MLB Notebook: Padres looking to cut payroll, Yankees might be looking for a new manager, and more

Who knew that trying to buy a winner wasn’t the most sustainable strategy?

The San Diego Padres are on a late surge to make the wild card race interesting, winning nine of their last 10, but the chances of them getting into the postseason are slim. And that in and of itself is a disappointment, after an offseason where they splurged on the best that the market had to offer.

Now, things are looking a little bleak in SD.

The thing is, the Padres haven’t been terrible. They hold a +91 run differential inexplicably alongside their 0-12 extra innings record and 7-22 one-run game record. A lot of this could just be chalked up to being unlucky, and reasonably could give San Diego the benefit of the doubt and have another go with the same crew.

But when you’re shelling out $249 million on payroll, luck just doesn’t cut it as an excuse. It also seems as if the organization is out of compliance with its debt service ratio. There are also implications that GM AJ Preller might not be back for next season, with the organization stating that no decisions have been made. All that coupled together, and it feels that a fire sale might be in the cards.

If that does happen, San Diego has a lot of pieces that could be on the move. Juan Soto represents a big decision that the Padres have to make, whether to try and re-sign him or trade him prior to the 2024-25 winter. Blake Snell and Josh Hader look unlikely to be re-signed after this season, while Nick Martinez, Michael Wacha, and Seth Lugo all are up in the air as well. The core group might remain intact, but everything else around it might get trimmed off the sides.

To call this a disappointment for Yankee fans is an understatement. With a team that sported a potent offence and stellar pitching on paper completely going up in flames, it’s no surprise that the noise out of the Big Apple has been deafening. Even an Aaron Judge bobblehead night couldn’t salvage attendance in their final home game of the season.

As the Yankees head on the road to Toronto, there’s plenty of noise surrounding the team and management. What has to change? What has to give? Manager Aaron Boone might soon be out of his job in New York. Funnily enough, his replacement could be in the dugout across from him tonight.

Don Mattingly joined the Jays as their bench coach this season after spending time with the Yankees, Marlins, and Dodgers organizations in various coaching roles. Of course, Mattingly is a legend in pinstripes, a 14-year playing career all spent with the Yankees. His number 23 has been retired by the organization, and as they once again enter a turbulent chapter of their history, a familiar face at the helm could help steady the ship.

Mattingly has been coy about what the future holds for him – but has not been shy about expressing his love for the Yankees. He was a 19th-round draft pick who spent his entire career with that organization, and it makes sense why he called it the foundation of his pro ball career. With how the fans remember him, it would be a perfect fit for Mattingly to return to New York – and perhaps unlock Giancarlo Stanton once more, just like how he did so in Miami.