MLB podcaster shares bizarre story of Padres players feeling like they are being spied on by coach Don Tricker

The disappointing and downright confusing saga that is the San Diego Padres' 2023 season has taken yet another turn. Ordinarily, when a team is having a difficult season, the complaints come from management or a lack of clubhouse cohesion, which has happened. However, espionage within an organization is rarely brought up.

Enter Don Tricker, the San Diego Padres' new director of player health and performance. Tricker is a former softball player and senior advisor of high-performance coaching at the New Zealand Academy of Sport. But according to some players within the San Diego franchise, he can add spy to his list of work experience.

According to renowned podcaster and commenter James O'Brien, better known as Jomboy, players within San Diego's ranks are suspicious of Tricker. In a recent online post, Jomboy dove into the story, saying that "Players on the Padres believe a man from New Zealand is spying on them."

Jomboy said that some players believed that Tricker was spying on the team and staff members when he would often sit back in meetings, taking notes and posting questions, all while not offering any solutions.

While this story may sound completely absurd, given the nature of San Diego's season, as well as the turmoil within the locker room, it would not be surprising if Don Tricker was spying on the players and staff.

2023 has been a regular season to forget for the San Diego Padres

It remains to be seen if the Don Tricker story is true or not. However, what is clear is that there is a true fracture in San Diego's organization. From disappointing play on the field to anonymous veterans condemning the team's inability to create a "winning culture," this has not been the season that many envisioned for the Friars.

Entering the 2023 campaign, San Diego was one of the betting favorites to contend for the World Series. Now, however, the team is fighting for its postseason life as it sits 5.5 games out of the final National League wild-card spot.

Not only has the team as a whole underperformed, but several members within the franchise have been critical of stars such as Manny Machado for their inability to lead the clubhouse.

"Former #Padre Wil Myers speaks on @sdutKevinAcee recent article highlighting some alarming reports on superstar Manny Machado," Borna Nazari tweeted.