Here's the latest from the Padres as they try to match their surprising 2010 season…
- Heath Bell won't be surprised or upset if he's on the trading block in July, tweets Tom Krasovic of Fanhouse.com. Bell, however, tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times that "if we win we can shut those trade talks up again like we did last year."
- Gregg Zaun wanted to play for a winning team or else he wouldn't have returned for another season, the veteran catcher tells Dan Hayes. Zaun also wanted to work with an experienced pitching staff and "didn't want to strictly mentor a younger catcher." Zaun signed a minor league deal with San Diego last month and if he makes the team, will back up Nick Hundley.
- Bud Black and Luke Gregerson think the Padres' bullpen can withstand the losses of Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock.
So…Zaun is a bit confused then, eh?
Well, he has a pretty solid chance of being on a winning team. He will not need to “mentor” Hundley. Blanco and Torrealba have already done that. And I am sure winning is more important to Zaun, than dealing with the most experienced staff ever. However, one of the better overall staffs (front to back) in the NL. How is he confused again?
Of course the Padres can with stand the loss of bullpen arms. Build a bullpen on the cheap, reap the rewards, trade the extras, find the next group of cast offs and never was’ sprinkle them with Balsley dust, reap the rewards, rinse and repeat.
It’s what they do. Towers or no Towers, they have a system in place to do this. They will continue to build their pen this way until I die.
People outside of San Diego just dont understand how good the training staff is. They have the best physical therapists in the business. Even Maddux commented that if he had played in SD his whole career that he would have been able to pitch anther 10 years, no whether that is true or not is pure speculation. But it does show the amount of respect a great veteran pitcher has for the Padres staff. Then you throw in Balsley! He has to be one of the best pitching coaches in the league, what you get is a top 5 pitching team every year.
Numbers speak for themselves. The best bullpen in the Majors doesn’t have to be expensive. It is all about coaching and attitude. Expect greatness again this year.
It’s not like much has changed. 90% of the high leverage innings are still going to go to the same people (Gregerson/Adams/Bell and Thatcher vs lefties)
The only difference is going to be a 6th inning guy (someone like Qualls or Frieri) and someone to eat trash innings like Moseley.
And that still constitutes a fairly cheap bullpen that’s going to generate quality relief innings for the Padres as well as some spare parts for later.
The only thing relevant about Zaun signing in SD is it delays his inevitable hiring as Blue Jay telecast replacement for Buck “the coiffe” Martinez.
Does anyone really think a 40 year old catcher coming of a severe shoulder injury has the luxury of picking a “winning” team or in fact doesn’t make them less of one?
Last year Brewers were 16-25 with Zaun and 61-60 post injury.