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In what’s quickly becoming an offseason of highly intellectual signings, the New York Mets have struck again inking Chris Young to a one-year deal, pending a physical.

Young, a graduate of Princeton, is probable to hold down the back-end of the rotation behind Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, R.A. Dickey and newcomer Chris Capuano. Giving Dillon Gee the opportunity to begin the year as a starter in Triple-A Buffalo or serve as a safety net in the bullpen with an occasional spot-start.

With ace Johan Santana out until at least July recovering from shoulder surgery, the Mets aim is to bring in as many low-risk/high-reward starters as possible, and Young is the epitome of this philosophy.

After undergoing a shoulder surgery of his own in 2009, Young has only managed 36 starts in the past three seasons, three of those coming this past September when he limited the opposition to two runs on nine hits in 14 innings with the San Diego Padres.

“C.Y. proved at the end of the season how valuable a pitcher he can be when he is healthy,” Padres skipper Bud Black told the San Diego Union-Tribune at the conclusion of last season.

And it’s that value that the Mets hope Young can bring to a team with more than enough questions marks heading into the 2011 season.

History has shown how pitchers a few years removed from surgery can make it back to the big leagues with a splash.

The Mets and their fans should remain hopeful that Chris Young will revert back to his 2005-2007 days before surgery, in which he started 30 or more games per season, achieved a 7.4/9 inning hit ratio and K’d 468 batters in that three year span.

Using the vast dimensions of Citi Field to their advantage, Mets execs are able to lure pitchers with previous arm issues to come play for them and prove they have recovered, and this seems to be the case here.

Not to mention Young’s signing reunited him with his former bosses in the Padres system, GM Sandy Alderson and Paul DePodesta, overall creating a great situation for the Mets and the Flushing Faithful.

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With Cliff Lee bleeding Philly red, serving the needs of his family and Phanatics, what free agents remaining could possibly take a team into playoff contention?  Adrian Beltre appears to be ready to sign with the Texas Rangers, does that return the Rangers to the playoffs or World Series?  Here are eight remaining free agents could be the missing pieces in the postseason jigsaw puzzle for certain teams. 

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So far this off-season the Mets have been somewhat quiet only bringing in Boof Bonser, Ronny Paulino and D.J. Carrasco.  Bonser can be a solid spot-starter for the Mets while Paulino will be a nice addition to have behind the plate to backup Josh Thole.  Carrasco is who I feel to be the Mets’ best pickup so far.  Carrasco will be a great addition to a bullpen that has lost the likes of Pedro Feliciano.

The problem with the Mets this off-season is that they have not yet filled a role that is vital, the fifth spot in the rotation.  Sandy Alderson has said the he does not expect the Mets to make any moves until the new year but this spot is something that needs to be filled quickly.  Yesterday, the Mets lost their shot at getting Brandon Webb who signed with the Rangers.  This just goes to show a fifth starter must be chosen soon.

There are several candidates that could fill this role for the Mets, may it be Chris Young, other free agents, or some guys who are already on the team.

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According to ESPN and the New York Post, the New York Mets are deep in talks with hurler Chris Young.

While Buster Olney says the Mets are “closing in on a deal” for the 31-year-old former All-Star, the Post is reporting that they are “not close” to signing the lanky right-hander.

I can understand why some people consider him a relatively cheap short term option; I just don’t see too much value in going after him.

His price tag is way too high for someone who will enter the season as an almost unknown quantity and the risk outweighs the reward.

Nobody knows just how his surgically repaired right shoulder will hold up under the rigors of a 150-inning campaign, and even if he does have a clean bill of health, the fact remains that he’s not really been a solid pitcher since 2007.

His velocity was down when he did pitch in four games in 2010 and, coupled with a highly restrictive budget, it just doesn’t make sense to blow it all on one aging guy who may or may not contribute much in the coming season.

