Padres' GM, Stars Open Up About 2023 Disappointment
The San Diego Padres went into the 2023 season with lofty expectations. With a stacked roster and star players like Juan Soto, Blake Snell, and Josh Hader, many picked the Padres as a World Series favorite.
Instead of realizing their potential, the Padres fell short of reaching the postseason altogether. All three of the aforementioned stars are no longer with the Padres. Expectations have fallen.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller addressed the team's disappointment heading into Spring Training this season.
“The biggest thing was disappointment because of the people we had in that room. We thought this team was very, very capable of winning a World Series. Even if things went wrong, we felt we should be in a position where we have as much ability as anyone. I know guys feel like we’ve left a lot on the table last year.”
— Preller, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today
Pitcher Joe Musgrove got into some of the specifics as to why the Padres fell short, which included losing close games.
“We didn’t do the little things right, like moving runners over, or our approach. You look at our numbers throughout the season with runners in scoring position. We had plenty of opportunities, but we didn’t cash them in. That’s why you saw us lose so many close games because we weren’t doing the little things right. We weren’t far off from being a completely different team. We were right there in most of those games. We were just one swing from changing a lot of those games. But obviously you can get close as you want, but if you don’t win, what difference does it make?’’
— Musgrove, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Now, the Padres are looking to capitalize this season. It won't be easy. Three-fifths of their starting rotation is gone. Manager Bob Melvin left for the San Francisco Giants. The Padres will have to try and achieve more than they did last season, but without players like Soto and Hader and with a new manager in Mike Shildt.
Still, the players are still optimistic. This includes Manny Machado, who believes in his team heading into 2024.
“I think the guys in here are a little bit more hungry. It was devastating. We could have been a lot better last year. We fell short, two games back, in a season that wasn’t so great. We know we have it. It’s there. We’ve just got to take it out from within. A lot of guys are hungry.”
— Machado, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune.
