The San Diego Padres spent, spent, and spent some more. When they quit, their payroll was $248,995,932, third in MLB.
The return on investment was terrible.
The star cast of the Padres holds a record of 23-27. They are already 7.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in NL West. The season is far from over, but this can’t be what management expected after 50 games.
The Padres should assemble pretty quickly. They’re in the Bronx for a three-game series against the New York Yankees that begins Friday. The Padres are somehow -115 favorites at BetMGM for the opener.
San Diego recorded a dramatic 8-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday, with a three-run homer by Rougned Odor with two outs in the ninth inning. Maybe that’ll kick things off, though the Padres weren’t supposed to be the type of team that needed a home run in their final at bat to squeeze out a series against the Nats.
The Padres attack is underway. Last season, it was traded for outfielder Juan Soto and asreliever Josh Hader. This offseason, they signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts and first baseman Josh Bell to join a roster that already included stars such as third baseman Manny Machado, outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and pitchers Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. They have a parade of high-profile, well-paid players. And they are four games under .500.
It’s a long season and we’re not even at Memorial Day yet. Maybe the Padres are having a big weekend in New York and they’re going to keep going. But after about two months of baseball, there’s little doubt which team has been the biggest disappointment so far this season.
Here’s the first look at Friday’s sports betting:
No NHL, no NBA
It would have been a fun Friday night with NHL and NBA playoff games. But sweeps by the Denver Nuggets and Florida Panthers mean there’s a gap in the schedule. We’ll have to wait until Saturday for more playoff action.
Rest of MLB
It’s a normal full Friday night in MLB. The best matchup could be the Tampa Bay Rays, who are up 22 games over .500 at 37-15, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are not as strong as they have been in recent seasons, but they are still 31-20, first place in the NL West. The Rays are -120 favorites for the first game of what should be a fantastic series.
What’s the best guess?
I’m going with the Yankees. Joe Musgrove is on the mound for the Padres and that is why they are preferred, but Musgrove has not been good this season. At some point the Padres may give us some betting value, but until then they should be a profitable team to fade away.
