San Diego Padres’ pitchers and catchers commenced spring training on Sunday, yet the team still faces two significant gaps in its starting rotation. The departures of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha to the Royals in free agency, coupled with the unlikely re-signing of Cy Young winner Blake Snell, have left notable vacancies.

Together, these three pitchers contributed 460.2 innings, 498 strikeouts, and a collective 2.95 ERA. The primary addition to the rotation this offseason is right-hander Michael King, acquired in the Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees. Consequently, Pedro Avila and Randy Vasquez are projected by FanGraphs to occupy the back end of the starting rotation.

San Diego is in dire need of a southpaw pitcher, and Jordan Montgomery appears to be a fitting option. He is coming off his most productive season in the Majors, achieving career highs in innings pitched (188.2), strikeouts (166), ERA (3.20), ERA+ (138), and WAR (4.3).

Of particular note were his contributions during the Texas Rangers’ postseason campaign, culminating in a World Series victory, where he maintained a stellar 2.90 ERA across 31 innings. One standout performance was his start in the wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Rays, where he threw seven scoreless innings.

However, the Padres might face challenges in acquiring Montgomery due to his anticipated substantial contract. Spotrac estimates his market value at $18.4 million, which could potentially exceed the Friars’ budget.

Eric Lauer, a left-handed pitcher, endured a challenging season last year in Major League Baseball, posting a 6.56 ERA over 46.2 innings with the Brewers. Subsequently, he was demoted to their Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds. Despite facing lower competition in the minors, his performance didn’t see significant improvement, as he recorded a 5.15 ERA.

However, prior to this downturn, Lauer had shown promise with strong showings in 2021 (3.19 ERA in 118.2 innings) and 2022 (3.69 ERA in 158.2 innings). At 28 years old, he still has potential for growth, and his previous successes indicate he could serve as a dependable mid-rotation starter.

Presently, his market value remains uncertain, but given his recent struggles, he could be a more affordable option that San Diego might consider.

Right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen experienced a notable performance shift during the 2023 season. From April 15 to August 9, he excelled as a starting pitcher, maintaining a commendable 3.23 ERA across 122.2 innings pitched over 25 games started, earning him his first career All-Star appearance. However, his effectiveness waned in the final two months of the season. Over his last nine starts, he surrendered 27 earned runs in 30.1 innings, causing his season ERA to rise to 4.18.

There has been considerable speculation surrounding the possibility of Lorenzen joining a new team. On January 29, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Padres have expressed interest in signing Lorenzen.