Determined And Pricey San Diego Padres Set Sail On Season After A Free-Spending Offseason

The most anticipated season in the history of the San Diego Padres has been delayed.

But only by hours, something patient Padres fans are more than happy to spend eyeing their potent and expensive lineup.

Inclement weather pushed back San Diego’s opener from day to night, which is an apt way to explain how things have changed with the once penny-pinching Padres.

The grand experiment which is the 2023 Padres sets sails, not long after San Diego owner Peter Seidler left open his wallet for most of the offseason.

When Padres southpaw Blake Snell hurls the first pitch against the Colorado Rockies, San Diego will have already reached their summit for the largest payroll in franchise history at $236 million, according to spotrac.com

That trails only the New York Mets ($334 million) and New York Yankees ($268 million) and since when have the Padres wanted a slice of the apple that christens them as being among the game’s biggest spenders?

That mantra San Diego once sang of being a “small-market organization unable to match the financial muscle of teams in the big cities” has dissipated faster than the concerns of Southern California being in a drought.

The Padres, yes the Padres, are the only team to have two players this season with contracts exceeding $339 million in third baseman Manny Machado ($350 million) and outfielder Fernando Tatis, Jr. ($340 million.)

The Padres, yes the Padres, have three players with a base salary of at least $23 million, and that doesn’t included Machado or Tatis, whose deals are structured at a reasonable rate for this season.

San Diego shortstop Xander Bogaerts ($25 million), right-hander Yu Darvish ($24 million) outfielder Juan Soto ($23 million) represent $72 million in expenditures, or almost double of what the Padres entire payroll was as recently as 2010 at $38 million.

And Darvish, when his signing bonus for this season is included, is at $30 million for ‘22. Darvish was the benefactor of a six-year, $108 million pact over the offseason.

Bogaerts landed in San Diego thanks to a 11-year, $280 million deal.

My, what a difference a decade-plus makes.

The Padres also made legitimate runs at slugger Aaron Judge and shortstop Trea Turner before they agreed with the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively.

Seidler, the Padres’ executive with Los Angeles Dodgers roots who is well-planted in the equity industry, is currently among San Diego’s most popular citizens.

His deep pockets are a contrast to previous Padres owners, whose pockets were often pulled outside their pants, as if San Diego lacked the funds to invest in a productive product.

“Putting a great and winning team on the field in San Diego, year after year, is sustainable,’’ Seidler said.

Although it comes with a short-term loss which Seidler is willing to absorb as the Padres’ overall franchise value soars. The Padres, according to Forbes estimates, will have a negative $53 million in operating income this season.

Seidler shrugs as he expects a return which will exceed his jaw-dropping investments.

Now, of course, the Padres have to succeed. That’s hardly a slam dunk in a division which includes the Dodgers, the National League West champs in nine of the past 10 seasons.

It’s also the same team that the Padres swept away in last year’s playoffs, despite finishing 22 games behind the Dodgers in the regular season.

But make no mistake. This is a “World Series or bust” season for the Padres, as they push their chips toward the center of the table with a hand that is well-financed with a roster full of all-stars.

Seidler played ball with numerous agents in the offseason. Now the play starts for real as the Padres discover if their grand experiment translates from the lab to the diamond.

Yet more patience will be required as Tatis isn’t eligible to play until April 20 because of his suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. Plus starters Joe Musgrove (toe) and Darvish, because of his participation in the World Baseball Classic, aren’t quite ready.

But Padres boosters, hungry for a title since their inception in 1969, are fine with waiting a tad longer for what could be San Diego’s most rewarding season since it exited the Pacific Coast League.