Carlos Correa injury
Carlos Correa left the Twins' Monday night game due to a flare-up of his plantar fasciitis.
Though Correa has been relatively available this season, appearing in a hair under 90 percent of the team's games so far this season, his performance has left a lot to be desired for a player viewed as one of the top MLB shortstops available this offseason.
Correa notoriously agreed on a contract with the Mets that fell through due to a failed physical, which ultimately was a prescient decision in Queens. The Mets had a bad season, but it would have been worse with Correa's bat, who is hitting for the second-worst OPS in any single season of his career thanks to his career-low batting average and on-base percentage. An increase in doubles has saved his slug from being rock-bottom, though it still stands at second-worst in his career.
Despite seeing the fourth-most plate appearances of his career so far, he is already at 131 stikeouts, the second-most of his career. His career-high of 139 is in view.
The Twins have team control over Correa through 2033. At this point, it doesn't look like they come out winners on this one.
Padres have a crucial relationship that is beyond repair
The San Diego Padres are likely going to miss out on the postseason. With that will certainly come questions about Bob Melvin's job security, questions that are growing louder and louder when you consider the people likely to make those decisions.
Padres manager A.J. Preller's leadership was dug into deeply (subscription required) in a recent investigative piece from Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin at The Athletic. Preller was described as a hard worker but a micromanager, and several unnammed sources who work with or have worked with him questioned his management style.
The article also reported that Melvin and Preller have a terrible relationship. It said Padres staffers have reported that Preller would tell players and Melvin two different things, and that the rift between the two leaders in the organization is deep and wide.
One player used the word "unfixable" to describe the relationship between the two.
Furthermore, the article reiterates that owner Peter Seidler is a fan of Preller. It's hard to see both Preller and Melvin sticking around for 2024, and Preller has ownership on his side.
Manny Machado's leadership in question again
Earlier in the week, a different article reporting on the Padres culture woes that was similar in tone honed in on star third baseman Manny Machado. The article was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, written by Kevin Acee. While Acee stopped short of condemning him for his leadership shortcomings, overall, it painted Machado in a negative light.
The article suggested that Machado is viewed as the most tenured star to be the de facto leader, the voice of the clubhouse. One tidbit suggested that team meetings -- of which there have been at least eight this season -- have featured a vocal Machado who urged the team to be more on top of their jobs, only for Machado to not hold himself to the standard agreed upon in t he meetings he is running.
The Athletic's article said that players described Machado as tempermental and inconsistent. Others described him as an, "exceptional," leader.
Ultimately, it's just one more thing that the Padres as a team can not seem to find common ground and cohesion on. Everyone is pulling in their own direction, and it is leading to slow progress, if not regression.
While Machado may or may not be unfit for leadership, it's clear that he is not universally respected, commanding the attention of the locker room, at least insofar as it was described based on the sourced reporting in the two recent articles.
