San Diego Padres: Four Affordable Free-Agents Friars Should Pursue

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SAN DIEGO, CA – JUNE 14: San Diego Padres /

There is a very long list of free-agents still available this offseason. The San Diego Padres can’t wait around forever for Eric Hosmer to make up his mind. Let’s talk about four cheaper, alternative options the Friars could pursue.

A lot has been made over the lack of free-agent signings made by MLB teams during this offseason. The causes-and-effects of that situation is for another article another day. The San Diego Padres have an array of options to fill out their roster.

Eric Hosmer has been the most talked about free-agent target for the Padres thus far. But as I said yesterday, Hosmer may not be the right player for the Friars to sign to a long-term deal. For the cost and length of the contract that it would take to lock Hosmer up, that money could be better spent in other areas.

Having a team full of young, inexpensive players in 2020 with Eric Hosmer’s albatross of a contract hanging over this team could seriously hinder the Padres chances of making the most of their long, arduous quest to bring the Friars to the forefront of the baseball world.

Let’s take a look at four cost-effective alternative free-agent options that the San Diego Padres could possibly explore instead of Eric Hosmer.

San Diego Padres could really use Eduardo Nunez as a utility infielder/insurance policy

Eduardo Nunez has worn many hats over the course of his career. A highly-touted prospect, heir-apparent to Derek Jeter, solid utility-infielder, and now free-agent. Heading into free-agency, Nunez had himself a career-year splitting time between San Francisco and Boston, slashing .313/.341/.460 with 12 HR, 58 RBI, 24 stolen bases, and an impressive 110 OPS+.

Over his eight seasons in MLB, Nunez has been a dependable, defensively-gifted and offensively capable player. Able to play second-base, third-base, or shortstop, Eduardo Nunez would be a perfect fit for the San Diego Padres.

The Friars have newly-acquired Freddy Galvis projected as their starting shortstop, barring any unforeseen injuries, and the young Carlos Asuaje most likely manning second base. Having Eduardo Nunez around as a dependable back-up to both Galvis and Asuaje (and insurance policy in case of injuries to either) would give the San Diego Padres an added dynamic that would improve their team greatly.

Platoon at first-base could work out well for the San Diego Padres

Lucas Duda finished out last season in the American League with the Tampa Bay Rays after spending the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his career with the New York Mets. A first baseman by trade, Duda is a behemoth of a man. A patient, left-handed hitter, Lucas Duda would be the perfect complement to San Diego Padres All-Star Wil Myers.

Over Duda’s eight MLB seasons, he’s put up an impressive OPS of .796 to go along with 162-game averages of 28 HR and 81 RBI. Duda absolutely crushes right-handed pitching, owning a career slugging percentage of .486 vs. righties.

Granted, Duda doesn’t hit for a great average (.242 career BA), but his penchant for getting on base and hitting mile-long home runs make Duda a low-risk, high-reward option for the San Diego Padres. Having a two-headed monster of Wil Myers and Lucas Duda platooning at first base for the Friars could have significant positive results on the offensive production of this team.

LHP Tony Watson would strengthen the San Diego Padres bullpen

Tony Watson is an effective left-handed reliever with a funky delivery and a killer fastball, an even deadlier slider, and a scary sinker that’s increased his groundball rate considerably. Splitting last season between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Watson pitched to a 3.38 ERA, though his ERA after being traded to LA was an impressive 2.70 (in much more high-leverage situations, no doubt).

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The San Diego Padres could use Tony Watson as a shut-down lefty in their bullpen. Though Watson may have lost the title of “shut-down” over his last season or so in Pittsburgh, his career 2.68 ERA and 9.8 WAR make it very clear that Watson has the potential to be a bulldog in the bullpen.

Adding Watson in a 6th or 7th-inning role behind Craig Stammen and Brad Hand could give the San Diego Padres a formidable back-end to their bullpen and give their younger relievers a much easier environment to continue developing without all of the added pressure of being counted upon in high-leverage situations.

Veteran LHP Jason Vargas could anchor the San Diego Padres young-ish rotation

Signing free-agent lefty Jason Vargas would not be a high-profile free-agent signing for the San Diego Padres. If anything, it would likely rile up the MLB world, causing folks to complain about yet another “nobody” getting signed while a number of superstar free-agents remain unsigned.

Jason Vargas may fly under the radar, but there aren’t many other pitchers in baseball who have been more consistent. A soft-tossing left-handed starter, Jason Vargas has never overpowered hitters. He gets by on his off-speed stuff. Signing Vargas as a back-end of the rotation guy would give the San Diego Padres four solid starting pitchers.

Adding Vargas to the incumbent top-three of Clayton Richard, Dinelson Lamet, and Luis Perdomo would give this Padres a nice wrinkle to go along with the other budding stars on their roster. It could also bridge the gap while some of the Friars young pitchers continue to develop.

Next: A Padres Prospect To Keep An Eye On

Making any of these cost-effective moves, as opposed to committing long-term and a lot financially to Eric Hosmer, would give the San Diego Padres a much better chance at taking advantage of the talent and of their franchise. By not tying themselves down to a player who will be 36 at the end of a hypothetical seven-to-eight-year deal.

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