Spare Outfielders
Tue, Mar 14, 2006
by Geoff Young
We know that Dave Roberts is in left, Mike Cameron is in center, and Brian Giles is in right. But what if Roberts or Cameron gets hurt (I don’t even want to think about the other possibility)? And even if everyone stays healthy, the starters will need a day off once in a while.
What will the supporting cast look like this year? Eric Young should be there because he can play the infield as well. And Terrmel Sledge, acquired in a trade with the Rangers, appears to be a strong candidate assuming his legs cooperate.
But there’s talk that the Padres might go with six outfielders. According to the North County Times, if this happens, then one of Jack Cust or Eric Valent will make the club.
Interesting.
Paul McAnulty already has been shipped out to Triple-A Portland. And after missing a year due to injury, Freddy Guzman figures to need some refining at the minor-league level before returning to San Diego.
But what about Ben Johnson? He’s pretty well mastered Triple-A. If the Padres don’t have a place for him to play now and he isn’t a part of the long-term plans (he turns 25 in June, so now would be a good time to find out), then maybe they need to move him, a la Xavier Nady, and give the kid a chance at a career.
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March 14, 2006 at 8:56 am
Agree wholeheartedly re: Johnson. He should easily be the 4th outfielder, getting a starting job as soon as one of the starters hits the DL or Roberts shows that his ‘05 offensive numbers were a fluke. Of that group of EY, Sledge, Cust, Valent, and Johnson, Johnson has by far the most upside, the only one who might be a major league starter. Given this team’s preference for the vets, I’m not optimistic he’ll get the chance. Maybe if Nady plays well for the Mets…
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NA.....p;c_id=nym
…and Johnson is tossed in on some Towers deal this year, we’ll see Nady, Bay, and Johnson together in an ‘07 or ‘08 NL All-Star outfield.
March 14, 2006 at 9:00 am
If the Pads go with six ourfielders does that Kill the 3 Catchers idea?
Bench?
Cust/Valent
Johnson
Belhorn (assuming Barfield wins the job)
Mirabelli
Sledge
Blum/Young (i guess there wouldn’t be room for both)
March 14, 2006 at 9:17 am
I apologize in advance for the length of this. It’s from Olney’s post today. A nice note about Doug Brocail:
Doug Brocail struggled to breathe during the 10-pitch inning he had just finished March 7, then crumpled in the dugout. He went into the Padres’ trainers’ room, his chest tight with pain, and when the veteran reliever didn’t get the immediate response he wanted — to be told that he was OK — Brocail started lifting himself up. “The hell with it, I’m pitching,” Brocail said.
But Padres trainer Todd Hutcheson was concerned and kept Brocail out of action, and four days later, the pitcher underwent heart surgery; doctors had discovered that Brocail had 99 percent blockage in the main artery in his heart.
Brocail very narrowly avoided the kind of tragedy which befell Darryl Kile and Don Drysdale. In fact, Padres general manager Kevin Towers said last night, those treating Brocail felt that if he had required more effort in the inning he pitched in that March 7 outing, he might have had serious problems on the mound.
But now Brocail, the father of five daughters, is resting well, and healing. It appears Brocail is the first major leaguer who will attempt a comeback after undergoing angioplasty, and Towers believes the right-hander will be back by May 1. “If anybody can do it, it would be Broc,” said Towers.
Brocail is not going to the Hall of Fame, he has not been a perennial All-Star, but for me, he is one of the reasons why covering the sport has been such a joy. He is a vicious competitor, doing whatever he could to help his teams, including — earlier in his career — serving as a pinch-runner for the Padres. He has often been his own worse enemy, his intensity driving him into self-loathing in the middle of innings after he has made mistakes; this was part of his undoing as a starting pitcher, part of the reason why he converted to the bullpen.
But while competing seriously, he has never taken himself too seriously. Brocail is one of baseball’s oral historians, but the stories he tells about himself are always self-deprecating, the punch line always aimed inward. Other pitchers have won more games than Brocail, others have had a lower ERA, but I cannot imagine that anybody has had more fun playing baseball than Brocail. It’s great to hear that he’s on his way back. He may appear in Padres’ camp today, as John Maffei writes.
March 14, 2006 at 9:37 am
Nick: No apologies needed, and thanks for posting this. I originally planned to make Brocail the focus of today’s post but I am still trying to find the words.
March 14, 2006 at 11:31 am
Good words on Brocail, I hope he comes back.
And Geoff, I agree that the career path for Ben Johnson right now seems like X Nady. And maybe that means we get another good return for him.
Guzman is the future and he’ll refine his game at AAA.
I also think (I might be the only one) that maybe Eric Young needs to win his roster spot because he needs to pick it up. This bench can’t be that deep, it’s about quality not quantity (and also about service time). I’m guessing if Bellhorn doesn’t win the job, he’s gone.
