Will the Padres contend in 2020?

On Friday, this site published a piece called “Designing the Mookie Betts trade”. Reacting to recent reports indicating that the Boston Red Sox are likely to trade their MVP outfielder, the piece attempted to construct some rationale around the idea of the Padres getting into the Betts sweepstakes; it concluded by offering a few potential packages that Boston might feel is commensurate value for a 6-to-10 WAR position player with one year of club control remaining.

The reader reaction was, at best, tepid. Not only did many of you feel as if the packages proposed for Betts were “too much”, but many of you rankled at the mere premise of attempting to acquire a player on a one-year deal—the background assumption being that the Padres are, obviously, not set to contend in 2020.

It’s hard to find too much fault with this take. The Padres have been disappointing fans for years, and I suspect many of us are suffering from a serious 2019 hangover.

Still, it seems strange to propose that the team is not about to pull off some huge, over-the-top deals this offseason, considering that AJ Preller is likely to be feeling the heat that ownership has been diffusing in the wake of a 70-92 season.

Andy Green, Preller’s only managerial hire, was just sent packing—which is a referendum on Preller’s hiring decision, as much as anything. Other heads are prepped for rolling.

While those sharpening blades for Preller’s impending ouster may feel some schadenfreude at the thought that the 2020 Padres have no chance of contending, the Betts article was, mainly, intended to get us thinking about the blockbusters that are almost sure to go down in the coming months.

There are going to be moves, and big ones at that.

The question is—how many are necessary? Is this team one piece away? Two pieces?

Or have you simply seen enough—is this rebuild, long lauded and rationalized, over before it began? The answer to these questions will depend, largely, on how you view this roster’s chances heading into 2020.