Operation Center Field: Not All Flaws Are Created Equal
Wed, Nov 7, 2007
by Geoff Young
Now that we’ve looked at defense, how about the other side? There aren’t many center fielders without holes in their offensive game: Carlos Beltran, Grady Sizemore, Ichiro Suzuki… Curtis Granderson is close enough. Let’s see, which of these players is available?
Uh, that would be none.
Okay, so the Padres will need to acquire a flawed hitter. Our next questions should be these:
- Independent of market, which flaw(s) can the Padres most afford to live with in their lineup? Which flaw(s) can they least afford?
- Which skills does the market currently overvalue? Which does it undervalue?
After we’ve attempted to answer these questions, we can start thinking about more practical matters, such as what it might cost to acquire a particular player. First define your targets, then focus on procurement.
The goal is to find a player (or better, a set of players) whose weaknesses are minimized by context and whose skill set is undervalued. This may not be possible, but again, it’s a starting point. When it comes time to make concessions, we at least have a way to evaluate tradeoffs.
So, to the questions:
Which Flaws Are Least Damaging Given Context?
Ask most folks on the street what the Padres’ greatest need is on offense, and they’ll say more power. As we’ve demonstrated, this is a load of crap, but it’s what many people believe and repeat to others in lieu of truth.
Anyway.
The point is, with Adrian Gonzalez, Khalil Greene, and Kevin Kouzmanoff in the lineup, the Padres don’t need power from their center fielder. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love more power; I’d love to have a 30-homer guy at every position — who wouldn’t? But we’re not talking about somebody’s pipe dream, we’re talking about the areas in which sacrifices can be made without inflicting too much damage. Call power a “nice to have” and leave it at that for now.
At the other end of the spectrum, only the Arizona Diamondbacks (.321) and Chicago White Sox (.318) posted lower team OBPs than the Padres (.322). The Snakes survived on the strength of their pitching in ‘07, while the White Sox blew mighty chunks.
For as much as we take pride in the Padres’ pitchers, it’d be real nice to remove some pressure from them next year by scoring more runs. One way is by reaching base more often.
Who Reached Base?
Ten players logged at least 300 plate appearances in 2007, played a fair amount of center field, and finished the season with a .350 OBP or better. Most of those guys, as you might imagine, fall into the untouchable category.
Three do not: Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton, Texas’ Marlon Byrd, and Kansas City’s David DeJesus. Lower the proverbial bar a tad and you’ll find a couple other names that have been rumored at various points to be coming to San Diego: the Cubs’ Jacque Jones and Boston’s Coco Crisp.
Let’s look at each of these options:
- Lofton is old and probably couldn’t handle the rigors of playing center in the NL West. Byrd is younger, but probably shouldn’t be playing center for anyone.
- DeJesus intrigues me. He is in his prime, possesses good on-base skills, and reportedly plays solid defense. He doesn’t run much or possess home-run power, so he might not be as sexy as some other center fielders. The U-T gives the impression that Kansas City might be willing to move him to make room for Joey Gathright. Although DeJesus isn’t someone to build around, the guy has skills — sort of Mark Kotsay lite.
- Jones? I’ve resisted this idea for a long time because he’s got that anti-PPOM (Popular Perception of Moneyball) thing going. You know, the Garret Anderson type whose value is way too tied up into batting average. That said, although Jones’ home-run total plummeted from 27 to 5 last year, the rest of his numbers remained steady. We’re not so concerned about power, so assuming he’s a legitimate center fielder (the numbers look nice but you know me and defensive metrics), Jones might be a decent buy-low candidate.
- Crisp is like Jones, only younger and with more of a track record in center field. The big strikes against him are durability and a bat that has been MIA since he came to Boston. The one thing that might work in the Padres favor is that when Red Sox Nation turns on one of its own, the results can be goofy. That said, I doubt that anyone is as down on Crisp as they were on Josh Bard in April 2006 — and even if they were, I’m not sure the Red Sox would be willing to make another sweetheart deal.
Of all the above candidates to fill the job in 2008, DeJesus and Crisp (depending on cost and availability) are the most appealing options to me. All else being equal (which it never is), I’d prefer DeJesus because he’s younger, cheaper, healthier, and less prone to having his offensive game vanish for two years at a time.
