark heading into the season.

The Padres open the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a couple of weeks, but their starting rotation remains a massive hole. 

As of right now, FanGraphs projects Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez as the fourth and fifth starters. Both pitchers debuted last season and combined to make 18 major league starts, a relative dearth of experience compared to the top of the Padres' rotation. 

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres had talks with Hyun-Jin Ryu before the veteran left-hander signed a $12.8 million contract with the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles. Lin also notes that the Padres passed on right-hander Michael Lorenzen and former San Diego left-hander Eric Lauer and “remain open to adding a starter.”

However, Lin suggests there is a limit to their openness. 

The Padres still could strike a big-league deal with a starting pitcher, but unless they suffer a significant injury, I don’t see it being particularly likely in the next few weeks.

— via

Dennis Lin of The Athletic

This news places a heavy reliance on Brito and Vásquez blossoming into quality starters. Brito made his MLB debut last year with the New York Yankees and had a 4.28 ERA over 90.1 innings pitched. In a smaller sample size, Vásquez also made his debut last year with the Yankees and had a 2.87 ERA in 37.2 innings. 

San Diego does not have much depth behind these two pitchers, either. Swingmen Pedro Avila or Matt Waldron (who also debuted last season) are positioned to get the call-up at the first sign of trouble. 

After that, the Friars might have to rely on bringing up rookies. Drew Thorpe is the most major league-ready on the farm. Robby Snelling might not be far behind, but at only 20 years old he could benefit from more development.

With such little depth, it feels like the Padres would address the rotation sooner rather than later. But if what Lin suggests is true, then they might wait until their hand is forced.