Friar Territory: a San Diego Padres podcast

Will the story of the 2026 San Diego Padres be more about the starting rotation or the dreadful offense? Marty Caswell welcomes in special co-host Kyle Glaser, who breaks down the Padres pitching struggles, and why it's been the first time in years that they haven't been able to turn around some reclamation projects. Kyle also breaks down the dreadful offensive numbers, and why the heat needs to b...

The Padres rebounded from a disastrous start to their crucial homestand, thanks to a key moment from Jake Cronenworth and a good outing from German Marquez. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss Cronenworth's importance to the roster, and why it feels like the longest week ever after just two games with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The duo hear from Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, who details why...

Are the Padres about to play their last meaningful homestand of the 2026 season? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the Padres demoralizing road trip and the end of their eight-game losing streak. The two discuss the painful ways the team found ways to lose, and their inability to have a cohesive offense and pitching staff. Darren points out the various tie-breaker scenarios with the teams the...

Everything that can go wrong for the Padres has and then some. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell welcome in former Padres All-Star closer Heath Bell to discuss what's gone so wrong for this team, the impact of the decimated starting rotation, and what kind of strange message Craig Stammen is sending by using an opener for Randy Vasquez. The three also discuss the incredibly sloppy brand of baseball t...

What is wrong with this Padres team? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell welcome in The Athletic's Dennis Lin to discuss the Padres ongoing struggles, the pressure on the coaching staff, and if and why the Padres would be buyers at the trade deadline. Dennis discusses the complicated sale process and why Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones haven't been announced yet, and if any of the hangup involves th...

Was this the most underwhelming 4-2 Padres homestand in recent memory? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell break down a homestand that started with a promising sweep over the Atlanta Braves, but ended with a series loss to the Dodgers. In case you missed obvious, the San Diego Padres have huge problems in their starting rotation. The two discuss Craig Stammen using Kyle Hart as an opener for Randy Vasq...

Are the San Diego Padres finally playing their best baseball at just the right time? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the sweep over the Atlanta Braves, the contrasting ways they found to win each game, and why J.P. Sears outing may have been the most impressive game of all. Next up, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are coming off a sweep of their own versus the Atlanta Braves. T he two discuss...

The Padres have kicked off an important homestand with two big, signature wins. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the Padres wild comeback win, topped off by Manny Machado's game-winning, walk-off single in the 10th inning. The two discuss if Manny's swag is returning, after he's delivered in three of their most recent wins. Fernando Tatis says the Padres go as Manny goes, and so far it's tak...

Did the Padres answer any questions during their disappointing 4-5 road trip? Marty Caswell and Darren Smith discuss the glaring issues in the Padres rotation, and why Friday night's meltdown feels like a microcosm of their season. The two discuss Craig Stammen's endless optimism, his faith in Manny Machado and how much he really believes the team will figure things out. Lucas Giolito's rough star...

Should Padres fans be encouraged by the production from some of their stars based on what they've shown over the last nine games? Well, maybe. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss manager Craig Stammen's comments on the Padres recent offense, and ranking 20th in batting average and 21st in OPS during that stretch. Are the Padres just looking for anything positive to cling to as they figure out w...

The Padres avoided another sweep thanks to a big day from Jackson Merrill but the same questions remain about the Padres maddening offense. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discussed the 6-1 win over the Cardinals, a disappointing road trip, and what it will take for fans to really believe in this team. How aggressive will A.J. Preller be if the struggles continue? Marty and Darren discuss the heavy...

So much for Padres momentum after a series win versus the Reds! Darren Smith and Marty Caswell welcome in MLB analyst and Cardinals broadcaster Mark Sweeney to discuss the Padres offense being blanked again by Dustin May. Sweeney breaks down what he's seeing in the Padres approach, and why there seems to be a lack of fight when the team is trailing. The three discuss Manny Machado's struggles vers...

Will the San Diego Padres return from this long trip a .500 team? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell kick things off by discussing Manny Machado saying he sucks this season, using a different hitting guru in the off-season, and how it affected his swing mechanics. The two discuss the various numbers behind Machado's struggles and hear from manager Craig Stammen on why he still believes in Manny in big...

