After nearly making a World Series in 2022, the Padres took a few steps backwards. And 2024 looks to be even further back as well. I really hate that we're beginning to see these great Padres teams in the rearview, because it was really fun to see these teams compete. Ultimately, I think the fact was that the owner wanted to see this team win before he passed, and that was something that couldn't be delivered upon. And now that Peter Seidler's gone, the pressure's no longer there, and some of the big pieces are already leaving, including Snell, Grisham and Soto. So now the Padres have to look at what kind of team they want to be now.
Joe Musgrove, after being the ace in the past 2 seasons, struggled with both injuries and a less-potent team to pitch in front of. In only 17 games, though, he did still manage to win 10 games, and had a 3.05 ERA with 93 strikeouts. I wish he was able to contribute more to this Padres team, but he's still very much in his prime.
2024 Prediction: An improvement, and the Cy Young-caliber season I thought he'd be having in 2023.
Jake Cronenworth's quality seems to be tied with the Padres. When they're great, he's great. When they're not, his flaws are more evident. This was clearly Cronenworth's worst season to date at the plate, as he only hit .229 with 48 RBIs; it was his first full season not crossing 70 RBIs. Cronenworth still did decently in the field, but he was spread a lot thinner this season and forced into more positions out of his wheelhouse.
2024 Prediction: He will improve somewhat, but I'm not sure if his ASG-caliber stuff is gonna show up as often.
Seth Lugo spent years as a reliever in New York waiting for the opportunity to start again. Once he signed with San Diego, they gave him that opportunity. Lugo was one of the Padres' most consistent starters, making 26 starts and going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA and 140 Ks. Lugo was the kind of innings-eater the Padres needed this year, with the big names having injury trouble throughout. It also set him up for a nice payday going forward.
2024 Prediction: Well, the Royals made a hell of a statement in nabbing him for 3 years, after not really being a factor in anything in the past few years. Lugo will probably have a decent year next year in KC, but if they're expecting him to be their ace, they may need to rethink things.
The Padres admittedly took a flyer on Nelson Cruz, after a much-lower key season in Washington last year. Both guys the Padres had as DH options, Cruz and Matt Carpenter, underwhelmed, but with Cruz at 42 this year, it was sort of expected. Still, with his last career numbers, Cruz hit .255 with 23 RBIs and his last 5 homers. I have no idea what the Hall of Fame voters will think of this guy, especially considering the HGH usage, but he definitely was a hell of a power hitter.
Hey guys...we've got a new knuckleballer!
I'm so excited, because other than Mickey Jannis we haven't had many knuckleballers recently after Dickey and Wright left. Well now here comes Matt Waldron, a 26-year-old knuckler who made his debut this year, and started some games for San Diego during some troublesome moments. Waldron did alright for himself, with a 4.35 ERA and 31 Ks in 8 games.
2024 Prediction: A wider show of things, though something tells me it will take either a major injury or a trade to make it happen.
I don't blame the Padres in the slightest. Rich Hill was having a great first half in Pittsburgh, even with the reality that he's 43 and just pitching on borrowed time at this point. So they traded for him and Ji-Man Choi. The result? Choi was barely healthy, and Hill looked his age, going 1-4 with an 8.23 ERA in 10 games.
2024 Prediction: This may be the end, but it doesn't mean Hill isn't gonna try his damnedest to play next year.
With Choi out, the Padres went to their other deadline acquisition, Garrett Cooper, as a 1B/DH type. Cooper was excellent in Miami, but was deemed obsolete in the wake of the Josh Bell deal. In 41 games, Cooper hit .239 with 15 RBIs and 4 homers. Not a ton, but nice enough, I suppose.
2024 Prediction: Someone is going to take a chance on him on a 1-year deal, and he's gonna have his best season in years.
Coming Tomorrow- I don't have many Phillies left, but there's at least a few I haven't talked about yet.
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