Who's To Blame For The Padres' Struggles?

This 2021 season has had a roller coaster of emotions for the Friar Faithful. What was expected to finally be an exciting season marked as contenders has turned into an embarrassing year with many questions coming this offseason. The Padres will not just miss the playoffs, but also possibly finish below a .500 record. So, who do we blame here if we had to narrow it down?

I love Padres Twitter. For all of you on there that I see, you make such great takes that make these topics possible. This topic is one of them. I think I can safely say that many of us cannot stand manager Jayce Tingler a lot of times but were also frustrated with former pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Now what about our general manager A.J. Preller? Since coming to San Diego in 2014, this Padres team has made a lot of changes. Of course we got the amazing Fernando Tatis Jr which has put the Padres to notice. But there is more than that. From trust the farm system and build young to trade them all away and contend with multiple stars, Preller has made some unbelievable moves that helped the team get here. But this team is like swiss cheese, there are many holes to fill. Let's break down some of the moves that Preller has done to "improve" the team. This experiment was done once before and failed immediately when Preller took role in 2014 as Preller gave away Yasmani Grandal, Trea Turner, Max Fried and Zach Eflin who are thriving still in the majors.

Focusing mainly on Preller does not give a pass to Tingler one bit, but Preller's trades have been interesting. I want to start off with what the outfield has become. It felt like yesterday Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe were hitting bombs for the first half of the 2019 season. At that time, the outfield looked powerful with solid defense in Renfroe. Reyes eventually got traded to Cleveland at the deadline while Renfroe was in the offseason.

With Reyes, he provided a great personality that brought fun in the team while casually hitting home runs at a decent .255 batting average. For a 6'5" power hitter, that batting average I can live with. Besides, advanced stats are important too. Reyes also posted a .536 slugging which is very solid. I really was a fan of Reyes. If there was a universal DH, (There should be) Reyes would still be on this team. Instead, San Diego traded him away for what was the 30th ranked prospect OF Taylor Trammell. Pitcher Logan Allen also went to Cleveland in part of a three team trade involving the Cincinnati Reds as well. (Padres prospect 3B Victor Nova was also sent to the Indians.) Fast forward to now and Trammell is now with the pesky Seattle Mariners who are making some noise in the American League. Trammell was involved in a seven-player trade that gave the Padres a boost behind the plate and in the bullpen. Andres Munoz, Taylor Trammell, Ty France and Luis Torrens were sent to the Mariners for catcher Austin Nola who has been solid when healthy, Austin Adams who hits every batter he faces and Dan Altavilla who had season ending surgery. This trade would not have happened without Reyes being dealt and I was not a huge fan of it the moment it happened. I had high hopes for Ty France to be that fourth, reliable infielder and I thought Trammell was the answer in center field. (Maybe France could have been our future 1B.) Nola is a great veteran who can hit lefties, but was he worth that much especially with the injuries? He is now out for the rest of the season too. Adams throws a slider almost 90% of the time on the mound and he either gets the big strikeout or hits the batter. Altavilla has been fine, it just sucks he cannot play due to surgery. This trade can really be a downfall as the Mariners are trying to make the playoffs in an interesting AL Wild Card chase while the Padres are eliminated. Plus, Ty France is clutch with the team man.

Switching over to Hunter Renfroe, he was the outfielder that Preller will regret the most trading away. Before Tatis came, Renfroe was my favorite player and I wore his t-shirt loud and proud. Great power, plays with heart and phenomenal defense. That makes for a great, gritty baseball player. Also cannot forget the clutchness as well. (Yeah I am talking about that walk-off grand slam off Dodgers' Kenley Jansen.) In four years with the Padres, Renfore had himself 311 hits, 70 doubles, 89 home runs and 204 RBI's. Renfroe was also a reliable source in either left or right field. What San Diego got in return was amazing, but Froe could have provided the power this 2021 team needs at times. The Padres traded Renfroe to the Tampa Bay Rays for the very patient hitter Tommy Pham and what was the unknown IF/P Jake Cronenworth. San Diego had second base issues before Cronenworth fillied in the slot. Ian Kinsler was past his day and same goes to Brian Dozier. Cronenworth has been excellent with the Padres. A left-handed hitter with a nice swing, solid discipline and puts the ball in play, Crone has been even better than what we could have imagined. I thought he would be a relief pitcher since I was unfamiliar with his background in the minors. I put the Renfroe trade second since it could be more beneficial than anything, but Pham has struggled hitting this season. I think he is gone very soon. Renfore on the other hand has been unreal in his first year with the Boston Red Sox. With the lack of power for most of the team now, it is frustrating to see the Padres not have Renfroe there. I mean, just imagine if the 2021 Padres had an outfield of Renfroe, Myers and Reyes! Ok, Reyes would be a perfect DH if it was in the NL, but a serviceable outfielder if need be.

