San Diego Padres fans are walking on the clouds right now. They made a potential franchise-changing move by landing Juan Soto, but getting Josh Bell, Brandon Drury, and Josh Hader only makes them even scarier.
The Friars proved that they want to win right now, but also positioned themselves as legit World Series contenders for years to come. Now, there's no more room for excuses as we head to the most crucial stretch of the season.
While landing Soto makes them instant contenders, keeping him for the next 15+ years is the real story here. He fits Fernando Tatis Jr's timeline; they've had a close friendship for years. When asked about it, El Niño showed his excitement about teaming up with his compatriot:
“It’s going to be fun,” Tatis said. It’s going to be really fun to watch.”
Tatis is working his way back from a wrist injury and it's just a matter of time before he's back on the field. The Padres have put together an elite roster, so it's time for them to deliver:
“We definitely have the talent, and we have the team to do it,” Tatis added. “Now it’s up to us to put the work out there and make it happen.”
GM A.J. Preller should get a lot of praise for getting all those deals done. He was the most aggressive executive in the league and now has an offensive juggernaut to show for:
“We feel like we’re better,” the executive said. “Obviously, he’s Juan Soto -- he speaks for himself. What he’s done at 23 years old and the type of talent he is, he’s arguably the best hitter in baseball. That should be a big help for our club. Getting Josh Bell also, offensively another switch-hitter who’s having a great year that can swing the bat, it should help us a lot.”
The Friars already had an impressive offense. Now, manager Bob Melvin expects the new additions to wreak havoc in the middle of the order:
“You’re talking about a premier player [in Soto], and then you look at what Josh Bell is doing this year, too -- those are two big bats,” Melvin said. “They will be somewhere in the middle of the order.”
From now on, the Padres will be must-watch television, even for non-baseball fans.
