The San Diego Padres may need to pursue starting pitchers in free agency this offseason. Joe Musgrove suffered a serious arm injury late in the 2024 season, which is expected to keep him out for all of 2025. Additionally, reports indicate that the Padres have been considering offers for Michael King and Dylan Cease.
At a minimum, the Padres will need to replace Musgrove, and there’s a possibility they’ll need to find replacements for one or two other pitchers as well.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently connected the Padres to veteran starting pitcher Max Scherzer, who might be open to signing a team-friendly deal this winter.
“There’s no clear frontrunner for Scherzer yet, as his free agency has been relatively quiet,” Miller noted. “However, the Padres make sense as a fit given their need to replace the injured Joe Musgrove, and they haven’t addressed that need yet this offseason.”
Despite turning 40 last season, Scherzer remains a solid pitcher. Over nine starts in 2024, he posted a 3.95 ERA and an ERA+ of 101. Scherzer has maintained an ERA+ of 100 or better in every season of his career, except for 2011.
When healthy, Scherzer is a reliable arm, and the Padres could greatly benefit from his experience, competitiveness, and winning mentality.
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