Jed Hoyer Notes

The Padres have a shot at being pretty good, pretty soon.

They shouldn't go all-in and start trading prospects for win-now pieces, but this team can contend next year with some luck and a couple of astute moves.

The offensive core is solid with Gonzalez, Cabrera, Kouzmanoff and the outfield of Blanks, Venable, Headley and Gwynn. They could certainly use another hitter, and one option would be to trade Kouzmanoff, move Headley back to third, and find a slugging outfielder, but I'm not sure if that's necessary.

The primary work to be done is probably on the rotation. Presumably, the 2010 rotation will include Young, Latos, Correia, Richard and Stauffer, but the Padres are definitely a team that should look into potential TOR starters like Harden, Bedard, Sheets, Duchscherer, etc.

The Padres can offer a low-intensity environment and the best pitcher's park in the majors, a potentially perfect spot for a veteran starter looking to rebuild his value on a one-year deal.

And I would certainly look at trade options for Heath Bell. The Padres have continued to show a good ability to develop relievers from within, and Bell has big value right now as a relatively cheap, elite reliever.

Hoyer has some work to do, but the moves that Towers made in his final few months on the job (Peavy trade, Hairston trade, Greene trade, Correia and Gaudin signings, picking Cabrera in the Rule V Draft, picking and signing Tate, Williams and Sampson) has made his work significantly easier.

I'm still somewhat surprised that Towers was let go after the moves that he made recently, although presumably the change mostly has to do with the interests of the new ownership, rather than the fact that Towers isn't good enough.

Ownership will let Hoyer do what he pleases.

The Padres let Towers go because their new ownership, headed by Moorad, preferred to have a GM that believes in utilizing more modern ways of evaluating players, rather than Towers' rather "old school" ways.

Towers wasn't let go because he wasn't doing an adequate job, he was let go because the new ownership preferred to go through the processes of building a team in a different manner.

I wouldn't doubt Hoyer, especially considering that he's a part of the Towers lineage of executives: Towers worked with Epstein, and Epstein worked with Hoyer.

Byrnes and DiPoto have worked out pretty well in Arizona since they left Boston, and I expect the same to happen in San Diego.

If Kim Ng was hired instead I wonder how many AGON rumors to the Dodgers comments would be made?

is it possible to have a six man rotation? if we can sign 2 quality starters then use a 6 man rotation young won't be over used because he gets injured every year, and also to keep the young arms limber.

really commie, adrian gonzalez could go to boston without the redsox giving up even one of those players, its just a waste of tim to propose a trade that Epstein would never even look at, also who do the padres have that the reds would want for Arroyo or Harang in the first place

The METS should offer a package of IKE DAVIS,NIESE,KUNZ and another prospect or 2 for A.GONZ and H.BELL

Posted by: james | October 27, 2009 at 10:27 PM

yes they should. and the PADRES could counter with an offer of KOUZ, W.LEBLANC, STAUFFER, and another prospect or 2 for D.WRIGHT and F.MART.

You guys have got the basics right, just differing opinions.

I think the Padres make a play for Mike Cameron on a two year deal.

Ask for a huge haul from BOS for Gonzalez that they "know" won't be accepted (e.g., Buchholz, Bard, Reddick, Westmoreland, Exposito and Kelly). If it is accepted, its worth it.

They may make a play for one of the Reds "available" starters Arroyo or Harang and include Correia in the deal to lessen the salary hit.

Kouz is gone IMO. Headley's potential production deficit versus Kouz much larger salary is worth it on balance.

Nice to have some positives to talk about after the last two years.

Posted by: Commie | October 27, 2009 at 09:24 PM

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Yeeeah. The Sox will give the Padres everything. Come on, now.

I can see your point of view as a Padres fan. You want as much as you can get for Adrian Gonzalez, he's a fantastic player. However, take a look at it from an outsiders point of view. The Padres cannot afford to keep AGon after his "club friendly" contract. Imagine keeping him for the next few years, then getting nothing for him as he signs another team.

The Padres should get a haul from the Red Sox for AGon. However, not every single top prospect in the Red Sox organization.

And BTW, I don't think the trade will happen, anyways. The reaction of Padres fans would be catastrophic. Most Padres fans would be rip roaring ticked off if they didn't get a huge package similar to one you described. So go ahead, keep him for a couple more years and get nothing.