The San Diego Padres have made the headlines since they are one of the teams in hot pursuit of Bryce Harper and some of the top names such as Manny Machado. Another top MLB free agent name has been added to that list: Gio Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, a 33-year-old left-handed pitcher, could blend in well with the Padres. He would bring in the experience needed to a core which could potentially be composed of pitchers aged 28 and below. To his credit, Gonzalez has pitched effectively at Petco Park, with a .592 opponents' OPS in five starts, according to the Bleacher Report.

Looking beyond the statistics, Gonzalez is also managed by the same agent as Harper, Scott Boras. Could this factor in on the Padres' pursuit of Harper?

That is a possibility, but there may be a light risk if San Diego does sign Gonzalez. He did not exactly have a great 2018. He went 10-11 with a 4.21 ERA for the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers. All this happened after leading the National League with 79 walks in 2017.

A change of scenery could place Gonzalez back on track, aided by the fact that he has found success over at Petco Park. Gonzalez has pitched effectively at Petco Park, with a .592 opponents' OPS in five starts.

If the Padres are bent on getting Gonzalez, they may want to act fast. The New York Mets are another team interested in the left-handed pitcher and are looking for an upgrade in their in-house rotation, MLB Trade Rumors reported.

Acquiring Gonzales may appear as an upgrade over Jason Vargas, someone the Mets owe $8 million this season. The Mets rotation is talented, with the likes of Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, although most of them spent more time on the disabled list.

Gio Gonzales
Gio Gonzales can add veteran experience to the San Diego Padres bullpen. Pitcher Gio Gonzalez #47 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the first inning of Game Four of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images/Harry How

As for Harper, it remains to be seen if he agrees to join the Padres. With the Los Angeles Dodgers opting to sign A.J. Pollock instead, Harper could end up in San Diego and play close to home, MLB.com reported. Harper is a native and resident of Las Vegas making San Diego probably his best option.

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