After a quiet offseason, third baseman Manny Machado is “disappointed” with the San Diego Padres’ lack of activity. The Padres have lost numerous key players from the previous season, including All-Star Jurickson Profar, bullpen pitcher Tanner Scott, and infielder Ha-Seong Kim. Despite these losses, the front office has not made any significant additions to replace them.
Machado told reporters on February 1st that, while he has no control over what the Padres do in free agency, he will miss his former colleagues who have signed elsewhere.
“At the end of the day, we get to look at the guys we’ve got here. Are we disappointed that we have not made any moves? “Yes,” Machado told reporters. “As a team, you look up there and are a little disappointed that we let some of the men who were part of the core group here leave. At the end of the day, we have no control over that.
Last season, San Diego won 93 games and came close to defeating the Dodgers in the NLDS. With high expectations, there is rising concern over whether the squad can maintain its current performance without acquiring additional talent.
One of the most intriguing offseason topics was the Padres’ pursuit of Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki. The 23-year-old ultimately decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which Machado believes was predetermined.
Machado stated, “I believe he had a clear vision of his destination.”
Some have theorized that the Padres’ ongoing ownership conflict impacted their ability to sign Sasaki, but Machado disagrees. He feels Sasaki made his decision for another reason.
The team’s ownership position has made everything much more difficult. Financial constraints have prevented the Padres from making significant trades, in contrast to recent offseasons when GM A.J. Preller was aggressive in improving the roster.
Despite this, Preller assured supporters at the team’s annual Fan Fest that they will continue to work to enhance the roster before Opening Day. He highlighted that their goal is to construct a championship-caliber club.
As spring training approaches, the free agent market is diminishing. Some pitchers, such as Jack Flaherty, are still available, while hitters Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman remain unsigned. However, with Manny Machado at third base, the Padres’ best opportunity for success may be to add more starting pitchers.
Leave a Reply