The Padres have dealt first baseman Tony Clark to Arizona for minor-league right-hander Evan Scribner. That’s two trades between the teams in the past 12 months after a decade of nothing, in case you’re wondering.
Most fans in San Diego will remember Clark for his dramatic homer against the Mets’ Billy Wagner on June 8, which culminated a season-high five-game winning streak for the Pads. I’ll remember Clark for talking about his kid’s soccer game during batting practice back in spring training.
That and his being lifted for some random pitcher every time he reached first base. I guess Mike Piazza couldn’t be coaxed out of retirement to serve as Clark’s designated runner.
The short-term impact for the Padres is that Brian Myrow should see more playing time. Not a lot more, mind you, because getting a 31-year-old career minor-leaguer — even one who rakes like Myrow — into games shouldn’t be a priority for a team that is going nowhere and whose best player occupies the same position. Still, maybe he’ll impress someone and have himself a career after all. I hope so.
Long term, Scribner is a 22-year-old reliever with gaudy strikeout numbers in A-ball. In 91 1/3 career innings he’s compiled a 12.12 K/9 ratio and a 5.13 K/BB ratio. The usual disclaimers about A-ball relievers apply. And lest you get too excited, remember that he was traded straight up for a glacially slow guy whose chief skill is the ability to reach base.
I’m also bummed that his last name is Scribner, and not Scrivener. I had a whole bit about Crispin Glover and theremins, but I’d prefer not to use it.
The deal’s great news for Myrow. I agree that the rest of us should abstain from getting too excited about Scribner based on who he’s “worth” trade-wise.
It’s funny; yesterday Peter and I were trying to figure out who might be the target, and since all the rumors said “Double-A” pitcher, we were looking at the Mobile team. Peter said that he didn’t think it was anyone on that team because he thought it would be a reliever with a good K rate…I guess he gets a point
At the bottom of this trade lies one hell of a slow man.
I posted a comment along these lines in last night’s IGD … thanks for the reply PaulR … just a followup … anyone else bum’d that Bud PH’d for KG in the 9th? I know that KG is *really* struggling this season … but getting PH’d for seems to be putting nails in the coffin rather than creating opportunities for busting out of a slump. While Myrow was the guy who physically PH’d for him … and I really like Myrow’s bat, and it got brought up a righty/lefty platoon advantage in that AB … the practical bottom line is that then Luis Rodriquez had to PH for the pitcher 2 batters later … so essentially, Bud sent Rodriquez to the plater rather than KG (Myrow coulda/woulda batted anyway) … and that doesn’t seem like a wise trade-off … I know some who are saying it was a horrible trade-off. It seems like an example of “bad process”. I don’t think Bud gets the most out of this team … I think he leaks away a few games, rather than squeezing out a few extra Ws … which doesn’t matter this year … but it did last year (still bitter about the “Sunday lineups) …
Any news on who the Pads are going to call up or are they gonna play a man down again tonight?
#4@Steve C: Clay Hensley is up.
#3@LynchMob: I kinda thought it was a huge slap in the face as well, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
#5@Field39: back to 12 pitchers…Woohoo!