SF Giants division rivals showing signs of vulnerability early in the year

The San Diego Padres rounded out their rotation with veteran hurlers Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez. The SF Giants division rivals normally put together solid starting rotations, but that unit might be vulnerable if they need to lean on either pitcher for an extended period.

SF Giants division rivals showing signs of vulnerability early in the year

The Padres have some good components. Michael King and Nick Pivetta are good enough to anchor a solid rotation. The addition of Griffin Canning could turn into a good value move as well. They expect Joe Musgrove to return from Tommy John surgery, but pitchers rarely regain their pre-surgery form right away.

For the past few years, the Padres' lineup has been headlined by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. More recently, Jackson Merrill has joined the group.

However, the rotation has often been a strength, which is a credit to pitching coach Ruben Niebla. In recent years, the Padres have watched several reliable pitchers depart in free agency. This includes Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Nick Martinez, and Dylan Cease.

San Diego has scaled back on payroll, so they have not had the ability to be aggressive and make an attempt to retain their pitchers. They have been able to bolster the rotation through trades, but that well could be running dry, as their farm system ranks near the bottom of baseball at the moment.

This has forced them to lean more on bargain moves in free agency. In particular, this includes adding Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez to a pair of low-value deals. Buehler's deal was a minor league pact, whereas Márquez received a guaranteed contract.

The Giants have seen a lot of both pitchers over the years. Márquez spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies before joining the Padres in the winter. On the other hand, Buehler pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers before his tenure came to an end after the 2024 season.

Both pitchers have had periods of success in the majors, but that has waned in recent years.
Márquez finished last season with a 6.70 ERA in 26 starts, and Buehler posted a 4.93 ERA in 26 outings split between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Giants lineup tagged Buehler for three runs in four innings on Monday night, and Márquez for four runs in three innings. In both cases, they probably should have put up more offense, but still secured the win. At the end of the day, that is what counts.

The Giants convincingly won the series, even if the lineup struggled again in Wednesday's 7-1 loss. If the Padres need Buehler and Márquez to make 20 starts apiece, they are going to be vulnerable in those matchups. If that turns out to be the case, the Giants will need to take advantage.