What It Means:

Guthrie is probably done as an effective major league pitcher, but this is at least a good landing spot for him. The Padres don't have much starting pitching depth, so the veteran hurler could eventually get a shot with the big club. He posted a 5.95 ERA last season with the Royals.

In addition to the high ERA, Guthrie posted the worst xFIP (5.11) among pitchers with at 140 innings pitched last season. He's never been a big strikeout guy, but his 12.7 strikeout percentage in 2015 was low, even for him, and was below his career average of 13.9. If nothing else, Guthrie could serve as an innings eater for the Padres, as his 148 1/3 inning pitched last season were his fewest since 2006.