Padres discussing six-man rotation

The San Diego Padres have had pitchers come and go all season long. With Andrew Cashner due to throw a rehab start on June 28, it seems that rookie manager Andy Green is considering a six-man rotation, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune.

Newly acquired Erik Johnson has been roughed up in his few starts as a Padre, and Rule 5 selection Luis Perdomo has been improving each time he steps on the mound. With the Padres more or less out of any kind of contention in 2016, development is the key word around the Padres organization.

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Colin Rea has been off and on, as for Christian Friedrich. In fact, the only consistent starter has been Drew Pomeranz, whose name has been swirling around with trade rumors and will continue to be thrown around until the deadline approaches.

Let’s take a step back and see what the Padres rotation looked like on Opening Day, no more then three months ago. The Opening Day rotation consisted of Tyson Ross, James Shields, Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea, and Drew Pomeranz.

Once Cashner went on the disabled list, the rotation became this: Drew Pomeranz, Colin Rea, Christian Friedrich, Erik Johnson, and Luis Perdomo. Add in the fact that Robbie Erlin was pitching well before undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Cesar Vargas was also pitching well before he went on the DL, and the Padres have had starters come in and out all year long.

Now it seems as though a six-man rotation might be in the works. The Padres want to see what they have with youngster Luis Perdomo, and also with Erik Johnson, who they acquired in the James Shields trade. Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz are the most likely candidates to be shopped before the deadline, and Colin Rea and Christian Friedrich can use every start possible to improve as the season goes along. Perhaps a six-man rotation isn’t a bad idea.

Next: Luis Perdomo Doing Better in Rotation

Andy Green has had a tough time in his first year as a major league manager, and injuries have struck this team like they struck the San Diego Chargers offensive line in 2015. A.J. Preller is always one phone call away from a blockbuster trade, and with the return he got in the Craig Kimbrel deal, it’s unknown as to how much he could get in return for either Andrew Cashner or Drew Pomeranz, not to mention closer Fernando Rodney.

WIll we see the Padres use a six-man rotation soon? At this point, it does make an awful lot of sense.