The San Diego Padres have been one of the busiest teams in the MLB recently. The Padres have been assembling a championship level team and could show great promise this coming season.
Will their Batting and Pitching rotation be enough to get through the NL and beyond this season?
The Padres beat the stacked Dodgers team in last year’s NLDS proving they can go farther than their division rivals. Even without their star Fernando Tatis who has been out with an injury and a lengthy suspension, this team was able to find a first step of success by reaching the NLCS.
Tatis is due to return after April 20th. His role as shortstop might change after the Padres signed Xander Bogaerts for a $280 million deal over 11 years. Bogaerts has claimed himself as one of the best Shortstops in the MLB and should be an essential piece for this roster.
Juan Soto
The Padres made headlines last Summer by trading for Juan Soto. Soto is one of the most lethal hitters in Baseball and is a top Outfielder. The Padres recently signed Soto to a one-year extension for $23 million. However, Soto will be looking to break the bank for a much larger contract extension after the season.
Rumors had it that he is seeking a long-term contract upwards of $400 million. Depending on this upcoming season, the Padres could spend a great amount on the star Outfielder to keep him long term.
Manny Machado
Machado is easily a top 3 3rd Basemen in the league. His dynamic Batting ability has enabled him to be categorized as one of the best players in Baseball. The Padres seem extremely happy with how he has performed that he recently signed a $350 million deal over 11 years.
The Padres seem to have their eyes set on Machado being the long-term leader of their team after there were rumors of him potentially seeking a deal elsewhere for a great deal of money.
Pitching
The Padres have assembled an amazing Bullpen in recent seasons. Last season saw Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove become dominant Pitchers. Their Pitching rotation was a key piece to the Playoff run they had.
The trade for All-Star closer Josh Hader should help them to close games out in the late innings. Hader did not have the best start for his career after being traded midway through the season from the Brewers. A full offseason and Spring Training should really see him pick his game up to continue to be one of the best closers in Baseball.
What’s Next?
The Padres have seriously put together an All-Star kind of team. With the large payroll they currently have, things seem like they might work out sooner or later for the Padres. The investment into both their present and future looks promising to establish them as one of the best teams in the league for years to come.
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