The Padres, who paid him $11 million for the last two years, had a pretty simple decision to make in not picking up his hefty $8.5 million option for 2011 and the Mets should give him a wide berth, too.

I know the pitching rotation is in a state of flux with Johan Santana starting the year on the DL, but the team has holes all over the place, most notably in the bullpen now that Pedro Feliciano has declined arbitration.

Depending on who you believe, the Mets have anywhere from $5 to $10 million in the budget this year. They played a risky—but probably worthwhile—game in their dealings with Feliciano this past week, and they would be advised to pass on Young.

In short, Young isn’t the same pitcher—injury or not—that posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins. His strikeouts have been on the decline since 2007, his command has slowly worsened and hitters are doing a much better job of putting the ball in play. Young doesn’t have the stuff to make hitters scared and because of his declining skill set, they can wait on pitches in the zone and drive them hard somewhere.

The trend over the last three years that he was healthy is that a) batters are swinging at fewer pitches and b) making better contact with the pitches they do swing it. Young has no deception and no ability to blow guys away. It’s all fastball-slider and neither pitch can be considered a “plus” offering any more.

Fans tend to remember the 6’10” Young as the San Diego All-Star who consistently tossed low-90s fastballs on the black. The reality is he’s a mid-80s guy whose best days are behind him.

New York has the luxury of pitching in a pitchers’ park, so Young may very well be able to post a sub 3.75 ERA there. With the price and risk, though, it’s better to look for cheaper options elsewhere.

2011 is not the year to be inheriting risky arms with inflated contracts.

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According to MLB Trade Rumors the Mets are are pursuing starting pitcher Chris Young (formerly of the San Diego Padres).  The deal will in all likelihood be for one year, laden with incentives. The Mets are looking to add depth to a rotation which will not feature Johan Santana for a good chunk of the year.  Right now the Mets starting rotation features R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey and Jon Niese.  

In the past, Chris Young has been a dominant pitcher posting an ERA under 4.00 from 2006-08.  His career, however, has been marred by injuries for the last three years.  Last year, Young pitched in only four games, and it is very unlikely that he will pitch more than 20 for the Mets.  Taking injury into account  this is still a great move for the Mets because they add another starting pitcher with limited funds that could win 10-15 games.  Adding Young to the Mets is a very low-risk high-reward deal which could alleviate the stress that will be put on Dickey, Pelfrey and Niese in the 2011 season.  This deal also shows that Alderson is willing to keep true to his word.  

Alderson has already said this offseason that he would not make any drastic changes to the Mets roster, which will shed over 40 million dollars by losing Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran and Luis Castillo.  By not signing any large/bloated contracts this offseason, the Mets are looking to a future where this team is built through the draft and will be able to be a legitimate contender in the NL East for years to come.  Mets fans might have to sacrifice this season as another average year, but the future looks bright in Flushing.       

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One more.

That’s all the San Diego Padres can afford before their off season officially begins a lot sooner than they thought it would.

Looking back to the end of August, the Padres had what most would consider a big lead in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants. Fast forward one month, and not only is their lead gone but the deficit has reached its breaking point after losing 22 of their last 34 games.

They face the Giants on Friday night in what will be a three game set in San Francisco. The situation has gotten so bleak for San Diego that they not only need to sweep the three-game set, but they need the Philadelphia Phillies to sweep the Atlanta Braves over the next three days. Something that’s not likely to happen, especially with the Phillies having already wrapped up the National League’s Eastern Division.

Whether that loss comes tonight, Saturday, or Sunday, the Padres front office knows that there are decisions that will need to be made to improve this team for the 2011 season to keep this kind of collapse from happening again.

Sure they’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations, but you won’t be remembered for how you played the first five months of the season, you’ll be remembered for how you finished. The Padres couldn’t do that, and they could be watching October baseball from home.

With that in mind, here are some issues facing the front office, and where I think the Padres will go with each one.