March 14, 2006 at 11:56 am
The UT quoted Bochey (sorry cant find the link) saying that Belhorn will make the club if he wins that starting job or not, but who knows Alderson or Towers may disagree.
March 14, 2006 at 12:10 pm
It’s not obvious to me that Sledge has less upside than Johnson … I think Johnson has the advantage of being familiar to us, Padres’ fans …
If Sledge gets his legs healthy, we may find that he’s a starting OF’er …
March 14, 2006 at 12:38 pm
LM: with the caveat that projecting young players is often a fool’s errand… but since I think you’re a BP subscriber, compare the Valuation and Career Path Analysis charts for Sledge and Johnson on their PECOTA cards. Big advantage to Johnson.
March 14, 2006 at 2:01 pm
Looking at the Pads’ roster as currently constructed, if they carry 11 pitchers and insist on keeping our multiple second basemen, there is no room for Johnson. I think if he’s healthy and not on the DL to start the season, Sledge is on this team. Ben is the odd man out, and the only way for Ben to make the team is for the Padres to cut Bellhorn. I don’t see them letting Blum or Young go for sentimental reasons. Blum, like Bellhorn, is a switch-hitter and can play second and third. Given the Padres’ irrational infatuation with Blum, Bellhorn is redundant and should be cut outright or sent to Portland with Hill (assuming Barfield is named the starter at 2B). If Bellhorn is cut, I still think the Padres will send Johnson to Portland so he can, like P-Mac, play everyday until needed. Instead they will keep Valent as the 5th/6th OF (depending on how one feels about EY).
Of course the Padres could still have a good case of vapor lock and decide to keep 3 catchers, as a result of which Bellhorn and Johnson will both not make the final roster.
Finally, the same would apply if the team takes 12 pitchers into April to sort out their bullpen.
March 14, 2006 at 2:12 pm
Do you guys think Brazelton will make the team or will he be AAA untill Woody/Chan Ho/Estes fall apart. Brazelton has pitched better than woody in ST but for some reason the padres think that how much you make and not your performance dictates your roll with the team.
March 14, 2006 at 4:41 pm
This was posted over at the UT Padres blog:
In an article published today on Covers.com, writer Stephen Nover says he expects the team to “completely collapse.”
Just don’t be shocked if the Padres completely collapse this season. I like the Padres to finish under 78 ½ wins, which is their current over/under number at Olympic sportsbook. Several other books list the Padres’ over/under at 77 ½.
The Padres are an old team whose key players are highly susceptible to injuries. Their hitters are hindered playing at Petco Park, perhaps the worst hitting park in the majors. Except for Peavy, their starting pitchers aren’t good enough to take advantage.”
–
Ouch! I think a lot of things need to break right for the Padres to better last year’s record but I’d be surprised if they finished under .500.
On a different note, does anyone else think Peavy is primed for a breakout year? I mean we all know he’s good but I’m talking about going 21-7 and winning the Cy Young. He had all kinds of weird health problems last year and still led the league in K’s. Now he’s had an earlier spring and gotten some exposure as an ace in the WBC, he’s got a better defense with Cameron sure to save some extra base hits and Klesko out of LF.
March 14, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Considering that the Padres won 82 games last year (and their Pythagorean record was 77-85), 77-78 wins wouldn’t shock me. I also wouldn’t call that a complete collapse. “Repeat performance” would be more accurate. I really think anywhere between 75 and 85 wins is feasible with this year’s club.
March 14, 2006 at 5:38 pm
dprat - thanks, I see exactly what you’re saying! Clearly the PECOTA model see’s Sledge only getting 46 PAs last year as a big hit to his upside … it’s a model I believe in … but I can still root against it
In other words, I’m rooting for Terrmel to be a starting LF’er in MLB … AND it’d even be OK for that to be with another team because Ben Johnson progresses to his upside and is the Padres’ LF’er 
OT: anyone heard of a gyroball??? http://www.robneyer.com/book_04_gyroball.html … hmmm
March 14, 2006 at 6:04 pm
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=260314125
Stauffer *RIP*d
Who are JON ADKINS and RYAN MEAUX … and why are they getting innings in a major league spring game?
March 14, 2006 at 8:42 pm
I still don’t think Roberts ends the season as a Padre… So LF (RF w/ Giles shifting to LF) will open up for Sledge/Johnson…
March 15, 2006 at 9:28 am
Speaking of OF:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....eft-field/
very interesting article. Suprising result (to me) on Jason Bay and Klesko.
March 15, 2006 at 11:23 am
Interesting article. Perhaps Klesko threw out a few guys after they tried to take an extra base when he misplayed a ball in left? To be fair he seemed to have a decent arm and always gave a good effort in LF, he just looked really awkward doing it.