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San Diego Padres 2024 offseason preview: What needs to happen for the Padres to keep up with the Dodgers in the NL West?


Having Fernando Tatis Jr. healthy for the full season will be the first goal for the 2025 Padres. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Having Fernando Tatis Jr. wholesome for the total season would be the first objective for the 2025 Padres. (AP Picture/Ashley Landis)

Let’s check out the season that was once for the 2024 San Diego Padres, the questions the workforce will have to deal with this iciness and the early outlook for 2025.

Learn extra: 2024 MLB offseason previews: What’s next for the Orioles, Astros, Phillies and more?

The Padres cruised to a sweep of the Braves within the wild-card around however misplaced to the Dodgers in 5 video games within the NLDS. They misplaced a back-and-forth Game 1 prior to striking on a display in a raucous Game 2. They went up two video games to 1 with a 6-5 victory at a rocking Petco Park in Game 3, however the Dodgers rallied back for shutout victories in Video games 4 and 5.

General, Fernando Tatis (1.500 OPS), Jackson Merrill (.833) and Kyle Higashioka (1.062) carried the offense within the postseason, with important contributions from David Peralta. However Luis Arraez had an disastrous postseason (.226 moderate), and Jake Cronenworth (.136) and Xander Bogaerts (.167) weren’t a lot better. The Padres’ offense completed the postseason by way of now not scoring in 24 consecutive innings.

Within the rotation, Dylan Stop was once the one that struggled essentially the most, because the Dodgers were given to him in Sport 1 and Sport 4, each Padres losses. Michael King and Yu Darvish had been efficient, although now not at all times subsidized by way of run aid, and the bullpen was once most commonly cast. Losing Joe Musgrove in October hurt and would possibly’ve been the remaining in a hard-fought line.

The Padres had been a fashion of perseverance this yr, as they had been 50-50 upcoming 100 video games prior to rallying to complete fix for the fourth-best document in baseball. The workforce overcame long-term accidents to its franchise participant — Fernando Tatis Jr. seemed in 102 video games — and two key inauguration pitchers to stick within the race till a wholesome squad was once ready to drag clear of the contest ill the stretch.

At the hitting aspect, good fortune got here by way of balanced contributions from a number of Padres. Jurickson Profar was once the miracle participant, as he was once anticipated to build minimum contributions on a one-year deal however rather led the membership in OPS and runs scored. Manny Machado had every other cast season, topping the Padres in house runs and RBI. Jackson Merrill exceeded all rookie-year expectancies by way of hitting .292 with 24 homers and a .826 OPS.

A couple of offseason acquisitions strengthened the pitching group of workers. Michael King, who was once a part of the Juan Soto trade, led the Padres in ERA. Dylan Stop, who was once acquired from the White Sox in a March business, was once the workforce chief in innings, wins and strikeouts. The ease corps was once led by way of Robert Suarez, who was once considered one of baseball’s excellent closers in his first season within the position.

Next faring smartly in his first yr with the Padres, Xander Bogaerts handled a left shoulder fracture this yr and was once now not very fruitful (.688 OPS) within the 111 video games he performed. San Diego wishes the 32-year-old to get again on target then season, as he has 9 years residue on his $280 million word.

The largest letdowns at the pitching aspect had been accidents in lieu than performances, as Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove each and every fell cut of 100 innings. The workforce struggled to exchange the ones innings, as Matt Waldron (26 begins, 4.79 ERA) and Randy Vazquez (20 begins, 4.87 ERA) didn’t accomplish a lot past consuming innings.

General, the Padres’ roster is in magnificient surrounding for 2025. The workforce had a middle-of-the-pack payroll this season and has few shortcomings. Including a inauguration pitcher, an outfielder and a catcher could be profitable, however there aren’t many evident holes for this workforce.

The infield is filled with avid gamers who’re below workforce keep an eye on for more than one seasons. As any person who hits for moderate however deals negative energy, Luis Arraez is an unusual however efficient first baseman. Bogaerts will proceed to play games 2nd bottom, occasion Ha-Seong Kim and Machado will play games shortstop and the new nook, respectively. Jake Cronenworth is a reliable utilityman who can proportion first bottom with Arraez and fill in at alternative positions. The workforce is unsettled in the back of the plate, then again, upcoming Luis Campusano adopted a breakout 2023 by way of taking a significant step backward this season. Campusano might be a part of a catching tandem in 2025, however he’ll want to be paired with any person dependable.

San Diego is in magnificient surrounding with two of the 3 outfield spots. Fernando Tatis Jr. has now not reached his ceiling since lacking the entire 2022 season, however even a relatively disappointing model of Tatis remains to be a extremely efficient participant. He’ll play games proper farmland, and Merrill would be the middle fielder. Profar is heading to free agency, however upcoming his unexpected good fortune in 2024, there must be hobby from each side in proceeding the connection.

The rotation returns 3 key individuals in Stop, King and Darvish. Even supposing Waldron and Vazquez struggled now and then this yr, they’re excellent enough quantity to struggle for the overall rotation spot. For the reason that Darvish is 38 years timeless, Musgrove is ready to omit 2025 occasion recovering from Tommy John surgery and there aren’t any zenith pitching potentialities in San Diego’s minor-league machine, it could build sense for the workforce to obtain a starter via a business or independent company.

The ease corps can resist the lack of Tanner Scott to independent company, because the remains of the gang is ready to go back. Suarez will proceed to fill the nearer’s position, and Jason Adam, Yuki Matsui, Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon will mode the setup workforce.

The Padres entered 2024 with considered one of baseball’s top-ranked farm programs prior to jettisoning many in their zenith potentialities on this yr’s offers to obtain Stop, Arraez, Adam and Scott. They nonetheless have a few jewels, however there’s no person within the pipeline who’s prone to build an important contribution then yr.

Ethan Salas was once regarded as the most efficient world participant within the 2023 signing magnificence. He tasks as an excellent defensive catcher whose plate talents are nonetheless a piece in advance. Nonetheless simply 18 years timeless, Salas wishes a minimum of two extra minor-league seasons.

The alternative remarkable anticipation is shortstop Leodalis De Vries, who was once arguably the zenith anticipation within the 2024 world signing duration. Simply 17, De Vries is a real five-tool anticipation. Like Salas, he’s going to want a minimum of two extra years of minor-league building.

Even the Padres’ entrance administrative center must admit that the Dodgers have a stranglehold at the NL West. Next all, Los Angeles has gained the section in 11 of the generation 12 seasons, and San Diego’s most up-to-date NL West crown got here again in 2006. Because of this, the primary objective for the 2025 Padres must be to build the postseason. Many groups have had deep postseason runs from wild-card spots, together with the Padres, who reached the NLCS in 2022.

Surpassing Los Angeles must nonetheless be a part of the objective and plan for San Diego, however it’ll be tough to shoot ill a workforce that has posted a profitable share of .600 or higher in each and every of the generation six seasons.

Tatis will supremacy the rate for San Diego in untruth circles, with an anticipated moderate draft place related the tip of Spherical 1 or early in Spherical 2. The then Padre to come back off the board might be Stop, who might be valued as a low-end ace, adopted by way of Merrill and the ultra-reliable Machado. The ones 3 avid gamers might be decided on within the territory of Spherical 5.

The residue Padres might be mid-round alternatives, with Suarez, Bogaerts and Kim becoming into that section. Darvish might be a boom-or-bust possibility in the second one part of drafts.



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