Padres Reportedly Interested in Tigers' Ace Matt Boyd
By Michael Luciano
The San Diego Padres are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to find a veteran starting pitcher to compliment their promising young offense.
While they have been poking around Noah Syndergaard of late, they could move for a less heralded yet still effective option in Detroit Tigers starter Matthew Boyd.
Sources: #Padres evaluating Matthew Boyd as possible trade acquisition. #Tigers could ask for Renfroe or Reyes as a key component of deal. Story at @MLB.com: https://t.co/GszCVxr7rS @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 11, 2019
While the Padres might need to move one of their two slugging outfielders in Hunter Renfroe or Franmil Reyes to make this move a possibility, Boyd could finally give a pitching staff waiting on the young prospects to reach the majors some stability.
Boyd is sporting a 6-6 record with a 3.87 ERA on a rebuilding Tigers team. The former top prospect has finally found his strikeout pitch in 2019, with 142 punch-outs in 107 innings. Boyd will be up for arbitration in 2020, so he would be a rental for San Diego.
Highest putaway rate (% of 2 strike pitches resulting in strikeouts):
— Jeremy Frank (@MLBRandomStats) May 9, 2019
36% Matt Barnes
36% Josh Hader
33% Luis Cessa
32% Raisel Iglesias
31% Carlos Carrasco
30% Luis Castillo
30% Kirby Yates
30% Nick Anderson
30% Jared Eickhoff
30% Matthew Boyd
Minimum 75 pitches with 2 strikes
While Syndergaard is more renowned across the league and can uncork a 100 mph fastball at any given moment, Boyd is having a demonstrably better season, and if the experiment doesn't end up working, he'd be gone at the end of the year.