I agree with you regarding their offense... incredible.But their pitching? Where it is... just take a look at my beloved Dodgers, who had the wworst "Team Batting" stats in the majors... yes, even worse than the Tigers!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/statistics?stat=teamb
at&league=mlb
But had the best "Team Pitching" stats... and, as a result,
they won 85 games.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/statistics?stat=teamp
it&league=mlb
Without pitching, I don't think the Padres will be contenders.
I do believe that they have a better shot of getting to the playoffs than my lowly Dodgers (even with the Dodger pitching).
Greg Maddux won't help anything. He is most definitely on the down swing of his career. He turns 38 at the start of next season -- not Clemens' 41, so maybe he can stretch a few more years... but I don't think it will be too pretty. He had moments of brilliance last year, but those moments were very few.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Treat the Earth not as if it was given to you by your parents, but as if it was lent to you by your children." - Kenyan Proverb
"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw
--------------------------------------------------------