Report: Padres more focused on Keuchel, pitchers than Harper
The San Diego Padres may not be done working the free-agent market after signing third baseman Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300-million contract earlier this week.
While Bryce Harper's name continues to be linked to a number of teams, the Padres are more focused on addressing their pitching, with Dallas Keuchel as a potential option, sources told Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
However, even Keuchel is apparently seen as a longshot for San Diego, Rosenthal adds.
The 31-year-old is a two-time All-Star and won the 2015 American League Cy Young as a member of the Houston Astros. He went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in 2018 and reached 200 innings for the first time since that 2015 campaign.
San Diego has a stacked farm system full of top young arms such as MacKenzie Gore, Chris Paddack, and Logan Allen, but none are projected to break camp with the team.
The major-league rotation remains the club's biggest question mark with Joey Lucchesi and Robbie Erlin leading the way while Dinelson Lamet opens the season on the injured list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Lucchesi, Erlin, and Eric Lauer are all lefties, too, so signing Keuchel would give the team a glut of southpaw starters.
As far as other free-agent starters, the Padres' options are somewhat dwindling. Clay Buchholz, Gio Gonzalez, and James Shields are among those other than Keuchel who have yet to ink new deals.