Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.
Max Scherzer was supposed to be a Padre. When on July 29 The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that San Diego was “close to acquiring Scherzer,” it felt all up guaranteed that the three-time Cy Young winner was set to be the latest top-line addition of GM A.J. Preller's tenure in "America’s Finest City." One of the sport’s most trusted writers and scoopsters, Rosenthal wasn't exactly incorrect, but his reporting turned out to be premature, and the Dodgers swooped in to break the hearts of Padres fans, as they often have while winning 10 National League West division titles since the Padres won their most recent one in 2006.