CJ Abrams’ progress, free-agent starting pitching options and more: Padres mailbag – The Athletic

The Padres on Friday added MacKenzie Gore, Eguy Rosario, Steven Wilson and Efran Contreras to their 40-man roster. Those four players are now protected from the Rule 5 draft, but the timing of that draft is unclear. Major League Baseballs collective bargaining agreement expires next week, and a lockout seems inevitable.

As we await clarity on the sports broader issues, lets answer more subscriber questions. Part 1 of the mailbag addressed the Bob Melvin hire and position priorities.

Questions have been edited for clarity.

Other than Marcus Stroman, who are starting pitchers the Padres would realistically target via free agency? And how likely would it be for the Padres to consider signing someone who received a qualifying offer given that theyd lose their second- and fifth-highest draft selections and $1 million from their international bonus pool? Susan C.

Stroman is attractive to teams in part because he was not eligible for a qualifying offer and thus would not require draft-pick compensation. Other free-agent starters in this category include Max Scherzer,

Continued here:

CJ Abrams' progress, free-agent starting pitching options and more: Padres mailbag - The Athletic