Lots to cover today. We’ll get started with the moves that hit closest to home.
Padres trade RHP Jon Huber to Mariners for 1B Dave Hansen
Hansen is the one guy I was really disappointed to see go in this past winter’s exchange of bad contracts. Not only does he still wield a potent bat, he also has an approach at the plate that the younger players on this ballclub would do well to emulate. Hansen is a professional hitter in every sense of the word, and I couldn’t be happier to see him back in a Padre uni.
As for Huber, we first noticed him in April 2002. He has moved very slowly through the system and his star has faded considerably over the past few years. But he’s young, and you never know with pitchers.
Overall, a reasonable price to pay for a hitter like Hansen. A better deal than the Jake Gautreau for Brad Fullmer trade that fell through due to Fullmer’s current knee injury.
Other coverage:
Padres trade RHP Ismael Valdez to Marlins for RHP Travis Chick.
Let me start by saying that Valdez did a terrific job in filling the void left when Sterling Hitchcock went down to injury at the end of spring training. More often than not, Valdez kept the Padres in the game, which is as much as you can really ask of your fifth starter.
That said, I’m glad I don’t have to watch Valdez pitch anymore. I’ve grown weary of his penchant for serving up 2-0 meatballs to the opposition’s best hitter. Still, if you had to pick a place for Valdez to go, Florida isn’t a bad choice. Even though he gives up a ton of deep fly balls, it seems like he manages to induce a fair amount of them to the middle of the outfield. If he can continue to do that, Valdez should be effective at home, as he was here at Petco. On the road, not so much.
Hitchcock, who made his final rehab start Saturday at Elsinore reclaims his #5 spot beginning Thursday against Philly.
Chick was a 14th-round pick in 2002. According to BA, his fastball runs low-90s and he also features a "promising" slider. He’s young (20) and his numbers in the SAL this year have been terrific (particularly the peripherals). Chick doesn’t show up in the prospect books, but his profile is interesting.
Other coverage:
Local Media Coverage of the Trades That Happened (and Those That Didn’t)
- Towers didn’t give away store for short-term gain (U-T). Scott Linebrink? Aki Otsuka? How serious were the Diamondbacks about dealing with San Diego? Writer Ed Greney’s emphasis on a long-term approach is refreshing. The Padres have a plan, it’s working, and they’re sticking with it.
- How Dodgers topped Padres in Finley deal (U-T). Classic quote from Kevin Towers, discussing Arizona’s reluctance to deal with him: “I felt like we were a leper colony in San Diego.” There is also talk that speedster Freddy Guzman may be up sooner rather than later. Some envision Guzman as a potential starting center fielder in the big leagues.
- Garciaparra blown out; Finley fits Dodger Blue (U-T). Is San Diego as a city envious of Los Angeles? Do Padre fans resent the Dodgers for being more ready, willing, and able to spend and move than the Padres? The jabs at the Dodgers and GM Paul DePodesta in this article are petty and smack of jealousy. As a citizen of San Diego and a fan of the Padres it’s a little embarrassing to read stuff like this. Act second class, folks will find a way to treat you that way. We deserve better.
Other NL West Trades
Dodgers: Los Angeles made the most noise, parlaying Guillermo Mota, Paul LoDuca, Juan Encarnacion, Koyie Hill, Reggie Abercrombie, and Dave Roberts into Brad Penny, Hee Seop Choi, Steve Finley, Brent Mayne, and Henri Stanley.
Basically, they upgraded their outfield and rotation at the expense of their bullpen and catcher. Talentwise, the Dodgers did very well for themselves. The local San Diego media is trying to spin the loss of LoDuca as further evidence of the Dodgers’ lack of character, but these are the same folks who fed us that tired line when LA went out and snagged the enigmatic Milton Bradley. Is there anyone who still doubts the shrewdness of that move?
A Brent Mayne/David Ross platoon behind the plate should be serviceable for the Dodgers. With LoDuca’s history of wearing down as the season progresses, they may not even be much of a downgrade in the short term.
As for the rest of the offense, Finley and Choi effectively replace Encarnacion and Jayson Werth in the lineup. This makes the Dodgers downright dangerous on offense. It also makes them a bit lefty heavy, with Finley, Choi, and Shawn Green. I’m not suggesting anything, but I will say that the timing of Hitchcock’s return is pretty good.
On the pitching side, a guy like Penny is always a welcome addition. The one guy who I think the Dodgers will miss (and have missed already) is Mota. His absence puts an extra strain on the rest of the relief corps, particularly Darren Dreifort, formerly their seventh inning guy. Dreifort is a fine pitcher with electric stuff, but the bridge between the starters and Eric Gagne has been weakened.
Saturday night was only one game (although Khalil Greene darned near hit a walk-off homer against Dreifort in the 12th inning Sunday; I really thought he got all of that one), and it would be easy to overreact, but I believe the Dodgers are going to have difficulty replacing Mota’s spot in the bullpen. Folks can talk till they’re Dodger Blue in the face about LoDuca’s character, but in my mind Mota is the real key.
The flip side is that Penny will work deeper into games than Wilson Alvarez did, and that the improved offense should be able to offset any loss in middle relief. Oh, and Gagne is still one of the least hittable pitchers on the planet.
I’ll be honest, the moves the Dodgers have made this year should be troubling to Padre fans. Paul DePodesta has done some terrific work in his first season as GM. Bradley, Choi, and Penny are all good young players that could be cornerstones of the organization for years to come. I’m not happy to see all of those guys on the same team in this division. And continuing the theme of looking down the road, heaven help us if the Dodgers manage to re-sign Adrian Beltre.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe the Padres can hang with this bunch. No doubt about it. But I don’t like seeing the Dodgers with resources and a guy in charge who knows what to do with them. They are on the verge of being a Very Dangerous Franchise once again.
For a more complete look at the Dodgers’ moves, check out Dodger Thoughts. Solid analysis, as always, over there.
Giants: The only move San Francisco made was to deal Felix Rodriguez to the Phillies for Ricky Ledee. Nothing against Ledee, who is a useful guy, but as a Padre fan I love this trade. The bullpen is one of the Giants’ biggest weaknesses, and Rodriguez was one of their best relievers. I think they gave too much to get an extra bat, but I ain’t complaining.
Other Deals
The Cubs picked up a shortstop. My gut reaction is that Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz aren’t much of a return for Nomar Garciaparra, but what do I know. With contracts and all that, it probably makes sense. As a fan of the Padres, who are battling the Cubs for a wild-card spot, I’m not real happy to see Nomar in Chicago.
The Yankees and White Sox swapped starting pitchers. Yawn.
The baffler to me is what the Mets did. Why would a team that’s not really in a position to contend give up two of its top prospects (LHP Scott Kazmir, C Justin Huber) for rotation filler (RHP Kris Benson, RHP Victor Zambrano)? Is it a New York thing? Do the Mets have to show their fans that they’re doing something to try and keep up with the Yankees, even if what they’re doing isn’t necessarily helping the club? I don’t get it.
. . .
The outcome of Sunday’s game was bad, but what a battle! You know you’ve got the Dodgers’ attention when they run Gagne out there for three full innings. Folks, the playoffs have already started. Get ready for the ride.
Finally, on a more personal note, my wife is about to land on the 15-day DL. She’ll be fine, but if you notice a paucity of posts over the next few weeks, it’s because I’m taking care of stuff around the house. It’s not you, it’s me.
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