Padres Have Difficult Decision Looming as Lucas Giolito Gets Set for Debut

Veteran right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito needs to be added to the San Diego Padres roster by this Saturday, which will force the team into a tough roster decision. San Diego will need to replace someone in the starting rotation with Giolito, but who that will be remains to be seen.

The expected options are right-handers Walker Buehler or Matt Waldron, both of whom have been up and down this year. San Diego could always go with a six-man rotation after bringing Giolito up, or even move guys around to keep someone in the bullpen.

Giolito has made four minor league starts as he works his way back to the big leagues. So far, the right-hander has posted an ERA of 4.76 over 17 innings of work.

San Diego has multiple options to choose from, but it won't be easy since both Buehler and Waldron have been strong as of late. But having more arms to work with could be good for the Padres to consider, especially with all the injuries and uncertainty that the starting group has seen this season.

Walker Buehler or Matt Waldron?

Waldron has made four appearances (three starts) for San Diego this year, posting an ERA of 7.71 over 18.2 innings of work. However, his last two outings have been much stronger than his first few, including him going five innings against the San Francisco Giants, allowing just one run.

Waldron's most recent outing came behind an opener, and it worked to perfection, as he allowed one run over five innings.

San Diego could always push Waldron to the bullpen, using him as a long reliever. This could offer the team more flexibility, and Waldron has shown the ability and willingness to make this happen.

"Just trying to pitch as best as I can. Just fighting, no matter what. It's a privilege to be out there," Waldron said to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Now, the case for Buehler is a little different, as he has mainly been a starter in his career. Overall, the right-hander has recorded an ERA of 5.20 over eight starts for the Padres this year.

Buehler has been much more consistent over his last few starts, so the Padres' designating him for assignment may not make sense. So the team could elect to go forward with the six-man rotation, which would allow guys to get some extra rest during the season.

None of this will be easy for manager Craig Stammen and the coaching staff, but something needs to be done. Giolito will be up with the Padres by the end of the week, and the team has to prepare to give him plenty of starts the rest of the way.

What Should the Padres Do?

At this point, moving Waldron to the bullpen makes the most sense for the Padres to consider.

Waldron is out of options, so the team would risk losing him on waivers if he was removed from the roster.

Waldron's outing on Tuesday could play a big role in what happens when this weekend rolls around.

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