3 negligent San Diego Padres offseason decisions the team is paying for right now

2) The Padres signing both Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz has proven negligent

The Padres made a significant enhancement to their lineup in the winter, signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts to pair with Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. And while that fearsome foursome hasn't quite come together as planned to this point, it appears A.J. Preller neglected his designated hitter (DH) spot in 2023.

Bringing in Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz to form a DH platoon has turned out as patchwork as you'd expect. Neither player has an OPS over .700 and the soon-to-be 43-year-old Cruz has spent time on the shelf already this season, leaving a hole on his side of the platoon. Carpenter is rendered irrelevant against left-handers, so his role is also somewhat limited on the team.

Having two aging DHs on the roster when the Padres could've just had one better overall player, or heck, even two better players, has undoubtedly cost San Diego at times in 2023. This isn't the the kind of depth you need to sustain over a long season.