Three Facts the Dodgers Should Be Concerned About the Padres What do you think about this?
With authority over their own fate, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres begin their last series of 2024. A chance to win the National League West exists for both clubs.
The job for the Padres (90-66) is far more challenging. With six regular season games left, the Dodgers (93-63) lead the series by three games. Even still, a Padres series sweep would tie the two clubs for first place in the division, which would be disastrous for the Dodgers, who have led the league all season.
How did the Padres arrive here, then? Do the Dodgers need to be concerned?
Here are three factors to consider while considering San Diego:
The standout outfielder Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres was eventually sent to the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Four rookie pitchers and one seasoned catcher were sent to the team in exchange.
The Padres sent back pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Given that they are certain to lose numerous starts on the open marker, this offers San Diego a great deal of flexibility among their pitching staff.
A.J. Preller, head of baseball operations for the Padres, provided some explanation on how the Soto deal will affect the 2024 team. He thinks the team will use all four of the pitchers they acquired in the next campaign.
Michael King: King was the trade’s main headliner and he ought to fit right in with the crew. Last season, he pitched for the Yankees with an ERA of 2.75 over 104.2 innings. He should start the season directly behind Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish.