Richard agreed to an extension Wednesday that will keep him with the Padres through the 2019 season, Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

He would have been a free agent after the season, but the Padres wanted to secure some starting pitching depth, particularly for 2018. The terms of the contract are undisclosed. Richard has a 4.82 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and just 136 strikeouts in 185 innings, so this extension is more about quantity of innings than quality. The Padres are loaded with pitching down on the farm, so Richard should transition to a bullpen role before the end of his contract.