Less than a year after their electrifying run to the National League Championship Series, the San Diego Padres are now grappling with troubling reports of their clubhouse being toxic and dysfunctional.
These reports, published in the San Diego Union-Tribune and The Athletic, highlighted an alleged lack of leadership within the team and organization.
Pitcher Joe Musgrove, who has spent time on the injured list this season, acknowledged that there have been issues within the clubhouse but asserted that they are being addressed.
“You look at last year, we were one step away from being in the World Series competing for the ultimate prize. Not a whole lots changed this year … By no means is it a dysfunctional organization,” he said.
From the new @dennistlin piece in @TheAthletic
Should be a really interesting off-season pic.twitter.com/MEd3pvMlcp
— woods (@thestevenwoods) September 25, 2023
Musgrove refrained from delving into specifics, stating, “A lot of stuff has been said already in these write-ups that have come out.”
He also noted the burden placed on leaders during difficult times, stating: “I feel like sometimes the guys who are considered the leaders feel a need to step up, myself included, to try to do more than you should.”
The reports in question cited anonymous interviews with players and former club employees, some of whom seemed to single out third baseman Manny Machado.
Machado, a pivotal figure in the Padres journey to the NLCS last year, was given a massive 11-year, $350 million contract which doesn’t look overly smart right now.
General manager A.J. Preller came to Machado’s defense, emphasizing that the responsibility cannot be solely placed on one player.
“Manny’s going to be part of the solution here for a long time … We don’t have one leader. That’s not how we designed that club,” he said.
This season, the Padres, who had high hopes of reaching the World Series, have struggled with inconsistency both offensively and in the bullpen.
They have been under .500 since May 12, while their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have surged ahead in the NL West.
Musgrove called Machado “one of the best teammates I’ve ever had” and said he “shouldn’t be taking the brunt of this.”
Perhaps he’s right. Or perhaps he’s just trying to be a good teammate.
What is your take on the mess in San Diego?
What needs to be done this offseason?