Padres Earn Respectable First-Half Grade From National Outlet

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 19, 2024

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres are heading into the second half of the Major League Baseball season after a wild offseason and surprising first three months.

Just past the season's midway point, Newsweek Sports grades every team based on how its season has gone. The Padres passed the test, receiving a B-.

"The Padres have made three of the biggest trades of the last eight months, dealing away Juan Soto and acquiring Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez," writes Noah Camras. "They're on a better pace than they were last season but still are playing pretty average all around."

San Diego and the Arizona Diamondbacks each received the same grade and the Los Angeles Dodgers were awarded an A-. The San Francisco Giants were graded as a C- and the Colorado Rockies flunked.

The Padres return from the All-Star break on Friday in Cleveland bringing a 50-49 record with them and sitting one game back of the final NL Wild Card spot.

The first three series back from the break could be the biggest test for the Padres and determine whether they are postseason-bound or not. San Diego has a nine-game trip through Cleveland, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

“We’re in a spot where I think we can play into October,” general manager A.J. Preller said. “We also understand we’ve got to be better in some areas. … We’ve basically got a 60-game sprint now.”

The July 30 trade deadline is also looming across Major League Baseball. The Padres have been cast as a buyer in multiple trade rumors, and Preller is among the most aggressive general managers in the game when it comes to making trades.

If the Padres are able to enhance their roster between now and the end of the month, they could grade out much higher in short order.