Padres Mulling Over 3 Options to Fill Starting Rotation Without Spending Big

Maren Angus-Coombs | 18 Hours Ago

Jul 30, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images / David Frerker-Imagn Images

As the San Diego Padres look to shed payroll this offseason, the team is trying to decide if there any internal candidates to potentially join the starting rotation.

According to general manager A.J. Preller, there are three relievers who could potentially transition to the back end of the rotation: Adrian Morejon, Stephen Kolek, and Bryan Hoeing.

“We’ve been in that conversation internally about what that looks like for a few options in the ’pen. We haven’t made any final decisions,” Preller said at the Winter Meetings. “I think it’s something that we’ll talk a bit more about when we kind of get to the next couple weeks and see how the whole roster plays out."

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After years of injuries and setbacks, Morejon had a breakout season in 2024, posting a 2.83 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 63.2 innings. Although he entered the organization as a starter, the left-hander has never thrown more than 65.1 innings in a single professional season. A former top prospect who signed for $11 million, Morejon carries a higher pedigree compared to Kolek.

Kolek was a Rule 5 draft pick last December and his season ended early due to an arm injury. His season wasn't exactly smooth sailing, either. He finished with a 5.21 ERA over 46.2 innings for San Diego, and followed that with a 3.58 FIP and 3.43 SIERA.

Hoeing was acquired in July from the Miami Marlins and used primarily as a long reliever. He finished the season appearing in 18 games with the Padres and allowed only two earned runs across 23.2 innings.

Until the Padres bolster their starting rotation, they have reason to keep their options open. Like Morejon, both Kolek and Hoeing have experience as minor-league starters.

“I think we’ll have a little bit better sense of which path for Adrian specifically, and honestly, a couple guys in our ’pen that we think have a chance to extend out and maybe follow the path of (Michael) King or (Nick) Martinez or (Seth) Lugo," Preller added.

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