4 San Diego Padres who are playing their way out of the team's 2024 plans

All eyes aren't quite on 2024 yet for the San Diego Padres, but they're just one more bad stretch away from that being their reality. After a thrilling run to the NLCS last season, the Padres stand at 58-63 on the year and 4.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the NL.

We saw the Padres make it to the NLCS as the second Wild Card team, but that team won 89 games. For them to get to that number, they'd have to win 31 of their remaining 41 games. Very, very unlikely.

We all hope this team squeaks into the playoffs, but there should also be some focus on 2024, a season the Padres have a much better shot in. These four players are contributing to the Padres struggles and are playing their way out of the team's 2024 plans.

1) Scott Barlow is playing his way out of the 2024 plans for the San Diego Padres

Is it too early? Possibly. Scott Barlow is only six appearances into his Padres career after being acquired at the deadline in a deal with the Royals, but things are not off to the best of starts.

The right-hander has allowed nine runs (seven earned) in 7.2 innings of work. Now, if Barlow was the Barlow of old I would just say this is a rough patch and forget about it, but he's had a miserable year in 2023.

Overall, he has a 5.83 ERA in 44 appearances and 46.1 innings pitched. I felt like a change of scenery coming to a place trying to win would've helped, but in his two biggest games as a Padre against the Dodgers he floundered each time, allowing three earned runs in back-to-back appearances.

Barlow has one more year of team control remaining, and will see an increase from his $5.3 million. I understand how good Barlow has been in the past, but the 30-year-old has looked nothing like that guy in 2023. Can the Padres take the gamble that he'll return to form in 2024? Sure. But they can also sign a different reliever for a similar price who doesn't look like a shell of his former self.