Should Padres pursue Kyle Lohse?
By Matt Welch
The San Diego Padres have been one of the quietest teams this off-season and leading into Spring Training. New general manager Josh Byrnes has said that he’s a firm believer in promoting within the ball-club and building up. With about $30 million to spare, should the Padres think about using a chunk of that money on a pitcher like Kyle Lohse?
Oct 17, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse (26) throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the first inning of game three of the 2012 NLCS at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
Lohse has had a great season the past two seasons, putting together a 14-win and 16-win season back-to-back. There are many fans who believe he got snubbed last year in the Cy Young race, finishing 7th after a 16-3 season and posting a 2.86 ERA. His ERA was good enough for 5th in the NL and his WHIP of 1.09 was good enough for 4th in the NL. He started more games than any other pitcher in the NL with 33.
Lohse has posted double-digit wins in five of his twelve seasons and has a career record of 118-109 with a career 4.45 ERA. He’s pitched 8 career complete games and 6 career shutouts. He’s finished in the top 25 in the either the NL or AL in ERA and wins five times in his career.
Right now, Clayton Richard is the opening day starter for the Padres. Richard went 14-14 with a 3.99 ERA last season.
In order to get Lohse, the Padres would have to give up their 1st pick in the draft. Lohse is likely to seek out a contract over $11 million per season after rejecting a $13.3 million contract from the Cardinals earlier this off-season.
While the Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks have all made moves to make their teams better this off-season, the Padres have been at a standstill. Fans can appreciate the fact that the Padres want to give their young guys a chance to blossom, but it’s tough when every other team in the NL West is improving and the Padres are still staying the same.
What are your thoughts? Should the Padres make a run at Lohse?