When the 2023 season opens here in a week, many teams aspire to win the World Series. However, no contender has as big of a target on their back then the San Diego Padres. The Padres have spent so much money in the past couple of years, yet they still haven’t won it all. A team like theirs is a World Series contender on paper. The pressure is on San Diego to win the World Series in 2023 otherwise their season is a failure.
A Nice Bounce Back Season
The Padres bounced back nicely from an underwhelming 2021 season. Last season, they finished 2022 with an 89-73. That season also saw them continue to be aggressive in making moves. At the trade deadline, the Padres acquired Josh Hader, Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury. While Bell and Drury have departed Hader and Soto are still on the team. It should also be noted that during that time they extended ace pitcher Joe Musgrove. They would make an appearance in the postseason as a wild-card team advancing all the way to the NLCS. San Diego would bow out in six games to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Outspending Their Market Size
Despite being considered a “small market” team, the Padres are certainly operating as if they are a larger market one. Heading into the 2023 season, the Padres will have a projected payroll of $251.1 million. Only the Yankees and Mets have a payroll that is larger than San Diego’s. This offseason, they signed free agents Xander Bogaerts, Michael Wacha, Matt Carpenter, Robert Suarez, Seth Lugo, Nelson Cruz, and Adam Engel. They also found the money to add an additional 11 years to Manny Machado’s contract so he wouldn’t opt out. On top of all that, San Diego is expected to get star Fernando Tatis Jr. this season as well.
This Is Their Best Chance To Win The World Series
With the Dodgers not making any major moves this offseason, this is San Diego’s best opportunity to win it all. While the Dodgers will still be a playoff team, they won’t be nearly as good as their 111-win team from last season. The rest of the division isn’t nearly as good as the Padres. The Giants failed to make any major moves, the Diamondbacks aren’t ready yet, and the Rockies seem to still be wandering aimlessly in MLB’s wilderness. On paper, the Padres can easily clinch this division.
I can’t think of a time when the San Diego Padres fan base has been this optimistic. In their 54-year history, they’ve only gone to the playoffs seven times capturing two pennants but no world championships. The last time the Padres went to the playoffs in consecutive years was the 2005 and 2006 seasons. After all, they’ve spent the better part of the decade rebuilding. Most of the time, the Padres were never expected to make the World Series whenever they made an appearance. For the first time in franchise history, this team is expected to win it all and there is a big bull’s eye on their back. Anything short of a World Series win will be a failure this season.
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