Padres.com and the San Diego Union-Tribune both are reporting that Ryan Klesko likely will start the year on the disabled list due to a bad left shoulder that Klesko expects to have surgery on after the season. If Klesko lands on the DL, hometown product Adrian Gonzalez, acquired this winter from Texas, will start at first base in his place.
An infield featuring Khalil Greene, Josh Barfield, and Gonzalez could give Padres fans a little glimpse of what the future might hold for the team. Works for me.
Too bad for Ryan, but I’m excited to see what the youngsters can do.
I wondered if that was coming. I’m excited to see what Adrian can do.
I’d go beyond excited. Elated. Thrilled maybe.
I think we’re WAY better off with Klesko on the DL, especially if the reports of him refusing to have surgery after last season are true. What a chump. I understand not wanting to have surgery, but as a professional, I think this is tempered somewhat by both the best interests of the club and the wishes of the boss. Unfortunately, his boss, a dirty frenchman with a funny mustache, coddles him. Sorry Boch, but it’s true.
Also, Gonzalez is great around first base. The idea of great defensive first baseman is generally derided as the positions sits at the far end of the defensive spectrum, but I do think it is difficult to play well. And Gonzalez plays it well. And he has never reffer to himself as “The Pickmaster.” Ever. I’d also hit him 2 (just like I would have with Klesko) instead of Cameron.
I’d go beyond excited. Elated. Thrilled maybe.
I think we’re WAY better off with Klesko on the DL, especially if the reports of him refusing to have surgery after last season are true. What a chump. I understand not wanting to have surgery, but as a professional, I think this is tempered somewhat by both the best interests of the club and the wishes of the boss. Unfortunately, his boss, a dirty frenchman with a funny mustache, coddles him. Sorry Boch, but it’s true.
Also, Gonzalez is great around first base. The idea of great defensive first baseman is generally derided as the positions sits at the far end of the defensive spectrum, but I do think it is difficult to play well. And Gonzalez plays it well. And he has never reffer to himself as “The Pickmaster.” Ever. I’d also hit him 2 (just like I would have with Klesko) instead of Cameron.
Where did you hear the report that he refused to have surgery? If that’s true, holy cow — what a jerk.
I think I’m excited b/c as GY said, we might be seeing a glimpse of the future . . .
the 9 million dollar man starts the season on the DL. I read about the possiblity of surgury in the UT recently and that it would take 6 months to recover.
Sounds like Klesko is toast. If he don’t want to be cut, then its on and off the DL all year with limited playing time and even less productivity. Why didin’t he have surgury last Nov, the boob.
For my money, its retirement time for Klesko. If he can’t play and surgery takes 6 months, whose gonna want him?
Also, is this another Bagwell situation? Could the Pads claim that the guy can’t play and get the insurence money?
Given the extreme nature of Petco Park, what would be an acceptable performance from Adrian Gonzalez in 2006?
If Adrian gets 500 plate appearances, what are your projections?
Here’s mine:
.272, 11 HR, 65 RBI, .326 OBP, .413 SLG
Sweet. I mean too bad for Klesko.
I’d rather have Gonzales struggles at 1B and learning the position and hitting against ML pitchers than see Klesko botching a grounder or a hopper.
My fear is that Bochy would decide to platoon Bellhorn and Blum over at 1B as soon as Gonzales struggles to hit.
Will there be a double-standard for Klesko and Gonzalez? The numbers that Towers and Leucadia Chris have projected for Gonzalez are a lot worse than what Klesko did, even last year. Worse enough that his defense isn’t going to make up for it.
I’m all for moving on. As long as we’re trying to prep for the future, a good major league W-L record this year is gravy. But there are fans who want to treat Klesko like an untrainable dog, put him in the car and drop him off on a deserted country road, because he’s supposedly bewn a bad hitter for the last 3 years. It feels like Klesko is catching an unfair amount of criticism because he’s one of the last ties to the “bad old days” of Padre baseball.
Ack! Don’t even say that Didi!
Tom: I wouldn’t call it a double standard. I think it’s an expectation that Klesko will no longer be able to produce better numbers than last year, while there is a realization that Gonzalez will be learning to hit at the major league level. So there may be different “standards” or expectations, but I think that’s reasonable when you’re discussing a veteran player versus a rookie.
From Padres.com:
Bochy had intriguing reports on Gonzalez and agrees that he couldn’t do much more to make a positive impression.
“He’s had some good at-bats against lefties,” Bochy said. “I like the way he hangs in there against lefties. He’s had two games where every at-bat has been a quality one.
So, perhaps, my worry is unfounded, Pat.
Ack! is right.
If I had to choose, I’d be in the “untrainable dog/deserted country road” camp. I looked up the numbers from last year and I didn’t realize that both Dave Roberts and Khalil Greene outslugged Klesko last year.
The thing that’s keeping Klesko’s OPS above 2005 Nevin territory is his solid walk rate. But you’ve got a guy who’s going to be 35 in June and he’s got a bad shoulder. His power numbers are falling quickly and once pitchers see that they don’t have to fear him, they’re going to start coming after him, meaning the walks will come down.
I’m a big believer in the theory that it’s better to be a year early on dumping a guy than a year late. I think the Pads are better off turning it over to Gonzalez, taking the upgrade on defense and letting him learn on the job offensively.
$9,000,000 for what?
$55,555 a game
Loveable Hughy is nice, but the guy shoulda got the wing fixed in Nov. Now its cortison shots and ice with repeated trips to the DL for the entire season.
It seems like Klesko doesn’t care anymore and is playing out the string….the 9 million dollar string.
