Padres Search for Identity Continues

 


This story is based on the SI article:

"Manny Machado Disappointed in Padres’ Quiet Offseason, Losing Roki Sasaki to Dodgers" (2/1/25) https://www.si.com/mlb/padres/san-diego-padres-news/manny-machado-disappointed-in-padres-quiet-offseason-losing-roki-sasaki-to-dodgers-01jk1h8py0a6

In the 2024 NLDS, the Padres held a 2-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers and all signs pointed to another upset playoff victory en route to a World Series run. But 24 scoreless innings later, the Dodgers came all the way back finishing the series in LA in 5 games. Heartbreak city for the Padres and the city of San Diego. After a 93 win season and 1 win away from an NLCS appearance, the only logical next step was to retool and fix the marginal shortcomings that halted the Padres from finishing the job in '24. That couldn't be further from reality in the '25 offseason as the Padres have not upgraded at any position, are going through an internal struggle for ownership power, and saw the Dodgers sign every free agent with a pulse. How is it that the Dodgers won the World Series and were the most active team on the market? That's a conversation for another day but what we know for sure is that the Padres are much further away from bridging the gap between them and the Dodgers than they were a year ago.

The key piece that sticks out is the lack of transparency from the front office to establish what the Padres motives are for allowing this to transpire. Are the contracts currently owed to Machado, Tatis, Bogaerts, and Cronenworth, completely hindering the franchise financially? Or is the mentality that beloved, late owner Peter Seidler had of spending whatever it took to compete with the Dodgers a distant memory? It seems that the powers at be at Petco Park may have missed the opportunity to capitalize on the current competitive window and are at a crossroads of what they want this franchise to look like going forward. Make no mistake, the Padres have a star studded starting 9, most of which are the same as last year but it's difficult to be excited about this year's potential when you have the Dodgers dominated free agency. If the rich are getting richer you have to do something to counteract that. GM AJ Preller is notorious for maneuvering the roster on a yearly basis and going after the big fish so perhaps their is something in the works, but until that kind of move comes to fruition the Padres will be chasing Goliath with a slingshot all of 2025 and beyond.

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