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Last Night Rewind

• The limited slate of games last night did yield some solid performances from the Giants, who took over first place last night. Jonathan Sanchez struck out 12 in seven innings of work yesterday while allowing only one run on four hits. Better still, after walking seven in his last outing he did not walk a batter in last night’s game.
• Rodrigo Lopez has been up and down over the better part of the season, but he has looked solid in September. In his three starts, he has surrendered six runs in 19.1 innings of work and given up only just one home run. Lopez worked seven innings last night in getting the win over the Reds. He is a matchup play, but one that may be intriguing in the final weeks.
• In what has to be considered an interesting move at best, Chris Young will get the start for the Padres this weekend. Young will return from the DL after having surgery on his shoulder in August of last year. Young pitched well in his rehab outing last weekend, and the Padres are looking for any shot in the arm that they can get right now.
• Delmon Young had himself a strong game last night, recording three hits in five at-bats, while adding a home run and a couple RBI. His three hits helped raise his average up over .300 and the home run was his 18th of the year. This is also a guy that now has more than 100 RBI on the season. Not bad for a guys with an ADP over 200!
• Nyjer Morgan, unfortunately, had his suspension reduced to just one eight-game set. Morgan showed consistent immaturity in gaining those suspensions, and it is somewhat unfortunate that they made the move. Fantasy owners will likely lose him for the first part of the finals, and probably already have better and more reliable options available. More just an FYI.

Friday Notes

• A.J. Burnett is 2-2 against Baltimore this season, and the 2.48 ERA is one of his better numbers against any team this season. He took the loss against them the last time out, giving up four runs in seven innings. Brian Roberts has the best numbers against him, posting a .326 average. Only Adam Jones at .242 comes across as a player that you would normally start that could be avoided.
• The Yankees have killed Kevin Millwood this season. Millwood has gone 0-2 in three starts with a 7.56 ERA against them. In 16.2 innings against them, he has given up 25 hits and 14 runs, along with five home runs in those outings. Jorge Posada’s 5-for-21 is the only number to leave behind.
• The Blue Jays have a .312 average against John Lackey this season, and Lackey has ended up with a 7.71 ERA as a result. Adam Lind and Fred Lewis have put up the best numbers, with both hitting better than .450. Aaron Hill is only 3-for-21 and Vernon Wells is just 6-for-29.
• If there is a team that you want to avoid Felix Hernandez against, it would be the Rangers. Hernandez is 0-3 in four starts against them, putting up a 6.38, ERA and allowing four home runs in 24 innings of work. Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton are both below .200 against Hernandez, but the rest of the lineup has solid numbers.
• Jose Lopez is 10-for-18 against C.J. Wilson, but he has the best numbers against the Texas starter. Chone Figgins is 5-for-19, while Ichiro Suzuki is only 6-for-23. Wilson, after winning four straight starts, has given up 10 runs in his last 8.1 innings of work.
• Randy Wolf has solid numbers against the bulk of the Giants lineup. Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe have the best numbers against him and both are only hitting .273. There is no single player on the Giants with an average north of that.
• Hiroki Kuroda is 0-1 in three starts against the Rockies, posting an ERA over 6.00 in those starts. Troy Tulowitzki is just 3-for-16 while Todd Helton is only 1-for-10 against him. The rest of Kuroda’s numbers thoguh are ugly against them. Keep him down if you can.
• While Wandy Rodriguez has struggled this season against the Reds, giving up eight runs in 10.1 innings against them, he has been lights out at home. He has posted a 2.71 ERA at home with allowing batters to hit just .210 against him. Jay Bruce is only 1-for-17 against him, and Brandon Phillips checks in at .219 against him. The rest of the lineup is solid.
• Weird to think that Kyle Davies may be a good option tonight. Davies is 2-0 this month, giving up two runs in 12 innings of work. Asdrubal Cabrera has decent numbers, going 5-for-15 against him, but Travis Hafner is 1-for-9, and Shin-Soo Choo is only 2-for-13. In a tight position, look to Davies. He has upside here.
• Spot Start: Davies, Bumgarner, Kennedy

