A San Diego Padres team that has been among the most active and impressive over the offseason may yet have one more major acquisition to complete. Free agent pitcher James Shields, who is coming off a season in which he played an integral part of ending the Kansas City Royals 29-year playoff drought, is giving strong consideration to an offer from the Padres.
San Diego is considered to be the front running team to land the star right hander. San Diego has already added Justin Upton, Wil Myers, and Matt Kemp to their roster which should immediately bolster their anemic offense that has been a source of frustration for the past several years.
Shields Could Mean Padre Pennant
Pitching has been the strength of the Padres and Shields would only serve to enhance that team asset. Shields is a nine-year veteran that won 14 games at Kansas City last season with a 3.21 earned run average. Shields has a large capacity for work, as evidenced by his record of having 33 or more starts in each of the past seven seasons. Since 2011, Shields ranks first among all pitchers for innings pitched, 15th for earned run average, and 19th for strikeout to walk ratio.
Hometown Discount?
Shields bought a home in Rancho Santa Fe, just north of downtown San Diego, last year, which could ultimately figure in to a favorable factor for the Padres. Padres general manager A.J. Preller has been given the green light by management to make the deal. The Padres figure to have a team record payroll on Opening Day.
Irony Awaits
Shields arrived at Kansas City from the Tampa Bay Rays in a highly controversial trade for Myers. Now Myers could well be teammates with Shields on a Padres team that looks loaded for upside.
“They would be getting a workhorse, an established big league pitcher,” Myers said of Shields. “He’s been a leader on both teams he’s been on. I’ve only heard good things about him. I would be excited to get him. He’s a great pitcher.”
Padres Fever Sweeps San Diego
San Diego has long had a laid back attitude about the Padres and understandably so. With so many outdoor activity options available, watching sub .500 baseball lacks far behind in appeal. But with the aggressive offseason moves by Preller, there is a level of excitement and expectation that has swept the city that compares to 1984, when Steve Garvey arrived from the Los Angeles Dodgers to help lead San Diego to a National League pennant.
