Earlier today, Padres GM Jed Hoyer all but guaranteed that Ryan Ludwick would return to the Padres next season, as MLB.com's Corey Brock tweeted. Given the Padres' lack of middle-of-the-order pop around Adrian Gonzalez, bringing back Ludwick appears to be the right call. However, it's not the team's only option.
Ludwick, 32, earned $5.45MM in 2010 and will enter his final year of arbitration eligibility. While his overall numbers (.251/.325/.418, 17 HR) were slightly disappointing, he should still be a line for a small bump in salary, making him one of the highest-paid Padres heading into next season. While $6MM+ will be well-spent on stars like Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell, Ludwick's stock isn't quite as high. After coming over from St. Louis, the outfielder hit just .211/.301/.330 in 239 plate appearances as a Padre. The sample size is small and the change in home park has to be taken into account, but San Diego will clearly be expecting improvement from Ludwick if he's on next year's roster.
Hoyer has said he's open at least to listening on trade offers for Gonzalez and Bell, but there are a few factors working against dealing Ludwick. Not only could Ludwick's second-half struggles scare away interested teams, but the 32-year-old means more to the Padres than he would to most other clubs. Given San Diego's pitcher's park and limited payroll, they'll have trouble bringing any big free agent bats to town; plus, the club's outfield and lineup would become even thinner if non-tender candidate Scott Hairston isn't retained.
As Brock notes in a separate tweet, the Padres acquired Ludwick from St. Louis this summer in part because the outfielder had an additional year of team control. So it seems San Diego's best plan of action is bringing back Ludwick and hoping that he helps the team contend for the postseason in 2011. If things aren't going well by next year's trade deadline, the club could consider cutting their losses by moving the former Cardinal at that point. What do you think? Is retaining Ludwick the right move for the Padres?
I wish Hoyer would just cut his loses now. It was nice to see Hoyer bring in some guys at the deadline, but I think those moves actually held back the Padres more than they helped. Once Tejada and Ludwick arrived the Padres started to play a totally different type of baseball. A tough scrappy small ball team turned into a team waiting for the 3 run homer which never came. i wish the Padres would let both Tejada and Ludwick loose and go young again next year. Who knows they may catch lightning in a bottle 2 years in a row.
They lost because they were a team that never had an offense. Eventually that comes back to bite you. The whole “WAITING FOR HOME RUNS” meme is such a horseshit myth.
They were like 5th/6th in team OPS+ (adjusted for home ballpark) in the NL in late August. They struggled the last 6 weeks of the season offensively, but before that they were at least an average offensive team.
I think there is SOME truth to the offense argument with both the Padres and the Giants, there is more to the story than just that. The NL West, with the exception of AZ, had VERY good pitching this year. The west coast parks are all pitchers parks. When the Giants and Padres went into the East and Central parks, and faced average pitching, they scored runs too. I’m not arguing that the offenses in SD and SF were as good as say Philly or Cincy has, but they are not as bad as one would think just looking at the stats. Check out the aggregate numbers for Philly and Cincy when they played in SD, LA, and SF. I think you will find that they were pretty low.
The West coast parks are all pitchers parks? Well, In that case, Cliff Lee, Brandon Webb, and Jake Westbrook should all take low base salaries to play in Coors Field. Just cus, you know, Its a pitchers park.
Just curious, but when did Phoenix and Denver get moved to the West Coast?
San Diego, LA and SF are on the West Coast. All 3 parks are pitchers parks.
The West coast parks are all pitchers parks? Well, In that case, Cliff Lee, Brandon Webb, and Jake Westbrook should all take low base salaries to play in Coors Field. Just cus, you know, Its a pitchers park.
They were scoring more runs on average without Tejada and Ludwick than they did with. Ludwick pouted after the trade and didnt play to his ability. He needs to go away. Tejada cost the Padres runs defensively and should only be back at an Eckstein like contract and as a utility player.
agreed, ludwick’s while potentially a good player doesnt fit with our style of play, his defense isnt as good as any of our other outfielders and his speed is lacking. The entire dynamic of the team changed from a clutch hitting team to Ludwick trying to hit the HR. His time with the padres is atrocious with soimeting liek a .211 BA with an OPS around 630. Now we are going to make him the highest paid player on a team with a small payroll?
While most teams could afford taking a chance on ludwick bouncing back we dont have the payroll to do that. My thoughts are Hoyer is bringing back Ludwick so he can move Adrian and still have one Power threat in the middle of the order.
