The San Diego Padres took a blow when they lost Dylan Cease, and have yet to replace him. While Framber Valdez was an option, he was too rich for their blood.
With that in mind, they’ll probably go for a more cost-effective solution. Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts that the Padres will snag a former division rival and future Hall-of-Famer in Justin Verlander.
“The San Diego Padres finally settled their longstanding ownership debacle, but AJ Preller still has his hands tied financially. It feels like the Michael King extension was his one real expense for the winter, with San Diego left to scrounge the bargain bin the rest of the way. Valdez never felt particularly realistic for that reason…Justin Verlander spent last season right up the coast in San Francisco, so it’s an easy move. Verlander also carries a certain pedigree as a three-time Cy Young winner and future Hall of Famer, which San Diego ought to appreciate. The Padres need to get younger, not older, in the grand scheme of things, but the back of this rotation is severely lacking. Verlander would constitute a one-year investment in a No. 5 starter. That’s it. On those terms, San Diego could do worse,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Verlander had a rocky start, leading him to posting a 4-11 record, a 3.85 ERA, 137 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.362 over 152 innings pitched. However, in the second half, he posted a 2.60 ERA over those starts.
Overall, he could be a cost-effective No. 5 starter for the Padres. He’s only projected to receive a one-year, $7.8 million deal, and for a constrained team like San Diego, that could be desirable.
Hopefully the Padres make a move soon, as with Spring Training around the corner, they need to fill that empty rotation spot ASAP.
MORE MLB NEWS
Proposed Yankees trade sees New York move on from Jasson Dominguez, receive top prospects in return