Should the San Diego Padres be considered legitimate playoff contenders?

Marty Caswell and Darren Smith are joined by the superb Tim Kurkjian, ESPN's long-time baseball guru and the latest addition to Foul Territory TV, alongside his son Jeff. 

Tim discusses why he wasn't shocked by the Padres hiring first-time manager Craig Stammen, and how much the game has changed in the past decade.

Fernando Tatis was his own harshest critic in 2026. Tim, Darren and Marty discuss how they viewed his season and why he's capable of so much more. The trio then discuss what kind of window the Friars have with Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts, and why Jackson Merrill is just beginning to type into the dynamic player that he is.

When can the Padres expect Joe Musgrove to return to the rotation? We hear from Craig Stammen on why they're now taking it day-to-day and why the Padres are content to play the long game with Musgrove.  Yes, the Padres may very well end up needing a lot more from Walker Buehler and German Marquez.

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Friar Territory is the official San Diego Padres podcast in the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe!

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