The San Diego Padres got the crown jewel of their rebuilding process when they signed Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300 million deal in free agency, but they are looking to add another high-profile name to help anchor their pitching staff.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Padres have become increasingly engaged with the New York Mets regarding the availability of Noah Syndergaard.
Sources: #Mets have spoken much more with the #Padres than the #Braves about Noah Syndergaard, as Atlanta is focused more intently on relief pitchers. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 28, 2019
The Padres are 6.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot and do not exactly fit the “buyer” profile, especially considering that they have a -44 run differential. However, Syndergaard might be the ideal acquisition for San Diego.
Syndergaard has two more years of arbitration before he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2022, making him the kind of controllable asset that the Padres would covet given the strength of their farm system.
San Diego would undoubtedly have to give up a pair of top prospects to have a realistic chance at prying Syndergaard away from New York, but they have already shown that they would at least consider shopping the likes of Luis Urias.
The Padres arguably have the deepest farm system in baseball, though their rotation has been somewhat lackluster. However, Chris Paddack has been one of the best young pitchers in the game this season, and MacKenzie Gore continues to make strides towards reaching the bigs.
Potentially adding Noah Syndergaard to that young and talented group would evoke visions of a dominant rotation in San Diego. Whether or not the Padres are willing to plunge into their prospect pool to get a deal done, however, remains to be seen.
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