SAN DIEGO – Juan Soto prefers hitting third, his position in the Padres’ batting order the last nine games. But Soto is expected to return to the second spot no later than Thursday, when Fernando Tatis Jr. rejoins the club. It might not be best for Soto, but he understands it probably is best for the team.
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Tatis, returning from his 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s Joint Drug Policy, figures to bat leadoff, followed by Soto, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth. The separation between Soto and Cronenworth, both left-handed hitters, would make it difficult for teams to match up against them. Soto also would see plenty of fastballs hitting between Tatis and Machado.
“I’m fine with that,” Soto said of the potential change in the batting order. “They explained it to me in spring training. They want two righties behind me so they don’t bring in a lefty for me. I like the plan.”
Soto, though, said he is most comfortable batting in positions where he can best drive in runs, anywhere from third to fifth. He also can produce runs from the two hole, which is home to some of the game’s biggest stars, including Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Freddie Freeman. But Soto believes the primary responsibility of a No. 2 hitter is more to move runners over.
The way the Padres are playing, the way Soto is hitting, now is not the time for debate. Tatis has hit six home runs in his last three games on his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A El Paso. The Padres, carrying the game’s third-highest payroll, are a mere 8-9. Soto, since joining the team last August, is batting just .221 with a .766 OPS, including .172 with a .731 OPS this season.
“The second hole, I can do it here with the lineup we have. I will be fine,” Soto said. “In D.C., I was upset to be hitting in the second hole. I tried to tell (manager) Davey (Martinez). He did what he wanted.”
Martinez, in a telephone interview Sunday, acknowledged he preferred Soto to bat second last season prior to the trade. Soto was the Nationals’ best hitter. Martinez wanted to get him extra at-bats, create better chances of him coming up if the score was close in the ninth inning. But the manager wasn’t completely rigid about his lineups.
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Soto batted mostly second in the Nationals’ first 41 games, before getting extended runs in the three hole, the two hole and the three hole again. He concedes he sees more pitches in the strike zone batting second, but says, “I don’t mind when they walk me.” His statistics, of course, bear that out. His walk rate since his debut in 2018 is the highest in the majors.
As a rookie, Soto hit in a Nationals lineup with a future $245 million player, Anthony Rendon, and two future $300 million players, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. The following year, after Harper left as a free agent, the Nats won the World Series. Soto thinks the Padres’ lineup is even better than the Nationals’ were.
“I’ve never been on a team more talented than this,” Soto said. “But I will never have more fun than I did in 2019. We had a lot of veterans. They knew how to have fun. No one worried about going to free agency. They just went out there, trying to win ballgames.”
A number of Padres are not worried about free agency, either. Tatis is signed through 2034, Machado and Bogaerts through 2033, Cronenworth through 2030, Yu Darvish through 2028, and Joe Musgrove and Robert Suarez through 2027.
Soto, whose trade to the Padres occurred after he rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension from the Nationals, is an exception among the team’s top players, a potential free agent after next season. But he said, “I don’t care about that. I care about winning games and going out and having fun.”
He might have less fun batting second. But once Tatis returns, Soto might have little choice but to produce in that spot.
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Not broken, but still trying to fix it
Bogaerts, who has reached safely in his first 17 games as a Padres player with a slash line of .354/.427/.585, certainly appears as if he is off to a terrific start. Only the $280 million shortstop doesn’t see it that way.
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“I can definitely fix a lot of stuff,” Bogaerts said Friday. “I’m not complaining the way it’s going. (But) obviously, it’s one thing when your results say something and you feel a little bit different in the box. I’m still working on finding that rhythm. Right now, with my toe tap, my leg kick, I can’t really stick with one. It’s not really consistent.”
So sometimes he uses the toe tap and sometimes the leg kick?
“I use a lot of stuff. I do a lot of stuff up there,” Bogaerts said, smiling. “I like my leg kick, but sometimes it gets me in real trouble. That really sucks. That’s the one I prefer. But sometimes I just can’t use it because it’s not beneficial to what I’m trying to do.”
So he will switch during a game?
“I switch pitch to pitch,” Bogaerts said. “I’ve hit in the cage before the game with a leg kick, go into the game first pitch, toe tap. It’s just how I feel.
“There’s nothing better than a pitcher who has the same delivery over and over and over. As a hitter, I feel the same thing, if you can take that A swing over and over and over. I’ve been going up with there my D swing and I’m like, what am I doing? Then I’ve got to change.
“I wouldn’t say it’s searching. It’s more like fighting and trying to feel the way I want to feel.”
Inside the Crone zone
Opening Day wasn’t a hard deadline for Cronenworth to sign his extension with the Padres, but the infielder certainly preferred a deal to get done before the season started. He woke up that morning hopeful. His agent, Matt Ricatto of CAA, was not necessarily confident.
In an effort to dodge rain, the first pitch at Petco Park was pushed back from 1:10 to 6:40, enabling the parties to continue talking. Cronenworth, 29, recalled being on the phone most of the day before finally taking batting practice. After completing his round, he encountered Padres vice president of baseball operations Nick Ennis in the dugout.
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“Have you talked to your agent?” asked Ennis, smiling.