Fernando Tatis walks off the San Diego Padres with his first home run of the season at Petco Park! Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the Padres big win, and why some players felt it may have been their most important win of the season following a terrible extra-inning loss on Tuesday night. We hear from Fernando Tatis on his home run, if he's finally being rewarded and how big a spark Samad T...

Where would the San Diego Padres be without Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor? Ok, we're kind of joking. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the early impact and energy by newcomers Bowen and Taylor in the Padres win over the Reds. How much has this team missed bunting and small ball? The show also discusses Freddy Fermin's third straight game with home run, and what manager Craig Stammen said about...

Manny Machado says it can't get any worse for the Padres. Oh, yes it can.  Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss why it's a crucial homestand amid a five-game losing streak, why the disappointing Padres and Mets are mirror images of each other, and why the Padres are running out of time to figure things out. The two discuss how Craig Stammen's constant positive demeanor has gone over with Pa...

The San Diego Padres are a wretched baseball team right now. Marty Caswell and Darren Smith discuss the Padres five-game losing streak after being swept by the Phillies. How much was Manny Machado affected by the decision to cut Nick Castellanos? The two discuss Machado's close relationship with Castellanos, his comments on the release and why on earth it makes zero sense to go with two unproven r...

Good riddance May, hello June. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell break down the Padres alarming numbers from May, Fernando Tatis' staggering numbers and the relief of him hitting his first home run. The two break down the Padres lowest scoring month since 2015, and discuss Ken Rosenthal's thoughts on A.J. Preller lining up prospect capital to trade for Tarik Skubal. The show then welcomes in Kyle Gla...

Are the Padres the best worst team in MLB or the worst best team? Shout-out to the Athletic's Dennis Lin. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell jump into the numbers from the Padres 3-6 homestand, the familiar defense of the Padres hitting coach and if this last stretch will be remembered as a. missed opportunity. The duo then welcomes in former Padres All-Star closer Heath Bell, who shares what stood ou...

The Padres are swept by the Phillies, completing a dismal 3-6 home stand. Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the Padres 3-0 loss to the Phillies and the continued, woeful shutout with runners in scoring position. Who is to blame for the Padres offensive struggles? Manager Craig Stammen says the blame lies with him when asked about the scrutiny around hitting coach Steven Souza. We hear from Pa...

What do we make of the San Diego Padres at the one-third mark of the season after their latest shutout by the Philadelphia Phillies? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the RISP disaster, Manny Machado's candor about the blame falling on him, and manager Craig Stammen's comments on looking for answers. How patient will A.J. Preller as the the offensive woes of the 31-22 Padres continue? Darren...

What did we learn about the San Diego Padres after their series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the shutout by Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers, the heavy continued scrutiny circling around Fernando Tatis and comments from manager Craig Stammen. The two then discuss Jackson Merrill's exit from the game after he injured his back trying to catch Ohtani's home run...

Another Padres and Dodgers game, another intense, one-run thriller. Marty Caswell and Darren Smith discuss the Padres 5-4 loss to the Dodgers, Mason Miller's costly error and how another ABS challenge affected the outcome. The duo break down Manny Machado's exchange with a reporter on his offensive struggles and his comments on Gavin Sheets and Miguel Andujar carrying the Padres offense. The show...

Who's ready for Padres versus the Dodgers? Marty Caswell and Darren Smith break down the biggest takeaways from the Padres sweep of the Seattle Mariners, the sizzling Gavin Sheets and the impact of Lucas Giolito's strong debut on the Padres rotation. While Sheets was a one-man wrecking crew on the Mariners, a lot of the same questions still remain about the Padres offense. Darren and Marty discuss...

How do you fix this terrible Padres offense? Darren Smith and Marty Caswell discuss the Padres bad offensive series versus the Miwaukee Brewers, the team's dead-last batting average, underwhelming slug, OPS and and runs scored. The two discuss the career- worst offensive starts for Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis, and Jackson Merrill,and address how much scrutiny needs to be put on Craig Stammen's h...