2 San Diego Padres who worked out in 2023 and 2 who didn't

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There is still the month of September left for the San Diego Padres, but it’s looking like it’s going to be a season full of major disappointment. When breaking down what went wrong, you can look at many different factors.

There were some additions to the 2023 roster last offseason with Xander Bogaerts being the big fish that was landed by GM A.J. Preller when he signed the former Boston Red Sox shortstop to an 11-year, $280 million contract.

He was just the latest addition to a roster with star power and underachieved as a whole. You have to think that with the way this season went, there are going to be changes coming this offseason for San Diego with an eye toward turning things around next season. Despite roster turnover during the season, there are a lot of questions facing Preller this offseason as to the makeup of his roster.

San Diego Padres had a mix of players who did work out and some who didn’t.

It was a mixture of some good and some bad for Preller this season. Here a two players who didn’t work out with the San Diego Padres this season and two who did.

San Diego Padres v Milwaukee Brewers / John Fisher/GettyImages

These two players have worked out well for the San Diego Padres in 2023

Gary Sanchez

Austin Nola struggled big time at the beginning of the season and the Padres went out and took a chance on Sanchez after he was released twice earlier in the season by the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. It’s safe to say that the move worked out very well.

Sanchez came in and made an impact with the pitching staff and his biggest impact was made with Blake Snell. From June to August, Snell was the Friars’ best pitcher and he was a part in July when they made a move in the standings that allowed them to become buyers.

Offensively, Sanchez has supplied pop at the bottom of the lineup that other players were not able to provide. The former New York Yankees catch has 18 home runs and 44 RBI with the Padres. This will be an interesting decision for Preller this offseason with Sanchez on whether or not he comes back in 2024. If he does, he could be one of the cheaper options out there.

Michael Wacha

Bogaerts was not the only member of the 2022 Red Sox to head to Southern California as pitcher Michael Wacha also signed with San Diego. The right-hander, before getting injured, was very good when taking the ball every fifth day.

He is 10-2 this season in 18 starts with a 2.84 ERA in 101.1 innings pitched with 90 strikeouts. He has made three starts since returning from his injury going 2-0 with a 2.87 ERA against the Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, and Milwaukee Brewers. Wacha signed a four-year, $26 million contract last winter and is a big piece of the rotation looking ahead to 2024. This was a low-risk, high-reward move that has worked out.

San Diego Padres v Philadelphia Phillies / Rich Schultz/GettyImages

These two players have not worked out well with the San Diego Padres in 2023.

Matt Carpenter

At the time, this was a good free-agent signing for the Padres. Carpenter was coming off a good 2022 season with the New York Yankees despite missing time with an injury. A needed left-handed bat, he also is flexible and able to fill in at multiple infield positions.

As the season has gone along, his at-bats have decreased and he’s slashing just .174/.307/.303 Going into next season, Preller needs to figure out a way to move his $6 million that is due and he is just taking up a roster spot for someone else who could provide more to the team.

Nelson Cruz

Like Carpenter, things never worked out with Cruz, who was brought in to split DH at-bats primarily from the right side, but he was never able to find his swing, and in July, San Diego designated him for assignment. He was on a cheap $1 million contract, but it got to the point where the Padres needed to move on.

Preller was hoping that the veteran would be able to find his home run swing and be a run-producing addition to the bottom of the order, but it never materialized. When he was producing, he was one of the top DHs in the league, but those days are gone. San Diego is better off with giving extra at-bats now to Sanchez, when he’s not catching, and Garrett Cooper, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Miami Marlins.

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