San Diego Padres: Players Most Likely To Be Traded This Offseason

SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Andy Green #14 of the San Diego Padres walks off the field before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at PETCO Park on September 17, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Andy Green #14 of the San Diego Padres walks off the field before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at PETCO Park on September 17, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
4 of 5
San Diego Padres
SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Robbie Erlin #41 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers at PETCO Park on September 14, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Robbie Erlin, the reliever, provides tremendous value.

For much of the season, the San Diego Padres used Robbie Erlin out of the bullpen, a move that was met with a lot of success. As a reliever, Erlin has logged 52 innings, posting a 2.05 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, a 23% strikeout rate, and a 2.1% walk rate.

Robbie Erlin the starter hasn’t fared as well. In 51 innings, Erlin has a 6.66 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP, 17.5% strikeout rate, and a 3.5% walk rate. As he works his way through a lineup for the second time, the numbers get even worse.

Erlin has worked an 8.86 ERA and 1.69 WHIP the second time through a batting order as a starting pitcher. Opponents are hitting .354 against him in this situation. He has clearly been a much better pitcher out of the bullpen, unfortunately, as we mentioned in a previous slide, the Padres already have an extremely deep bullpen with even more names coming up soon.

The 27-year-old may not bring back a haul by himself, but if Preller were to package Erlin with a few prospects, a valuable piece could find its way back to San Diego. With Matt Strahm and possibly a player like Brett Kennedy able to man the long-relief role, Erlin may find himself expendable this offseason.

Schedule