Barring injuries, the Padres will begin the season with a top three spot in the rotation. Nick Pivetta, michael king and Joe Musgrove He has the upside to be one of the best top halves in the National League.
Musgrove is back from Tommy John surgery, and King was limited to 74 1/3 innings (including playoffs) last year due to shoulder nerve issues and left knee inflammation. There are no restrictions this spring. Musgrove is scheduled to play his first exhibition game tomorrow against England in the World Baseball Classic. King has already started two games this spring.
From there, the picture becomes much less clear. Yu Darvish I will miss the entire season. Freelance Pickup griffin canning He has yet to pitch this spring as he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury last June. There is a high possibility that he will start the season on the injured list.
Same goes for knuckleballers. Matt WaldronAlthough that might be closer to a minimal IL stay for the right-hander. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote yesterday that Waldron plans to throw on the mound this week and hopes to start before Cactus League play ends. However, he likely won’t progress enough to start the season on the active roster. Waldron has no choice, so the Padres will have to make an MLB spot for him when he’s ready or risk losing him via trade or waivers.
It’s all guaranteed Randy Vazquez He will earn a rotation spot for the season opener. Manager Craig Stamman said early in camp that the right-hander could perform well. Vásquez is out of options and needs to bring the team to some capacity. He outperformed mediocre perimeter defenders for most of last season, but improved his strikeout rate to league average in September. He had a 3.86 ERA in 133.2 innings last season.
Perhaps the Padres will fill one spot. The front office has taken a large-scale approach, adding a handful of veterans on cheap one-year deals or minor league deals to make sure who sticks with the roster. They’ve added enough options that starting with a six-man rotation isn’t impossible.
Pitching coach Ruben Niebla left that possibility open over the weekend, but he hinted that they prefer a five-man group (link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Niebla said the team is preparing its starters on a typical five-day schedule. Having multiple depth arms on the roster could lead to a six-man staff, but that would require moving down to a seven-man bullpen.
If there is only one seat, Herman Marquez You go into camp as the favorite. The former Rockies right-hander signed a contract worth $1.75 million in mid-February. His spot on the MLB roster feels safe, but that’s not the case for someone who wasn’t invited to the roster. Walker Buehler or Marco Gonzalez. Márquez could theoretically pitch long relief in the fifth starter role if either Buehler or Gonzales beat him out. That scenario (or a six-man rotation) probably doesn’t bode well for a reliever with no options. Ron Marinachio Bid to stay on the list.
left handed JP Sears He’s also in the rotation mix, but San Diego’s series of veteran additions have made it more likely he’ll head back to Triple-A. Sears was hit hard in five MLB starts last season after being acquired from the A’s. mason miller transaction. Minor league options still remain.
Sears also hasn’t had a particularly encouraging start to camp, allowing five runs on seven hits (including two home runs) in 3 2/3 innings. Marquez allowed four hits and three runs in two innings in his exhibition game debut last weekend. Gonzalez, who missed all of last season after rehab flexion surgery, gave up five runs over 4 2/3 frames over two spring starts. Buehler did not pitch in an official spring training game, but he did allow two runs in three innings out of the backfield last weekend against the KBO NC Dinos.
