Sunday, March 24, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
Next to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres have the most star power in the National League Western Division. They don’t have much depth. If they suffer about two injuries, the Padres will be competing with the Colorado Rockies for last place.
This past offseason, the Padres lost their owner to cancer. Since their television channel went bankrupt, the Padres don’t have much money to spend on improving the team. The Padres traded their superstar Juan Soto to the New York Yankees because they needed to lower their payroll.
Their general manager A.J. Preller didn’t get along with the Padres’ manager Bob Melvin. Melvin went to the San Francisco Giants. Mike Schildt, the new manager, must take over the troubled clubhouse and create a winning culture.
The Padres have eight shortstops playing on their team. Last offseason, the Padres gave shortstop Xander Bogaerts from the Boston Red Sox, but in the 2023 season, injured Bogaerts struggled defensively. This upcoming season, he will play second base. Ha-Seong Kim will play shortstop since he is a superior defensive player.
While Manny Machado recovers from an elbow surgery, he will be their DH. After their four hitters, their lineup appears weak. The opposition can pitch carefully to the Padres’ top lineup and breeze through their bottom. The Padres probably will struggle offensively.
Both Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are coming off arm injuries, and if they stay healthy, the Padres’ starting rotation will be satisfactory. If not, their rotation will be in trouble. Their bullpen lost Josh Hader, so it appears to be ordinary.
If everything goes the Padres’ way, they will compete for the National League Wild Card. If not, they will be sitting at home in October.