The difference between DeJesus and Crisp is, to me, similar to that between Kotsay and Jay Payton. One of those guys can hold down the job for a while and give you some stability at the position, while the other is more like deploying a wad of used gum until you can find the glue.
A few other names have been suggested by knowledgeable folks (i.e., readers Peter Friberg and Tom Waits):
- Brian Barton — He’s oldish (turns 25 at the end of April) and blocked by Sizemore in Cleveland, but he’s hit at every level; sounds like a certain Kouzmanoff I know.
- Ryan Church — Washington reportedly is interested in Torii Hunter; Church has played more left field, although his numbers in center are solid.
- Eric Patterson — Corey’s younger brother, former second baseman; could be blocked by Felix Pie.
- Luke Scott — Similar to Church, but with less experience in center field.
We’re going to skip the next question about which skills the market currently over- and undervalues because, well, I haven’t given it enough thought to say anything meaningful. This is a complex issue worthy of attention, and maybe at some point will revisit it. For now, let’s cut to the chase.
What’s the Cost?
As with most of our questions, the answer is more complicated than you might expect. Fortunately there are no free agents in our list of targets — that would add an extra layer of complexity and probably make my head explode.
The U-T article referenced above indicates that the Padres are more likely to fill the center field vacancy via trade, which I’m glad to hear because I’d reached the same conclusion myself a few weeks ago. First, it’s nice to have my thought process validated; second, and more importantly, it’s comforting to know that my team isn’t going to throw money at a problem just because it can.
Anyway, the costs for each of the below players are twofold:
- Current and future salary — easy to determine
- Cost to acquire — unknown
We’ll deal with salary now because it’s easier and my brain is starting to hurt. We may not get to acquisition cost today; assuming the Padres haven’t made a move by then, I’ll return to that sometime next week. (In the meantime, of course, I’d love to hear your thoughts.)
Okay, then. To the indispensable Cot’s Baseball Contracts we turn (names are arranged alphabetically):
- Barton — club control
- Church — club control
- Crisp — $10.5 million through 2009, plus $8 million club option for ‘10 (or $0.5 million buyout)
- DeJesus — $10.8 million through 2010, plus $6 million club option for ‘11 (or $0.5 million buyout)
- Jones — $5 million through 2008
- Patterson — club control
- Scott — club control
For the players still under club control, I’m not sure when the clock started ticking; maybe someone can help on that front? Among the others, DeJesus has the most favorable contract situation, followed by Jones, and then Crisp. I really am not crazy about Crisp’s contract.
Taking contractual obligations and big-league experience into consideration only, without regard for acquisition cost, I think my shopping list would look something like this:
- DeJesus
- Church
- Barton
- Crisp
- Jones
Church is almost “1a” here; if he’s a legitimate center fielder, he might be a better option because he possesses a broader base of offensive skills and his contract is better. Crisp and Jones are the “safe” options, but neither is exciting. Barton is starting to interest me; again, I don’t know how good a defender he is, but the presence of Sizemore could make him expendable.
Winter Leagues
- Javelinas 3, Saguaros 2 (box | recap). Matt Antonelli, batting ninth, singled and walked in three trips to the plate. In the field, he recorded three assists and a putout, and committed an error. Will Startup worked a scoreless inning and a third, walking one and fanning two.
- Licey 5, Escogido 2 (box). This is Monday’s game. Yordany Ramirez has seen his playing time reduced since Felix Pie arrived. Ramirez pinch-ran in the sixth and finished up in right field, singling in his only at-bat. On the Escogido side, Vince Sinisi singled and struck out in four at-bats.
- Azucareros 4, Escogido 3 (box). Sinisi repeated Monday’s performance.
- Licey 4, Gigantes 3 (box). Ramirez pinch-ran in the eighth, stole a base, and finished up in left field.
- Mochis 7, Navojoa 5 (box). Oscar Robles went 2-for-4. Luis Cruz, batting sixth and playing second base, went 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Hermosillo 7, Mazatlan 6 (box). Brian Myrow, batting fifth for Mazatlan, doubled, walked, and struck out twice in four trips to the plate.
