Padres Listed as 'Potential Landing Spot' for Orioles $13 Million Starter
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The San Diego Padres know they need to add pitching if they want to secure a playoff spot in a crowded National League wild card race.
General manager A.J. Preller won't think twice about getting a player he believes will help the team late in the season. CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson lists Baltimore Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano as someone who could land with the Padres.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 27: Tomoyuki Sugano #19 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 27, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland....
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 27: Tomoyuki Sugano #19 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 27, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. More"Sugano isn't for everyone," wrote Anderson. "As of this writing (Sunday), he has more starts with two or fewer strikeouts than starts with five-plus punchouts. He's also 35 and an impending free agent, limiting his long-term value. Nonetheless, Sugano has excelled at managing contact behind his pinpoint command over a broad arsenal. If the Orioles sell, he should find a home near the back of someone's rotation."
In a league that has adopted the strikeout-or-bust mentality for a lot of pitchers, Sugano is a blast from the past with a pitch-to-contact philosophy. His work isn't pretty, but he finds a way to get outs.
And that's all any general manager cares about at the end of the day.
Through 16 starts this year, Sugano has a 4.06 ERA, a number that ballooned as a result of giving up seven runs to the Tampa Bay Rays. Outside of that poor performance, he's conceded three earned runs or fewer in 14 of his other 15 starts this year for the Orioles.
For a Padres rotation that has as many injuries as this one does, Sugano would be a great fit as a No. 4 or No. 5 starter. He certainly won't be an ace, and he could even become a long reliever in the playoffs, but he would fit right in for the Padres rotation currently.
San Diego would only be on the hook for the remainder of his $13 million contract before the 35 year old becomes a free agent.
More MLB: Astros Named 'Potential Fit' For $28 Million Orioles Slugger
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