Johnny Damon says Dodgers will win again the world series in 2025
Johnny Damon explains why he thinks Dodgers and Yankees are forced for a match, but why the first is a simple choice to win again.
Sporting
Peoria, Ariz. – The pain has extinguished. Bitter memories are faded.
However, none of them will ever be forgotten.
San Diego Padres will tell you that they should have won the world series last season. They had to be those with the parade and a ring ceremony. They had the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ropes. They were just a victory from the tap of powerful Dodgers to advance to the National League championship series.
Padres were up to 2 games in 1 in the best NL Division NL series, with game 4 in front of their frenzied fans in Petco Park. Then their work suddenly disappeared. Padres, which scored 21 running in the first 20 cases of the series, closed the last 24 cases.
Like this, it is over.
“I can tell you it was harsh,” Padre manager Mike Shildt said gently, “Real harsh. She left a really bad taste and a real void because she had invested so much. This feeling will never go away.
“We can win two or three world series, and it will still be there. But I’m glad it’s there for me, and I’m glad it’s there for our group.
“We were right there. We had them. I don’t want to stop at it to the point of overcoming me or we, but there is an advantage that is there now and a bridge for us to compete. ”
Dodgers, who had lost eight out of 13 regular season games in Padres, echoes the same feelings, believing that during Padres would be the biggest threat to their world series title. They proved accurate, rubbing Mets New York in NLC and sailing on Yankees in the World Series for the title.
“This series against Padres,” said Reliever Dodgers Michael Kopech, “was the most intense series ever. They were so good. If we had lost before them, I’m convinced they would be the ones who would win the world series. ”
Undoubtedly, the series of real world last season was that series NL Division, one that Dodgers continue to celebrate, and one that will follow forever.
“I hate to lose. I really do,” tells the third basin of Padres All-Star Manny Machado USA Today. “We had them. We had them. But we came out short. When you lose in the champions, it strikes. You see them win all, it’s like, “damn, could have been right?”
“You inhale it, and after that, you have to flip the switch. You have no solution. But that’s the beauty of baseball. Things get harder every year. That is why I love this game so much, keep you hungry. ”
Said Xander Bogaerts, who is returning from the second base to the short step. “I mean, it is blown up. We had a really good chance. A great chance. I thought we were a better team. We just didn’t win. ”
Padres are sure they can return immediately and meet Dodgers again in the season after season, but there is also a wild control of reality. Dodgers went out and spent $ 450 million in the winter and will have the highest baseball salary list at $ 390 million. Padres-free expense days were stopped as they tried to keep the $ 207 million salary list under the luxury tax threshold, spending only $ 8.5 million on contracts with free agents for season 2025. They did not make a serious attempt to maintain key agents in Profar Law, Tanner Scott, Kyle Kim, Kyle Kim. They were crushed when Japanese 23-year-old Roki Sasaki chose Dodgers on them, despite Yu Darvish and former Japanese star Hideo Nomo making convincing arguments for San Diego at their meeting.
He was even afraid that beginners would have to trade Dylan rest or Michael King or the triple champion of Luis Arraez. On the contrary, they not only remain in a Padre uniform, but they signed veteran Nick Pivetta in a four -year contract, $ 55 million. He gave Padres a huge increase in confidence that they can return to the season after the season, giving them at least one more blow before the break, King and Arraz walk away as free agents after the season, with $ 845 million still remaining in Machado, Fernando Tais and Xander Bogaerts contracts ..
“I think it’s really an exciting time to be a padre, and I’m just grateful to help them continue what they have done here,” said Pivetta, who spent the last four seasons with Boston Red Sox. “There is a lot of hunger in the club. I saw their series against Dodgers. It is a pleasure to see that these two organizations go with each other’s feet. ”
It is the southern version of California of Yankees-Red Sox’s rivalry, but perhaps in a tougher division.
“Our separation is now the best split in baseball,” Machado said. “Hands down. We have four teams that can make play -off.
“Dodgers are [bleeping] Okay, man. But we are excited to remove them. There is nothing better than having a championship team in your split so you can knock. ”
Padres realize that they should take a back place in the formation studied with Dodgers stars. They do not have nine potential starters and five closers of their fraud staff. They are not envisaged to win 103 games, or even approach to win 93 again.
“But no one was taking us to do what we did last year,” Bogaerts said. “We were one of the two best teams in baseball at the end of the season.” “
In addition, when Padres gathered last spring, they really didn’t know what they had. They traded All-Star Juan Soto. They didn’t know who was closing. They did not know who was rounding up their rotation. They did not know how Jackson Merrill would be divided on the outside or bogaerts on the second base. And they had a new manager in Shildt.
However, there they were, almost winning NL West, and scaring the day’s lights from Dodgers.
“Last year, it almost seemed to find our identity,” King said. “You just traded one of the best players in the baseball [Soto]. [Yu] Darvish and Joe [Musgrove] And I was the building blocks in the original rotation, and I’m a question mark because I had only nine beginnings. There were questions about the entire team.
“But then we started joining as a team. We had a wonderful trading term [acquiring relievers Scott and Jason Adams]and could have beaten Dodgers. So the trust you get from this translates to this year.
“Of course, we have an unfinished business, but it’s much more fun to come into a locker room because it’s competing in a really good team instead of seeing only if we are a really good team.”
Padres still have questions at the back of their rotation, the depth of the lead and the formation. It remains unknown if the holiday or the king will still be with them opening day. GM ultra-aggressive GM Aj Preller continues to listen to the trade offers for the holiday and the king in ways to pour the salary list while still competing.
But there is a strong belief that Padres will return immediately playing in October.
“It is not necessarily the belief in what we will do,” Machado said, “but the trust we have in each other. We just know each other so well. Once we get there and compete and be on the same page. When you are not on the same page, you have individuals who do things differently, and directs you in the wrong direction. ”
Padres probably spent what in 2023, having more talent and biggest stars in baseball, but fell completely flat and lost the play off -t. They parted with the company with manager Bob Melvin who left for San Francisco and traded Soto in Yankees. A year later, they won 93 games, lost NL West with only five Dodgers matches and gave them everything they could get.
Now, here they are essentially the same nucleus, hoping that the $ 2 million platoon of Conner Joe and Jason Heyward can replace the left field Profar, and a GM with a scratched finger to attract something big.
“Aj is a ready man,” said Machado. “Aj will do everything to help us win now. He has always done what I have arrived here. You know he will make some moves.
“We are in a good place, man and we will go for it. You will see it.” ‘
Moreover, there was more uncertainty a year ago than now at this time. Padres had no idea that novice Jackson Merrill, who had never played in the center of the center earlier in his career, would become a star. The holiday was still employed by Chicago White Sox by the end of spring. Arraz was playing for Miami Marlins until May. Closer to Robert Suarez had only one saved career. And Machado, recovering from the operation on the elbow, was limited to the tasks of Dh.
Then why not trust again?
Padres believe that last year’s experience after season will be useful. They know what to expect now. They know the urgency of every moment. And they know the pain of how quickly it can end.
“Listen. We ran, we didn’t get back to anyone and the moment was not too big for anyone,” Shildt said. “We are in a place now where it is a strong base, a clear identity and a true community. We have more faith with true faith.
“We have an unfinished business and we are hungry to have that opportunity again.
“Indeed, we can’t wait.”
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