There it is. We’ve got something a little different lined up for Thursday. I’m taking a break from analyzing stuff to present the first of a five-part interview that I hope you will enjoy. Hint: Expect some non-baseball content.
I’ll also be in Vegas over the next few days for BlogWorld. None other than Mark Cuban is giving the final keynote on Friday afternoon. I’ll be sure to tell him you said hey. 
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
November 7, 2007 at 8:00 am
I like Dejesus and Church a lot as well, both would be here for a few years and both could probably be a leadoff hitter (Church .348 career OBP and Dejesus .358).
What is interesting is that the nationals have been linked to both Andruw Jones and Torri Hunter even though they have a ton of OF’s. The nationals are also desperate for pitching is it that inconceivable that the Pads could send Germano and maybe Kevin Cameron to the nationals for Church?
November 7, 2007 at 8:04 am
That CF breakdown was epic GY. I say we pray for Church.
November 7, 2007 at 8:07 am
Also no Reggie Willits love? is he really untouchable now that stonemen has left?
November 7, 2007 at 8:38 am
Hey Geoff, make sure you take a couple minutes and convince Cuban the Padres would be a better investment then the Cubs.
November 7, 2007 at 8:42 am
Re: 4 I dont think Moores will sell (for market value).
November 7, 2007 at 8:44 am
3: Agreed completely. Willitts should be one of our top targets, as the kid gets on base at a ridiculous clip and looks very solid in the field. Obviously I’m extrapolating a ton based on a few games where I’ve seen him play, but he seems to have very good instincts. He also led all of baseball last year in pitchers seen per plate appearance.
November 7, 2007 at 8:52 am
#3, 6: Good call on Willits. I’ve been sitting on a lot of this stuff for a few weeks, and he wasn’t on my radar back then. I’m not sure if he’s available or if he can handle center at Petco, but the OBP is nice. Assuming yes to both, I’d probably put him between Church and Barton.
#4: I shall do my best.
November 7, 2007 at 8:54 am
I really like the idea of bringing in Barton and giving him a shot. I’d love to know what kind of a fielder he is.
November 7, 2007 at 8:55 am
The one issue with Willits is that the padres may not match up well with the angles from a trade standpoint, at least not with major league ready guys.
November 7, 2007 at 9:07 am
Willits looks great but his total lack of power skews my view of him a little. I know we don’t need to add power but when Cammy hits 20+ and you sacrifice a little with Dejesus, Church or Barton who would propbably get in the 8-15 range the fall isn’t as hard. Of course it may not matter if we can make that production up in LF or 2nd base or some place else.
November 7, 2007 at 9:11 am
10: Forgive me for saying this, but I think Willits would be the prototypical Petco Padre. He’s got the optimal skill set for the park (gets on-base, can steal, and plays solid defense).
As to where we match up with the Angels, that all depends on whether or not they sign A-Rod. 3B has been a hole for them for awhile, as has been 2B. Obviously, most of us seem higher on Antonelli than Headley, but we could theoretically trade either of them straight up for Willits. Maybe throw in a reliever.
November 7, 2007 at 9:14 am
Re: 10 what you loose in power from cameron you make up for in OBP, Willits could get on at a .350+ clip and have Giles getting on behind him at a .350+ clip thats putting alot of ducks on the pond for A-gon, Kouz, Greenie and who ever is in LF to drive in.
November 7, 2007 at 9:17 am
RE: 11 Mr. Figgins, Mr. Izturis and Mr. Kendrick would like to disagree with you.
November 7, 2007 at 9:17 am
11.
If we have to give up Headley or Antonelli to get Willits, I vote a big ole HELL NO! The guy would be nice in Petco but under no circumstances is he worth either of our top 2 prospects. If we were going to peddle either one of those guys we could probably do better than Willits.
November 7, 2007 at 9:21 am
12.
That is very true. I guess maybe in the back of my mind it’s comforting to know a guy has a home run or 2 in him somewhere.
Anyone hear any news on Milton Bradley?
November 7, 2007 at 9:24 am
OT … a look at the D-backs …
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne.....;type=lgns
November 7, 2007 at 9:24 am
13: They can disagree all they like. Those are problem spots for the Angels.
