Padres News: Insider Pleads Friars to Improve Starting Pitching Depth at Trade Deadline
The San Diego Padres' 2023 season has undeniably been a nightmarish start for the team. Rather than contending for the top spot in their division, they find themselves closer to last place than first place, as they are only three games in front of the last-place Colorado Rockies.
There appears to be no immediate sign of this situation changing anytime soon, which is cause for concern for the Friars. After a hard-fought three-game series against the Miami Marlins, they managed to inch closer to the .500 mark, but they still sit four games below it. Unfortunately, the month of May was particularly ugly for them, as they remain in the bottom half of many MLB rankings, like the Atheltic's latest one.
MLB expert Jim Bowden for the Atheltic placed them at number 17 in his rankings and emphasized their need for additional starting pitching depth, among other concerns.
Early trade deadline take: The Padres need to improve the bottom half of the lineup, in particular at catcher and DH. They also could use more starting pitching depth.
Despite being in the top 10 for team ERA, Bowden believes that the Padres still require reinforcements in their pitching staff. Padres southpaw Blake Snell, who is set to become a free agent after the season, has not performed up to expectations. His struggles further highlight the team's need for reliable starting pitching. He has a 1-6 record with a 4.50 ERA and has only pitched in 56 innings through 11 starts.
On top of all this, their superstar talents have not translated as a whole to contributing wins. The team has not performed up to its capabilities, which may cause them to become buyers as the trade deadline approaches with their aggressive win-it-all attitude. Time is of the essence, and the Padres must swiftly address these issues before it is too late to salvage their season.
No one would have ever thought that starting pitching would be in question but through 56 games; it looks more like a need than any other position in question.
We'll see their approach in due time and if they can turn it around with their in-house pieces.
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