fell away. There were only the Dodgers, barely stirring, and the Padres, pushing, refusing to let this one go. But this time was different. There was no last-minute reversal. The Padres wouldn’t be outdone. Preller has the superstar Soto, and the switch-hitter Bell to shore up first base.
The Padres have the pitching. They have a mighty lineup that will only get stronger with the return ofThey have the manager, Bob Melvin, with a steady hand at the helm. They may have emptied their prospect reserves, but, boy, there’s nothing quite like taking a run at a World Series title. The biggest question now will be whether Soto signs an extension to stay alongside Tatis and Machado into the distant future.
That was three and a half years ago. In that time, A.J. Preller’s Padres continued to assemble talent and forge one of baseball’s most entertaining clubs. And they still reside, to their perpetual chagrin, beneath the thumb of the Dodgers. In dealing for superstar Juan Soto, in addition to talented first baseman Josh Bell, Preller has taken his biggest swing yet to even the gap between the two clubs.
It is, in fairness, about as big a swing as any team can take. During the past few weeks, as Soto’s availability in trade overwhelmed the sport, you’ve read plenty about how good he is. He will improve a lineup that lacks elite hitters, outside of Manny Machado. So will Bell. But the duo still won’t be enough to catch the Dodgers for the division title in 2022. What may define the trade is what happens during the subsequent two seasons, before Soto reaches free agency.
Because the Padres, while in possession of a good pitching staff and a better offense heading into the wild-card round this October, will still have to overcome the general variance of playoff baseball.
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