3 free agent starters not named Blake Snell that the Padres should consider signing

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Blake Snell was one bright spot in what turned out to be a miserable season for the San Diego Padres. The southpaw not only was the team's best player, he wound up winning the NL Cy Young Award. He was as dominant as any Padres starting pitcher has ever been from late May through the end of the season. Even with the walks, it was truly a pleasure to watch him take the mound.

Snell's season couldn't have come at a better time for himself, as he put together a season to remember during his contract year. He now is on the free agent market with his value as high as it has ever been. With Snell likely to receive over $150 million at least, the chances of him remaining a Padre are virtually non-existent.

San Diego is in a bit of financial turmoil and has no easy way of getting out. While they certainly won't be bringing Snell back, they do have to address the rotation. As much as we'd love to see them sign guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jordan Montgomery, and even Eduardo Rodriguez, that just doesn't feel realistic. While they won't get frontline guys, the Padres can hope Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove bounce back. If they do, adding one or maybe two of these three starters would make the rotation somewhat formidable even without Snell.

1) Marcus Stroman

This might be a bit too rich for the Padres right now, but Marcus Stroman is only projected to make $44 million over two years according to MLB Trade Rumors. The Padres could easily look to potentially give Stroman an extra year to get the AAV down and then suddenly he could fit into the team's plans financially.

If they can somehow convince Stroman to come to San Diego, the Padres would be landing a very strong number three starter. When right, Stroman is easily a frontline guy that also just so happens to be very fun to watch.

When healthy, Stroman is a workhorse that loves to take the ball and go deep in games. He's excellent at keeping the ball on the ground, and with guys like Manny Machado and Ha-Seong Kim in the infield, that's a great thing.

Stroman was an All-Star for the Cubs last season, and has pitched at an All-Star level for much of his career when healthy. It's possible that he's just too expensive, but if not, San Diego should be all over this.

2) Lucas Giolito

Lucas Giolito was in the midst of a bounce back year with the White Sox, posting a 3.79 ERA in 21 starts before he was traded to the Angels. He had a 6.89 ERA for the Angels, and then finished his season with a 7.04 ERA with the Guardians. Not a good finish, but the signs were there that the pitcher who was among the best in the AL from 2019-2021 could be on his way back.

Giolito received Cy Young votes in all three of those seasons, and had solidified himself as the ace in the White Sox rotation. He's had his share of struggles since, but even then, the Padres would welcome the production Giolito has had in the last two years.

At his worst, Giolito is still a pitcher that is extremely durable and will take the ball every fifth day. He's made at least 29 starts in each of the last five full seasons (excluding 2020) and has thrown at least 161.2 innings. Yes, the innings aren't always quality, but innings are extremely valuable.

Giolito had his ups and downs this past season and still had 4.1 more innings pitched than Snell who just won a Cy Young award. At his best, he'll soak up around 200 quality innings. At his worst, they'll be a bit less quality, but the innings will still be there. He grew up in Southern California, is 29 years old, and would fit in beautifully in the middle of the rotation. He won't come cheap, but he'll obviously be a whole lot cheaper than Snell.

3) Frankie Montas

Both Stroman and Giolito will require multiple years on their contracts at fairly expensive AAVs. A.J. Preller could decide that instead or even in addition to signing one of those guys, he's interested in finding a bargain. If the Padres want to go bargain hunting, Frankie Montas makes a lot of sense.

Like Giolito, Montas was one of the better pitchers in the American League not too long ago. He finished sixth in the AL Cy Young balloting in 2021 after posting a 3.37 ERA in 32 starts and 187 innings pitched. He was pitching even better in 2022, putting up a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts for Oakland before being traded at the deadline to the Yankees.

His experience in New York did not go as planned. He struggled down the stretch with the Bronx Bombers, and then made just one appearance this past season. He missed most of the campaign with a shoulder injury. As concerning as that might be, Montas' appearance came in Game 161 so he's fully healthy and should be ready to join a starting rotation in 2024.

At just 30 years old and looking for a bounceback, a Montas deal could turn out to be a bargain for the Padres. The right-hander will be looking to boost his value, and doing so at pitcher-friendly Petco Park wouldn't be a bad idea at all. The Padres adding him to the back of their rotation with his upside should be a no-brainer.

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3 free agent starters not named Blake Snell that the San Diego Padres should consider signing

1) Marcus Stroman

2) Lucas Giolito

3) Frankie Montas

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