Padres: 3 free agent pitching targets not named Stephen Strasburg

We look at three free agent starting pitchers the San Diego Padres could target this offseason not named Stephen  Strasburg.

Obviously the number one starting pitching target for the San Diego Padres this offseason will be Stephen Strasburg.

But as we’ve talked about here already, it’s still a long shot to sign him and there will be a lot of competition to do so.

If the Padres do fail in what I think will be a serious attempt to sign Strasburg, will they go to a fallback plan and look to sign another top starting pitcher on the free agent market?

Gerrit Cole doesn’t make this list because if they can’t sign Strasburg, they can’t sign Cole. And I think Strasburg is a much better fit in San Diego anyway.

When you consider that the only locks for the Padres 2020 rotation are Garrett Richards, Chris Paddack, and possibly Dinelson Lamet, you can understand why fans would want their team to go after another starter.

They have other solid options for the back of the rotation like Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer, and Cal Quantrill.

But they still need that proven ace atop the rotation.

What Richards can give us over a fool season is an unknown, and Paddack feels more like a solid number two than a staff ace.

Either way, they could use another reliable arm atop the rotation.

Whether or not the best option to do that is through free agency or trade is another question. But for this article, we’re going to focus on the top three free agent targets.