FanPost

Padres Still In Running For No. 1 Pick


Oh, Padres... how I love you so. But, let's be honest, you haven't really been at your best lately, have you?

I still have my "Cub-busters" T-Shirt from the 1984 NLCS series. I still sing that song (song comes in at 1:16) when I watch any Bill Murray movie. I still celebrate 1998's World Series berth... a little.

I haven't been able to watch many of the Padres games because of this ridiculous battle between FOX Sports and Time Warner, so I've had a little time to contemplate.

Looking to the future is probably the hardest part of baseball, but it can also be the most exciting. The next season is always around the corner, and because the Padres won't be making the playoffs this season, I have a few questions to ask.

At what point do the Padres begin thinking of their future for next season (aside from what's already in the minor league system)?

The Padres (as of 8/15, seven hours before game time) are just 13 games out of the worst record in major league baseball. With the schedule they still have, it's entirely feasible that they could get close to having the worst record in baseball.

They've got five more games with the Atlanta Braves (2nd in the NL East), nine more games with the San Francisco Giants (T-1st in NL West), three more games with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2nd in NL Central), six more games with the Los Angeles Dodgers (T-1st in NL West), three more games with the St. Louis Cardinals (3rd in NL Central), and nine more games with the pesky Arizona Diamondbacks (3rd in NL West).

That accounts for 35 of the remaining 44 games against teams that are at or above .500 on the season -- many of them sitting atop their respective divisions. Six of the nine games remaining games come against the lowly Colorado Rockies, while the other three come against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Should the Padres go ahead and look to next season, as most of the fans have, and start picking out those nice rugs their wives have been bickering about all season? Or do they let the Astros, Rockies, Cubs, Twins and Royals do their worst, while hoping for the best?

Obviously, I don't advocate throwing the rest of the season, but with the way the schedule is shaping up, the Padres could get exactly what they need in the form of a high draft pick.

This FanPost was written by a member of the Gaslamp Ball community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gaslamp Ball staff or SB Nation.