Changes Should Come For The Padres

By Steve Atkinson 

The Padres had a massively disappointing season in 2023 after all the spending during the off-season. Really, there is no excuse why the Padres didn’t make the playoffs. The problems really started in the NLCS when four Padres fans made fools out of themselves and made a dumb rally song. Since then they’re sucked starting really in spring training. I know spring training doesn’t mean anything but when they were losing games then I felt a disconnect. It’s been that way all season.

The biggest disconnect of them all is between A.J. Preller and Bob Melvin. Preller put the team together full of talent and Melvin can’t handle the room and has zero connection with the players. The first thing I would do after the season is get rid of Melvin and call the Red Sox about Alex Cora. Maybe a long shot if Alex Cora goes into the front office but the Padres need a young vibrant manager who can get through to them Cora is definitely the perfect fit.

The Padres have a disconnect between the General Manager and the Manager

The Athletic reported this last week

Several Padres people interviewed for this story described circumstances in which Preller told players one thing and Melvin told them another. One player, while careful not to absolve himself and his teammates of blame, likened the situation to a toxic relationship between parents in which the kids suffer.

“If nobody’s on the same page and you’re getting two stories from two different people, there is not trust there,” the player said. “The players are going to feel like, well, who can I confide in? Who can I talk to?”

The Padres will build around their core

Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr are who they need to build around. Get rid of Soto and resign Snell I would do everything to keep Snell on the Padres. He’s a big factor in the rotation and has pitched well. Also, keep closer Josh Hader and go get reliable bullpen help cause they don’t have any.

The Padres are expected to cut payroll this off-season to $200 million. Even if they just keep Snell and go get a new closer that would be fine. They should do everything to keep Snell who’s been key in their rotation. If the Padres want to get younger in the bullpen and add depth there that should be their biggest priority.

They haven’t won an extra innings game all season. Also, they are awful in one-run games. Imagine if some of those went in their favor they could be looking at a playoff spot right now.

Manny Machado said earlier this month that they just didn’t have it this year. A season full of promise turned out to be anything but that, with some key offseason moves and a change in leadership maybe we can get the results we expected.

“I think we just didn’t want it. I think overall as a group, we didn’t want it as bad as Seattle did or as bad as some of these other teams,” Machado said during a recent chat at Dodger Stadium. “I will say that. I think that’s everyone’s fault. It’s everybody’s fault. We didn’t want it as a team. It falls down to the team. That’s not necessarily one player. It’s not an individual sport. So I think ultimately, it comes down to all of us.