Weekend Notes

• Riding the Jeremy Guthrie train has been fun, but he has been killed by the Yankees this season. In two starts, he has given up 12 hits and 10 runs in 11.2 innings pitched. While going 6-2 over his last eight starts is good, the numbers here do not add up. Start your Yankees and avoid him here. Avoid the 1-for-18 of Mark Teixeira, but Nick Swisher is a .542 hitter against him.
• Vernon Wells has five home runs in 35 at-bats against Josh Beckett, and Aaron Hill is hitting far better than .400 against him. Lyle Overbay and Adam Lind are both solid producers as well. Only the catching tandem of Jose Molina and John Buck should be benched.
• Tim Hudson has pitched well against the Mets this season, going 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his starts. In 20 innings, he has allowed only 18 hits and one home run. Carlos Beltran has hit .373 against him, but he is the only true regular hitting over .300 against Hudson. Might see Angel Pagan here, as he is 6-for-12 against Hudson.
• Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence, and Michael Bourn are all hitting better than .300 against Bronson Arroyo. Pence is the big winner, checking in at .370 in his at-bats. Arroyo finally got a win in his last start after losing three straight. He has been solid on the road, going 9-5 with a 3.89 ERA. Despite the numbers of these three, a good spot start.
• John Danks has allowed only two earned runs in 13 innings against the Tigers this year. No great numbers for the Tigers against him either. Jhonny Peralta is at .226, while Brandon Inge is at .238. Ryan Raburn is only 3-for-16 against Danks. Look to avoid your Tigers where you can in this one.
• Andy Pettitte will take the mound after successful rehab starts. Pettitte was pitching very well prior to the injury, and will draw the Orioles, a team he has fared well against historically. Owners looking for the pick-me-up should grab him for the start.
• Jon Lester goes into his start against Toronto with a 6.60 ERA against them this season. When you peel back the one bad start of nine runs in two innings, the numbers are much better. Lester is 6-1 in his last seven starts and has a 3.60 ERA for the month.
• Clayton Kershaw goes in to Sunday’s start against the Rockies with a 3-0 record against them this season. He has struck out 30 while allowing just three runs in 26 innings. Tulowitzki has struggled, hitting only .192 in 26 at-bats and even Carlos Gonzalez is only 1-for-9. Only Dexter Fowler at .353 cracks the .275 mark against the lefty starter. Avoid your Rockies where possible.
• Spot Starts: Figueroa, Sanchez, Vargas, D. Hudson, Niemann

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The San Diego Padres are four games up on the San Francisco Giants in the National League’s Western Division and they’re doing it all without second baseman David Eckstein and right-hander Chris Young.

So far, the Padres have been able to stem the tide without Eckstein and have pitched better than most thought without their ace. Just when it looked like they might be without both players until deep into September, they might get both back sooner than anyone thought.

Eckstein is headed to Fort Wayne, IN to play a few rehab games with the Padres’ Single-A affiliate. He told Corey Brock of MLB.com that he’s not so much worried about how he swings the bat but how his calf holds up going full speed. If he feels good, the Padres should have him back sometime next week.

As for Chris Young, he has started to work his way back and threw his fifth bullpen session on Monday while the team is in Chicago to face the Cubs. He is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday and could be back with the Padres by early September.

The big 6’10” right-hander hasn’t pitched since he went on the disabled list after his first start of the year back in April. The team has done just fine without him, having young pitchers like Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc along with veterans Jon Garland and Kevin Correia. However, getting Chris Young back would be a definite boost for this team especially in the final month of the regular season and the NL West division on the line.

The biggest question is, if Young is able to return, where do you put him?

