Having scored a 10-year, $300MM contract, Manny Machado was easily the Padres’ biggest free-agent signing last winter. Long before that addition, though, the Padres made headlines by awarding right-hander Garrett Richards a two-year, $15.5MM guarantee.
The Padres handed Richards his deal knowing they likely wouldn’t get much from the former Angel this season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2018. Indeed, with little time left this year, Richards hasn’t yet made his Padres debut. It appears to be on the way, however. Richards will throw a bullpen session Saturday, and if he gets through that unscathed, he’ll likely take the hill during San Diego’s series in Milwaukee next week, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
At 67-77, the Padres have sewn up their 13th consecutive season without a playoff berth. But if they’re going to make a long-awaited return to contention a year from now, a healthy Richards could be a key factor. The problem is that good health has been hard to come by for Richards, whom arm injuries have consistently dogged over the past few seasons. The 31-year-old hasn’t logged a full season since 2015, and has only amassed 138 2/3 innings dating back to the 2016 campaign. When he has been able to take the ball, though, Richards has served as a more-than-respectable big league starter, evidenced by his 3.54 ERA/3.62 FIP with 7.8 K/9, 3.24 BB/9 and a 52.5 percent groundball rate across 744 2/3 innings.
Going forward, the Padres could certainly use the type of production that Richards has typically offered. On paper, he’d fit nicely into a group that has gotten solid numbers this year from Chris Paddack, Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer and Dinelson Lamet. San Diego hasn’t found a quality option to fill out its starting staff, however, as Cal Quantrill, Matt Strahm and Nick Margevicius have each failed to truly seize hold of a rotation spot. If the team has its way, Richards won’t encounter that type of difficulty when he’s finally ready to join its staff – a unit that could also include elite prospect MacKenzie Gore in the near future.
Gore at 20? Too young to make his ML debut.
Can Richsrds return to health and stay healthy? Fingers crossed.
2020 wild card team
Where is the offense going to come from outside the left of the infield? The Padres are at least 2 years from contention and wont get there if Tatis is the only bat the farm can produce.
Dodgers fan here that thinks the Padres have a bright future…they definitely need to tinker with some things and I think adding a solid veteran starter or 2 wouldn’t be a bad idea…you can’t rely on every young arm making an impact, they might be wise to deal from their organizational depth to add another bat and like I said a couple of solid veteran starters to fill out a young rotation…other than that I think it will be a couple more years until they really start to threaten in the NL West
Gore was unbelievable at lake elsinore, but did not far so well when he was moved up to higher level play. May not be ready in 2020???
He pitched 5 games at AA had one bad start then came back and put up zeros . So one bad start makes you say he didn’t fair well ?? What Gore are you watching ?
2-1 with a 4.25 ERA and 25K in 21.2 innings with a 1.29 whip isn’t bad. He could use one more season though in MiLB I think.
What he did in 5 starts is irrelevant. That’s far too small of a sample size to judge anything. He’s at 100 innings right now and that’s a career high. Odds are he won’t toss more than 140 or so next season if he makes it to SD next year. He’ll probably be a reliever or shut down, down the stretch. Unless they decide to treat him like Paddack. But you’d think Preller would keep him down for at least a couple weeks, given all the alternatives and his lack of upper level Innings.
I’m not a big fan of the idea of calling up a top starter prospect and using him out of the bullpen. But given Preller’s history of not doing the service time thing and a lack of other options in the rotation, it honestly wpuldn’t surprise me if Gore makes the rotation out of Spring Training next year.
2 years $15.5 knowing they were paying that for basically one year. Wow no wonder they are on a 13 year bender. How do some of these GM’s keep their J O B S
when and if richards is healthy he is a front line starter in most teams.
A 3.5 era is not a frontline starter on any contending teams.
So they are paying him $15.5 to be productive for 1 year. When you say it like this, it still doesn’t sound like a bad value for a pitcher who looks like a decent no.2. Well bellow the qualifying offer price tag.
Signing Richards was brilliant. He has the highest spin rate in MLB and lots of teams will wish they had him next years. He flat out brings it.
When he’s healthy, he’s got ace material. I know a lot of people probably won’t agree because nobody has seen much of him in recent years, but man, watching him when healthy, it’s pleasing.
Richards should have re-signed with the Angels since they wanted to keep him. All that money he got from them for not doing much. Only 115 starts over eight years. What a waste.
First guy to get paid for exclusively high spin rate? Actually think he’ll be effective in 2020. And if Padres still stink will only count $7.75M in salary from a CBT calculation at the 2020 deadline. But Padres moves and system dictate contending is a priority of Ownership. The negative regression is a huge concern especially given payroll might be stretched thin given salaries for Machado, Hosmer.
Odd part for this guarantee in essentially a 1 yr pact Padres didn’t even get a 2021 Club Option say in the $115M range. That would’ve made the deal more palatable. If they nail the signing there’s a way to retain his services.
Type of deal speaks to value signings Rangers have made on Mike Minor & Lance Lynn. Wow..
Yeah he’s only paid for SPIN RATE, not being the only Angels pitcher who has had a semblance of being an ace since Jered Weaver.
Richards has to be agreeable to the deal. I’m sure the Padres would love to have a club option for a 3rd year on his deal. I’m also sure that Richards wants a shot at a major payday in FA. That’ll only happen after a healthy and productive year.
Padres surely have a bright future, but they need to make their moves soon and in the right fashion, is this offseason the right time to acquire a few bats. Go after names like Reynolds, Haniger, Kyle Tucker, buy low guys like Mazara or Clint Frazier, they need an infection of offence for sure, they’ll surely be a power house if moves are made correctly. One of the NLW teams need to get their sh*t together to bring down the Dodgers
Surely
Why get him in live games with 2 weeks to go and no chance of making the playoffs??? Slow him down and have him ready for spring ball
That would be smart and logical, something this organization is clearly not interested in.
Also putting him Milwaukee against hottest team in baseball then again probably looking to finish in last place to get more “prospects” Padre fans love them prospects!
Bingo!
Could of signed Dallas Keuchel for 1 year instead of pie in sky Richards who hasn’t pitched full season since 2015