By Jordan Long
The San Diego Padres have lost 5 of their past 6 games including last night where they fell 6-5 to the Colorado Rockies. The Padres look to get back on track tonight against Colorado in game 2 of their 3 game set. The Padres decided they need more starting pitching, agreeing to a minor league contract with Jake Arrieta. The financial terms of the contract weren’t announced.
The Padres’ pitching staff has taken a hit in recent weeks. Chris Paddack has been on the injured list since July 31st with an oblique strain. There is no word on when Paddack will be back in the lineup. The Padres had to place Yu Darvish on the 10-day injured list with lower back tightness. The Padres felt it was best to add another arm to the rotation. Arrieta is a veteran who might be able to help this team win.
Arrieta started the year with the Chicago Cubs. This was his second stint with the franchise. His first lasted from 2013 to 2017. Chicago let him go on August 12 after a disappointing year. Arrieta’s record with the Cubs this season was 5-11 with an ERA of 6.88 in 20 starts.
Arrieta had trouble with his command. When a pitch was in the hitters’ zone, it was a base hit or a home run. Arrieta gave up 21 home runs with the Cubs this season. He also walked batters which equaled traffic on the bases. Arrieta walked 39 batters this year, far too many. The Cubs knew they weren’t going to make the playoffs, so cutting him gave Arrieta a chance to be a free agent and sign with a contending team. It was also possible for him to revitalize his season in another city.
The Padres agreed to a contract with him for the rest of the season. This should help their starting rotation. According to ESPN.com, Padres’ Manager Jayce Tingler said, “We need quality innings, we need pitches, we need an opportunity to win games. With all of his experience, everything he’s done, we need some quality innings these last seven weeks and we think he can be part of that solution.”
Arrieta is hoping to help this team win. He has shown in the past he can pitch in big games. Arrieta pitched in 9 playoff games in his career. His record in those games is 5-3 with an ERA of 3.08. He helped the Cubs win the World Series in 2016. The Padres hope that experience can help this team.
The Padres right now sit 1.5 games ahead of the Cardinals for the 2nd Wild Card spot. They still have a chance to make the postseason. Arrieta wants to be part of a winning team. He has his opportunity to keep the Padres in the mix to earn a Wild Card spot and maybe help them make a deep playoff run in October.
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