The San Diego Padres managed to bolster their hitting by signing Nick Castellanos, but they’ve yet to address the hole in their starting rotation. With Opening Day coming up fast, they need to find a solution ASAP.
Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts that the Padres will go for a cost-effective star, and sign starting pitcher Zack Littell.
“The San Diego Padres’ rotation is a bit of a mess on paper. Michael King and Joe Musgrove are quality starters when healthy, but King made just 15 starts last season and Musgrove hasn’t thrown a pitch since 2024. Who knows what to expect from either starter? Nick Pivetta is coming off a breakout year, but can he replicate it? Can JP Sears and/or Randy Vasquez provide any value? The Padres hope to compete, but this rotation, as constructed, just isn’t good enough. A starter like Zack Littell might not provide much ace upside, but he’s durable (61 starts in the last two seasons) and solid (3.88 career ERA). As a floor-raising fourth starter, the Padres can do much worse. This deal should get done rather quickly,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Littell posted a 10-8 record, a 3.81 ERA, 130 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.104 over 186 innings pitched. He wins games more often than not, and he eats innings; both qualities that make for a great back-end starting pitcher.
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Currently, Littell is projected to receive a three-year, $38.6 million deal, and for the Padres, that would be great. They’re a bit tight on money at the moment, and getting a cost-effective guy like Littell would really help them.
Hopefully, the Padres get this deal done soon, so they can stop worrying about fielding a playoff-level team in 2026.
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