[loud sigh]
So let's dissect this.
Manny Machado, in his first year in San Diego, had a 3.0 WAR with 30 home runs, 82 RBIs and 150 hits. And despite that, the Padres still didn't make the frigging playoffs.
Perhaps this is because this team has problems Manny Machado cannot solve. Their rotation this year was made up entirely of rookies and second-years, which sounds like it could work, but most of them wound up with negative win percentages and bloated ERAs. Only in September did they get a veteran rotation presence, and it was Garrett Richards in a few late starts...and they're not great.
And the core is made up of people like Hunter Renfroe, Manny Margot, Wil Myers, Austin Hedges and Eric Hosmer, who look good in spurts but can't hit for average. And you get people like Greg Garcia, Francisco Mejia and Nick Martini, who try to help but fall victim to the madness themselves.
The biggest takeaway from the 2019 season for the Padres may still be Fernando Tatis Jr., who had an insane rookie year, and may still win Rookie of the Year despite a truncated season. If they keep people like Tatis and Machado, and possibly trash everyone else and build the team around them...they could potentially make a run at things. It just may take a few more years.
Coming Tomorrow- One of the last remaining 2016 Blue Jays...who will probably be gone in a year.
Seems like they have some good core young guys to build around. Hopefully they can be relevant again soon.
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