Unbeknownst to Cronenworth, the Padres had improved their seven-year offer to his desired $80 million. Ricatto gave him the good news: The deal was done.
“Once it was over with, it was like, ‘finally,’” Cronenworth said. “But then, ‘holy s—, we’ve got a game.’”
The extension made sense for the Padres in part because of Cronenworth’s reliability — he is tied for 14th in the majors in games played and tied for 17th in plate appearances since his debut in 2020. The timing also was important with Cronenworth becoming the Padres’ primary first baseman this season after spending most of his career at second. Now that Cronenworth is signed, he need not worry about his offensive profile being less valuable at first, where he would be compared to sluggers such as Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt. He can just play.
A botched moment in L.A.
Hiccups were inevitable with the pitch clock, but the violation the Cubs’ Cody Bellinger “committed” Friday night, when he failed to be ready for the first pitch of his first at-bat back at Dodger Stadium, was one the league actually established guidelines to avoid.
Umpires are permitted to grant additional time when a player is being recognized for a significant career achievement, statistical milestone or, in Bellinger’s case, a return to his former park. Clubs are instructed to request approval in advance from the commissioner’s office for orchestrated ovations. If approved, the league then notifies the umpires and both clubs before the game.
The guidelines worked just fine for Aaron Judge’s first at-bat at Yankee Stadium this season and Andrew McCutchen’s first in his return to Pittsburgh. But the Bellinger situation exposed flaws in the process.
It would have been awkward for the Cubs to request extra time for Bellinger as the visiting team, presumptuous for them to anticipate how Dodgers fans might react. It also would have been awkward for the Dodgers to make the request on behalf of a visiting player, albeit one who won an MVP award and World Series title in their uniform.
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Plate umpire Jim Wolf demonstrated a lack of feel by failing to allow for a brief delay; it’s not as if Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would have complained. Situations like Bellinger’s surely will arise again. Everyone involved, from the league to the teams to the umpires — needs to be better prepared.
Bellinger, after falling behind 0-1 on the automatic strike, grounded out to first on a 3-2 changeup from Noah Syndergaard.
Agents of chaos in Arizona
Two rival shortstops, Bogaerts and the Brewers’ Willy Adames, got into a conversation Thursday about a newfound nemesis, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Bogaerts and Adames fretted over not only the Diamondbacks’ NL-leading 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts, but also over the way Arizona’s team speed causes other problems.
“It’s really hard to play defense against them,” Adames said. “They’re not just running. They’re flying around the bases. You have to anticipate everything with them. They create chaos.”
That phrase — “create chaos” — is one the Diamondbacks use on their social media accounts. Not everyone in their lineup runs well. The team actually traded one of its fastest players last offseason, Daulton Varsho. But against certain right-handed pitchers, the Diamondbacks will stack their speedy left-handed hitting outfielders, Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, in the fifth, sixth and seventh spots, driving opponents to distraction.
“You can’t take a break with them,” Adames said. “It’s one behind the other. They keep on coming. I’m like, c’mon man, give me a break!”
Both Adames and Bogaerts said they needed to play shallower against the Diamondbacks’ fastest players; otherwise, they would have had no chance to throw them out on groundballs or turn double plays. Both also emphasized the importance of shading toward second to reduce their distance to the bag on stolen-base attempts when a left-handed hitter was at the plate.
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“Basically, we can’t cover shortstop. You have to be paying more attention to them than shortstop,” Adames said. “It’s just crazy.”
Bogaerts said, “There’s pressure, fake breaks, fake steals. And then they steal. Or they just miss a good jump and want to go. They just want to go.”
The Diamondbacks did not steal any bases in three games against the Brewers, but had six in seven attempts against the Padres in an 8-6 victory on April 4. Their first base coach, Dave McKay, is a renowned baserunning instructor. The team ranked second last season in extra bases taken percentage. But this, opponents say, is another level.
“It’s a very interesting dynamic they have,” Bogaerts said. “It will be fun to watch as a fan. They definitely have you on your toes, for sure.”
Faster pace, more injuries?
Some players and executives express concern about pitchers becoming more fatigued under the accelerated pace of the pitch clock. The issue, they fear, might become more acute in the hot summer months, potentially leading to a greater number of injuries.
In theory, offense could erupt if starters become worn down and throw fewer pitches per start, taxing bullpens. Teams with six-man rotations, already carrying one fewer reliever, run a particular risk.
The Angels are one such club, using six starters to give Shohei Ohtani as much rest as possible and maximize him as a two-way player. The Padres currently are going with six starters as well, and it’s leaving their bullpen dangerously thin.
The expected return of Joe Musgrove from toe and shoulder injuries at week’s end should help alleviate the Padres’ problem, possibly forcing Ryan Weathers or Nick Martinez to the bullpen. Seth Lugo, who is getting his wish to start after throwing 65 innings in relief for the Mets last season, also might need time in the ‘pen at some point.
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“I’d be OK with it if that’s what’s best for the team,” Lugo said. “I feel like in years past with the Mets, it was almost a necessity out there, not so much that I wasn’t doing a good job as a starter. It would be a little disappointing. But if that’s what it comes down to, to be the best version of myself and best for the team, then absolutely, no problem.”
