Padres not expected to target starting pitching at MLB trade deadline

With nan MLB waste and acquisition deadline a small complete 2 weeks away, a batch of nan team's needs are coming into focus. For nan San Diego Padres, they person 2 main targets: catcher and near field.

They've besides been linked to starting pitching this season, but aft a caller study from Dennis Lin successful The Athletic, it seems apt that nan Padres will not walk assets connected starters this waste and acquisition deadline.

"The Padres," Lin writes, "At slightest for now, do not look arsenic worried astir their starting pitching. Last week, successful his 2 starts of nan season, Yu Darvish displayed understandable rust and encouraging stuff. Opening Day starter Michael King, sidelined since May by a nervus issue, has made important advancement toward a imaginable return successful August."

It's been a unusual play for nan Padres' starting rotation. With King starting nan twelvemonth disconnected strong, but missing important time, and Cease putting together a lackluster run truthful far, nan Padres haven't had a rotation astatine afloat spot yet.

Darvish is back, but has yet to shingle disconnected nan rust. The champion pitcher for nan Padres this play has been seasoned journeyman Nick Pivetta. Through his first 19 starts of nan year, he has a 2.88 ERA, a 9-2 record, 122 strikeouts, and a 1.02 WHIP successful 109.1 innings.

MORE: Padres' Yu Darvish connected cusp of master shot history

The struggles from Cease and nan absence of King person been mitigated acknowledgment to Pivetta producing astatine specified a precocious level. Even Randy Vasquez, who has a 3.80 ERA successful 94.2 innings pitched, has been coagulated capable for nan Padres.

While adding a starter could beryllium appealing, based connected this study from Lin, barring different wounded aliases different bad news, nan Padres won't beryllium exploring nan starting pitching waste and acquisition marketplace this season.

A rotation of King, Cease, Pivetta, Darvish, and Vasquez is bully capable to triumph a postseason bid aliases two. And if Joe Musgrove tin return, moreover if only successful a constricted capacity, there's moreover much logic for nan Padres to skip retired connected starter help.

Instead, A.J. Preller and Mike Shildt should look for nan champion near fielder aliases catcher to acquire. The starting rotation is beardown enough, and nan bullpen has been great. The only rumor is nan offense, and based connected this report, it looks for illustration nan Padres will attraction connected violative additions astatine this year's waste and acquisition deadline.

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