After Soto’s departure, San Diego’s record looks similar to last year

Juan Soto has come and gone, and the San Diego Padres don’t appear to have changed much.

The Padres were 12 games over .500 in August 2022 when they acquired Soto in a blockbuster deal with the Washington Nationals. They finished that year a distant second to the Dodgers in the NL West, but then beat Los Angeles in the playoffs to reach the NL Championship Series.

Then last year, San Diego finished a disappointing 82-80 despite Soto’s great production. The Padres traded him to the Yankees in the offseason, and while it was a big loss — Soto played brilliantly in New York — San Diego is in much the same situation. The Padres are 52-50 after Sunday’s win over Cleveland.

San Diego finished with a plus-104 run differential last year, and this season’s team isn’t on pace to come close to that, but it’s still notable how the arrival and departure of an MVP-caliber player hasn’t done so. . turned the Padres into a juggernaut and didn’t leave them out of contention.

In the 2022 trade, San Diego sent first baseman Luke Voit, left-hander MacKenzie Gore, shortstop CJ Abrams, right-hander Jarlin Susana and outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood to Washington. The Padres received Soto and first baseman Josh Bell.

Gore has been a rotation mainstay for the Nationals, albeit a fairly average one, and Abrams has become an All-Star. Together, they were worth more Wins Above Replacement to Washington than Soto was in his season with the Padres, according to Baseball Reference. And Wood recently arrived in the majors as one of the game’s top prospects.

Last offseason, San Diego traded Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees for catcher Kyle Higashioka and right-handers Michael King, Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito and Drew Thorpe. King, Vásquez and Higashioka have contributed for the Padres this season, and Thorpe was a key prospect in the trade that brought Dylan Cease to San Diego in March.

In both cases, the team that dealt Soto did well despite trading a player who was close to certainty with the bat.

TIME FOR CURIOSITIES

The Padres’ advancement to this year’s playoffs could depend on the successful return of outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who hasn’t played in a month due to right leg issues. He has been able to swing a bat and play ball recently.

Which pitcher did San Diego give up when the Padres acquired Tatis from the Chicago White Sox in 2016?

LINE OF THE WEEK

Cease struck out 10 in seven one-hit innings Saturday night in San Diego 7-0 victory about Cleveland. The Padres have won two of three against the AL Central-leading Guardians.

RETURN OF THE WEEK

Oakland had a 95% win probability in the bottom of the seventh inning Sunday, according to Baseball Savant. The Athletics led 5-2 and had the bases loaded, but the Los Angeles Angels prevented more scoring from Oakland and then scored five runs in the top of the eighth. The angels are over winning 8-5.

The A’s are having a better season than last year, but escaping last place might still be a lot to ask. They trail the Angels by four games for last place in the AL West, although Oakland has the better run differential.

TRIVIA ANSWER

The Padres traded James Shields to the White Sox. Tatis was 17 years old at the time.

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