Lugo’s two-year, $15 million free-agent contract with the Padres includes incentives for both roles. He will earn $250,000 each for 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 and 30 games as a starter and $100,000 each for 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 games as a reliever.
William the Conqueror in Milwaukee
The first time Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy saw William Contreras’ powerful arm, he said, “He doesn’t have to stand up to throw. He can throw from his knees.” Murphy also told Craig Counsell, “We don’t need a catcher. (Contreras) will be the best we’ve had.”
That’s quite a statement, considering Murphy joined Counsell’s staff after the 2015 season. But the Brewers are excited not only about Contreras’ all-fields offensive approach, but also his defense at catcher. The Braves were not sure Contreras, 25, would develop quickly enough behind the plate, which is one reason they were willing to part with him in their three-team trade for Sean Murphy.
The Brewers take pride in their catching program, in which associate pitching, catching and strategy coach Walker McKinven plays a major role, with contributions from Néstor Corredor, who also is on the major-league staff, and Charlie Greene, their field coordinator and minor-league catching instructor. Contreras, Counsell and his coaches say, is a willing learner, showing a strong work ethic, intelligence and aptitude.
The rules changes make catching more difficult, speeding up the game. Contreras is a young player transitioning to a new team. But while the sample size is admittedly small, he currently leads all major-league catchers in framing, according to Baseball Prospectus.
Something else worth noting on Contreras: I wrote recently about the difficult decisions the Brewers might face at the trade deadline, considering that starting pitchers Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff and shortstop Willy Adames are at the same service level Josh Hader was in last season, with one-plus years of club control remaining.
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The trade of Hader to the Padres was undeniably painful for Milwaukee, but it ultimately led to the acquisition of Contreras, who was under club control for five seasons. Outfielder Esteury Ruiz, one of four players the Brewers obtained for Hader, was the only player they parted with for Contreras, reliever Joel Payamps and minor-league reliever Justin Yeager.
Another Rule 5 pick making good
I’m a sucker for stories about players who were stunned to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. The Giants’ Blake Sabol was one. Brewers reliever Gus Varland, the older brother of Twins righty Louie Varland, is another.
Gus, 26, said he thought he had “no shot” of getting picked in the draft, in which clubs without full 40-man rosters can select certain non 40-man roster players for $100,000. He had a 5.98 ERA the previous two seasons with the Dodgers at Double A, in part due to a shoulder impingement he dealt with in 2021 during his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
His final 40 or so innings of 2022, however, had been good, thanks to a lower arm slot he tried at the suggestion of Dodgers minor-league pitching coaches Ryan Dennick and Luis Vasquez. But he listened to the draft mostly to see whether two of his teammates, first baseman Ryan Noda and left-hander Jose Hernandez, would be selected. Noda went to the A’s with the second pick, Hernandez to the Pirates with the third.
“I called them and congratulated them,” Varland said. “I thought my only shot was because Louie was on the Twins. I thought the Twins might take the chance. They passed and I was like, whatever, I’ll just keep listening. Then the Brewers kind of mumbled my name and I was like, ‘What? Everybody be quiet.’ I was like no way. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like the moment I got called up. My heart dropped, but in the best way possible.”
Varland, who made the Brewers after striking out 17 of the 35 hitters he faced in the Cactus League, suffered a scare Saturday when Manny Machado hit a 105.1 mph line drive that glanced off his pitching hand and then hit him in the chin and left forearm. But he somehow came out of it fine.
Both Varland brothers are off to good starts. Gus has allowed only 10 baserunners but only two runs in 6 2/3 innings of relief. Louie made his season debut for the Twins at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, giving up back-to-back homers to Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge on his first three pitches, but settling down to allow only three runs in six innings.
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Around the horn
• The promotion of third baseman Brett Baty should boost the Mets’ offense, but some of the team’s underlying numbers indicate the team’s problems scoring runs are somewhat the product of bad luck.
The team entered Sunday with a .249 batting average on balls in play, the lowest in the majors by 18 points. Its expected weighted on-base average, derived from a formula using exit velocity, launch angle, and on certain types of batted balls, sprint speed, ranked sixth. But its actual wOBA was 17th.
• The Dodgers scored only six runs while losing two of three at home to the Cubs. Some of their regulars are performing below career norms. But the offense is only so much of a concern when the team ranks second in the National League in runs per game.
The bigger question is the Dodgers’ pitching, the 4-5 spots in the rotation behind Julio Urías, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May, a bullpen that entered Sunday with the third-highest opponents’ OPS in the majors. Rookie Michael Grove’s start against the Cubs on Saturday night (5 2/3 IP, 1 ER) was encouraging. But eventually, the team also figures to need contributions from their other young starters, Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot and Gavin Stone.
• And finally, here’s another way to measure the price of the Rangers’ offseason, beyond the $270.65 million they invested in eight free agents:
The Rangers will pick fourth in the amateur draft. And then, because of picks they lost for signing Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, two free agents who rejected qualifying offers, they will not pick again until the fourth round, 108th overall.
(Top photo of Juan Soto: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