I agree that Ludwick isn’t the type of player that the Padres need going forward. Ironically enough, I think the Cards regret the trade too.
While he isn’t a good fit, the Padres have to find a way to bring more run production to their lineup. A bunch of scrappy players waiting for A-Gonzalez to drive them in is only going to take you so far. Literally, I think the only position that I’m comfortable with is first base. I feel all the other positions need to be overhauled. They need to go young and athletic.
agreed, although I do like Torrealba instead of hundley behind the plate, and Tejeda as a stopgap at third and keeping gwynn as the best outfield defender in thegame. besides that we need to see some Jedi powers this offseason
From what I saw in San Diego he isn’t much of a power threat.
From what I saw in San Diego he isn’t much of a power threat.
The Padres are thin on outfielders. Ludwick was there for 2 months; that’s not much time to get acclimated to Petco as a hitter. Considering they got him for a spare part, and that they only have to commit to him for one year, I’d do it. They’ve seen him up close. They will consider if he can make the necessary adjustments to be productive at Petco before they sign the dotted line.
actually the padres are deep at OF. Ccunningham, Dednorfia, Baxter, Durango, Venable and Blanks (post injury) and some of the kids need a shot to play. Ludwicks numbers didnt drop because of petco but because of overall poor play. Last year his numbers on the road were actually worse than at home and when he came to the padres his GB% increased pretty dramatically. Now i know the FO is already spinning this as him having a track record of success and he played injured but it doesnt seem warranting of a contract t make him our highest paid player.
None of those names inspire much confidence. None are starting on a contending club.
His BABIP as a Pad was 257, his projected BABIP with his line/fly/ ground ratio is 320. This year is simply a fluke
His BABIP as a Cardinal in 2010 was.325. In other words he was lucky to the tune of 25 points.
Not even his career stats put him at a .320 BABIP as a seasonal average. They are .309. In other words, average.
The BABIP for all players in 2010 in Petco was .269. So no, his totals were not a fluke. They were a sign of a guy traded to a park that does not play to his strengths so he pouted and didn’t play well at the plate or in the field.
Ludwick needs to go.
Plus if the Pads are out of it early next season they can always flip him to a contender for some prospects. They might have to eat a little salary, but that’s better than letting him walk.
Ludwick has a low BBIE and a YS of -3.4. That pretty much sums it up, I think. The Pads ought to be looking at a lion or a bear that could hide in the stands behind some of those empty seats and come out and attack the other team. You laugh, but that kind of thinking could really help a pathetic team like San Diego. If they’re tight for cash, a moose or a ferret, a real crazy ferret. That would be a surprise!
A pathetic team? They won 90 games, and were in contention for the playoffs up to the 162nd game?
Douchey comment…..
Meh. I don’t hate the idea of bringing Ludwick back.
I’m confident his bat will improve but his defense is what concerns me. Playing at PETCO and in the NL West, I think a rangy RF can provide a lot of value through run prevention. Ludwick’s RngR isn’t particularly great and he has a history of leg injuries and also turns 33 next season.
They are talking about moving him to left field which would minimize his defensive concerns. They should bring him back because his bat will improve next year and the possibility of trading him will help.
“Luddy in left” has a much nicer ring, no?Ok I’m officially on-board with bringing back Ludwick. Realistically, he is the only viable option.
“Luddy in left” has a much nicer ring, no?Ok I’m officially on-board with bringing back Ludwick. Realistically, he is the only viable option.
you might not think it by the way that he runs, but luddy had incredible defense
Ludwick was the worst defensive outfielder on the Padres team in 2010.
I for sure wish we had him back in the STL.
Ludwick has a lousy year and he is still going to be eligible for a raise. I wish I had a job like that.
I’m OK with either decision, the pads could use the “speed, pitching, defense and clutch hitting” approach that got them so far this year and that isn’t Ludwick’s way. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure he will bounce back, prying a good hitter to SD might be difficult as stated in this article and someone to protect Gonzo is needed. If Gonzo is traded, no one can expect us to compete in 2011, in which case bringing back Ludwick makes little to no sense.
