IGD: Padres @ Reds (23 Jul 08)
Wed, Jul 23, 2008
by Geoff Young
Padres @ Reds
9:35 a.m. PT
no television
AM 1090, FM 105.7, XM 183
MLB, B-R
Wake up and play ball.
In case you missed it, the Padres traded left-hander Randy Wolf to Houston for right-hander Chad “I’m Not Going to Pay a Lot for This Pitcher” Reineke. Pretty exciting stuff, eh? Paul DePodesta gives us the scoop…
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.
July 23, 2008 at 8:09 am
Here’s a great recap of how the minor leaguers did yesterday …
http://firstinning.com/daily/sd
July 23, 2008 at 8:21 am
Chad “I’m Not Going to Pay a Lot for This Pitcher” Reineke
Wow Geoff, that’s below the belt…
I think it’s a pretty decent haul. We had a strugling big league pitcher who may or may not be back next year and we flipped him for a AAA pitcher w/ solid numbers (I said, “solid” not great) who may have additional velocity if he moves to the ‘pen fulltime… The Sludge Merchant strikes again!
July 23, 2008 at 9:39 am
24 hrs later, I’m still not happy with the Wolf trade
Frankly, if DePodesta can be believed and Wolf was being pursued heaviest by the Astros, then I can’t imagine that the Padres wilfully asked for Reineke as acceptable payment for Wolf.
July 23, 2008 at 9:53 am
#3@Loren: The move was more to drop Wolfs $4 mil contract for the last half of the season more than it was to pick up a lower B level prospect who may or may not be able to be a long reliever for the pads next year…
I like the move because it frees up a spot in the rotation for Hensley who I think can come back strong and be the Pads 3rd starter in 09.
July 23, 2008 at 9:53 am
2: I’ve got to agree with Peter. Reineke is a pretty good haul for a pitcher with horrible numbers away from PetCo, with horrible numbers in July, and with a terrifying injury history.
I do think that Reineke is going to be a pretty good bullpen piece.
July 23, 2008 at 9:55 am
3: I think that when DePo mentions that Wolf was being pursued aggressively, he means in comparison to other teams pursuits of Wolf. No real contender really wanted him making starts for them down the stretch. The last time that Wolf pitched 140 innings was 2003…he’s just out of gas.
July 23, 2008 at 10:03 am
Not sure if anyone is watching the game… Jody Gerut led off the game with a HR. Its still 1-0 through 1.5 innings.
July 23, 2008 at 10:31 am
Not to pick on Paul, but does anyone else get sick of hearing players — they’re people, people! — referred to as pieces and parts? I listened to a BP podcast yesterday in which Carroll and Sheehan used “pieces” or “parts” seven or eight times in a 13-minute segment. I just wanted to scream at them, “Call them players, pencil necks!”
July 23, 2008 at 10:37 am
Here’s what Baseball Prospectus says about the trade:
Credit Kevin Towers for getting good value out of Wolf’s San Diego sojourn before the oft-injured lefty broke down. Wolf only really appeared to be an asset courtesy of Petco Park, he’s a certain free agent after the season, and not one you’d want to bring back if he’s expecting multi-year money. In return, to get one of Houston’s better prospects has to be considered pretty tasty, even if Reineke hasn’t been especially dominant in the PCL this season. However, with solid low-90s heat and a sharp slider, delivered out of a 6′6″ frame, he’s got enough to entice scouts. The performance record is also starting to catch up, because he’s on a good run of late, having delivered six quality starts in his last seven, which has lowered his overall numbers to just under five runs and more than eight strikeouts per nine, and only 2.8 BB/9 to boot. Add in that he’s a fly-ball pitcher going to Petco, and you have to like his chances of being able to improve on his PCL numbers in the majors once he’s ready. He’s a good one-for-one swap-out for Wolf as fourth starters go, with the added benefits of relative durability and some cost savings.
July 23, 2008 at 11:00 am
Kouz goes yard!!!! Padres up 3-1 top of the 6th. Nice. Let’s get away on Get Away Day with a W.
July 23, 2008 at 11:03 am
I wonder if Maddux is being scouted today. Good to see him boost his trade value with a nice outing on the road.
And I still like the Wolf deal quite a bit, considering how much his value dropped with his recent poor performance. He wasn’t helping this season. Reineke could help down the road. Hensley gets an opportunity. And they save a few million bucks. And if they really liked Wolf ,and I’m pretty sure he likes SD, they could sign him again in the offseason.
July 23, 2008 at 11:12 am
Flubbed pick off, single, home run. If it can go wrong, it will go wrong.
