The Key to Success

Padre fans are used to disappointment. Last year San Diego experienced an amazing high when our Padres eliminated the LA Dodgers in the first round, only to fall to the power hitting Philadelphia Phillies. Seeing an opportunity to overcome the Dodger stranglehold on their division, Padre management went on a spending spree, raising the 2023 payroll to the third highest in the majors.

Fans had high hopes that 2023 would be THE YEAR! But it wasn't to be. Instead we watched the team crash and burn. It was, well…humiliating.

As I look at the recent history of the Padres, I can't help but notice a few obvious issues. 

• GM AJ Preller is a loser. He never takes responsibility for the team's failures. During his 10 years at the helm, the Padres have only made the playoffs twice and won only 3 games! He may be an astute evaluator of talent, but he has no idea how to build a team. After last year's success, Preller tore the roster apart.
• The Padres minor league player development program has failed miserably. There are no less than a dozen former prospects or employees of the Padres who made the playoffs with other teams.
• Preller presided over one of the most damaging steroid scandals in modern MLB history when emerging superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. was caught using medicine with a steroid component. How did such a valuable asset avoid the watchful eye of the team doctors? Who is watching the flock?
• The owners are too generous. The New York Yankees have proven that money can't buy championships. The front office committed nearly $1B to three players in 2023, then finished two games over 500. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the playoffs with half the payroll of the Padres. 
• There are reports that Preller and Manager Bob Melvin can't get along. Preller has a history of conflict with people he hired. Building a winning team workplace environment starts at the top.

It should be obvious that Preller is a micro manager. When things go south, he finds scapegoats. Imagine the team we could have fielded if he just showed some patience with player development? He traded away or allowed to leave Craig Kimbrell, Yasmani Grandal, Max Fried, Trey Turner, Ty France, CJ Abrams, and power hitting first baseman Josh Bell.

He went out and got Josh Hader to stabilize the closer position and hopefully put the Padres in a position to take down the Dodgers in the western division. But he also allowed Hader to place pitch count restrictions in his contract that kept him on the bench in too many important innings.

Once again the Padres have huge holes in the roster. Letting Josh Bell go was a big mistake. They have not established an allstar-type first baseman since Adrian Gonzales left in 2010. Finding a power hitting, cornerstone first baseman like free agent Rhys Hoskins should be priority one. 

I would trade Jake Cronenworth for another arm in the disastrous bullpen. In most games the Padres would have the lead going into the sixth or seventh inning, only to give up a big inning and end up blowing the game. Jake is a great athlete, but Kim is faster, bunts better, and is even more versatile, if that is possible. Plus, we have to find help at pitching. 

I think catchers Gary Sanchez and Luis Campusano are a good fit for the near future. They have improved the team's defense against the run, batting average, and run production. Trent Grisham is a Gold Glove center fielder, but he is a milestone at the plate. Move Tatis to center, Profar in left and Soto in right field.

I would establish a set batting order: Kim, Soto, Tatis, Machado, Hoskins, Bogaerts, Sanchez/Campusano, Profar, (DH) Campusano/Sanchez. Then leave it alone.

The San Diego Padre Baseball front office should emulate the template established by GM Derrick Hall in Arizona. They are strong in every aspect of franchise performance: Player development, fan experience, community relations and fiscal responsibility. And most importantly, they have a well established reputation for great employee relations. 

With a payroll ranked 21st in the majors, the Diamondbacks are proving money is not the key to success.

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