SAN DIEGO — Juan Soto barely landed, Josh Bell had just sat down, and Josh Hader was just beginning to remember the names of his new teammates when Padres owner Peter Seidler said, “The art of possibility is here.” There is,” he declared.
But just as the Padres took the Major League Baseball trade deadline by storm, resetting all expectations for the season and the future of the franchise, the Los Angeles Dodgers realized that San Diego still had to overcome. passionately reminded me of their division rivals in a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Seidler said the Dodgers will continue to be “the highway dragon we’re trying to beat” while the sweep is underway.
At the very least, San Diego’s bold move made it clear they’re all-in on chasing the dragon. And as Soto and his new teammates travel to Washington for a three-game series that begins Friday, the optimism about what the future holds for the Padres reflects what Washington’s reality once was for the Nationals. A tough reminder for fans.
“The big challenge for us is to play winning baseball, number one,” Seidler said this week. And second, play it and see when it’s the best time to talk to Juan about extensions. It’s all new to him now. It won’t happen anytime soon, but I hope he’ll be here in the long run.
For Seidler, this would be a logical execution of the ‘art of the possible’. The Padres already have 30-year-old third baseman Manny Machado on his 10-year deal through 2028 and he’s on a $300 million deal, while 23-year-old shortstop and outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. His 14-year contract is $340. By 2034 he’s $1 million.
Complicating matters is Tatis’ 80-game suspension announced by Major League Baseball on Friday, which will end Tatis’ season.
Tatis’ situation may drag on as an issue going forward, but the good news for Soto is that he has time. At the age of 23, they scored the superstar under his two-and-a-half club management. But even with a team with a rapidly expanding budget, his eventual contract demands will be big. This is a generational slugger reaching free agency at the age of 26. Before the deal deadline, he turned down Washington’s 15-year and $440 million offer.
And as San Diego knows for sure, Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, is not in the business of offering discounts.
But Padres fans have reacted with enthusiasm to the club’s recent string of big ideas and bigger bets in contrast to its sometimes-conflicting reputation. fans and was ranked fifth in MLB, behind the Dodgers, St. Louis, Yankees and reigning champion Atlanta. The Padres are playing at 91.5% capacity at Petco his park. Only Atlanta (93.4%) ranks high, according to numbers obtained from MLB.
The Padres are also ranked 5th in the majors by club record $220 million salary.
“What we’re still evaluating is how much revenue we can generate from that increased fan support, and in the long term, we can support it organically through the revenue we can generate in our local markets. Padres Chief Executive Eric Groupner added: — A salary that exceeds what the Padres have historically been able to do in our market. level.
“I don’t know the answer yet, and I don’t know if anyone does, but I’m sure we’ll know what level this market will support.”
Beyond dollars and cents, the Padres paid a heavy price to Soto and switch-hitter first baseman Bell. They sent his six-piece package to Washington, which included his three players, who in turn ranked as the number one prospect in San Diego’s farm system. Left-handed pitcher Mackenzie Gore, shortstop CJ Abrams, and outfielder Robert Hassell III.
AJ Preller, president of baseball operations for the Padres, talks about the fairness of the years of sweat that goes into acquiring and developing players, investing in players as people, and interacting with their families. increase. Send out top talent.
“But it’s been hard to deal with them, but we don’t get the chance to get Soto, Josh Bell and Hader,” Preller said. “The best player in a position or on the field and still in control for years. In Juan’s case, he’s only 23 and he’s doing something historic. It’s a much more unique opportunity and we We looked at it that way. We knew it was going to take a lot of time, but we had a lot of information in the system and we were able to close the deal.”
A year ago, before the Nationals sent them to the Dodgers, the Padres swung and missed deadlines and worked hard for starter Max Scherzer and shortstop Tre Turner. The dragon has grown. The Padres kept chasing.
The first inning of the new Padres’ first game was played on August 3 against Colorado, and all seemed to go well. His one of the team’s other rookies, an infielder acquired from Cincinnati, Brandon Drury, broke his first Grand Slam on the first pitch he saw as Padre. The sold-out crowd was buoyed by his one-day club-record ticket sales after Soto’s news., I yelled.
San Diego then lost five straight games, including three to the Dodgers. Inexplicably, the Padres’ seemingly unstoppable offense went scoreless for 26 straight innings on Tuesday night against San Francisco before Soto hit his first homer in the fourth at his new home.
With a team as talented as this, it’s easy to erase a winning streak like Blip that will become a distant memory in October. Such beliefs are facilitated thanks to Soto’s enthusiasm already influencing the team. Manager Bob Melvin described him as a “ball of energy,” and Machado noticed how Soto high-fived other outfielders at the end of each inning.
Soto’s positivity can be matched by his otherworldly work. In 2019, his first full season in Washington, he sent back a prototype of what would become the first MLB bobblehead doll, and he wasn’t smiling.
“I like my smile,” Soto said in the Padres dugout this week. I don’t want you to be remembered as someone who is always angry.I think I have a good personality.I want to be happy,I really like good energy,that’s what I want to give people.Good vibes,good energy I want to give you
Soto, who led the Nationals to the 2019 World Series title, is eager for a chance to do the same in San Diego.
“It’s on another level,” he said of playing on the big stage in October. “It’s a different feeling, and you’ll want to taste it every day, every year. For me, that year was amazing. It was unbelievable.”
In a city that has never won a major North American men’s sports league, San Diego is a dream come true. Demand for season tickets is like, for the first time in history, the Padres are considering capping next year. Since last week’s trading deadline, the club has already received requests for around 1,000 additional season tickets for 2023.
“Obviously, this is a champagne issue, but we want to ensure that season ticket members and new season ticket members continue to have access to the best seats,” Grupner said. “And we’re starting to run out of them.”
Milwaukee’s new closer Hader said: You can’t call yourself a talent anymore, you’re a superstar, aren’t you? ”
The Padres and their city can’t wait to find out what the future holds. But first, Soto will bid an emotional farewell to DC this weekend.
“No goodbye, see you later,” said Soto. “We have to go back there every year. I’m going to say let’s go.”