Wouldn’t a solid CF be more valuable than a great 2B? Doesn’t this mesh with the concept that premium positions are harder to fill and thus, you should pull the trigger when you get the chance?
November 7, 2007 at 9:30 am
Re: 17 No way do the Angles put Antonelli or Headly over those three. Both Headly and Antonelli are great prospects but Figgins and Kendrick are pretty much proven big leaguers at this point and Izturis is one of the top prospects.
November 7, 2007 at 9:35 am
Re: 15 I would trade Headley but not Antonelli for Willits in a hartbeat.
I dont think we will hear much from bradley until arbitration time.
November 7, 2007 at 9:41 am
18: As I understand it, Figgins is one of the great over-rated hustle guys. Hard-nosed player, but not very talented.
Kendrick and Izturis have struggled pretty badly, no? I might be wrong…
November 7, 2007 at 9:46 am
Great post.
I surely wouldn’t be impressed with Willits in center. Off the cuff, I see him being an average player at the very best. Sure, he had a great obp last year, but that was pretty much a fluke, imo. I could see it being around .340 in Petco maybe, and that’s with no power at all.
http://www.tangotiger.net/scou.....7_ANA.html
The fans liked his defense, which is encouraging. Anyway, I wouldn’t mind someone like him, IF there are other improvements made like in left, the rotation, the bench maybe, even the pen, etc. But I hope he’s not one of the top options in center.
November 7, 2007 at 9:50 am
20: Here are Kendrick’s, Izturis’, and Figgins’ career lines.
Izturis (986 career ABs): .273/.340/.386
162 Game Counting Stat Average: 26 2B, 6 3B, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 17 SB
Kendrick (605 career ABs): .306/.332/.435
162 Game Counting Stat Average: 46 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 70 RBI, 11 SB
Figgins (2517 career ABs): .293/.354/.400
162 Game Counting Stat Average: 25 2B, 11 3B, 6 HR, 65 RBI, 50 SB
November 7, 2007 at 9:52 am
#20: Kendrick has a .306/.332/.435 line in 636 big-league PA and is 24 years old. His minor-league numbers are ridiculous: .359/.397/.567. He’s not going anywhere.
Izturis is 27 and profiles more as a utility player. Handy guy to have around, but not at the cost of Headley or Antonelli — not even close.
November 7, 2007 at 9:53 am
17.
If it’s going to cost us Antonelli to get Willits I’d rather just keep Matt. Willits is a good player but he’s not worth MA by any stretch. Fuson said last week the Padres are still considering Antonelli in CF himself. Willits get’s on base and played a good left field last year for the Angels but he isn’t nearly worth it IMO.
November 7, 2007 at 10:13 am
There’s no way I’d trade Headley or Antonelli for Willits. That’s just a crazy misuse of trade resources.
But I’m curious as to why MB (21) sees him with a 340 OBP as a Padre. His minor league line is 301/397/397. He’s had awfully good plate discipline going all the way back to college.
November 7, 2007 at 10:17 am
Re: 23 bleh didn realize Izturis was 27
November 7, 2007 at 10:18 am
Re: 25 Do you think they could get more for Headley?
November 7, 2007 at 10:32 am
27: More than a player who might be stretched in CF and offers no power? Yeah, I think we can get more than that for the 2nd or 3rd best 3b prospect in the game. Not only more than that in terms of absolute value, but of organizational need. I think we could get a good young starting pitcher for him from some teams.
I’d much rather trade a couple of pitching prospects not named LeBlanc to KC for DeJesus than move Headley for Willits.
November 7, 2007 at 10:36 am
28.
Totally agree. Willits is a good player that I wouldn’t mind having around if it didn’t cost us much but not for any of our top guys. I DeJesus is a much better option depending on what he costs.
November 7, 2007 at 10:43 am
#28: One other point worth noting is that this is a great time to have a surplus of talent at third base because it’s going to be nearly impossible for teams to fill that position via free agency:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/yhUC
November 7, 2007 at 10:50 am
Re: 28 what do you think it would take to get Willits from the Angels? I think to the Padres he has a greater value than Headley does because he fills a big need and his style of play fits petco better than Headley.
