Two years ago, Edwin Jackson arrived in San Diego as a midseason injection for a rotation that needed innings more than anything else. The task at hand was similar when Clayton Richard followed Jackson through Petco Park’s clubhouse doors later that summer, returned to the organization the following winter and signed a two-year extension last summer. Other additions to an innings-starved rotation in the Andy Green era include a diminished Jered Weaver’s first foray into free agency, rebound projects in Jhoulys Chacin and Trevor Cahill and Tyson Ross’ return on a minor league deal.

As often as the Padres think outside the box, General Manager A.J. Preller is sure to dig up an upside play or two (think Bryan Mitchell) for a rotation that ranks last in the NL in ERA. His farm system’s coming of age, however, could significantly push the acquisition targets the organization considers this offseason to another level.

“That probably does change who we look at in the offseason,” Padres manager Andy Green said entering the final weekend of the season. “We have a long list of guys that we believe in and want to look at in due time and if we feel there’s a veteran anchor at the top of the rotation I’m sure A.J. will explore that.”

Already has, actually.


But upside prospects Chris Paddack and Luis Patino were a no-go when the Rays considered moving right-hander Chris Archer to San Diego in July.

Both join MacKenzie Gore, Adrian Morejon and Michel Baez as the leading candidates to provide the Padres with homegrown, top-of-the-rotation arms for the forthcoming push to contend.

The quest to fill out that rotation with in-house talent is also well underway as the Padres, by the end of the season Sunday, will have handed 67 of their 162 starts to rookies, third most in the majors behind the Marlins (71) and Rays (70).

Rookies accounted for only 27 starts last year, one fewer than left-hander Joey Lucchesi will have made after Sunday’s season finale against Arizona.


His trio of nine-strikeout efforts as well as near shutout bids from Eric Lauer and Jacob Nix are among the highlights in this discovery season. Similar opportunities await the likes of Logan Allen and Cal Quantrill as the Padres draw up spring competition depth chart that looks quite a bit different than having arms like Paul Clement, Jarred Cosart and Zach Lee vie for back-end jobs as they did in Green’s second big league camp.

“We feel like we’ve got guys who have the capacity to pitch in the three-, four-, five-spots in the rotation in the big leagues, that have been here this year, that are young and that are coming,” Green said. “Now it’s can we move those guys toward the front end of the rotation? They haven’t pitched like front-end starters. That wasn’t the expectation of them, but now it’s can we move those guys up to the two-spot in the rotation or if there’s a five, can we move them up to a three-spot?”

Lauer’s strides of late had been especially noteworthy as he was holding hitters to a .134/.256/.239 batting line in four starts off the disabled list before Friday’s final turn.

Nix will be looking to end a four-game slump (9.82) in his final start on Saturday and Lucchesi can put his worst start of the season – seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in LA – behind him with a quality effort Sunday.


The list of 2019 rotation candidates beyond those three include Richard on the last year of his deal, the second year of the Mitchell experiment, Dinelson Lamet off Tommy John surgery around the all-star break, rookie Brett Kennedy, former Rule-5 picks Luis Perdomo and Miguel Diaz and left-handers Matt Strahm and Robbie Erlin. The organization is even considering “bullpenning” games to help bridge a rotation gap that has dipped from 6th in the NL in 2014 (3.55 ERA) to dead-last this year (5.13 ERA).

In other words, Preller, as usual, will leave no stone unturned.

Not even the bigger ones, for a change.

“From a starting pitching standpoint,” Preller said, “we haven’t been good enough. Having some young players that we like that we think are going to grow into being quality starters, that will be a big part of the discussion. Exactly how do we supplement that group? Is it going to come from within or are some of these guys going to really climb a rotation and settle in as front-of-the-rotation guys that you need to win a division or are we going to need to have some guys from outside, from either the trade or free agency front?


“That pursuit really starts on Monday when the season is over.”


Padres Videos × On Now Padres pitcher Chris Paddack on start vs. Mariners and possibility of making rotation On Now Meet the Padres: Ian Kinsler 5:18 On Now Catching up with Padres OF Franmil Reyes 5:18 On Now Meet The Padres: Greg Garcia 5:11 On Now Catching up with Padres reliever Craig Stammen 5:33 On Now Meet the Padres: Logan Allen 6:23 On Now Meet The Padres: Manny Machado 9:08 On Now Meet The Padres: Chris Paddack 5:08 On Now Three things that stood out from Machado's first day with the Padres 1:53 On Now Padres manager Andy Green on Machado joining his roster

jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutSanders