According to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the San Diego Padres have extended left-hander Clayton Richard on Tuesday, reaching a one-year deal.
Richard has been in the major leagues for eight full seasons, over five of them in San Diego. Coming off of a productive 2016 in which he recorded three wins and a 3.33 ERA with both the Cubs and Padres, a return to San Diego is in Richard’s future.
The free agent will now come back, at least for 2017. Considering the Padres’ thin rotation, Richard will play a key role, possibly even as the Opening Day starter.