This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
It’s impossible to predict bullpens.
Relief pitchers are by far the sport’s most volatile commodity, their performances notoriously fluctuating from year to year.
And yet, I’m still fairly comfortable making this prediction: The Padres bullpen should be very good in 2023.
There are holes to fill elsewhere on the roster. But the Padres have built a fearsome relief corps for the 2023 season. Here’s a look at how it might shake out:
Back end: Josh Hader and Robert Suarez
Hader endured his share of struggles upon his arrival in San Diego last summer. Those already feel like ancient history considering the way he performed in October. Hader struck out each of the last eight hitters he faced during a postseason run in which he fully reverted to the dominant version of himself — perhaps even better.
It’s also hugely important that the Padres were able to bring back Suarez (particularly with Hader set to hit free agency next offseason).
“It’s a really nice pairing with [Hader] and Robert,” general manager A.J. Preller said earlier this offseason. “When you look at the commitment we made, we feel like Robert could pitch the seventh, eighth, ninth. He could pitch any of those spots against the best parts of a lineup.
“If you’re winning a championship, you’re going to need multiple guys who can do that.”
The Padres have exactly that.
Beyond those two, there’s a bit less certainty in this group. Morejon, the team has said, might be stretched toward a starter’s workload. But it’s easy to envision him serving as something of a swingman — similar to the role Nick Martinez filled last year.
Crismatt, now out of options, could remain as the team’s do-everything innings-eater. Meanwhile, Wilson emerged as a reliable righty presence for the middle innings last season.
X-factor: Drew Pomeranz
How does the Padres’ bullpen go from good to great this season? A healthy Pomeranz.
By Opening Day, it will have been 20 months since Pomeranz last took a big league mound. He underwent surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in August 2021 — a surgery with a tricky recovery that rarely follows a specific timetable. As such, Pomeranz never quite worked his way back to full strength in ’22.
But when he’s healthy, it’s worth remembering just how dominant Pomeranz can be. He signed a lucrative four-year deal with the Padres…
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