The San Diego Padres are currently on the outside looking in at the postseason. They could be in the market for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline.
Padres’ starters have a 3.92 ERA this year, which is the 14th best in baseball. Dylan Cease is not having a great season and Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Michael King are all on the injured list right now.
The Padres may need to add a quality starting pitcher to end up securing a wild card spot. They could target pitchers with control, as Cease will be a free agent after the season. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson tabbed Sandy Alcántara as an option for the Padres at the trade deadline.
Alcántara won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022. However, he struggled the following season and missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately, this season has not gone much better for the Miami Marlins ace.
This season, he has a 6.98 ERA. He looked like he was turning a corner as he had a 2.47 ERA in his first four starts last month, including three quality starts. However, he gave up seven earned runs in his latest start against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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The two-time All-Star signed a five-year, $56 million deal in 2022 and is under club control through 2027. The Padres would be banking on the fact that he can start pitching like an All-Star consistently again. However, his club control would give them some insurance in case they lose Cease in free agency.
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