Dodgers: Sizing Up the NL West Competition- Padres

This article is part three of a five-part series in which I will break down the Dodgers’ competition in the NL West for the 2018 season. The articles will feature the teams’ offseason additions and subtractions, a pitcher to watch out for, a batter to watch out for, and a season expectation.

The San Diego Padres are slowly but surely on the mend. Their farm system is in the top-four in all of baseball and they are also making subtle improvements to a major league roster that has been atrocious over the past 17 or so seasons. Having not finished higher than third in the division all but three times in 17 years, the Padres can really only go up and it is up they are going.

This offseason was one of the biggest in San Diego’s recent memory. They signed one of the biggest names in free agents and also made a couple of smaller signing and a trades that further rounded out their roster.

While they did not go from zero to hero in just a couple months, the team did a relatively nice job of preparing for seasons in a few years rather than right now. So, while the team is far from ready to compete, the Padres give us a lot to talk about.

The Padres biggest offseason move was easily their addition of Eric Hosmer. Hosmer is top tier player and was once the pride of the Kansas City Royals. But, a rebuild in Missouri and a huge price tag on Hosmer’s head caused the 28-year-old first baseman to hop on the rebuild train in San Diego.

But, the Eric Hosmer signing is not all that perfect when you look a little further. Hosmer inked an eight-year deal worth $144 million. There is an opt-out somewhere in there but for argument’s sake let’s say Hosmer rides out all eight seasons. That would make him a free agent in 2026, his age 36 seasons. While we are talking about the here and now it is impossible to ignore how stuck the Padres will be in five or six years from now. Statistically speaking Hosmer is well worth the money right now but come 2023, $20 million a year could be a serious thorn in the sides of Padre management.

Whether there is trouble down the road or not, Hosmer is a big deal for the Padres in 2018. The 2017 Gold Glover and Silver Slugger will certainly help the team. His strength in run production and ability to play 155+ games in a season will be welcomed traits for a team that has struggled so much in its recent history. Hosmer owned a 132 OPS+ and a WAR of 4 last year to go with his .318 batting average and 25 home runs.

Beyond the Hosmer signing the Padres’ moves were smaller but still extremely productive. The team inked Brad Hand to a three-year extension worth just over $20 million. They also added a solid reliever in Craig Stamen and traded Yangervis Solarte to the Blue Jays for two serviceable prospects.

The team did lose Jhoulys Chacin to the Brewers and he was arguably the best pitcher on the roster last year.

The youth movement in San Diego is in full effect. With Eric Hosmer and Will Myers in the same lineup, the team’s production should be astronomically better than last year. But, like with Brad Hand, you know what you are going to get from Myers and Hosmer: very solid bats and defense. So, to avoid discussing the obvious I picked a batter who has garnered some trade interest and, if he stays in San Diego, could make a huge difference for the team: Hunter Renfroe.

Renfroe is the ultimate case of very confusing. In his debut season, 2016, he was incredible. Renfroe was hitting balls on top of the metal supply building in right field and looked as though he was going to be the Padres version of Cody Bellinger, not the case.

Renfroe was productive last year but aside from his 26 home runs, he was not all that impressive. The young outfielder was serviceable, sure, but there is no doubt in my mind he fell short of the management, the fan base, and his own expectations.

Hunter Renfroe’s shortcoming in 2017 makes him all the more intriguing in 2018. There is no better fuel than proving people wrong and I firmly believe he has an opportunity to show the league that he is more than a mid-twenties home run guy who bats for a low average. Renfroe’s revenge season could easily be an explosion of greatness and it will be interesting to see if it comes to fruition.

The Padres will not be contenders in 2018. They are a part of arguably the best division in baseball and the competition is just too stiff for the young and rising team.

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Next: Dodgers: 2018 Will Go Ways in Determining Yasiel Puig's Future in Blue

But, I firmly believe that contention is not the goal for this season. The Padres are in a position to be a serious club in a couple years with the make-up of their farm system. The team just needs to stay the course and continue doing whatever it is they are doing because quite frankly it’s working. San Diego has a lot to look forward to and in the meantime, they should just enjoy whatever glimpses into the future they can get.