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The San Diego Padres are in for a big season, though their offseason was relatively quiet compared to their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The reigning World Series Champions only added more to an already loaded roster, most notably bringing in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki.
Padres’ Mike Shildt isn’t worried about the loaded Dodgers
The Dodgers already have some of the top players in baseball such as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and are now set up to potentially become baseball’s first dynasty since the late 90s Yankees. The Padres have a great roster themselves led by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., but the question becomes can it compete with the powerhouse Dodgers?
Padres manager Mike Shildt isn’t focusing too hard on their division rivals compared to the main task at hand.
“We only take care of what we can control. We think about the Dodgers — you brought it up — we respect it, we compete against them, we compete against everybody. We have 162 games. They’re on the schedule. It’s really about how we compete, how we play and how we carry ourselves and how we take care of our business,” Shildt said (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Gabe Smallson) “We do that and play the game the right way — regardless of opponent we’ll feel good about shaking hands a lot of the times. I don’t want to spend any mental energy on any other club. We’re gonna respect them. We’re gonna prepare like heck for them.”
The Dodgers have owned the National League West division for much of the past several seasons, winning the division in all but one season since 2013 (the Giants won the division in 2021). The Padres have come a long way and made moves to compete with them, and even knocked off the Dodgers in four games of the 2022 NLDS.
The Padres have come up short of winning a title
However, unlike Los Angeles, San Diego has come up short of reaching its goal of winning a title. The Padres haven’t won the NL pennant since 1998, when they were then faced with playing the loaded Yankees squad that many consider to be the greatest Yankees team in the modern era.
The Padres have plenty of talent around the roster to compete with the league’s best, but they have been unfortunate to be competitive at the same time that historically good teams exist, making the challenge for them even tougher. 2025 could be a huge season for them, and despite the quiet offseason, they still have the star power to make some noise in the National League.
While the Dodgers are the presumed heavy favorites in the NL, the Padres can’t be counted out with their strong roster.
More must-reads:
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Yankees Predicted to Land Former Cubs' World Series Champion
There are few Chicago Cubs players who have captured the hearts of the fans more than Anthony Rizzo did during his time with the organization. Even after not playing for the Cubs since the 2021 season, fans in Chicago love the former star slugger. Rizzo also was a huge part of leading the Cubs to a World Series win back in 2016. As of right now, Rizzo still happens to be a free agent. He is not the superstar that he once was in Chicago, but there are teams who could use depth around the league. Could that landing spot simply be re-signing with the New York Yankees for another run? When the Cubs moved on from Rizzo ahead of the 2021 MLB trade deadline, they shipped him to the Yankees. He has played the last three and a half years in New York. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report has now predicted that Rizzo will end up back with the Yankees in 2025. "There's been little action on the 35-year-old Rizzo throughout the offseason, yet he was adamant last month about wanting to continue his career," Rymer wrote. "Though he hasn't been the same player since suffering a concussion in 2023, the three-time All-Star may find a fit with a team in need of a left-handed bat at first base or designated hitter. Bold Prediction: Rizzo returns to the New York Yankees to help spell Giancarlo Stanton." Stanton's injury could help Rizzo find his way back to New York. It's possible that the Yankees could lose Stanton for the season due to his elbow injury. During the 2024 season, Rizzo hit eight home runs to go along with 35 RBI and slashed .228/.301/.335. He played in 92 games.