Sounds like some Padre fans don’t like the idea of bringing Ludwick back. Seems a little like a knee-jerk reaction to me. If you were expecting him to immediately start putting up his 2008 numbers then your expectations were off. His 2010 numbers were obviously going to decrease upon moving to Petco as well. He may not be a star run producer but he is in fact the second best hitter the Padres have, letting him go because you’re disappointed in how the season ended and/or how he performed in a Padre uniform is shortsighted and harmful. Saying that the way the Padres played “changed” from a scrappy, clutch team to a team that waited for him to hit a 3-run homer after Ludwick was acquired is wrong as well. The other players didn’t play differently, they just weren’t as successful as they had been which is largely due to the fact that they aren’t very good hitters. Blaming Ludwick for the fact that the Padres offense struggled is specious reasoning at best.
nobody was expecting .300/.600/.375 from Ludwick, but stating that moving to Petco park justifies hitting .211/.330/.301 and that he is the second best hitter on the team makes you sound like a complete ignorant.
I dont think its a knee jerk reaction at all. The guy was brought in to protect adrian and in the last 10 games he put up a line of .111 14k’s 1rbi. Nobody was saying that he changed how others were playing we were saying that he was tying to knock everyone in on a HR, in the last series he had something liek 10 LOB. No one was expecting 2008 numbers but we werent expecting numbers i could put up. You also forget the fact we have a small payroll we cant afford to have huge contracts under performing like the cubs have . his 7-8 mill next year would account for roughly 15-20% of the payroll and the likelihood of his performance being a fluke is a lot less likely of his skills deteriorating into his mid 30’s
Package Luddy with either Bell or Clayton Richard to the Cardinals for Rasmus. The Padres are loaded with pitching at both the major and minor league levels. If Richard is the one traded then most certainly Garlands option will need to be picked up. Stauffer has earned a shot at the rotation to replace Correia. Padre 2011 rotation w/o Richard: Latos, Young [get him to sign an incentive laden contract], Stauffer, Garland, and Luebke. LeBlanc and Castro waiting in the wings. I would trade Richard because I would consider that as selling high. While he had a good campaign, with the depth of Padre pitching [there are 3-4 more at AA or lower who have a shot at middle of the rotation status], an outfielder like Rasmus would really help. You would have Venable in rf and Rasmus in lf. If the above were to take place, I would then bite the bullet and see if I could pry Ellsbury and Kelly out of Boston for Gonz. This gives a very young, speedy, athletic, decent power outfield built for Petco Park. I would then move Blanks [he will hit again] to first base. One last thing, The Padres also have a masher at 1st base who will be going into his AAA year [Matt Clark], if Blanks does not make it. Clark has shown prolific power at all levels in the minors and in college. If you think that between Rasmus and Blanks the Padres can replace Gonz’s offense [which I do] then the Padres would be ahead in this deal since we all know Gonz will not be returning to SD beyond 2011. In 2012, the Padres position player prospects should start to see MLB level playing time.
Ludwick and Bell for Rasmus? thats a good one
interesting but kind of farfetched based on ludwicks value to the cardinals. You are banking on Blanks coming back healthy and a better hitter which is a stretch.
One scenario i came up with would be idea seems a lil crazy as well
Gregerson + Agon to the rays for Bartlett/Brignac+ Jennings+fringe prospect, Gregorson helps fill in for Soriano, AGon takes over for Pena at least for one year.
Tejeda to third
resign torrealba
Cabrera to second
Venable to RF
Ludwick to LF
Jennings to CF
Headley and Leblac to AZ for Reynolds- KT loves both Leblanc and Headley and Reynolds, wont be affected by Petco and value is at an all time low. Reynolds to 1b
Correia to a minor league deal.
Young or Arroyo for Veteran SP.
too crazy?
Yeah, that is some crazy stuff Tim. I am not sure if you know, Bartlett was
once a Padre minor leaguer. I would not attempt to acquire a SS because I
think Cumberland [will start the year in AAA] will be given a shot at the
starting job in 2012. Cumberland has loads of speed and is a Shortstop. I
do not think that the Rays would go for a year rental; especially, if it
included giving up Jennings. The Rays may part with Upton though, maybe a
Heath Bell would return Upton. My preference for a CF would be Ellsbury
because he would make a perfect lead off hitter playing half his games at
PETCO. Imagine having two guys with 50+ stolen base ability in your top two
spots in the batting order in 2012? If I had to trade Bell as part of a
deal to get Rasmus, I would keep Greggerson [the Padres also control
Greggerson quite cheaply for a few more years]. Lastly, if the Padres were
to get Rasmus, between Rasmus and a healthy Blanks, I think those two would
replace the home runs lost by trading Gonz. If Blanks decides not to hit
after having raked for his entire minor league career and having a
successful 3 months at MLB in 2009, then Clark is waiting in the wings at
AAA in 2011. Clark has very good power and plays first base. The Padres
did not have enough to get it done this year with Gonz; therefore, its time
to get the absolute best CF and top pitching prospect in return for him this
Winter. The Padres have a very deep bullpen and also are loaded with good
relievers in the minor leagues as well. One in particular, Brach, has been
setting league records for save totals the last two years and will most
likely be at AA this year.
