What's next for the Padres? After playoff elimination, new owners have to prove they're all in

Payroll has dropped annually since Peter Seidler’s death, but new ownership has vowed to do what it takes to win the World Series

Few teams in baseball have invested as much, both in terms of player payroll and traded prospects, in their roster as the San Diego Padres, but that investment has yet to yield a World Series championship, or even a National League pennant. Wednesday's defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers (MIL 3, SD 1) completed the NLDS loss and sends the Padres home for the offseason. It is the third straight year San Diego has lost in the NLDS or Wild Card Series. The NLDS was closer than the outcome may lead you to believe. The Padres had chances to win Games 1 and 2 at American Family Field, but, credit to the Brewers, they beat San Diego's best.

Setup man Adrian Morejon gave up the go-ahead home run in Game 1 and all-world closer Mason Miller gave up the walk-off single in Game 2. They pulled off a victory in Game 3 but couldn't get enough offense across the board in Game 4 to keep the miracle going. The Padres were ultimately done in by sloppy defense, a starting pitching shortage, and the inability to tack on runs once they had a lead. San Diego went 91-71 during the regular season and an MLB-best 41-18 after the admittedly arbitrary date of July 23. It is clearly a talented