Juan Soto is coming off a talent-inflated San Diego Padres team, supported by other big bats like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., plus star-studded pitchers like Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. Ultimately, just like any bubble, it busted. The 2023 Padres went 82-80, failing to make the playoffs despite the Avengers-level team they assembled. What does Soto do? Go elsewhere to prove that he's as good as advertised. He has one year left on his current deal before hitting free agency and a monster campaign in the Bronx will set him up for a huge payday next winter.
Turning to the starting rotation, there is going to be pressure on Marcus Stroman to be a reliable arm behind reigning Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole because that didn't happen last year. Carlos Rodon got injured, effectively derailing the season, and so did Nestor Cortes, who was also plenty inconsistent. The spot for the No. 2 starter behind Cole is wide open and Stroman can take it if he can replicate much of his last five seasons.
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]