Moving over to center field, the Padres went from the average Manny Margot to Gold Glove Award winner Trent Grisham. Seeing Grisham play great defense in a tough position is nice. Expecially after his costly error against the Nationals in the playoffs, a change of scenery was necessary. Margot never lived up to the expectations in being a high prospect. Grisham has been a good pro but his cold streaks really push him back at times. Yes, every player goes through their hot and cold streaks but Grisham can be difficult with the injuries as well. I just feel that Grisham has more to show. Yes, he is just 24 years old, but can the lefty prove to have more potential? With San Diego, Grisham has a .244 avg with a .761 OPS. I believe that the OPS category can reach +.800. By providing those doubles and walks, I still have faith that Grisham is an everyday center fielder. But what makes this aquisiiton frustrating? Who the Padres gave up for Grisham. This one does not have much backlash, but I really am amazed to see SS/2B Luis Urias and SP Eric Lauer do a solid job with the Milwaukee Brewers who recently claimed the division in the NL Central. Urias has produced a .778 OPS with 21 home runs while Lauer (Owner of the Dodgers) has had a 2.93 ERA in 19 starts.

Let me be clear here, this is not a writing piece to just rip apart Preller. If it wasn't for him, the Padres would have never received so much talent that they have now. However, some of that talent has been stunned with injuries and inconsistency while the former Padres that were dealt are playing well on their new teams. This 2021 Padres team is like swiss cheese, as there are many holes to fill. (FYI, I actually like swiss cheese but not the Padres 2021 performance.) There are talks that Hosmer will be dealt this offseason. If that can magically happen, who do the Padres replace him with? I wish Freddie Freeman but he wants to stay in Atlanta Brave. His son Charlie will not like that. Maybe get Anthony Rizzo back? The team needs to fill that hole since Profar is not an everyday first baseman or player. But also be aware that the roster did not enjoy hearing the Hosmer trade rumors in which that could have had a part on the Padres' struggles later on. Continuing with the weaknesses, behind the plate needs an upgrade as well. Caratini is a great backup and personal catcher for Darvish and more, but the injuries forced him to play more often. Nola is a nice piece but man he could not stay on the field a lot. Campusano is young and still needs to learn some fundamentals which is totally fine. Once he matures, he will gain respect from pitchers a.k.a. Blake Snell. Last but not least, the outfield. With Pham, Grisham and Myers playing, the three produced just an OPS at .745 combined. All three were also under the .800 mark. It has gotten weaker and seeing Renfroe and Reyes smash baseballs to orbit gives those power vibes the Padres desperatly need again in the outfield. In general, the Padres need more power as Tatis and Machado brought most of it. You can argue Cronenworth too.

To wrap it up on this read, do not be fooled on how "good" the Padres team looks on paper. Multiple positions need to be worked on and some coaching positions also should be in question. I will still give Preller some time, but it is ticking. Since being in control of this roster in 2014 and building this team from the ground up, it is not that great to say that the team has made the playoffs just once so far and that came in a 60-game season. Yes, I disapprove of Jayce Tingler and his managing skills as well as hitting coach Damion Easley, but A.J. Preller will not be avoiding some blame in this pathetic season. Now we wait. Can Preller make up for his actions by making a splash in free agency? Can he form a team that is capable of living up to expectations? There is a lot of work to be done so sit tight San Diego, as it is going to be a bumpy ride.