For what will be the eleventh straight season, the San Diego Padres are likely to miss out on baseball’s postseason yet again. Not only is the team’s roster void of big league talent at several key positions, the other teams competing with them in the National League West division appear to be much better equipped for a sustained run toward playoff glory.
However, as Padres fans have been hearing for years, brighter days are presumably on the horizon. Losing 100 games this season could be a necessary step in the path toward rebuilding the franchise. In fact, the 2017 Padres, in many ways, are designed to fail.