San Diego Padres 2020 MLB Winter Meetings Preview

Can we find a frontline starter in a trade

I would say the San Diego Padres are pretty much out on the free agent starting pitchers — especially the top tier of Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

Unless Preller and the front office just shock the world and overpay for Strasburg, I don’t see a free agent deal for a frontline starting pitcher happening.

But could there be a frontline starter out there in a trade that makes sense?

Of the names that have been floated out there, none of them are really that attractive to me.

Starters like Matthew Boyd, Robbie Ray, Chris Archer, Jon Gray, and Caleb Smith are among that group.

Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, David Price, and Jeff Samardzija are all intriguing but come with injury risks and high price tags.

Maybe they can convince the New York Mets to part with Noah Syndergaard, who would be a perfect fit for what the Padres need.

The problem is nobody wants to trade a young, controllable, frontline starting pitcher — go figure.

But that’s exactly what the Padres need.

Preller will need to scour the Winter Meeting floors to see him there is anyone like that available that maybe we haven’t heard of yet.

As I’ve said in other places, if they aren’t going to get a frontline starter, then don’t even bother — just let the young guys pitch.

For me, it’s go big or go home in terms of finding another starting pitcher.