The Padres are back home after their longest road trip of the season, and the timing could hardly be better. San Diego has pushed itself back into the wild-card conversation, and the current mood around the club sounds a lot different than it did not long ago.
Third baseman Manny Machado said the trip felt like it lasted “forever,” according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, but the way he talked about the team made it sound like the rough patches were already in the rearview mirror. The Padres are only a game over .500, yet Machado described a group that believes it’s finding its rhythm at the right time.
“I think there’s a lot of good players right now that are doing their job, and we’re kind of rolling as a group,” Machado said. “I think all of you guys - not fans, for you guys watching; reporters in front of me - I don’t think you guys saw us doing this or getting here, but here we are. I think we’re going to finish off strong as a group.”
That led to the predictable questions about how the turnaround happened, and Machado didn’t exactly hide his irritation.
“Yeah, I mean, you guys love writing negative about us all year, so hopefully just some positives start coming out,” Machado said.
The results have started to speak for themselves. San Diego is riding a five-game winning streak, and second baseman Jake Cronenworth said that stretch reflects the real version of this club.
“I mean, I’d hope so,” second baseman Jake Cronenworth said. “How we’re playing right now, I think, is the true identity of this club.
Obviously, A.J.’s - I’m sure he’s doing what A.J. usually does and on the phone 24/7. But we’ve just got to keep continuing to play really good baseball.”
For now, the Padres are leaning on general manager A.J. Preller, even though the expectation is that San Diego won’t have much payroll room to work with. Lin also noted that the team’s farm system is ranked 30th in the league, which only adds to the challenge of improving the roster.
The needs are clear: starting pitching and a left-handed bat. The pitching market, in particular, is expected to be competitive.
Still, the recent run has at least bought the Padres some breathing room, and closer Mason Miller said the group is keeping its attention on the day in front of it.
“I don’t think we live in terms of relief,” said closer Mason Miller. “It’s like we’re focused on today, and we’ve got tomorrow and the rest of the week.
It’s fruitless to sit here and worry about much of anything besides today. For yourself and for your team.”
In Other News...
Padres Face A Defining Angels Trade Choice For Their Rotation
The Padres search for rotation help has led them across the freeway to a pair of Angels arms, with Jos Soriano and Reid Detmers both drawing attention as possible trade targets. The appeal is obvious from San Diegos side: each pitcher is under team control for multiple seasons, each would come with a meaningful acquisition cost, and each would be asked to help stabilize a staff that could use another dependable starter.
Detmers, though, brings a different profile to the conversation. The left-hander has shown a much cleaner strikeout-to-walk shape than Soriano, and his ability to miss bats while limiting free passes makes him a natural fit for a Padres rotation that values efficiency and flexibility. His home-run issues would still be part of the evaluation, but Petco Park offers some cover there, which is why this trade debate has become more than just a simple search for innings. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Bullpen Anxiety Just Spiked With This Deadline Rumor
The trade deadline chatter around the Pirates has turned toward their bullpen, and that is the kind of development Padres fans know can quickly become their problem too. Pittsburgh has a strong starting rotation, but ESPNs Jeff Passan reported the club is looking for relief help, with San Diego lefty Adrian Morejon emerging as a name to watch as the market starts to take shape.
Morejon has been one of the more intriguing arms in San Diegos relief mix, posting a 3.14 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 57.1 innings while working as an impending free agent. For the Padres, that makes him both a useful late-inning weapon and a possible deadline chip, which is exactly the sort of balancing act that can get complicated fast once contenders start calling. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Machado Had A Response Ready For Months Of Padres Criticism
Manny Machado has spent the better part of the season hearing the noise around his slow start and the Padres uneven offense, and he made it clear he has not forgotten it. The criticism came early, when his own numbers and the teams bats were under the microscope, but San Diegos offense has been far more productive since mid-June, giving Machado and company a much different backdrop than the one they faced in April and May.
Machado has helped drive that shift with timely hits in recent games, including a big night against the Marlins when he delivered an RBI double and later tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth before Jackson Merrill put San Diego ahead. Even with the trade deadline chatter hovering around the club, Machado said the focus inside the room is on winning, not on wondering what A.J. Preller might do next. [Read more 🡒]