November 7, 2007 at 10:51 am
25, 29: I didn’t realize that Headley was that valuable. I guess I’m guilty of under-estimating some of our prospects. As much as I see other teams over-value their prospects, I guess I try to not get too excited about our guys until they “do something.”
If not Headley or Antonelli, is there anything we could offer for Willits? Would it cost less to get DeJesus from KC? Do we match up better with them or the Angels?
November 7, 2007 at 10:52 am
What about Cincinati’s Norris Hopper?
.329 .371 .388
November 7, 2007 at 10:53 am
31: That’s kind of what I was thinking. CF will be a gaping hole for this team for some time. If we can get a guy with legit OBP skills and solid-defense without creating an organizational hole (we’ve got Kouz who’s ready now and Freese in the wings), I think we should consider that.
Of course, I have no idea how seriously other teams value a talent like Headley. As GY suggests in 30, it’s a great-time to have a surplus at 3B. If Boston thought they could offer Crisp for Headley straight up, does that say more about Headley’s perceived value or Boston’s under-valuing of our prospects?
November 7, 2007 at 11:04 am
31: I don’t know that we’re sure about what style of play suits Petco.
We do currently need a CF more than a 3b who might get turned into a LF, but we need a quality SP more than either one.
31, 32: Willits’ price depends on what the Angels plan to do with Figgins. He may not even be available. I’d offer major league relief pitching or the same pitching prospects mentioned in the DeJesus trade.
November 7, 2007 at 11:05 am
33: Nothing in Hopper’s minor league profile screams “Buy!” to me.
November 7, 2007 at 11:07 am
Re: 35 Im all for paying less for him but what pitching prospects not named Leblanc could the padres give up for him? I dont see them doing it for Geer or Ayala, latos, and bushman are still at to low of a level to trade for him.
November 7, 2007 at 11:08 am
34:
Boston doesn’t really need to move Crisp, though. Of course they’re going to ask for our best prospects.
CF isn’t going to be a gaping hole if they move Antonelli there. It won’t be gaping if they trade for DeJesus or Eric Patterson or a number of other players.
We should consider Willitis. We shouldn’t pay for him with the biggest bill in our wallet when we have more pressing needs and may be able to get a comparable or better talent for less.
November 7, 2007 at 11:10 am
37: If the Angels won’t trade Willits for (thereotically) some combination of Meredith/Cameron/Geer/Ramos, then you don’t make the trade. Willits is not nearly good enough that you pay whatever they ask.
November 7, 2007 at 11:12 am
Tom/25: First of all … only an off the cuff guess.
Anyway, one reason is simply Petco. Although he’s not a big fly ball guy, Petco should still decrease his average a little bit.
Another is PECOTA. Before this year (which is certainly important), it projected him for a .250/.325/.339 line. His minor league numbers take a big hit once you account for age/league/park/etc. They’re still okay, but they definitely aren’t as impressive (I’m not saying these adjustments are perfect or anything).
Last year was just a major outlier, imo (at least in the avg/obp departments).
Thirdly, there’s some evidence I believe that high walk/low power (and in Willits case NO power) players tend to lose quite a bit from their walk rate as they advance. Of course Willits didn’t last year too much (13.8 bb%), but I think that will drop as pitchers realize he has no pop.
He may actually be a slightly above average player and that’s fine if he doesn’t cost too much in players. But I’d rather they look down other roads first.
November 7, 2007 at 11:14 am
40: I concur with that last paragraph, and I agree that his numbers will take a hit. But he doesn’t seem to be a guy who is strictly looking for walks, which to me are always the most dangerous prospects to buy.
He feels a lot like Ryan Freel to me, hopefully without the propensity to get hurt.
November 7, 2007 at 11:22 am
28: Isnt Headley oldish? Doesnt that take away from his value a bit?
I would rather not see Willits in CF. I live in Orange County and everyone here is an Angels fan so I saw alot of games. Theres no way he plays an adequate CF in the NL West.
November 7, 2007 at 11:23 am
(33) I was going to suggest that the Padres take Hopper or Ryan Freel off the Reds’ hands.
