The Padres' off-season plans are in full swing, with a focus on bolstering their starting rotation and adding a complementary bat. But here's where it gets controversial: with a tight payroll, they might lean towards reclamation candidates or trades rather than free agency. Dennis Lin of The Athletic suggests that the Padres could be more inclined to add a starter via trade, but that's easier said than done at this stage of the calendar. All but a handful of teams are entering the season with some hope of contending, making it challenging to find available starters without impacting other areas of the roster.
The Padres' star talent doesn't necessarily translate to a deep major league roster, which makes it difficult to trade for an average starter without dealing too big a hit to a different area. The exception could be in the bullpen, where any of Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, or Bradgley Rodriguez would be compelling trade chips if the Padres felt they could weather a subtraction.
As for the rotation, Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove are already in place. Right-hander Randy Vásquez had a decent 3.84 ERA last year despite posting one of the league’s lowest strikeout rates (13.7%). Vásquez had a more impressive September, striking out 21% of opponents against a 3.4% walk rate in his last five appearances. First-year skipper Craig Stammen pointed to the strong finish in noting that the 27-year-old righty had “the inside track” to a season-opening rotation spot.
If the Padres add another starter, Vásquez would be the favorite to round out the group ahead of JP Sears, Kyle Hart, and non-roster invitees Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie. Vásquez is out of options, so he’ll be on the MLB roster in some capacity. Sears and Hart can freely be sent back to Triple-A for another year. Knuckleballer Matt Waldron is out of options but coming off a 6.48 ERA over 21 starts in Triple-A. He’ll have an uphill battle to holding a roster spot even with a strong performance this spring.
Though the Padres are also looking to round out their bench with another bat, it appears they’re unlikely to make a move at catcher. Preller said that while the front office explored the catching market over the offseason, they didn’t find any opportunities they considered to be an upgrade over the in-house pairing of Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano. Fermin doesn’t have much offensive upside but is a highly-regarded defender. He’ll be the primary catcher. Campusano has defensive questions but raked last year in Triple-A. The Padres didn’t seem to trust him defensively, keeping him in the minors while running out Elias Díaz and Martín Maldonado until they acquired Fermin at the deadline. They opted not to trade Campusano this offseason, though, and they’re evidently content to carry him as a bat-first backup now that he can no longer be optioned.
