In the seemingly never-ending National League arms race, the San Diego Padres signed pitcher Michael Wacha to a flexible deal that makes their 2023 World Series or bust mindset even more obvious.

The right-handed starter will earn more than $24 million over four years with player and team options that will also save San Diego a bit in luxury-taxes, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Wacha's extended stay in the free agent market was surprising given that he posted a stalwart 3.32 ERA lasts season with the Boston Red Sox.

The savvy eleventh-hour heist should wrap up a highly active offseason for the Padres. Most notably, the team sent shockwaves throughout baseball and heartbreak through Beantown when they signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal. They also recently extended coveted starter Yu Darvish to a long-term contract. Add in the return of Fernando Tatis Jr., and an already loaded squad that made the NLCS last year might be the early favorites to take it all in 2023.

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For so long, San Diego had been overshadowed by “big brother” Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2022 Divisional Playoffs were a massive breakthrough for the franchise, and a desperate dose of euphoria for the fans. That alone was enough to make the year a success. Now they will be expected to build off it.

The organization went into the Winter Meetings with the clear goal of making a monster splash. They were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Aaron Judge, so they settled for a four-time All-Star with two World Series rings instead. The Padres did not allow a crowded infield or steep financial commitment to dissuade them from beefing up their roster. Nor did they allow the imminent arrival of Spring Training to convince them that the team was fine as is.

San Diego has done just about everything it could on paper. The pitching depth Wacha brings checks the last box on the team's to-do list. Expectations have been high for a while now, but with the Dodgers no longer hanging above their heads, this team could be more dangerous than ever before.