San Diego Padres 2023 Season Preview
The NL West arms race has gotten real interesting since last August, as the San Diego Padres have picked up a new cache of weapons. Josh Bell and Brandon Drury may not have panned out as hoped, but Juan Soto added an imposing figure in a lineup that had been largely pedestrian throughout most of the season. Even though the Padres couldn’t follow up their NLDS win over the Dodgers, the gauntlet had officially been laid down.
Not only is Soto back this season, Xander Bogaerts and Nelson Cruz have joined the party on free agent deals. The Padres also brought in Matt Carpenter, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, among others. For the first time since 2018, the Dodgers don’t have the biggest payroll in the NL West and for just the second time since 2012 (both times were the Giants).
After losing the division by 22 games, the Padres won when it mattered most and now both teams have similar projections for the 2023 season. A willingness to spend and some really good player development wins have San Diego closer than ever to the first World Series win in franchise history.