Three potential free agent bargains for the Padres in the rotation
Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) pitches during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Padres desperately need more starting pitching. Who could come to San Diego on a bargain deal?
The free agent market for starting pitching is astronomical this offseason. Pitchers like Yusei Kikuchi, Nick Martinez, and Luis Severino are getting deals north of $20 million per season. For reference, that is right around what the Padres are paying Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove.
Needless to say, given the Padres’ unwillingness to hand out any more big contracts, they likely won’t be in on the remaining big names like Corbin Burnes. Roki Sasaki is still unsigned and likely won’t sign until mid-January. Even if he signs with San Diego, they likely need to add another starting pitcher to ensure depth.
Which pitchers are out on the market that would not break the bank for A.J. Preller and company?
Which free agents might merit a bargain deal?
A bargain would be a pitcher for under $10 million per season.
The Padres need a lefty. They have virtually no left-handed starting pitcher options unless they were to convert one of their relievers into a starter this spring. Sandoval is now a free agent after spending the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels. He’s had an up-and-down career, occasionally dealing with injury issues. His best season in Angel red came in 2022, tossing 148 innings with a 2.91 ERA and 138 ERA+. Since then, he has made 44 starts over two seasons to a 4.45 ERA and 98 ERA+. Basically, he’s been an average to slightly below-average starting pitcher over the last two seasons.
Hence why he would be a bargain. If these pitchers were perennial All-Stars, the Padres would not be able to sign them for under $10 million. When looking for bargains, they need to find arms that could be useful as depth, back-of-the-rotation type pieces. They need an innings-eater. Most No. 5 starters in the league don’t hold ERAs south of 4.00. If Sandoval could rekindle some magic with vaunted Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, he would completely change the outlook of San Diego’s rotation. Of course, Sandoval is a step down from the trio of Cease, King, and Darvish. But the Padres simply need him to pick up the ball every fifth day and just give the Padres’ lineup and bullpen a chance to win the game by not letting the game get away early.
Sandoval has over 500 innings of MLB experience, with a career 4.01 ERA and 108 ERA+. He’s the definition of average. Frankly, that’s all the Padres need right now. More average and veteran depth in the back-end of their rotation. He pitched for the Angels for around $5 million last year, per his arbitration. It would be an incredible bargain if San Diego signed him for that much, and he became a league-average starter in their rotation. It is important to note Sandoval is recovering from Tommy John and will miss part of the 2025 season.
While not a lefty, Lorenzen would fill a need nicely for the Padres. The right-hander was an All-Star just two seasons ago. In 2023, he opened the year with the Tigers and tossed 105 innings before the trade deadline with a 3.58 ERA. That earned himself his first career All-Star selection. He then was traded to the Phillies for their stretch run. For Philadelphia, he wasn’t as sharp, owning a 5.51 ERA in 11 games. He did pitch 2 2/3 innings in the playoffs, allowing zero runs.
Lorenzen was once again a trade deadline commodity this season. He began 2024 with the Texas Rangers, posting a 3.81 ERA in 101 innings. The Kansas City Royals acquired him for their playoff push, where he thrived with a 1.57 ERA in just under 30 innings. He has a devastating changeup.
Lorenzen has experience in the playoffs and also has bounced between the rotation and high-leverage reliever. He could be whatever the Padres need on the pitching staff. Last season, his annual salary was around $4.5 million last season. San Diego getting him for that much would be a steal.
This is likely the simplest solution. What was, at the time, a throw-away deal right against the buzzer of the trade deadline, the Padres got a lot out of Perez. He filled a desperate need for starting pitching at a time where the Padres had lost Darvish and Musgrove for a time. Making 10 starts for San Diego down the home stretch, he owned a 3.46 ERA and 119 ERA+. He did a good job missing barrels and disallowing hard contact. The southpaw guided the Padres into the playoffs by steadying the rotation.
He made $8 million last year. He likely could get around the same number in 2025. Given the familiarity between Perez and the Padres coaching staff, that seems like a natural fit.
Certainly, the Padres would need another starting pitcher on top of Perez to feel like they have a rotation worthy of playoff contention. However, re-upping with Perez seems like a prudent move the Padres should pursue.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.