Even if the Dodgers handle Arráez, Machado, Tatis and Merrill, the Padres have other bats capable of wreaking havoc in their lineup.
Profar, an 11th-year switch-hitter who was part of the Padres’ 2022 team, had a career season as a first-time All-Star, batting .280 with 24 home runs, 85 RBIs and an .800-plus OPS from both sides of the plate, ascending to the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
Solano went from being a minor-league signing to the Padres’ primary first baseman, hitting .286 in 96 games, while another midseason minor-league addition, former Dodgers outfielder David Peralta, hit .286 as a reliable bat off the bench.
Bogaerts, the team’s $280-million signing two offseasons ago, might have had the biggest second-half turnaround, rebounding from a wretched first half — his OPS was under .600 through July 21 — by hitting .291 over his final 59 games.
About the only Padres regular who struggled late in the year was infielder Jake Cronenworth, who hit .215 after the All-Star break. Yet he still drew a team-high 31 walks in that stretch.
As far as injuries go, the only key piece the Padres are missing is Gold Glove utility man Ha-Seong Kim, who is out the rest of the year because of a shoulder injury.
