Word spread Saturday that the San Diego Padres were hot for free-agent pitcher James Shields, who reportedly has the team's final offer in hand.
Either Sunday or Monday, the rebuilding Padres should know whether the last elite free agent of 2015 will grace their rotation.
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Shields, 33, reportedly was mulling a contract for $100 million over five years. If that's the case, it would be a precedent for free-agent payouts. According to Fox Sports, no free-agent pitcher has signed a contract in excess of $50 million after Feb. 1 of a given year. Other reports pegged the offer at $80 million over four years.
It appeared Saturday the Chicago Cubs were also hot for Shields. The Miami Marlins also were eager to sign Shields.
If he signs with the Padres, Shields will anchor their rotation while pitching at home — he is from the San Diego area.
Shields helped the Kansas City Royals reach the World Series last season, but he rejected their one-year, $15.3 million qualifying offer and entered the free-agent market.
It's that offer that created problems for teams seeking Shields' services. If the Padres accomplish signing Shields, they will owe the Royals a first-round pick in this summer's amateur draft. Few teams are willing to surrender such a selection, although high draft selection doesn't guarantee a prospect's success.
Another caveat for teams: Shields had a heavy workload in recent years, and his desire for a long-term contract sparks concern about possible physical problems because of his toil. No pitcher threw more innings over the past eight seasons.
And remember, Shields has never pitched in the National League. He was drafted and developed by the Tampa Bay Rays before joining the Royals.
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Still, Shields would have been a top-two starter for most any team seeking rotation help. He was 14-8 last season in 34 starts, with a 3.21 earned-run average and 180 strikeouts in 227 innings.
The final wait is under way. Dennis Lin, beat man for the Union-Tribune, reported Sunday a Shields decision is expected within 36 hours.
Under new general manager A.J. Preller, the Padres made significant offseason moves to bolster their offense. Shields would be the biggest free-agent pitching pickup in team history. They signed reliever Joaquin Benoit last season to a two-year, $15.5 million deal. Before that, the team snagged future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux for a year at $10 million.
Even though Shields wasn't great in the postseason, his Royals' run into Game 7 of the World Series didn't hurt his bargaining power much.
In an evaluation, SN's Ryan Fagan reported Shields was expected to get a deal in the $100 million range. His "ace" days are behind him, Fagan noted, but Shields shows the consistency that would make him a valuable overpaid No. 3 guy on the right staff.
Apparently, the Padres want him to be more.