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Okay, if you dislike the use of alliteration then forgive me with that title, but I simply could not resist. The San Diego Padres have made bold attempts in the last 48 hours to become a real contender not only with the rival Dodgers but are eyeing a chance to go to their first World Series since 1998.
The San Diego Padres are trying to break into the MLB elite by the end of this season.
Right now, there are really five MLB teams who have a viable path to the playoffs and a legitimate shot at making the Fall Classic: the Yankees, Mets, Braves, Dodgers and Astros all have their sights set on winning it all come the end of October. With the blockbuster trades for both Josh Hader and Juan Soto, the Padres are throwing their team name in the hat with the hopes that they get invited to the fall dance this year as well. I’m sorry in advance if you are a Phillies, Cardinals, Giants or Blue Jays fan but I don’t see the path for these teams making it all the way through the postseason this year.
In one of the marquee trades heading into the deadline, the Milwaukee Brewers are betting on the future and sacrificing the here and now by letting ace All-Star reliever Josh Hader go in exchange for fellow reliever Taylor Rogers and other Padres prospects. In one felling swoop, the Padres made an executive decision to trade future organizational tools for Hader and immediately added needed bulk to the Padres bullpen. Maybe Hader isn’t a long-term fix for the Padres but one thing is certain: his presence at Petco Park will add depth and give the Padres a lights-out closer who’s arguably one of the best relievers around in a number of years.
If that trade didn’t open up eyes and cause eyebrows to be raised in the world of baseball, the trade of Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals to the Padres was clearly a signal that the Friars are ready to be serious about contending not just for the NL West divisional title but a National League pennant is a clear goal-this year. In a package deal between the teams, the Padres will get the bat of Soto and picked up Josh Bell in the deal was well. In exchange, the Padres let go of C.J. Abrams, Luke Voit and other prospects.
The Nationals, just a few years removed from their first World Series win, have hit a perpetual rock bottom and seemed all too happy to let Soto and his contract (through 2024) part ways. The Soto trade has been in the baseball rumor mill all season long and not that it’s a done deal, the Nats can get back to fighting their way out of the NL East cellar while the Padres, sitting far enough back of the Dodgers in the West, will have to see if these trades add value and help then make a deep playoff run or just add big contract weight to the Padres team payroll.
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