Manny Machado comments make clear that Padres will miss Juan Soto in 2024

The San Diego Padres were arguably baseball's most disappointing team in the 2023 season. They entered the season as one of the clear favorites to win the World Series, yet they didn't even make the playoffs. They barely even finished over .500, putting up a record of 82-80.

For as bad as the Padres were, there were some bright spots. Josh Hader looked like the best closer on the planet. Blake Snell won the Cy Young Award. Juan Soto had a .930 OPS and finished sixth in the NL MVP balloting. All three of those players are now gone.

Heading into the offseason the Padres knew Hader and Snell, free agents who were searching for massive contracts, were destined to go elsewhere. Soto, however, was under contract for one more year. In an effort to save money after an offseason of reckless spending, the Padres wound up trading Juan Soto to the Yankees. That one put a huge crimp in San Diego's chances at competing seriously in the 2024 season, and star third baseman Manny Machado knows that.

Life without Juan Soto is hitting Manny Machado hard already

Machado made it clear that he and his teammates believe in the group that they have, but losing Soto is absolutely a big deal. "We believe in the guys that we have (but) obviously no one can replace Soto. He's the top player in the game. He's irreplaceable.''

Machado hits the nail on the head here when talking about Juan Soto. There simply is no replacing him. He plays every single day and is one of the most complete hitters we've ever seen. Soto walks more than he strikes out, has 30+ home run power, hits for a high average, there simply is no offensive weakness. Yes, his base running and defense is far from splendid, but that bat is beyond special.

On paper, the Padres should have a solid lineup even without Soto. They still have All-Stars like Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts. Another great year from Ha-Seong Kim and a bounceback from Jake Cronenworth would go a long way too. The makings are there for this team to be solid without Soto, but when comparing their team to a team like the Dodgers, their arch-rival, there's no competition. That's where they'll miss Soto.

The Padres made the smart move to get a ton back for Soto by trading him now. They had virtually no chance of locking him up long-term, and after losing Snell and Hader for nothing, they really couldn't afford to do the same with Soto. It's wise for the future but make no mistake. The 2024 Padres are significantly worse without one of the premier players in the league.