San Diego Padres: Chances of Re-Signing Tyson Ross

Ever since the San Diego Padres surprisingly allowed Tyson Ross to enter free agency, there has been a lot of talk about 2016’s Opening Day starter. Now that it is time to consider signing starting pitching, how likely is a Ross return?

The winter meetings are more than half over, and the San Diego Padres still haven’t solidified their pitching staff. With three of 2016’s starters now free agents, this has got to be one of general manager A.J. Preller’s most pressing priorities.

It has already been reported that Preller is prepared to meet with Clayton Richard‘s agent this weekend. Despite the recent news that the Minnesota Twins are interested in the southpaw, this is good news, as it shows that Richard’s future is up in the air, and he could easily end up back in San Diego. Edwin Jackson on the other hand, seems the least likely for San Diego to bring back.

But the free agent Preller can do the most about is Tyson Ross. After the surprising decision to non-tender 2016’s ailing ace, Preller made it clear that the team was still interested in Ross.

Unfortunately for San Diego, Ross has drawn interest from various other clubs. Rumors indicate that the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers are looking into the 29-year-old. The right-hander has also been linked to the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees.

The Yankees are the last team the Padres want to go up against in the Ross sweepstakes. But the good news is, San Diego should still be the front runner.

After all, the only place Ross would get a secure rotation spot is in San Diego. And given his recent history of injuries, teams besides San Diego would be hesitant to bring in the Berkeley, California native.

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The question remains though; why wouldn’t have Preller tendered Ross to avoid this situation completely? The reasons for his decision do not all make sense. But what we do know is that Preller has said that he is willing to bring Ross back, as well as other players the organization allowed to enter free agency. This is all that really matters at this point.

So how likely is it that the Padres end up bringing back Ross? The chances are right around 50/50 at this point. While San Diego is still the most likely to end up with the All-Star, the amount of clubs that could make offers is concerning. Ultimately, it is too early to tell just yet.

Next: Who Will be Selected in the Rule 5 Draft?

But it isn’t too early to tell just how significant re-signing Ross would be for a depleted Padres’ rotation. Especially if neither Richard nor Jackson return, this young group will need an ace to lead by example every five days. Due to his injuries, Ross can be affordable. He can also provide much needed reliability and stability.