Tom Waits (36) is correct that Hopper’s minor league profile screams that 2007 was his peak year - but I think you could probably squeeze a couple more comparable seasons out of him. Just know that his OBP is heavily AVG-dependent, and his AVG is more bunt- and infield-single dependent than any hitter I’ve ever seen.
That said, he plays a decent CF (and a GREAT LF), and could be had for a good bullpen arm.
Freel makes more money, is coming off that horrible concussion, and was playing like doggie doodoo before he got hurt. The price would probably be the same, if not a little lower.
Then there’s the premium rack at Reds OF Warehouse: Josh Hamilton (.292 .368 .554, 337 PA). He’s a little brittle, bears the relapse risk, but is cheap and still only 26. Hamilton has an elite arm and excellent speed, but is a bit rusty when it comes to his paths on fly balls.
November 7, 2007 at 11:26 am
42: He’s 23, the normal age for a college junior drafted in 2005. He made his major league debut 2 years younger than Willits. The uber-prospects get called up at 20-22, but Headley isn’t succeeding because he’s older than his competition.
November 7, 2007 at 11:29 am
43: I assumed Hamilton would be off the table. Too good and too cheap. I doubt we could afford to give up the pitching Cincy would need for him.
November 7, 2007 at 11:32 am
44: My bad, for some reason I had him at 27. I think I read an error somewhere.
Willits will be a Doc Roberts type CF and probably put up the offensive numbers Roberts put up for the Padres, which werent too bad. He’s one of those “hustle” guys to me that can get over-rated real quick.
November 7, 2007 at 11:50 am
Read elswhere: Josh Barfield is a defensive whiz. Whiz. So says Jon Heyman. He sees Barfield as a trade candidate without the buzz. Are there numbers to back this up? Of course, he said David Wright won a GG in a weak field without excluding Pedro Feliz from that assessment.
November 7, 2007 at 12:05 pm
47: In that same article, Heyman takes a swipe at the Padres, saying that going to San Diegoo would have hurt Schilling’s blog traffic.
I’m not sure how much faith I put in what he has to say. He also claims that the Padres are now the favorite for Mike Cameron.
November 7, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Did I miss something? Why is Mike Cameron not even being discussed? He’s going to miss 25 games and will be one year older, but I’d rather have a proven veteran than a second-tier prospect starting.
November 7, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Weren’t there some rumors before that the Rays might be looking to trade Baldelli? He seems like he’d be a good fit for Petco with his doubles power and great defense. What do you think the Pads would have to give up for him? He is an injury risk but if they were able to hold onto Lane or pick up somebody else as a platoon partner/backup, I think it would be a good deal
November 7, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Re: 50 Baldelli would be nice if the Pads had a good 4th OF who could play CF, but the problem is if BAldelli goes down then they have to put lane in CF, and is that any better than putting brady clark out there?
November 7, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Re:49…I don’t think anyone is writting him off, but when you factor in the expense, length of contract, fall-off of production, and even the perceived idea that he wants to go back to the East Coast, and you have to look for other options…
Count me as one that is still on the Baldaelli bandwagon!
November 7, 2007 at 1:21 pm
52.
I would really like to see Baldelli as well. Actually I would like to see the Padres talk to the Brewers and see what it would take to get Cory Hart. I don’t really see us having enough to get either player but I like both of them a lot.
November 7, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Re: 53 I could see the Padres having enough to get Baldelli, He’s been hurt, has a big contract (for the devil rays) and they have a ton of OF’s. I could see them trading Baldelli for Meredith, K Cameron and Germano.
November 7, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Coco Crisp is believed to be going out the door via a trade to make room for Ellsbury in center field. The Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers could be among those interested in acquiring Crisp.
http://news.bostonherald.com/s.....id=1042653
November 7, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I don’t get where people decided we should go after guys with doubles power. PetCo suppresses doubles as much as homers.
November 7, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Cameron on a 2 year deal is the least interesting move so that’s probably what we’ll get but I think we still need a guy like DeJesus/Crisp/Baldelli, someone who can play all 3 OF positions as needed.
