James Shields is the newest addition to the San Diego Padres in what has been at a very active offseason for the Padres. The contract is the largest in Padres history, according to ESPN Stats & Info, and is a four-year deal that will pay Shields $75 million.
Shields is coming off a 14-8 season, and the Padres will be counting on him to repeat or improve those numbers in 2015.
He will join a rotation primarily consisting of Ian Kennedy and Tyson Ross.
What Shields Brings to the Padres
As the table shows, Shields had an overall better season than Kennedy and Ross. Shields, who was a free agent after finishing two years with the Kansas City Royals, will be crucial to the Padres’ pitching situation this season.
“Big Game James” will provide a more direct pitching option for the Padres. Shields is well-known for being able to throw controlled, accurate fastballs on a consistent basis.
The Padres will hope that Shields’ coming in will ease the pitching load and improve the rest of the rotation.
The most interesting aspect of Shields’ addition to the Padres is that it shows general manager A.J. Preller is focused on improving the Padres in every way.
Before the Shields deal, Preller and the Padres had already created and executed seven trades—bringing in marquee players in outfielders Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers as well as key pieces in catcher Derek Norris and third baseman Will Middlebrooks.
But back to Shields. The addition of Shields provides a balance to the offensive strategy that Preller took in picking up Upton and Company. Shields was a solid, sensible deal, and he makes the Padres a little more well rounded.
In the span of an offseason, Preller and the Padres have become one of the most exciting topics in the MLB, and fan Craig Medeiros and television color analyst Mark Grant are very happy.
What Does this Mean for the Rest of the NL West?
One of the toughest divisions in MLB, the NL West will continue to get tougher for the rest of the division thanks to the addition of Shields.
Shields give the Padres a potential ace and, at the very least, a solid and consistent performer. He will regularly be a difficult opponent for any batting lineup.
Shields is probably the most reliable addition San Diego has made this season, and it’s made quite a few sensible decisions (ahem, Kemp, Upton, Myers, Middlebrooks, Norris).
Shields will be an important part of what will be a highly anticipated season for the Padres, and his performance may be a key factor to see if they can keep up with a tough NL West.
If Shields performs up to expectations, then the Padres could make a serious run at a preferable playoff spot and shake off a period of lackluster seasons. It’ll be exciting to watch.
All stats were found at ESPN.com.
Evan Reier is a first-year journalism major at the University of Alabama and a member of Bleacher Report’s APSM program. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.
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