Padres: Haunted by the Past, Hungry for the Future

Peoria, Arizona – The sting of defeat may have dulled, the painful memories may have begun to fade, but the San Diego Padres will never truly forget what could have been. They remain convinced that last season should have been their year, that they were destined for a World Series parade and the gleam of championship rings. They came incredibly close, pushing their National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to the brink of elimination in the National League Division Series.

Leading the best-of-five series two games to one, the Padres had the opportunity to close it out in front of their passionate home crowd at Petco Park. But then, inexplicably, their offense went silent. After exploding for 21 runs in the first 20 innings, the Padres were shut out for the final 24, their World Series dreams abruptly extinguished.

"I can tell you it was rough," Padres manager Mike Shildt admitted, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Real rough. It left a really bad taste and a real emptiness because there was so much invested. That feeling will never go away. We can win the next two or three World Series, and it’ll still be there. But I’m glad it’s there for me, and I’m glad it’s there for our group. We were right there. We had them. I don’t want to dwell on it to the point where it overtakes me or us, but there’s an edge that’s there now and a hungriness for us to compete."

Even the Dodgers, who ultimately went on to win the World Series, defeating the New York Mets in the NLCS and the Yankees in the Fall Classic, acknowledged the Padres as their toughest opponent. Despite losing eight of 13 regular-season games to San Diego, the Dodgers always viewed them as the biggest threat to their title aspirations.

"That series against the Padres," Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech said, "was the most intense series ever. They were so good. If we had lost to them, I’m convinced they would have been the ones to win the World Series."

The NL Division Series between the Padres and Dodgers was a battle for the ages, a clash of titans that felt like a true World Series preview. While the Dodgers celebrate their championship, the Padres are left to grapple with the lingering "what ifs."

"I hate losing, I really do," Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado stated. "We had them. We had them. But we came up short. When you lose to the champions, it stings. You see them win it all, it’s like, ‘Damn, it could have been us right?’ You soak it in, and after that, you got to flip the switch. You got no choice. But that’s the beauty of baseball. The stuff gets harder every year. That’s why I love this game so much, it keeps you hungry."

Xander Bogaerts, who is transitioning back to shortstop, echoed Machado’s sentiments. "I mean, it stinks. We had a really good chance. A great chance. I thought we were a better team. We just didn’t win."

The Padres remain confident that they can return to the postseason and face the Dodgers again, but they also recognize the stark reality of the situation. The Dodgers, fueled by their championship aspirations, spent a staggering $450 million during the offseason and will boast baseball’s highest payroll at $390 million. In contrast, the Padres have tightened their purse strings, aiming to keep their projected $207 million payroll below the luxury tax threshold, spending a mere $8.5 million on free-agent contracts for the 2025 season.

They were unable to retain key free agents such as Jurickson Profar, Tanner Scott, Ha-Seong Kim, Kyle Higashioka, and Donovan Solano. The Padres were also disappointed when Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki chose the Dodgers over them, despite impassioned pleas from Yu Darvish and former Japanese star Hideo Nomo.

There were even concerns that the Padres might have to trade valuable starters like Dylan Cease or Michael King, or even three-time batting champion Luis Arraez. However, these players remain in San Diego, and the team further bolstered its roster by signing veteran Nick Pivetta to a four-year, $55 million contract. This move has instilled a renewed sense of optimism within the organization, giving the Padres another chance to contend before Cease, King, and Arraez potentially depart as free agents. The team still has a significant financial commitment of $845 million remaining on the contracts of Machado, Fernando Tatis, and Xander Bogaerts.

"I think it’s really an exciting time to be a Padre, and I’m just grateful to help them continue what they’ve been doing here," Pivetta said. "There’s a lot of hunger in the clubhouse. I watched their series against the Dodgers. It’s fun to see these two organizations go toe-to-toe with each other."

The rivalry between the Padres and Dodgers is quickly becoming the Southern California equivalent of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, albeit in a highly competitive division.

"Our division now is by far the best division in baseball," Machado asserted. "Hands down. We’ve got four teams who could make the playoffs. The Dodgers are [bleeping] good, man. But we’re excited to take them down. There’s nothing better than having a championship team in your division that you can knock off."

The Padres acknowledge that they are currently in the shadow of the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup and their deep pitching staff. They don’t possess nine potential starters or five closers. They aren’t projected to win 103 games, or even approach their previous season’s total of 93.

"But no one was picking us to do what we did last year either," Bogaerts pointed out. "We were one of the best two teams in baseball at the end of the season."

Furthermore, the Padres entered last spring training with numerous uncertainties. They had traded away All-Star Juan Soto. The closer role was unclear. The rotation was still being finalized. The performance of rookie Jackson Merrill in the outfield and Bogaerts at second base was unknown. They also had a new manager in Shildt. Despite all of these question marks, they came close to winning the NL West and gave the Dodgers a serious scare in the playoffs.

"Last year, it almost seemed like we needed to find our identity," King said. "You just traded away one of the best players in baseball [Soto]. [Yu] Darvish and Joe [Musgrove] and I were the building blocks in the starting rotation, and I’m a question mark because I’ve had only nine starts. There were question marks around the whole team. But then we started to mesh as a team, we had an awesome trade deadline [acquiring relievers Scott and Jason Adams], and could have beaten the Dodgers. So, the confidence you get from that translates into this year. Obviously, we’ve got unfinished business but it’s a lot more fun coming into a locker room because you’re competing on a really good team instead of just seeing if we’re going to be a really good team."

The Padres still face some challenges, particularly in the back end of their rotation, bullpen depth, and lineup consistency. It remains uncertain whether Cease or King will be on the roster on opening day. General Manager A.J. Preller is actively listening to trade offers for both players as he seeks to reduce payroll while maintaining a competitive team.

Despite these uncertainties, there is a strong belief that the Padres will once again be playing meaningful games in October.

"It’s not necessarily the confidence in what we’re going to do," Machado said, "but the confidence we have in each other. We just know each other so well. We just got to go out there and compete and be on the same page. When you’re not on the same page, you have individuals that do things differently, and it steers you in the wrong direction."

In 2023, the Padres had the most talented and star-studded roster in baseball, but they underperformed and missed the playoffs. They parted ways with manager Bob Melvin, who left for San Francisco, and traded Soto to the Yankees. However, one year later, they won 93 games, finished just five games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, and pushed their rivals to their limits in the postseason.

Now, with essentially the same core group of players, the Padres are hoping that the platoon of Conner Joe and Jason Heyward can adequately replace Profar in left field. They also have a general manager known for making bold moves to improve the team.

"A.J. is ready man," Machado said. "A.J. will do whatever to help us win now. He’s always done it ever since I got here. You know he’s going to make some moves. We’re in a good spot, man, and we’re going to go for this thing. You’ll see."

Furthermore, the Padres faced more uncertainties last year than they do now. They had no idea that rookie Jackson Merrill would thrive in center field. Cease was still with the Chicago White Sox until late in spring training. Arraez was playing for the Miami Marlins until May. Closer Robert Suarez had only one career save. Machado was recovering from elbow surgery and limited to DH duties.

So, why shouldn’t the Padres believe in themselves again?

They believe that their postseason experience from last year will be invaluable. They know what to expect now. They understand the urgency of each moment. And they remember the pain of how quickly it can all end.

"Listen, we competed, we didn’t back down from anybody, and the moment wasn’t too big for anybody," Shildt said. "We’re at a place now where’s some firm footing, a clear identity, and a real togetherness. We have more confidence with real confidence. We’ve got unfinished business, and we’re hungry to have that opportunity again. Really, we can’t wait."