They are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The last time they had a winning percentage of 5% was on the 12th of last month. It’s been almost four weeks.
San Diego was a 7-1 loser at home on April 5 against the Chicago Cubs. They are 27-32 and are a ‘-5’ favorite. They are 7.5 games back of the two first-place teams in the NL West and 4.5 games back of the third wild-card spot.
Starter Ryan Weathers struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk in 1⅔ innings. The batters managed just one run off of his counterpart, Marcus Stroman. Stroman earned his sixth win of the season with six innings of four-hit, one-run (unearned) ball, and is in the running for the NL Cy Young Award. Stroman ranks second in the NL in ERA, tied for first in innings pitched, first in WHIP (1.00), and second in batting average (.186).
The San Diego offense was lethargic again. They managed just one run on five hits and four walks. They were helped by an error. They went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Kim was also silent, going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, including a grounder to shortstop with runners on first and second in the bottom of the third inning.
The San Diego offense shows no signs of improving. San Diego’s team ERA of 3.82 is second among the NL’s 15 teams, behind only the Atlanta Braves (3.66). However, their team batting average is dead last at .221. Even worse is their batting average with runners in scoring position. At .196 (93-for-474), it’s the only one in the top 30.
Xander Bogaerts, acquired last winter for 11 years and $280 million, took the day off after being scratched the day before with left wrist soreness. “I don’t think it’s going to last long,” he said. “Manny was sick and now he’s back. I want to go out there and play, too, and that’s definitely going to happen.” Bogacz’s wrist has been a sore spot in the past.
The return of Manny Machado isn’t exactly a boost either. Machado returned to the lineup three days ago after recovering from a fractured palm and went 1-for-11 in three games. Today, he went 0-for-3 and committed an error in the outfield.
Coincidentally, a number of high-salaried players who signed long-term contracts in the last year or two have been underperforming, as if they were promised. Machado signed an 11-year, $350 million extension last winter, but he’s batting .222 with five homers, 19 RBIs, and a .628 OPS this season. Bogaerts hasn’t been able to carry over his April momentum. He went 2-for-5 in the month of May. On the season, he’s batting .252 with seven homers, 21 RBIs, and a .725 OPS.
Jake Cronenweth, who signed a seven-year, $80 million extension in early April, is also underperforming with a .200 batting average, six home runs, 20 RBIs, 25 runs scored, and a .673 OPS. He’s hovering around the double-digit mark, and San Diego메이저놀이터 is using him in center field every day.
The same is true on the pitching side. Darvish Yu signed a six-year, $108 million extension last winter, guaranteeing his status until age 42. But he hasn’t been great this season, going 4-4 with a 4.10 ERA in 11 starts. He had his best outing of the season on April 4 with seven scoreless innings against the Cubs, so it remains to be seen if he has settled down.
Joe Musgrove, who signed a five-year, $100 million extension last August, is 3-2 with a 4.71 ERA. Reliever Robert Suarez, who signed a five-year, $46 million deal last offseason, injured his elbow in spring training and is rehabbing on the 60-day disabled list. There is no timetable for when he will take the mound.
San Diego has spent a whopping $1.418 billion ($185.47 billion) on 12 long-term contracts since acquiring Kim in December 2020. The aggressive investment was applauded by fans, but now it’s coming back to bite them.
San Diego should pursue extensions for Juan Soto and Ha-Sung Kim after this season. They are two of the most valuable contributors to the team this season. Both are free agents at the end of next year. However, they may be hesitant to do so, given their investment thus far.