This from Jon Heyman’s SI.com column:
“The Dodgers, Giants and Angels are all expected to be major players for Cabrera”
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
I know I’m going to sound like a Mighty 1090 caller but dammit, I’m tired of hearing about the other 3 CA clubs always in the hunt for the big names. All three of those clubs have more money, more prospects or both and they can do stuff like this. I’ve always been on board with the low payroll Sandy Alderson plan but for some reason this latest rumor just set me off. If the team sucked I wouldn’t care and if we were going deep in the playoffs every year I wouldn’t care but we have a damn good team that seems to be missing that one big superstar to put us over the top. Andruw Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Cabrera, Johann Santana, Eric Bedard, all these guys are out there and granted they will cost a king’s ransom but it’s disheartening to see all these potential blockbusters out there and we’re discussing David DeJesus and Coco Crisp as our big acquisition.
Sorry for the rant. Most of you guys have been Padre fans a lot longer than I have and I’m sure you’ve all felt the same way over the years. Just once I’d like to see this club make an earth-shattering deal that terrifies the rest of the division. The last time it happened was Kevin Brown, right? That turned out pretty good as I remember it.
November 7, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Two things
1. What numbers suggest Barton can hit? He strikes out alot and his OBP isn’t that high?
2. Going beyond, assuming Barton is of interest, what about trying to trade for Barton, Casey Blake (another backup with starter potential) and Josh Barfield for Tim Stauffer, Craig Stansberry and two other AAA players (Maybe MacAnulty and Wells)?
November 7, 2007 at 3:36 pm
57: I’m actually hoping the Dodgers do something like Kershaw/Kemp/LaRoche/Ethier for Cabrera/Willis.
Willis had a terrible year last year, and Cabrera is only under contract for 2 more years. If we could get Kershaw and Kemp out of the division, I’d be ecstatic.
November 7, 2007 at 3:37 pm
59: Not to mention that such a signing would also bar them from signing A-Rod.
November 7, 2007 at 3:53 pm
58- 2-
because all of those guys could maybe get barfield ALONE. thats such an overvaluing of your own prospects its ridiculous
stauffer-bum
stansberry-future geoff blum
macanulty- kruk, only without talent
wells- JARED WELLS,,,,,really?
November 7, 2007 at 4:06 pm
58:
1- Are you looking at the right Barton? This Barton has a career minor league hitting line of .317/.417/.476. His power is a little low, but he has oodles of OBP. Until he had 87 at bats last year in AAA, he had never had an OBP below .400 at any minor league stop.
November 7, 2007 at 4:07 pm
57: Anthony, it’s OK. We’re here for you.
But seriously, I know what you mean. It is frustrating sometimes being the red headed stepchild in Cali. Still, I’m happy with the way the FO is going about things. I’ll take a consistent winner over a team which overspends and doesn’t compete (2007 dodgers and giants anyone?) any day.
Hang in there, Bro.
November 7, 2007 at 4:44 pm
When do the”Will play CF for food” shirts come out?
Additionally if they get Willits we can all wear shirts that say “I have as many HR’s as the Padres CF”
November 7, 2007 at 8:03 pm
61: Granted those four players couldn’t fetch those three players, but really none of the players on either side of that trade are especially interesting.
November 8, 2007 at 5:21 am
Did Y’all see Lidge got dealt to the Phils?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=3099599
Is it sick that I am still reading as much about baseball in November as I do in August?
November 8, 2007 at 7:12 am
Wow…did you see this? Buster Olney says:
“the Padres and Yankees talked briefly about a possible deal that almost certainly won’t happen (Jake Peavy for Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera)…”
Again, he does say it almost certainly WON’T HAPPEN, but that is a very interesting deal and one you would seriously have to consider!!!
November 8, 2007 at 7:31 am
Padres apparently talked to the Twins about Matt Garza. Twins wanted Headley and the talks fell through, at least for now.
http://www.startribune.com/509/story/1536123.html
November 8, 2007 at 7:59 am
68: Darn, they wanted back some talent?
November 8, 2007 at 10:22 am
#65
Basically that was my thinking - Blake has starter potential but is utility, Barfield lost his job and Barton isn’t an immediate top prospect. So basically trade some of their spares that are young for our spares that are young. And ours fill a need for them (backup INF/2B, Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher and DH/1B/OF to replace Blake)
November 8, 2007 at 12:59 pm
70: The logic’s not bad, but their spares are all more valuable than our spares in that trade.