The Padres’ Season Comes To A Disappointing End
The San Diego Padres have yet again been eliminated from the playoffs in gruesome and frustrating fashion. What happens next?
The San Diego Padres have yet again been eliminated from the playoffs in gruesome and frustrating fashion, falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS and coming up short of their ultimate goal of winning a World Series.
The margin for error in this series was razor-thin, as three of the four games were decided by one run.
In Game 1, the offense couldn’t back up a strong pitching performance, managing just two runs. In the ninth, Ty France skied a ball that looked like it had the potential to be a go-ahead, two-run home run, only for it to hit the roof of American Family Field and be caught for an out.
In Game 2, Milwaukee made Mason Miller look human before storming back in the ninth to steal what, in my opinion, was the decisive game of the series.
The Padres held on to survive in Game 3, thanks to some heroics from Michael King and Xander Bogaerts, but a familiar story unfolded in Game 4.
The offense completely collapsed, just as it has in previous postseasons. The team went 0-for-21 to end the season, marking the longest hitless streak by a National League team to end a postseason. Sound familiar?
The window for this iteration of the Padres is closing fast, and they’ll have their work cut out for them if they want to make it back to the World Series.
The Offense Disappeared Again
As I already mentioned, the offense evaporated for the third consecutive postseason.
Give credit to the Brewers’ pitching staff for shutting down the Padres, but at the same time, there was a lot left to be desired.
Fernando Tatis Jr. provided plenty of firepower in the Wild Card Series before crashing back down to earth with a .118 batting average in the NLDS. Yes, he provided a jolt in Game 4 with his solo home run, but overall, he was disappointing.
Jackson Merrill wasn’t any better, hitting .176 with six strikeouts.
Manny Machado, on the other hand, had a strong showing, batting .308 with a .471 on-base percentage. His shot at a home run was robbed by Garrett Mitchell, a play that proved to be a dagger for the Padres.
Even with Machado’s strong performance, much of the lineup followed the same pattern as Tatis and Merrill, finishing with a collective .181 batting average and a .236 slugging percentage.
Simply not good enough.
The lineup needs to be reloaded with better hitters to surround this aging core in 2027 if the Padres want to contend. Additionally, you can’t afford to have your stars struggle the way they did if you’re serious about making a deep postseason run.
The Bullpen Was Overworked
The biggest concern heading into the postseason wasn’t the lineup, which had been one of the hottest in baseball. Nor was it the elite bullpen. It was the rotation.
The acquisitions of Casey Mize and Robbie Ray were complete failures, leaving the team in a tough position when it mattered most.
Much like during the regular season, the lack of starting pitching depth forced the Padres to lean heavily on their bullpen throughout October. Eventually, it caught up with them.
Starting with Miller, he looked nothing like his dominant self in this series. He was erratic, and both his fastball and slider looked like they’d lost their life. Overall, he looked fatigued, and you have to imagine the workload he carried throughout the year played at least some role in that.
Adrián Morejón pitched in Game 1 but was unavailable for the remainder of the series. He was dealing with what was described as “stickiness” in his shoulder, and after the workload he had been put through, it’s not shocking that an issue popped up.
With Morejón unavailable and Miller missing Game 3, Craig Stammen was forced to turn to the same guys over and over again.
Both Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui pitched in every game of the series, and both were nails, surrendering just one run apiece. But when you’re repeatedly giving opposing hitters the same looks, eventually, something has to give.
It was good to see Joe Musgrove back on the mound, and he looked sharp. However, given how he was recovering after his outings, the Padres couldn’t rely on him to pitch on back-to-back days.
The bullpen was one of this team’s biggest strengths all season, but even the best relievers can only do so much. You can’t expect them to carry a team through October when the rotation can’t consistently provide length.
Where Does the Team Go From Here?
This team’s core is only getting older, and several key players are locked into long-term deals. Machado and Bogaerts have seven years remaining on their contracts, both of which run through their age-40 seasons. Tatis and Merrill are also here for the long haul.
Knowing A.J. Preller, he isn’t going to blow it up. And honestly, I don’t think he needs to.
However, this offseason will require Preller to be calculated. The following players are all pending free agents:
- Ty France
- Casey Mize
- Walker Buehler
- Adrián Morejón
- Jason Adam
- Robbie Ray
- Luis Rengifo
- Miguel Andújar
- Ramón Laureano
- Austin Hays
- Wandy Peralta
- Yuki Matsui
This list doesn’t include King or Nick Pivetta, who could exercise their player options, potentially adding two more major decisions to Preller’s plate.
Rebuilding the rotation needs to be the biggest priority. Give King a blank check after the year he just had and try to keep Pivetta on a reasonable deal. If you can retain both, go out and sign two more legitimate starters.
The bullpen can’t be leaned on the way it was this season. If the Padres want to make a serious run in 2027, they need a rotation capable of getting them through six innings consistently and taking some pressure off the relievers.
Speaking of the bullpen, give Morejón the money he wants and bring back Matsui. With Rodriguez’s emergence, you can afford to let Adam walk.
Now for the lineup. Bring back Ty France. He’s San Diego through and through, and retaining him would give the team some continuity at first base.
Addressing left field should be another priority. Running out a platoon of Samad Taylor, Dustin Harris, and Jase Bowen isn’t what a contending team does. Try to sign Randy Arozarena if possible.
If the Padres miss out on a corner outfield bat, then look to sign a legitimate designated hitter who can add some much-needed power and depth to the lineup.
This team is absolutely capable of winning a World Series with this core. Hopefully, with fewer ownership distractions and a bigger budget, Preller can bring in the talent needed to get them over the hump.
Given the talent on this roster, the Padres accomplished plenty this season, but there are also clear areas that need to improve. The team doesn’t need a complete rebuild, but it does need to be retooled.
There is no doubt in my mind that this team is only a handful of moves away from winning a championship in 2027. Now it’s up to Preller to make them.
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Written by
Ethan is an aspiring sports analyst who has a passion for all sports. He was a collegiate baseball player and is a recent San Diego State…