What are the San Diego Padres Cooking This offseason?
Machado’s Press Conference 2023 (Getty Images)
Manny Machado’s Contract!
What are the San Diego Padres cooking this offseason? Let Peter Seider and Aj Preller cook! The biggest heist is locking up Manny Machado for good. A Padre until he is 41. The contract includes $350 on an 11-year deal. This contract is important because Machado is one of the pieces that turned the Padres into a complete 180. The goal for the Padres is to win the World Series. The biggest prize is the city of San Diego is waiting for a very long time. The impact Machado has put in for the Padres is his teammates showing up to his press conference. This includes Juan Soto, Jake Croneworth, Craig Stammen, Steven Wilson, Joe Musgrove, and Xander Bogaerts.
Yu Darvish
Darvish pitching during City Connect night (2022 Getty Images)
The Padres also went out and re-signed their starting ace, Yu Darvish to a 6-year $108,000,000 contract. It’s crazy how the Padres went on this journey to get Yu Darvish. It all started with trading Eric Lauer to the Brewers and getting Zach Davies for the 2020 season in return. After the conclusion of the 2020 season, The Padres traded Davies to the Cubs and got Darvish. In his first season with the Padres, Darvish, and the Padres struggled together, but in his second season with the Padres, Darvish turned it around.
Some notable highlights for Yu Darvish as a Padre
Padres Opening Day starter for the 2021 and 2022 season
1,500 career strikeouts in the 2021 season
3,000 career strikeouts combined
2022 National League Wild Card Game 1 against the Mets
2022 National League Divisional Series Game 2 against the Dodgers
Xander Bogaerts
Bogaerts wearing a Padres uniform (2022 Getty Images)
Questionable contract, but Xander Bogaerts signs with the Padres for 11 years for $280 million and no opts-outs. Why is this questionable? The Padres infield is stacked before signing Bogarts. Fan favorites, Jake Croneworth, Manny Machado, and Ha-Seong Kim are well-known faces that play in the infield. We all know Fernando Tatis Jr is coming back for the 2023 season. The move during the offseason is having Croneworth play 1B, move Kim to 2B, Bogaerts to SS, and Machado to 3B. Tatis Jr, is up to Bob Melvin’s vision. Somedays in shortstop or the outfield for Tatis. The biggest concern about this contract is hoping it doesn’t end up like Eric Hosmer’s. Where the Padres paid a huge contract to Hosmer but doesn’t perform.
Robert Suarez
Suarez during the 2022 NLDS (Getty Images 2022)
An underrated signing during the offseason. The Padres re-signed Robert Suarez to a five-year deal. It does include an opt-out after the 2025 season. Suarez joined the team in 2022. What grabbed the Padres attention is his 2nd half-performance and his post-season performance. His 2022 stats look like this, 2.27 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 61 K’s, and 1 SV.
Nando is back!
Tatis Jr getting the green light to steal (2023 Getty Images)
After all the drama with Tatis during the 2022 season. Tatis is back. Tatis made his return during Spring Training playing against the Giants. Tatis was able to steal a base during his return to playing baseball. Although Tatis Jr is playing during Spring Training, he is still suspended until April 20th.
Carpenter and Cruz
The Padres also acquired Designated Hitters during the off-season. Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz to a one-year contract for the 2023 season. Cruz will mostly be the DH for this season and Carpenter will also be a DH and time playing in the infield.
“Hopefully Soto next?” - Machado
“Hopefully Soto next!” (2023 Getty Images)
The Padres have some homework to do for the next offseason or this season. Juan Soto is the next piece to be signed with the team. Soto is with the Padres for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. During Machado’s press conference about his contract extension, he went to Peter Seilder’s ear saying “Hopefully Soto next?” This gave the Padres and the friar faithful a tease of what is to come for Soto.
