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Entering the MLB offseason, the San Diego Padres have a lot of questions to answer across the roster. But the majority of them come from the starting rotation since the team has multiple arms entering free agency.
Both Dylan Cease and Michael King will be free agents this winter, and neither of them seems likely to return to San Diego. Additionally, ace Yu Darvish will be out for the year due to an injury that he suffered, leaving the starting rotation in massive flux.
The Padres front office will need to bring in a few players this winter, but doing so could be tricky. Over the last year or two, San Diego has wanted to cut payroll, leading to them landing only middle-tier players.
No matter what the Padres do this winter, they have to add to the rotation if they want a legit chance to go after a World Series title. All this pressure is on this team to win, and they can’t afford to have another wasted season.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
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With the Padres’ starting rotation in flux for next season, the front office will need to get creative to add to the team. Luckily for them, the free agent market has plenty of quality options for this team to go after.
San Diego hasn’t been shy about spending in previous years, and it could see them add a few starters to the mix. If anything, the Padres need to add players who can eat innings throughout the season, giving this team a chance to compete.
One player that could be a solid addition for the Padres is veteran right-hander Zack Littell. Littell split time between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds this past season, putting together a nice year.
Overall, the veteran posted an ERA of 3.81 over 32 starts, throwing for 186.2 innings during the year. Littell is known as a pitcher who eats innings for his team, and he could be a perfect candidate for the Padres to bring in.
Since Littell isn’t seen as a top pitcher on the open market, he will likely receive a two or three-year deal. The Padres could probably land him for around $10 million a season, which may be in the price range that San Diego wants to spend on starters this offseason.
The biggest issue with Littell is that he is overly susceptible to giving up the long ball. But the Padres have worked with pitchers over the years to help them maximize skills on the mound.
This could be more of a way for them to fill out the rotation for the season, and he could be a nice depth piece. Overall, San Diego needs to add multiple arms to the mix, and it doesn’t seem like they want to spend too much to make it happen.