July 23, 2008 at 11:33 am
How long must we endure Joe Thatcher. The guy has to go…..
July 23, 2008 at 11:34 am
#12@Field39: No kidding. I was just looking at Gameday trying to figure out how Phillips could be picked off, caught stealing and safe at 3rd all on the same play. Crazy! And now Dunn hit a Granny.
So much for getting away with a win; let’s just get out of town.
July 23, 2008 at 11:38 am
I don’t care how bad the offense is. The bullpen should be the #1 priority of the offseason. The offense hasn’t been good since they moved to Petco. The back of the rotation has always been a bit shaky. But the bullpen has always been the team’s strength during the four consecutive winning seasons.
It’s getting ridiculous how often Meredith has allowed inherited runners to score. I honestly can’t remember the last time he stranded a runner.
July 23, 2008 at 11:49 am
Put me down for liking the Wolf trade … I agree with the above comments about the bully needing to be a priority … and Chad seems to be a decent candidate to be a part of the solution to that problem … I don’t see how Wolf could have been used to do more than that … plus the cost savings seem like it’s useful/helpful for the long-term (ie. that money can be used on pieces^H^H^H^H^H^Hplayers that will be part of the 2009 Padres and beyond) …
OT … here’s a good column to check out during this free BP week … http://www.baseballprospectus......cleid=7845 … an update on Jenga … and a look at the history of the “save” …
July 23, 2008 at 11:51 am
AZL Padres are off today … rats … I coulda used a pick-me-up … bleh …
July 23, 2008 at 11:58 am
Why does Bud pitch Thatcher is any high leverage situation?
July 23, 2008 at 12:03 pm
#18@SDSUBaseball:
Why pitch “insert any Padre reliever except Bell or Adams” in any high leverage situation?
Unfortunately, most games the Padres play are high leverage and you can’t keep running the same two guys out there every day.
Thatcher has been a disaster. He was unhittable at Portland and appeared to be back on track but he’s been just as bad as he was the first 3 times he was up here this season.
July 23, 2008 at 12:10 pm
#15@JMAR: Bell has been nearly as horrible with letting inherited runners score.
July 23, 2008 at 12:11 pm
This game just got interesting….
July 23, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Hairston makes a LOUD 3rd out with the bases loaded to end the game… 9-5 Reds.
July 23, 2008 at 12:15 pm
#20@SDSUBaseball: You’re right, although Bell rarely enters the game in the middle of an inning. He’s allowed 4 of 8 inherited runners to score. Meredith has now allowed 16 of 30.
What do you mean by “loud”? No that it matters, but did he almost hit it out?
July 23, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Would you have pitched Trevor today? Either when Cla came in … or when Thatcher came in … or to relieve Thatcher? All this is 20/20 hindsight … I wasn’t watching / following the game … I strongly doubt that’s a move I’d have wanted Bud to make … but it’s clear that a different decision at any one of those points prolly woulda had better results …
July 23, 2008 at 12:31 pm
KT on likelihood of more “sell” trades …
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....rId=rss_sd
… souds like just 1 more … and then only if …
July 23, 2008 at 12:33 pm
FJ says Ledezma getting call-up to take Wolf’s spot on roster …
http://padres.mlblogs.com/
July 23, 2008 at 12:36 pm
#15@JMAR: +1 the idea that the bullpen needs the most attention. The offense was pathetic when we were winning. We would have killed for the leads that we are jumping out to this season last year. The difference to me is that we were able to hold onto the leads way more often.
July 23, 2008 at 12:43 pm
#26@LynchMob: This is probably his last chance with the Padres to prove he can get big league hitters out. He threw 1.1 scoreless IP today.
#27@DM: And they would keep extra-inning games tied until the offense could finally score. How many games has this year’s team lost in the opponent’s last at bat? Way too many.
July 23, 2008 at 1:38 pm
so all this talk of trades - I’ve heard little mention of Giles…
Is the thinking that we have an expensive buyout option for 2009 and he really hasn’t done great things recently make him a poor trade candidate? Nothing against OG, but I’m okay with an OF of Hairston, Gerut, Hensley - so long as we get some production out of a catcher and Greene starts hitting again…
July 23, 2008 at 2:01 pm
CINCINNATI (AP) – The San Diego Padres purchased the contract of left-hander Wil Ledezma from Triple-A Portland on Wednesday, replacing traded pitcher Randy Wolf on the roster.
July 23, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I wish Joe Thatcher would not pitch anymore.