Mine might seem crazy but actually uses logic. While i would love to believe yours and get Rasmus for the pads it presents too many questions in your proposal
You are banking on too many things,
who is there to replace Rasmus for Stl?
Can Rasmus power translate to petco?
also why would they want Bell when they believe they have their cheap replacement closer already waiting?
why would they want Ludwick back at his escalated price and lowered production?
Even if you include Richard they already have Garcia, Westbrook, Carp, Wainright, Richard would be awfully expensive to be their 5th starter.
With this year what make syou think Blanks can come back 1.) in any capacity heatlhy and 2.) contribute
the Sox would trade ellsbury last year why would they this year after a season shows they need the OF depth because of injuries
As for my proposal
Can Gregorson repeat his first have performance or will he be another Meredith?
We need to trade him to capitalize on his highest possible value.
Bartlett/ Brignac/ Rodriguez have higher ceilings or proven track records than Cumberland, even if you want to promote Cumberland next year or beyond you can slide either to 2b if cabrera doesnt perform.
Rays need to someone for 1b and while a rental doesnt seem great they just cleared 2 huge potential contracts to allow flexibility to maybe sign Agon last year they had a 71 Million dollar Payroll.
Finally you suggest we get top SP in trades but Hoyer has already shown because of our Park we are less likely to get hitters here through FA where as SP are more inclined to pitch here because of added success (and less money). So the method of success would be sign FA SP and trade for bats.
Ludwick was also banged up much of the year. If he is healthy, his numbers are better period, despite spacious Petco Park.
Right now Ryan is easily the Padres most reliable option by far in the OF. Despite his mediocre performance brining him back is a no brainer.
gotta disagree, no guarantee his numbers bounce back and for that price you cant take that chance.
Of course not however, neither are Durango, Cunningham or even Blanks future in the OF for that matter. I don’t even think Blanks after his elbow injury will see any time in the OF.
If they tried to deal Ryan L. they would not get much at this point and Ludwick despite his injury riddled season has a proven track record. They essentially dealt for Ryan right when he was coming off the DL. Then, he got hit in the hand, (forget in what series) but it seemed to have him pulling off the ball instead of using RCF, where when he is going good he wears out.
The price that he will be “rewarded” with is not a substantial amount considering his track record. His numbers before the injuries were very good, especially with RISP.
The guy just wasn’t right, he was not healthy man, he may not be ideal for Petco but we definitely didn’t see a healthy Ryan Ludwick.
You might not have seen a healthy Ludwick but i have. Living in stl for 4 years i had a chance to see him and he is definitely on the decline. Injuries will become more frequent and more serious, Ii also disagree with Ludwick “wearing out RCF i checked his numbers and he doesnt have any real consistent spraying to that area in any of his seasons, all of his power comes from Pull. Also fun fact since he turned 30 (career year) his numbers have dropped. There is good reason why they wouldn’t get anything for him. While Blanks isnt a guarantee Cunningham would be a great contributor and Durango only needs a chance. each of the last years he has made dramatic improvement in every part of his game and while it isnt guaranteed i expect it to happen again this offseason.
Regarding RFC I didn’t mean to imply that his power is to RF or RCF rather that when he is going strong he is going straight up the box, he starts getting hits up the middle, to RF and RCF with his cover of the plate and pitchers start to miss inside when trying to jam him. He basically does have dead pull POWER but that is actually good for Petco.
I agree and said this before, I think he is on the decline as well but I also believe that while you or myself might have strong feelings towards Durango and Cunningham, (keep in mind I have been one of their bigger advocates), I believe even on the decline he is still valuable and will be more consistent than AC or Durango. Those two guys are huge question marks. If you are lobbying for Durango or Ac to start you are preaching to the choir lol I have been for the last year. I am aware of Durango’s track record in the minors along with Ac’s. Having said that, Ludwick still will provide (GOING INTO 2011) a viable #5 RF/LF that can have a bounce back year. I believe he can AT LEAST duplicate his 09 numbers and he still has the potential when healthy to do MUCH more.
