Joe Musgrove on San Diego Padres spending: "That’s how you’ve gotta be if you want to f---ing win"
The San Diego Padres' spending spree has been one of baseball's key talking points over the past few seasons. The recent contract extension of All-Star Manny Machado to an 11-year, $350 million deal sends a clear message to the league. The Padres are aiming for a World Series title, and nothing short of that will suffice.
The Padres are still in search of their first championship since their inception in 1969. The club has managed to reach the World Series twice (1984, 1998), but lost on both occasions. Over the past few seasons, Padres ownership has invested big with the ultimate goal of a World Series title.
All-Star pitcher Joe Musgrove has backed ownership and their aggressive strategy in the market:
"That’s how you’ve gotta be if you want to f---ing win. You can’t compete with teams like the Mets and the Dodgers and the Yankees, who are going out and spending millions and millions, if you’re not"
Per a recent article in Sports Illustrated, Musgrove is excited about the direction of the organization.
The Padres want to win big and they want to do it ASAP.
@stephapstein on San Diego's push to buy a World Series title trib.al/PzItMyB https://t.co/CpClgafxHA
"The Padres want to win big and they want to do it ASAP. @stephapstein on San Diego's push to buy a World Series title https://trib.al/PzItMyB" - Sports Illustrated
Musgrove understands the economics behind the game. Teams like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have historically had the highest payrolls and acquired the best players.
The Yankees have won 27 World Series over the franchise's history. The Dodgers have seven championships and 24 National League pennants to their name.
The San Diego Padres have the fourth highest projected payroll in MLB in 2023
The San Diego Padres have added some top-tier talent over the previous 12 months.
Juan Soto and Josh Hader were both brought in during the 2022 trade deadline.
They also signed former Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts to a massive 11-year, 280 million contract in December last year.
The club has numerous big-name stars on fat contracts. Along with Machado, Yu Darvish was also recently extended to a six-year, $108 million deal. Fernando Tatis Jr. is also committed to a long-term deal.
Manny Machado is a Padre for life. https://t.co/rPAQInjaVh
"Manny Machado is a Padre for life." - San Diego Padres
With all these huge contracts that have been handed out, the Padres are now projected to have the fourth highest payroll in the league per Spotrac.
It is too early to say whether the Padres gamble will pay off. What we can say for sure is that they possess one of the most talented rosters in MLB. The ownership is all in for 2023. Expect the Padres to be one of the last teams standing in 2023.