With the San Diego Padres’ pitching catcher call-up date just a day away, local media in the U.S. point out that “Mad Men” AJ Preller still has not completed the team’s formation.
San Diego’s roster has many vacancies in starting rotation and outfield. Considering San Diego’s economic capacity, chances are slim that he will sign “top tier” Blake Snell or sign Jordan Montgomery. Eventually, attention is focusing on “second tier” Ryu Hyun-jin, and it is no secret that San Diego is actually interested in Ryu.
Dennis Lin, a reporter for The Athletic, a U.S. sports media outlet, pointed out on the 10th (Korea Standard Time), “The team officials expect Michael King, who was recruited through the trade of Juan Soto (New York Yankees), to have a good season, but Darvish Yu and Joe Musgrove are the only starters with a lot of major league experience in the team.” In addition, there are only two outfielders in the 40-man roster.
“We are still actively engaged in conversations with various players including outfielders, starting resources, and bullpen pitchers,” Preller said of the situation. He plans to continue recruiting additional players even after the camp begins. At the same time, he also hinted that he would trust Mike Shildt’s plan to select potential promising players 마카오토토.
“According to sources, San Diego recently held trade talks with the Boston Red Sox, but a decision is not imminent,” Lynn wrote. The outfielder is said to be Jarran Duran. Tommy Pham could return, but San Diego has not made an official offer to him. Ryu’s name will then appear in the article.
“Veteran pitchers who are yet to sign include Ryu Hyun-jin, Eric Lauer and Michael Lorenzen. San Diego has shown at least some interest in all of them.”
“People think the pitching staff needs to be thick. But we (San Diego) like the starting pitcher options that we have now. I think we have some depth. We’re going to test young pitchers that we highly value. We’re going to check our bullpen and see our ability to finish the game,” Preller said.
MLB Trade Rumors summarized who would be the right pitcher for San Diego based on an article by reporter Lynn.
“Reporter John Hayman also picked Ryu as a potential recruitment candidate for the San Diego Padres. Ryu pitched well in Toronto after Tommy John surgery. A 10-year veteran of the Major League, Ryu pitched 52 innings in 11 starts, leaving an ERA of 3.46. However, Ryu’s performance also has something to be desired. Only one of the 11 games exceeded five innings, and Toronto did not allow him to throw more than 90 pitches. His fastball average speed of 88.8 miles was the lowest in his career, and his strikeout rate of 17 percent was the third lowest since his debut. He was vulnerable to slugging, with nine homers in 52 innings and 1.56 per nine innings.”
However, Ryu is not the only one who pointed out his shortcomings. As for Lauer, he said, “I was on the injured list for the past two seasons due to elbow and shoulder injuries. Considering that his average fastball speed dropped significantly from 93.3 miles per hour in 2022 to 91.2 miles last year, it is highly likely that he did not show full strength last year. If his physical condition recovers, it can be a good option.”
As for Lorenzen, he said, “He was the healthiest of the three players and performed well. Lorenzen, who was selected as an All-Star for the Detroit Tigers last year, had two overwhelming games while finishing his season with the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he lost his pace after the 124th pitch no-hitter, and his slump was long enough for Philadelphia to demote him to the bullpen. After the no-hitter, he finished the season with 27 earned runs in 30 ⅓ innings.”
Among Ryu Hyun-jin and Lauer Lorenzen, Lorenzen was considered the biggest player. When it comes to terms of contract terms, Lorenzen is expected to receive offers that are better than Ryu and Lauer is expected to receive offers that are worse than Ryu. MLB Trade Rumors suggested that “Laurenzen has a track record enough to sign a two-year contract as an FA and can receive just as much attention. Perhaps Ryu Hyun-jin and Lauer are certainly likely to sign a one-year contract worth less than $10 million.”
