The Padres are STACKED
It’s clear the Padres are going all-in on this year.
This team has undergone a major haul in the past few years, leaping from the bottom of the league just two years ago to now arguably bring on top. Thanks to major free agent and trade acquisitions as well as the development of top talent, San Diego is poised for World Series runs for years to come.
The Pitching
The San Diego Padres are in agreement on a deal to acquire right-hander Joe Musgrove from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 18, 2021
With this recent trade, the Padres have now acquired 80% of their starting rotation in Mike Clevinger, Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and now Musgrove in the last year. Plus, they still have young pitchers from their own organization in Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet, Adrian Morejon, and top prospect Mackenzie Gore. And all of these pitchers are under control for at least two years. If at least two of the younger pitchers can make the move to the bullpen (especially when Clevinger comes back in 2022), this team will be very difficult to score on.
The Offense
Not only will other teams have a hard time scoring, the offense will have the talent to score in bunches themselves. Leading the bats will be Manny Machado (who I despise) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (who I love). As much of a pain as Machado is, he’s still a star in this league, and Tatis in well on his way to being the best shortstop in the MLB (or at least the NL). On top of that, the Padres also signed Ha-Seong Kim this offseason, adding another potential big bat in the infield. Eric Hosmer, Jake Cronenworth, and Austin Nola are also great complimentary pieces, regardless of how they end up being utilized.
In the outfield, a starting three of Wil Myers, Trent Grisham, and Tommy Pham should be solid, but not quite spectacular. Myers is a former All Star who has never quite lived up to expectations, but still has been solid. Grisham is young and improving, but I’m unsure of how high his ceiling actually is, and Pham has had a very solid career to this point and should bounce back from his 2020 numbers. It’s possible Kim or Cronenworth will get some playing time in the outfield, as well.
With the combination of veteran and young talent on this roster, this Padres team should be very good in 2021 and beyond. Watch out.
– Pat Shuman (@PShu1996 on Twitter) Check out my other articles here!