You can’t shut down Mat Latos for the year because the Padres will need him, especially if the division lead is within two or three games. if Kevin Correia is struggling in the rotation, you could move him to the bullpen, but he’s been a workhorse for the Padres for the last two seasons with Young spending most of that time on the disabled list.

That leads me to this conclusion. Put Young in the bullpen. Not only do you put less stress on his arm but it strengthens an already outstanding bullpen.

You have guy like Latos starting who’s able to go at least six to seven innings, then having to face Young out of the bullpen followed by Mike Adams and Heath Bell would be as automatic as they come.

Not only that, but you can use him in long relief as well.

If Young proves that he’s ready to go, you can’t tell him no, especially if team doctor’s clear him. The Padres hold a $6.5 million option on him for next season which is unlikely to be picked up after spending most of the last two seasons on the bench with injuries.

There’s no question that this will be a difficult decision for the Padres when he’s ready to return. However, bringing him back when the rosters expand on September 1st gives the team an opportunity to do so without having to demote or release anyone.

The Padres, without Chris Young, have done just fine to this point. Getting him back into the fold makes this team that much stronger and even they can’t deny that.

Young’s simulated game this coming Thursday should be even more telling than his bullpen sessions on just how healthy he is. If he shows no signs of the injury or any weakness at all, then they have yet another dominate pitcher they can bring into the fold. It would be just like getting a starter off waivers except they wouldn’t have to give anything up to get him.

They need to be a solid challenger in the National League and they need to be able to hold the current lead in the division. To do both, they need a guy like this to be able to solidify themselves as NLCS contenders.

To see Young’s true potential and what he’s already brought to the Padres, take a look at his numbers from the 2006 to the 2008 season.

Through those three seasons, Young started 79 games for the Padres, with a combined record of 27-19 and finished with an ERA of below 4.00 in all three seasons. His best finish was in 2007 when he finished with a 3.12 ERA and was a Cy Young candidate for the majority of that season, though he never would have won it with a 9-8 record and pitching for a mediocre Padre team.

Over the last two seasons, he’s made just 15 starts with 14 of those coming in 2009. It’s not how Young saw things going and it’s not the way he would want to end his time in San Diego having not helped the team on the field.

But, that’s the life of a pitcher. They go through every start wanting to give their best effort, even if they’re not feeling 100 percent.

Watching from the dugout each and every day, wanting to be up on the mound helping his team win and being unable to has to be the worst feeling. Seeing his team in first place, fighting for every win and getting victories they weren’t getting last year has made the guy from Princeton fight that much harder to get back and do everything he can to help this team get to their ultimate goal. The World Series.

The San Diego Padres are as good, if not better, than the team that made it to the series in 1998. They’re winning games they should win, they’re getting good pitching, and timely hitting. It’s all adding up to one of the more probable runs they’ve had in 12 years.

The season doesn’t hang on the return of Chris Young, but having him at full strength and able to be a sixth starter gives Bud Black yet another weapon in his already deep arsenal.

He wants to start, he wants the ball just like the other starters in the rotation. But the Padres need him in the bullpen. They need another shutdown arm. Another guy that can stop another team’s rally in its tracks.

They may only get one shot at the World Series and this may be their best opportunity. Putting the right pieces in the right place is absolutely key. If Young is the team player I believe he is, he’ll go where the team needs him and he’ll do anything it takes to help the team win.

So, he’ll take a seat right next to Heath Bell and he’ll wait for the bullpen phone to ring. He’ll get up, start to warm up. His number will be called and he’ll enter Petco Park to the biggest roar since Trevor Hoffman’s theme song “Hells Bells” echoed through downtown San Diego.

His time is coming. There’s no need to rush it but when he’s ready and 100 percent, the Padres will welcome him back. They need him as much as he needs them.

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With just over a month to go before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, the San Diego Padres and general manager Jed Hoyer know that there is work still to be done.

