The San Diego Padres have had a big offseason, signing stars such as Xander Bogaerts and Matt Carpenter to boost the offense and veteran right-hander Seth Lugo to bolster the bullpen.
But they’re not just yet.
The Padres and the Miami Marlins are said to be two of the teams that are in the market for veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto.
Cueto had a bounce-back season with the Chicago White Sox in 2022, going 8-10 and posting an ERA of 3.35 in 25 appearances, 24 of which were starts.
On Twitter, a Padres fan posted a side-by-side comparison of crowds at both Petco Park and loanDepot park, tagging Cueto and telling him to “choose wisely.”
Choose wisely @JohnnyCueto pic.twitter.com/0GuqRia1SN
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) January 6, 2023
San Diego obviously has quite a bit more to offer than Miami at the moment.
The Marlins have only reached the postseason once since their 2003 World Series title, and that was in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
The Padres have been on the rise over the past several years, reaching the postseason in 2020 and in 2022.
Last season, they won 89 games, captured the second National League Wild Card, and reached the NLCS, all while not having Fernando Tatis Jr., who was out with a wrist injury and was subsequently suspended just a few games into his rehab assignment.
But when he returns, San Diego will have a lineup that features him, Bogaerts, Carpenter, Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Jake Cronenworth.
The Padres also have a deep pitching staff, with starters such as Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove in their starting rotation.
Adding Cueto to that mix would give the Padres a solid starter to replace the recently departed Mike Clevinger.
NEXT: Fernando Tatis Jr. Begins Road Back From Suspension