No need to knock Klesko for not having surgery. If he would have had surgery in the offseason, he would have missed half of the season and just collected a fat check. Instead, he’s decided to play through the pain and have surgery at the end of the year….when he’s a Free Agent.
Now, how many players out there today would sacrifice their chance at more money just to help the ballclub any way they can. There’s no way he’s going to get anything good next offseason if he plays a year of baseball while hurt, and has surgery at the end of the year on top of that. I know a lot of people questioned Ramon’s intentions last year we he opted for surgery against the will of Padres management. I think Klesko did the right thing, and I hope he bounces back after the DL time and hits the ball well.
I am glad to see Adrian Gonzalez getting some time at first though. I had a fear that they would send him down to rot at AAA, but now he’ll get a chance even if it is only until April 10.
Looks like it was a good day in Peoria … http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260330125 … but I don’t see details yet.
The year too early theory only works if you can actually unload the player. We’re not pulling a Branch Rickey trade.
If what people say about Klesko is true, pitchers should have known they could have challenged Klesko for the last 3 years. He kept his walk rate solid. His wheelhouse is smaller, his bat speed isn’t the same, but he still has the good eye and can hit RHP.
My problem with many fans is that their decision on Klesko is based entirely on his on-field performance since 2001. How is Klesko’s diminishing power ample reason to turn the job over to someone who himself is going to have a hard time breaking 15 HR? Many fans are not celebrating this because it gives Gonzalez a leg up on 2007. They think he’s going to outproduce Klesko, not just this year, but relative to what Klesko’s done the last 4. That’s not happening.
I’m with Chase on the surgery issue. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. He gets the surgery in November, fans blast him for trying to protect his free agent value. They’re already blaming him for everything from the Padres inability to sign free agents to global warming.
don’t forget world hunger too.
You don’t necessarily have to trade him to “dump” him a year early. The deal he’s playing on is essentially a sunk cost. Ideally you’re right – you’re able to trade him. But you compound the problem if you play him and let him post an OPS+ of 100 and at the same time retard the development of Gonzalez, who has no business returning to “rot” (ouch) in Portland.
Taking a longer term view, are you ultimately better off if Gonzalez posts an OPS+ of 90 this year but gets a full season of major league hitting under his belt and is ready in 2007 to become one of the better NL 1B? Especially when the alternative is Klesko continuing to regress to the point where in 2007, he’s really become painfully sub-par?
I think it’s an interesting question and why guys like KT get the big bucks. I think reasonable folks can disagree on the answer.
Good point on the surgery, though if the shoulder is really going to bother him all year, he probably should have just gone ahead and gotten it done. He’s no longer a good enough player to be an asset to the team at 80%.
I am not a big “klesko” fan but Ryan really impressed my with how hard he was working in camp. I saw him out there every day taking extra reps at the position, spending lots of extra time in the batting cage and then playing the whole game instead of calling it quits after the 5th/6th inning with the rest of the regulars.
For his own personal interests, Klesko should have had the surgery at about the same time as Hernandez decided to have his surgery. He already knew that it was inevitable. He stayed and played(partly because of his desire to play and win and maybe partly because of the negative response that Hernandez got).
I think we are better off without Klesko because it is time to move on and get younger, but am totally at odds that Ryan did something to put himself above the team.
Jonathan,
I totally agree that the team is better positioned for future success by playing Gonzalez full-time. My beef is with the legion of fans who claim that a 280/330/450, 12 HR line from Gonzalez would be an improvement from Klesko, and not just what the injured Klesko could do this season, but what he’s done since 2001. With Nevin gone he’s become the lightning rod for all that is wrong with the Padres. Neither man deserved their recent treatment by the front office or fans, but its easier to villify a personality than look at structural failings.
Off-topic
Baseball America has ranked the farm systems and the Padres come in at #29. OUCH!
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/26854.html
GY – I see there’s at least one other Ducksnorts#2 owner that’s baffled by the inclusion of “HOLD”s in our Yahoo league … any chance for a last minute review/change?
Any of you others in Ducksnorts#2 want to chime in? … especially if you want to protest against “HOLD”s …
Tom:
I appreciate what you’re saying. Not being down there and not having any friends that are Padres fans, i don’t have that kind of visibility to those dynamics.
Thanks for that insight, I would agree with you, I don’t think it’s fair to Gonzalez for fans to think that he’s going to step in and be Klesko circa 2002. Gonzalez may never put up those kinds of numbers.
Last year, before the All-Star Break, Klesko posted a .270/.375/.472 line with 14 HR. After the All-Star Break? .211/.328/.323 with 4 HR. The escalation of the shoulder injury must have occured somewhere in there as his power numbers take a nose dive. Playing through pain hurt a team in a pennant race. Not having the surgery that could perhaps allow him to get back to being above league average? A mistake.
I understand the argument about Klesko’s proven track record and the fact that Gonzalez will likely not reach those numbers in his career. But Klesko will never be remotely close to those numbers ever again, either. I think Klesko would post numbers this season similar to his second half stats, not his first. Gonzalez projects somewhere in the middle, is better defensively, and needs the experience. With our pitching staff and park, I think it is foolish to underestimate the necessity for strong defense. Gonzalez is a massive upgrade at the position.
So now Klesko will miss PT early in the season, come back, fight for PT (unless AG strugles), most likely continue his normal age-induced and injury-quickened decline, and as a result, be lucky to make $900,000 as pinch-hitter in ’07.
Well I guess that’s still good work if you get it…
He should have surgury THIS off-season…