The great World Series push in San Diego and the wild spending it engendered are officially over. It ended Wednesday as the Padres moved to the brink of trading outfielder Juan Soto to the Yankees for four pitchers. The all-in, damn-the-budget approach was wildly successful at the gate—the Padres increased their attendance 37% from 2019—but a noble failure on the field.
From 2020, when the late Peter Seidler took over as club chairman, to last season, the Padres increased their payroll 74%, from a CBT number of $170 million to $296 million. It was not sustainable in that market. But unlike the 1998-2002 Diamondbacks, who raised their payroll 193%, the Padres could not seize their first title before the bubble inevitably burst.
In this four-year “run,” San Diego never won more than 89 games. It hasn’t won more than 90 games in 27 years.