He knows that the team must make a trade for an outfielder, or just a productive bat, for this team to stay ahead in the NL West and make some noise in the playoffs. What he’s not going to do is show his cards, regardless of how many time fans want to know what he’s planning on doing.

If you live in the San Diego area, you might have heard Darren Smith on 1090 AM in San Diego interview Hoyer on several occasions. What remains humorous to me is how many times fans want to know who he’s going after.

Just so we’re clear on this Padres fans, Hoyer is not going to come out and tell you who he’s going after because you know as well as I do that other teams will find that quote and make sure he doesn’t get the players he’s after.

So that being said, let’s get to the speculation about who Hoyer could or could not be looking at, including players that may be on their way out of San Diego.

Adrian Gonzalez

I’m not going keep this short and sweet. With the Padres currently leading the division over both the Giants and the Dodgers, you can pretty much guarantee that Adrian Gonzalez is going to be with the team through the rest of this season.

What happens after the 2010 season concludes is another question that won’t be answered until possibly late November or early December. But as of right now, Adrian isn’t going anywhere.

Heath Bell

Heath Bell only has a month left in a Padre uniform. Yes, Padre fans, you heard me right. Bell will be the first one on the move because if you want to get that bat you covet so much, you need to give something to get something. The only player that will land you the bat you need is the current Padres’ closer.

Don’t get all excited on me and start to freak out about who’s going to be the team’s new closer if Bell is shipped elsewhere. Mike Adams and the rest of the Padres’ bullpen cast, have done a phenomenal job out of the bullpen and can handle the closing duties just fine.

While Adams seems to be the odds on favorite to take over the role, the Padres could do a closer by committee until they find the right guy for the job and still be just fine.

Austin Kearns

This is one name that’s been thrown around in the rumors as of late. Though he’s having quite a year in Cleveland, hitting .283 with seven home runs and driving in 32, he’s only hitting .217 (10/46) against National League clubs this season.

You have to wonder, with those kind of numbers can he be a productive hitter in Petco Park, a by now infamous pitcher’s park?

David DeJesus

David DeJesus is another outfielder that is getting a lot of run in the rumor sheets over the past few weeks. Although the Padres might have interest in him, so do the Giants, Angels, and Dodgers so the Padres are definitely not alone in their possible chase.

But, one snag in landing the Royals outfielder is Kansas City is in no way obligated to trade him for one reason. His $6 million price tag for next season isn’t exactly “expensive” for the team to handle.

Josh Hamilton

Ok, I will admit that this is probably a complete long shot but I’ll take a stab at it anyway.

The Rangers are currently going through bankruptcy hearings and after a judge’s ruling yesterday, it seems unlikely at this point that the team can continue their chase of either Houston’s Roy Oswalt or Seattle’s Cliff Lee.

That being said, the Padres and Rangers are no strangers to each other when it comes to being trade partners. Let’s not forget, it was the Rangers that gave the Padres a nicely wrapped Christmas gift in the form of Gonzalez and Chris Young.

So what’s stopping the Padres from possibly dangling Bell and a mid-level prospect or two in front of Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and asking what it would take to pry Josh Hamilton away from them?

Again, I understand that this a slim to none possibility, but it’s worth a phone call from Hoyer, don’t you agree?

Coco Crisp

Back in December of last year, the Padres flirted with the idea of signing Coco Crisp to a one-year deal and even came close to an agreement. However, according to reports, Crisp backed out and instead signed a two-year deal with the Oakland A’s.

Well, seems karma has intervened and the A’s could be looking to either deal or trade Crisp at the deadline. Though his $5.75 million option for next season isn’t exactly expensive for the A’s to exercise, his lack of on the field time due to injury is motivation enough to find a trade partner.

While the Padres may have flirted with him about seven months ago, don’t expect those flirtations to pick back up again this time around.

Xavier Nady

Padres fans will know this name well as Xavier Nady has all ready had a stint with the Padres from 2003 to 2005 before being traded to the New York Mets for, yes you guessed it, Heath Bell.