July 23, 2008 at 2:25 pm
DM, JMAR, check out some of the writing GY has done on the Padres O last year and in prior Petco years. The offense has not been bad; in fact, it has been quite good in many respects (prior to this year, of course). The Petco effect dramatically masks this though and one has to look at road production to help see they were effective.
For example, Pads 9th in runs last year, but 4th in runs on the road. They were also 4th in hits, first in 2B, 2nd in HR, and 1st in extra base hits on the road. That’s not a bad O; it’s an O which played half it’s games in the park which most suppresses O. 2006 tells a similar tale.
July 23, 2008 at 2:32 pm
#29@BigOldHarry: There has been some discussion here I can recall. Most people seem to believe it’s well worth holding onto Giles. His salary next year combined with his level of productioon should be a deal. Not sure where you get the impression he hasn’t performed well recently. He’s having a much better year than he has the past two seasons. His power hasn’t returned, but he’s hitting for a higher average and getting on base like he always has.
For the reasons above, as well as a limited no trade clasue and a salary increase for 2009 to whatever team he is traded to, he’s not a particularly good candidate. Whatever team was taking him would have to be not on his no trade list, willing to pick up the salary increase on their own, and give up something reasonable in return, imo. Otherwise he’s a solid, productive OF at a reasonable salary next year for us.
And there’s no way I’m OK with Hensley in the OF next year.
July 23, 2008 at 2:46 pm
The Padres have apparently come to terms with their 6th round pick, draft eligible sophomore Florida SS Cole Figueroa.
http://www.tallahassee.com/app.....002/SPORTS
I liked this pick at the time and I am happy the team got the deal done. I am sure it took some going over slot to do so. Congrats to the Pads.
July 23, 2008 at 3:15 pm
#34@Bruce:
Nice signing! I thought that was a great see what happens type of pick. I’m glad they could get something worked out we need SS help badly!
July 23, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Germano going tonight for Portland …
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....a_mrbaaa_1
… McAnulty and Antonelli both draw walks in first PA …
July 23, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Garrison going tonight for San Antonio …
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....x_sanaax_1
July 23, 2008 at 6:39 pm
#32@Pat: Right that is in some sense what I am saying. Whatever offensive suppression that occurs in petco in the past three years have effected our opponents more than us. My observation is that ,ignoring april (maybe may), it feels like we are scoring a fair number of runs. It is just that we are ALLOWING far more than we used to and it makes the offense look worse because we are losing a lot more. Although there are people who always said that the O sucks and they are just having an “I told you so” moment.
This reminds me of the difference between the first half and the last half of last year. There were so many rumblings about the lack of offense when in reality it was the pitching that came down to earth a bit in the second half and it made the same number of runs look really, really bad.
July 23, 2008 at 7:00 pm
#36@LynchMob: Here’s something I just noticed … David Freese is playing for Memphis in the game versus Portland tonight … Germano with a good start … bats are dormant … Antonelli with error #11 …
July 23, 2008 at 8:40 pm
This NC Times article has some more insights into the Wolf trade …
http://www.nctimes.com/article.....0d01ea.txt
… as well as status of future trade possibilities … which seem limited …
Here’s the part of the article that jump’d out at me …
Towers said teams have inquired about the availability of ace pitcher Jake Peavy, as well as shortstop Khalil Greene, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, reliever Heath Bell and Hoffman. Towers, though, said any moves involving those players probably wouldn’t happen until after the season.
… inquires about Hoffman???
July 23, 2008 at 8:51 pm
FJ posted this link to a story about the kid (KGJ) doing good for a kid …
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com.....p;c_id=cin
July 23, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Kulbacki with HR #15 for the Storm tonight …
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.....a_lncafa_1
… dude is on a ROLL!!! Storm up 5-1 thru 6 …
July 23, 2008 at 9:34 pm
#38@DM: I guess that I was wrong, looks like the team sucks at all aspects of the game.
Last Year (through July): 444 Runs scored
This year (present) 384 runs scored
I had thought that it seamed like the team was scoring more runs than usual but the numbers do not match my intuition.
Where do you guys get team stats broken down by time period. The MLB site sucks for this. I would still like to see if there is a post april difference. (looks like the 07 team had a really low scoring July)
July 23, 2008 at 10:19 pm
if he keeps hitting badly maybe k. green can pitch like tony pena jr.
http://www.knucklecurve.com/to.....w-pitcher/
July 23, 2008 at 10:48 pm
#43@DM:
Baseball Reference is pretty awesome: http://www.baseball-reference......;year=2008
July 23, 2008 at 10:59 pm
#23@JMAR: It was a well hit ball. Thought it might have a chance off the bat.