San Diego Padres Should Make A Run At Jake Arrieta

A.J.Preller and his team have a chance to turn this formidable-looking San Diego Padres squad into an elite one by adding an elite pitcher in Jake Arrieta.

The San Diego Padres’ front office has had its hands full this offseason. They have made a bunch of acquisitions, some high-profile ones, and others not as prominent.  Eric Hosmer‘s signing will go down in the Padres’ history books as one of the most elite and exorbitant signings of all-time.

The Padres’ pitching rotation is unsettled, to say the least. Opening-Day starter Clayton Richard is thirty-four and is not getting any younger. Bryan Mitchell has started nine games in four years. Matt Strahm and Colin Rea are coming off of injuries.

Inconsistency has plagued Luis Perdomo and Dinelson Lamet is just starting off.  MacKenzie Gore and Cal Quantrill are going to be there soon.  But the immediate need is for a reliable, experienced hurler who can pitch six-to-seven innings on a consistent basis.

Who better fill a need for the Padres than Jake Arrieta?

The Padres’ pitching-staff needs immediate reinforcements and who better to fill that void than Jake Arrieta.  Arrieta is a World Series winner who has excelled under trying circumstances.

He has had the opportunity to play under Joe Maddon and has loads of experience under his belt.  As per rumors, the Brewers, Nationals, and the Phillies are making a run to try and nab this effective pitcher.  Why not the Padres?

Arrieta has started in-the-neighborhood of thirty games and pitched around 200 innings over the last four years.  His SO/9 rate of around nine in the last four years is impressive.  He barely walks hitters.  His BB/9 average over the last four years is around 2.5.

His lifetime-ERA of 3.57 is exactly what the San Diego Padres want in a front-line starter. In the last 4 years, Arrieta has gone 64-29 as a starter.  He is a winner and Padres need winners.  Adding Arrieta to the armory will translate to W’s.

This move would put the Padres over the top

Arrieta is not getting any younger.  He will turn thirty-two this week but he seems to be injury-free over the last four years and this will augur well for the Padres.  He would immediately be a leader and help mentor the young pitching group that the Friars currently have. Plus, he would be an inspiration for Gore and Quantrill.

With Jake Arrieta on board, plus stars like Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers, this team will be stacked with superstars for the first time in a decade.  Fans will start flocking to the stadium in droves.

Next: Dinelson Lamet Is Due To Breakout

Jake Arrieta will demand millions of dollars and he deserves it.  It will be interesting if the Padres and A.J.Preller can come up with a smart strategy that would bring Arrieta to San Diego, albeit for a short time.