Now, with the Cubs ready to deal certain pieces of their roster, Nady could be a player that the Padres could have for cheap. I’m not against it as I’ve been a fan of his while he was in San Diego. It was unfortunate that Nady never really got a shot to show what he could do, but maybe another shot shouldn’t really be out of the question.

He’s a cheap option and won’t cost the Padres more than a possible low to mid-level prospect. He’s currently hitting .262 with four home runs through 49 games with the Cubs.

Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan

Three players that could become available if the Washington Nationals slide any further away from the top of the NL East are Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, and Nyjer Morgan.

However, the Nationals don’t seem quite ready to become sellers just yet, especially with their new ticket seller, Stephen Strasburg.

The team has been in talks with Dunn about a two-year extension since spring training but the two sides haven’t agreed on a deal as of yet. They’ve had ample opportunities to deal Willingham over the last year and change but seem unwilling to do just that, so where does that leave Morgan?

All three of these players, especially Willingham and Morgan, are going to get interest from teams looking for an outfielder but the way things look at this point, the Nationals seem just fine hanging on to them.

Cody Ross

According to Marlins’ beat writer Joe Frisaro, the Marlins are looking for relief help. Really? You don’t say?

With the Padres having a plethora of pitching out of the bullpen, and with their apparent willingness to deal Bell, why not look at guy like outfielder Cody Ross?

He’s currently hitting .287 with six home runs and 41 runs driven in. He could be the kind of player that the Padres would be looking for.

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The San Diego Padres are not only in first place in the National League West at 31-20, but they also have the best record in the National League by a full game over the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s not exactly where most people and experts thought they would be at this point in the season. Yet, the Padres have gone from potential cellar dwellers and “sellers” at the trade deadline to buyers and possibly being able to take on salary above their $38 million payroll.

They’ve gotten great pitching from young starters like Mat Latos and Clayton Richard, as well as solid veteran pitching from Jon Garland and Kevin Correia.

But what if you could add one more arm that might solidify the rotation and turn this team from a “contender” to outright favorite to win not only the division, but the National League?

I’m talking, of course, about Detroit Tigers’ left-hander Dontrelle Willis who was designated for assignment a few days ago. Signing Willis wouldn’t be expensive either. In fact, they could sign him to a minor league deal and not have to trade any of their players away to get him.

That is, if the Tigers don’t trade him to another team first.

The Arizona Diamondbacks already have interest in him, but I can’t see Willis going to a team that’s already 11.5 games back in the NL West. He has said that he would prefer to play in the National League and for a team out west.

Hearing that, I would narrow his choices to three teams: The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and the aforementioned Padres.

At this point, I can’t see the Giants signing Willis on top of already having Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez.

The Dodgers might be a candidate to add Willis to a rotation that already boasts Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda. The once-dominant left-hander could definitely give the Dodgers a boost.

What might keep the Padres from bringing Willis on board is already having a set rotation with Garland, Correia, Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc. What do you do with Willis if, in fact, you do sign him, and who becomes the odd man out?

The other question becomes, what happens when Chris Young comes off the disabled list? If Dontrelle doesn’t mind coming out of the bullpen, I’d add him in a heartbeat. But I doubt he’d be open to that.

As it stands now, the only thing we do know is that Dontrelle wants to be back in the National League and he wants to play for a team on the west coast. That being said, we saw how things worked out for John Smoltz when he left Boston for St. Louis and when Brad Penny also left Boston for San Francisco.

Could Willis become the dominant pitcher he was in Florida by returning to the National League? He still has a lot left to offer a team, so whoever signs him is taking a risk that could pay off huge.

As it stands now, and if you’re asking me, I believe the Padres could be the biggest benefactor by adding Dontrelle, especially for a fly ball pitcher in a ballpark where fly balls go to die.

He could definitely help them pull away from the rest of the pack and be a contender come playoff time.

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