The biggest reason why this year’s San Diego Padres raised expectations was the presence of the ‘Big 4’. Expectations exploded as four sluggers with both skill and star potential, including third baseman Manny Machado, shortstop Xander Bogaerts, and outfielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto, came together on one team.
However, the performance of the Big 4 overall fell short of expectations. Machado suffered a micro fracture on the side of his left palm due to a sand drive in May, and was not in normal condition in August due to elbow pain, also known as tennis elbow. Bogaerts also suffered from wrist inflammation from early May to early July. In the aftermath of the injury, his batting performance fell compared to previous years.
Tatis, who took a full year off last year due to injury and suspension for banned substances, also did not perform as well as he did before returning. Soto did his best, but it was not enough to change the situation on his own. San Diego, whose winning percentage was below .500 throughout the season, ended the season without even being able to properly fight for the rankings. It was inevitable that criticism would be focused on the Big 4, who were not worth the money.
The local newspaper ‘San Diego Union-Tribune’ also reported on the 7th (hereinafter Korean time), ‘The team that relied heavily on the Big 4 faced destruction. Among the Big Four, only Soto had an OPS of over .790, and was criticized for the lack of depth in San Diego’s lineup. He pointed out that there were only five players, including the Big Four and Kim Ha-seong, who showed at least 400 at-bats and above average adjusted OPS.
He continued, ‘It was painful to see Jake Cronenworth’s poor performance. There was no way Tret Grisham (.198) could hit over .200. The designated hitter combination of Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz became a hole in the batting lineup. He also pointed out the poor performance of the remaining starting hitters, saying, “Catchers such as Gary Sanchez and Luis Campusano performed above average.”
San Diego general manager AJ Preller said, “To win the World Series, we need a lot of players with outstanding talent. We don’t form teams with the idea that we only need four superstars. “Look at what Ha-seong Kim did,” he said, referring to Ha-seong Kim, another key player who is not a member of the Big Four but was very active this year.
General Manager Preller continued, “I think we are a good team from numbers 1 to 9, including Cronenworth, Grisham, Campusano, and Sanchez. “You can form a team in a variety of ways,” he said. “If you look at the rosters of teams that advanced to the playoffs, there are teams where the top 4 or 5 players performed very well, while there are also teams where the 13 fielders have good balance and harmony. “There is no one way to build a team,” he said.
As the results this year were not good, General Manager Preller must increase efficiency as much as possible in constructing next year’s roster. If the Big 4 continue to explode together, the performance will naturally increase, but like this year, it may not work out due to injuries or other reasons. To prepare for this, depth must be strengthened and the roster must be harmonized. The more players like Kim Ha-seong who can play their part in any position, the better.
Although General Manager Preller was rumored to be dismissed amid criticism from the local media, he received re-confidence from club owner Peter Seidler. General Manager Preller said, “If you look at the teams that made it to the playoffs, the players we trusted and relied on performed in line with expectations. “We weren’t like that this year,” he said. “We will talk about how we can better prepare for the season.” “If the player composition needs to change, we will do so,” he predicted change.
BY: 스포츠토토
