Padres: 3 free agent pitching targets not named Stephen Strasburg

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HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 29: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals delivers the pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning in Game Six of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 29, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

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.

Related Story. Can Pads realistically sign Strasburg. light

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.

Zack Wheeler

Let me start by saying that the gap between signing Cole and Strasburg to anyone else in the free agent market is rather large.

But if they can’t reach a deal with the hometown guy, then I think the next best option is Zack Wheeler.

He’s been somewhat overshadowed in New York with Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but he’s a very good pitcher and capable of leading a rotation.

FanGraphs had Wheeler with a WAR of 4.7 in 2019, which is over two points higher than the best starting pitcher from the Padres in Paddack at 2.4.

Wheeler posted a 3.96 ERA this past season in 195.1 innings pitched with 195 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.25.

And despite his injury issues early in his career, he’s pitched in at least 182 innings in three of the last four seasons.

Over his five-year career, he has an ERA of 3.77 in 126 starts and 749.1 innings with 726 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.29.

He’s still in the middle of his prime as he’ll play the 2020 season at the age of 30.

MLB Trade Rumors has him as the fourth best free agent this offseason and predict he’ll get a five-year deal worth $100 million.

While he may not be the staff ace like Strasburg, he’s certainly a very good top of the rotation pitcher that could cost a lot less.

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Let’s be honest here, if the Los Angeles Dodgers want Hyun-Jin Ryu back, they’ll get him back.

But if they decide to move on from the veteran pitcher, he’ll probably want to stay on the West Coast and could be a nice fit in the Padres young rotation.

Don’t forget, before getting injured down the stretch, Ryu was on track to win the NL CY Young award in 2019.

He still finished the season with 14 wins and a 2.32 ERA in 182.7 innings with 163 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.01.

He’s never had an ERA over four in his six-year MLB career, but he has had issues staying healthy as he’s never topped 200 innings.

And 2019 was the first time since 2013 that he threw over 180 innings in a season.

Still, if the Padres wanted to look for a veteran on a much shorter deal who has the potential to be an ace, they could turn to Ryu.

MLBTR predicts that he’ll get a three-year deal worth $54 million, which seems reasonable and about right.

I think the market for Ryu will be very limited though, and again, if the Dodgers don’t want him I think San Diego could be an ideal landing spot.

Dallas Keuchel

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Remember when I said after Strasburg and Cole there is a big drop off … well, here is the drop-off.

But for many reasons, I think Dallas Keuchel could be a great fit in San Diego.

For one, the cost of Keuchel is much more reasonable as MLBTR predicts he’ll get a three-year deal for $39 million, but I kind of doubt he’ll get a three-year deal.

Second, he’s a guy that takes the ball every fifth day and is very reliable. While he’s not the Cy Young candidate that he was when he won it in 2015, he gives you a great effort and keeps your team in the game every time he takes the mound.

And third, and most importantly, he’s a groundball pitcher that has a tendency to get hurt by the home run ball.

I know those two don’t add up, but Keuchel had a 60 percent groundball rate while giving up 16 home runs in just 112.2 innings in 2019.

But if you put him in spacious Petco Park those home run numbers could go down, and with the infield defense the Padres have, he could see a nice boost in ERA.

Keuchel won’t be the household name everyone is looking for, but he could be a steady force atop the rotation and could benefit from pitching in Petco Park with the Padres defense behind him.

Next. 5 players most likely to be traded. dark

Those are the three free agent pitchers not named Stephen Strasburg that make the most sense for the Padres. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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