Sez Me …
There never was a reason to even think about getting used to Juan Soto. He was just visiting.
I truly believe the Padres can be better without Soto. Yes, I truly believe they can win 83 games in 2024.
He’s a talented young batsman who always was going to be a comet with a good eye but a shortened tail over our skies.
Now he’s off to the Bronx.
Has Juan been informed? He’s going to find it’s much less pleasant to walk in New York than San Diego, a city in which weather makes it walkable and bike-ride-able throughout all one of our seasons.
The Padres have traded their bright, young outfield rental to the Yankees for lots of pitching. And if you are among those who thought he was returning to this baseball team (with a year remaining on his contract), then what you’re smoking is illegal in a legal state.
He never was coming back. Far too much money and not close to enough impact. Great players do great things. We didn’t see much greatness out of him here. Goodness, yes.
In no way am I questioning Soto’s ability with a bat. It’s his ability when he’s not using it.
He walks too much. Ted Williams walked a lot, but he was Ted Williams, and he didn’t bat .275. Soto just happened to be playing for a 2023 Padres team that was historically awful with runners in scoring position. It needed swings, not strolls.
Juan walked on 132 occasions to lead the majors. He struck out 129 times. So, there were 261 plate appearances when he didn’t need to bring along a bat at all to a “powerful” lineup that swooned at the thought of runners on second and third. Soto hit 35 home runs and should have driven in more than his 109.
The Padres finished with a plus-104 run differential, which normally means 10 more wins. But they were 10-28 in one-run games leading into extra innings, and they won two of 12 tries in OT. Shameful.
It can’t be more evident. The hitters on this team didn’t hit when it mattered, and Soto was a part of it. Great hitters hit pitches out of the strike zone … for base hits.
He was a finalist for a Gold Glove a few years ago, and that’s similar to my making the awards podium at the Boston Marathon. He is not a good outfielder. He doesn’t make errors because he doesn’t have the range to get to balls on which he can make them.
And he has a great chance to end up as a DH, a la new Dodger Shohei Ohtani.
In no way am I enjoying his exit. The only way to replace talent is with talent. But even if Peter Seidler hadn’t passed away, Soto wasn’t going to be part of this team’s future photograph.
There are others here, you know.
Fernando Tatis Jr., the most dynamic player in the game, remains, as does Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts. How many teams envy that?
With centerfielder Trent Grisham gone in the trade, I assume to play late-inning Yankees defense, General Manager A.J. Preller has outfield holes in front of him and has yet to use his shovel.
Grisham couldn’t hit .200, but could play defense, and what some people don’t know about Petco Park is that a fine centerfielder is paramount.
What did the great Kevin Towers tell me about Petco’s center field? “The biggest mistake I’ve made as GM was letting Mike Cameron go.”
They save runs, man.
I don’t know if Preller will attempt to move Tatis from right to center, which would seem to me Fernando’s best position. But that may not be prudent when, in one season, Junior developed into the game’s finest right fielder. I don’t like to make comparisons, but he has some Clemente in him.
As an all-around baseball player, Soto couldn’t ride tandem on Fernando’s motorcycle.
Machado is Machado. Just let him be. He likes Manny so much he doesn’t like to take the day off so Manny can’t be seen.
Preller has quite a long journey before he rests. But I like this deal. He needed pitchers and got them for someone he was going to lose. The payroll isn’t imploding.
And there’s more money to spend on batters who possibly can remain conscious with RISP. …
Another sure way to tell you’ve got a bad NFL team? When the crowd chants: “Mason Rudolph! Mason Rudolph!” …
Philadelphia’s game vs. San Francisco was the Eagles’ third in 13 days. The Niners were coming off a 10-day mini-bye. If you don’t think that’s a big deal in December, the next football you watch will be your first. Philly ran out of petrol. …
The officials screwed K.C. at the end of its loss to the Packers. A real shame. The Chiefs get more calls than a 1960s Manhattan operator. I’m still trying to figure if the zebras had anything to do with them having only two first-half possessions vs. Green Bay. …
Coaches continue to single-cover Tyreek Hill. This is fighting Sugar Ray Robinson with one hand tied behind your back, picking your nose with the other, and rubbing your eyes after getting pepper sprayed. …
Troy Aikman: “For those of you who know what a 40-yard-dash time is, he ran a 4.26.” I know what a 4.26 40 is, Troy. A lie. …
Khalil Mack says he considered retirement after the Judases’ disgraceful playoff loss to the Jaguars. So did I, but my fan talked me out of it. …
The over/under on Patriots-Steelers Thursday night was 30. Lowest on an NFL game since 2005, but still seemed 20 points too high. …
Jim Leyland is the perfect choice to enter the Baseball and American Tobacco Institute halls of fame in the same year. Look up the video of Jim cussing out Barry Bonds. A man in charge. …
And you must see the film of Jim arguing with an umpire, stopping when the Anthem begins, and getting back in the ump’s face after “home of the brave.” This was baseball. This was all a part of the show, when managers didn’t take advice from nerds who couldn’t play Strat-o-Matic. …
I fail to see why the Aztecs continue to play basketball at Grand Canyon. You have to take mules down to the court. …
LeBron is so good now he can call a timeout (and get it) when the ball is loose on the floor. …
How Muhammad Ali felt about Henry Aaron: “The only man I idolize more than myself.” …
Bo Nix has entered the transfer portal. …
RIP, Norman Lear, a man with a spine, and a magnificent talent. …
Raising the age of receiving Social Security to 70 would be a travesty. But also incredibly insensitive and stupid, which means it has a chance. …
Proof? A new Economist poll shows one out of five young Americans believe the Holocaust never took place. As this mighty nation continues dumbing down, we keep digging toward the bottom of the barrel. There is no bottom.
