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

3) The Padres neglected to build a deep roster, opting for top-heavy star power instead

San Diego saw the opportunity to build a "super team" and certainly went for it. But how has that worked out? Not so great.

Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts have each been injured. Juan Soto scuffled out of the gate. Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended. On the pitching side? Reliever Robert Suarez is out of commission, while ace Joe Musgrove was banged up himself, then returned and struggled (though he's been better of late), and now has an elbow issue. Seth Lugo has also been sidetracked with an injury, as has Drew Pomeranz.

These are all issues that can affect even the most well-constructed teams, and the Padres have seen the gauntlet. But with the season being a marathon and not a sprint, that only emphasizes the importance of having quality depth to lean on in situations like these.

You can build what many were calling the best lineup in baseball, with tons of star power. However, that's all for nothing if these players can't stay healthy, and in turn, the team lacks adequate depth to replace their presences. The best teams have great players and solid depth around and behind those talents for when obstacles arise.

It's clear the Padres didn't focus as much on depth as they should've when constructing this top-heavy roster, and this has shown through on multiple occasions in 2023.