Lucas Stackpole, Peter Pappalardo and Bob Houk discuss the current state of the San Diego Padres and what needs to be done going forward to compete in the National League West.
On this week's episode of Roundtable's San Diego Padres podcast, the crew tries to navigate a hot stove that has cooled off.
Still, though, the Padres are a large market team that can still remain in trade hypotheticals and free agent rumors.
Lucas first talks about the ongoing discussions about the sale of the team and Bob Houk and Peter Pappalardo all agree that whatever happens with the sale of the team, the location and ballpark cannot change. Lucas expands on that and notes that the Padres have always been and will always be San Diego's team
San Diego was initially pursuing Kazuma Okamoto, who has since signed with the Toronto Blue Jays -- officially ending any rumors that the 29-year-old could suit up for the Padres. Definitely a tough loss to grasp, as our trio acknowledges that he would have been a great bat in the lineup.
Examining the Padres' losses this season, the trio delves into first baseman Ryan O'Hearn's decision to leave San Diego after just half a season, opting instead for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lucas brings up the truth about O'Hearn that most fans understood -- he was always going to be a rental for a deep playoff push, but the latter never came to fruition. Now, the infielder will have a chance to play alongside a young team with some excellent pitching. Right-hander Paul Skenes is obviously leading the pack, but Pittsburgh's pitching staff was dubbed a selling point.
Despite the club now having a vacancy at first base with O'Hearn's departure, no one in the trio thinks this is a devastating blow to the roster.
Taking a look at the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the trio discusses their excitement, specifically for right-hander Mason Miller and his plans to join Team USA. They also note that the timing of the competition is perfect to get Major League Baseball players in tip-top shape for the 2026 regular season, and believe it'll be better than just solely participating in Spring Training.
Rounding out the remainder of the show was a discussion on how much more needs to be done for San Diego to have a chance at competing, especially in the tough National League West. With teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and upcomer San Francisco Giants in the Padres' division, the club is just too far away from having a real shot at securing a division title -- let alone a World Series Title.
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