Former Steelers RB Najee Harris seemingly takes shot at Pittsburgh after arriving in Los Angeles
Warriors quietly developing another sharpshooting threat
The Golden State Warriors have long been renowned for their ability to identify and develop elite shooters, from Stephen Curry to, in the past, Klay Thompson. This season, Moses Moody has emerged as a reliable perimeter threat, shooting 39% from beyond the arc, while the acquisition of Buddy Hield has only bolstered Golden State’s deep-shooting arsenal. However, down in the G League, the franchise may be quietly cultivating its next sharpshooter. Rookie Blake Hinson has turned heads with the Santa Cruz Warriors, building on a strong collegiate career at Ole Miss and Pittsburgh, where he set a school record for the Panthers with 110 three-pointers in a single season. The 25-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the premier long-range marksmen in the G League. After a relatively slow start in the Tip-Off Tournament, Hinson has found his stride in the regular season. Through 26 games, he is averaging 18.8 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 44% from the field. Over the past month, however, he has taken his game to another level. On Feb. 13, he tallied a career-high 42 points, 11 rebounds and eight three-pointers in a win over the Stockton Kings. More recently, on March 12, he poured in 37 points on 6-of-9 shooting from deep — just days after a 34-point outing. Through February and March, Hinson is averaging 25.2 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting a scorching 39.3% from three. His consistency has placed him atop the G League leaderboard in three-pointers made (93), while his 488 total points rank seventh in the league. At 6-foot-8, the Santa Cruz forward possesses a solid blend of size and shooting ability, making him an intriguing prospect. His versatility to play multiple positions aligns well with Golden State’s offensive philosophy, and his efficiency from deep mirrors the Warriors' emphasis on perimeter shooting. After going undrafted in 2024, Hinson signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers but was waived before the season. He later joined the Warriors on an Exhibit 10 contract before being released and landing in Santa Cruz on a standard G League deal. Notably, he is not on assignment from Golden State or signed to a two-way contract, meaning any NBA team can call him up at any time. With his scoring prowess and three-point efficiency, Hinson may not stay in the G League for long. Whether the Warriors act quickly to secure his future or risk losing him to another team remains to be seen.
Winners, losers from Friday's NFL free agency: Cooper Kupp finds new home
The first week of NFL free agency and the offseason concluded on Friday with one major wide receiver signing as Cooper Kupp joined the Seattle Seahawks. Let's take a look at the rest of the winners and losers from Friday's NFL free agency. Winner: Wide receiver Cooper Kupp Signing with the Seattle Seahawks is a huge win for Kupp for several reasons. The biggest being that he is getting a reported three-year, $45 million contract at his age (31) and after battling major injury issues the past couple of seasons. The second is that he gets to return to Washington state where he is originally from (Yakima) and played his college football (Eastern Washington). He also gets an opportunity to play as part of a retooled Seahawks offense while also playing against his former team two times a year to try and get some revenge. Loser: Dallas Cowboys Another year, another underwhelming offseason for the Cowboys, and they are taking losses all over the place this spring. They signed running back Miles Sanders early Friday morning, but that is not an upgrade over Rico Dowdle who ended up replacing Sanders in Carolina. They were rumored to be interested in Kupp to serve as a complement to superstar CeeDee Lamb, only to watch him sign with the Seahawks instead. Then they got humiliated by former player DeMarcus Lawrence after he joined the Seahawks and took a shot at the Cowboys' Super Bowl chances. If you are a Cowboys fan, where is the optimism coming from this offseason? Winner: Kansas City Chiefs depth The Chiefs made a couple of smaller depth signings on Friday, bringing back running back Kareem Hunt on a one-year deal and signing Bailey Zappe for some additional quarterback depth. They are not league-altering moves by any stretch, but solid depth at a couple of key positions. With Patrick Mahomes, Gardner Minshew and Zappe the Chiefs have one of the league's best quarterback rooms with a future Hall of Famer and two very capable backups. Loser: Buffalo Bills free-agent class It is not that the Bills free agent signings are bad. They added some outstanding depth to their defensive line. The problem is they are going to have to wait until Week 7 to see two of them as they learned on Friday that Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi are facing six-game suspensions for PED violations. Winner: Free agents in general In terms of top-end talent, this was not a great group of free agents. Thanks to the combination of a rising salary cap, as well as some desperation from teams looking to find help, free agents still managed to cash in with some massive dollar numbers.
Las Vegas Raiders starter just made a ton of money in the offseason and he's not even a part of free agency
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