By most standards, the San Diego Padres have had an incredible season. They consistently hang with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, and they’ve still got a good shot at winning the division title and triumphing over baseball’s biggest spender.
Not everything is all homers and shutouts, however. A recent ESPN story by Bradley Doolittle listed every team’s biggest success and failure of the season, and the Pads pair of items contained an interesting surprise.
To wit: The Padres won the trade deadline. This may seem like an odd choice, but it’s actually interesting and relevant. GM A.J. Preller isn’t one to sit on his hands when things start to go sideways, and given some of San Diego’s issues with injuries and underperformance, his moves have ended up being critical.
Key setup man Jason Adams goes down with a blown quad? Enter new reliever Mason Miller, who came over from the Athletics in a deadline deal after which he’s been both brilliant and essential.
Having some trouble solidifying the catching corps? Not to worry. Preller went out and added catcher Freddy Fermin, who’s been more than adequate since coming over from the Kansas City Royals at the deadline.
The list goes on, too. Preller picked up outfielder Ramon Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles at the deadline, and he, too, has played a prominent role in keeping the lineup afloat.
While these success stories might be laudable, the Padres biggest failure this season has been shortstop Xander Bogaerts. His bloated contract and subpar offense have been a story line for several years, and now he’s out with a broken foot.
His latest injury is basically camouflage for Bogaerts' ongoing offensive struggles. His OPS was in the All-Star neighborhood of 130 back when he was with the Boston Red Sox, but he’s been under 100 with the Pads this year and last.
Moreover, the shortstop’s slugging percentage is anemic, too. It’s just .402 at Petco Park this year, and just three of Bogaerts’ ten homers have come at home.
The good news is the Padres are still in the hunt. They’re heading into Citi Field for a pivotal series with the New York Mets just two games behind the Dodgers, and the Padres have an ample cushion in the wild card race, coming in five games ahead of the Mets with an extra game-and-a-half over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The preference would obviously be a division title, but there’s no doubt that Preller has put them in position to win despite Bogaerts’ ongoing struggles.