Padres GM A.J. Preller seemed almost inconsolable after having to trade Juan Soto (and Trent Grisham) for five Yankees. And though that deal worked for the Yanks, it saved the Padres — who landed top-of-the-rotation starter Michael King, solid catcher Kyle Higashioka (two wild-card homers) and Drew Thorpe (who they used as the key piece for ace Dylan Cease), plus Jhony Brito and Randy Vazquez.
It’s a mystery how the 2023 Padres — with much of this team plus Soto, Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Seth Lugo and Josh Hader — went 82-80. Even more bizarre, manager Bob Melvin got a three-year deal from the Giants off that.
A Padres-Yankees World Series rematch looks very possible.
The Yankees were discussing Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt for Game 3. I’d go with Gil, but they do love Schmidt.
The Diamondbacks got a tough deal becoming the first team eliminated by a paper tiebreaker after the Mets and Braves got to play a day later and predictably split to ensure the rare dual champagne celebration. Baseball is wise to schedule finales simultaneously, but in this case, with Hurricane Helene due in, the Mets and Braves should have either played the previous Monday or done a doubleheader Tuesday to avoid the day-after doubleheader.
The D’backs weren’t too happy about it, but they also know they lost five of their last seven. And MLB is somewhat less opposed to paper tiebreakers with 40 percent of teams qualifying for October.
D’backs owner Ken Kendrick telling Arizona Sports radio 98.7 that signing Jordan Montgomery was his “horrible decision” and isn’t GM Mike Hazen’s fault is simply reality. Kendrick pushed for Montgomery after Eduardo Rodriguez came up lame.
It shouldn’t necessarily be taken as a dig on Monty (6.23 ERA, middle reliever), though he did raise eyebrows there when he blamed his poor performance on “conditions” when they play in a dome.
Montgomery will surely pick up his $22.5 million player option despite conditions. Arizona won’t release him but could try to trade him.
A.J. Hinch, who replaced Melvin in Arizona and made his bones in Houston, is doing it again in Detroit. He was going to be GM Rick Hahn’s choice for the White Sox before Jerry Reinsdorf hired Tony La Russa in attempt to erase what he called his biggest mistake (firing La Russa decades earlier).
Word is Reinsdorf will let GM Chris Getz make the managerial call this time, a good idea since the GM-manager relationship is key.
Chisox players love Grady Sizemore. But they will look, too.
Will Venable is a South Side candidate if he’d leave Texas. The likely heir apparent to Bruce Bochy declined an interview with the Mets last winter.