Keeping up with the Joneses is rarely a good idea in any setting, and that's especially true in baseball. It's even more especially true when your neighbors are the Los Angeles Dodgers, and you're a fan of the San Diego Padres as they try to keep up.
It's a hopeless task, and now it's even more so. As Will Lockwood of FriarsOnBase.com recently noted, the reports that the Dodgers are doing a payroll reset feels beyond ominous. Start with the retirement of legendary Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, then add in the money LA will get when the likes of outfielder Michael Conforto, reliever Kirby Yates and center fielder Chris Taylor hit the market.
It comes out to $87 million, and if there's one thing you can bet on, it's that the Dodgers won't pocket it. They'll be looking to fill the holes in their roster, and right now that's relief pitching. The options include closers Robert Suarez, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, and maybe even Edwin Diaz if things break badly between Diaz and the New York Mets.
Meanwhile, the Padres are about to be sold, and their GM hasn't been extended yet. They have $47 million to spend, but none of that money is going to anyone until the situations with the sale and A,J. Presser get resolved. And the simple fact is that the Padres have too many holes to fill with that amount of money, especially since they're just starting the process of rebuilding their starting rotation.
It's a depressing situation, but it's unlikely to change or get resolved any time soon. The only way that happens with a positive outcome is if the Padres find deep-pocket owners who are willing to become the West Coast version of Mets owner Steve Cohen.
To spackle over the problem, the Padres are hiring a new manager. This wasn't Preller's idea, but it's hardly surprising that former manager Mike Shildt decided to step down and leave money on the table given all the money variables that are in play. New manager Craig Stammen, who also happens to be a former Padre reliever, already knows he'll have to do more with less, and that could easily turn out to be a lot less.
There are some things Preller and Stammen can do around the margins to help close the gap a little, but the basic difference in spending isn't going down any time soon. It's defined the NL West for years now, and that looks to be the status quo going forward as well.