What I think you will see happen is the other kids Ac/Durango/Wily Mo etc. get a fair shot to show their worth in ST and then they will probably take over mid season baring the standings, production etc. Im just not sure its time to throw out Cunningham or Durango everyday going into 2011. I think Deno will be sort of the Scott Hairston type we have seen in the past, a good clutch 4th OF that is borderline starter. Their addressing offense and when doing an over haul in a major way I don’t think they will rely on the youngsters after they faded the way they did this season, pitching and otherwise. They are going to want the most sure thing they can get out of the offense.
I think when Adrian is dealt, because I believe that will happen I think you will start to see more changes and then we will get a chance to see more of the youngsters. I agree with the over all consensus that Ludwick is not the answer per se’ I just think while he is on the decline he is still the most consistent option in the OF that will also go over with the majority of fans from the casual to the die hard. Duarngo or Cunningham going into the season over him for example wont exactly sell tickets, not that people will do backflips for Ludwick either. Who knows, we may see many moves in the off season and bring in a Rasmus, Kalish, Ellsbury or a Brett Gardner etc. I believe (and have maintained this for over a year) that Durango can be a Juan Pierre type player and be successful on the MLB level. I just don’t see the Padres FO and going into the year with him as a starter. Regardless of his progress, his arm, his continued success getting OB and being a great bunter, he still needs to cut down on his caught stealing % and learn to drive the ball at least to keep the OF’s honest. I believe he can, we will see him at some point hopefully maybe he is the 2011 TGJ. Thats how I see him IN A WAY. AC I am big on also but the Padres do not see to be at all or else they would have played him far more down the stretch. I think he could be a 20/20 guy and hit 275 but it doesn’t look like the Padres are ready to throw him in as the starter part of that could be the poor performance in AAA and the small sample size of success on the MLB level. Ludwick to start the season mid season transition baring any major moves or injuries, there is always injuries too.
From everything I am hearing, the Padres are looking at Cunningham as a starter only. If he is on the team, he will be playing every day. I think that if he makes the club coming out of camp it will be as the everyday starting left fielder with Venable in RF.
Of course A.C. will get a look, (he will) and if he is on the team he will be starting (I totally agree) and have said exactly the same thing for months. I think that goes without saying. To make it short, I am not saying I don’t think its possible for A.C. to produce comparable numbers, (in fact I am a big believer in AC) if he starts over a full year, I just don’t necessarily believe the Padres are ready to do that for many reasons and I listed some of them above. I conceded that Ludwick could be on the decline (injuries or not) and not be ideal. Whether he is over paid or not, I understand why the Padres would take him into the 2011 season… regardless he would still be the most reliable option even when considering his track record and decline. Whether he is over priced (next year) or not remains to be seen. I also take into consideration the fact that there is an excellent chance that Adrian will be gone,(at some point) that would leave Ludwick as the most reliable hitter despite some of the younger players upside.
I was one of the more critical people when Ludwick fell flat on his face, I in no way am jumping for joy that the Padres are going to have him (as of now) starting going into 2011 considering the price.
I was also one of the biggest supporters of Aaron Cunningham (among other candidates) this year and wanting him to get a everyday starting chance, that just never happened.
Regarding RFC I didn’t mean to imply that his power is to RF or RCF rather that when he is going strong he is going straight up the box, he starts getting hits up the middle, to RF and RCF with his cover of the plate and pitchers start to miss inside when trying to jam him. He basically does have dead pull POWER but that is actually good for Petco.
I agree and said this before, I think he is on the decline as well but I also believe that while you or myself might have strong feelings towards Durango and Cunningham, (keep in mind I have been one of their bigger advocates), I believe even on the decline he is still valuable and will be more consistent than AC or Durango. Those two guys are huge question marks. If you are lobbying for Durango or Ac to start you are preaching to the choir lol I have been for the last year. I am aware of Durango’s track record in the minors along with Ac’s. Having said that, Ludwick still will provide (GOING INTO 2011) a viable #5 RF/LF that can have a bounce back year. I believe he can AT LEAST duplicate his 09 numbers and he still has the potential when healthy to do MUCH more.
What I think you will see happen is the other kids Ac/Durango/Wily Mo etc. get a fair shot to show their worth in ST and then they will probably take over mid season baring the standings, production etc. Im just not sure its time to throw out Cunningham or Durango everyday going into 2011. I think Deno will be sort of the Scott Hairston type we have seen in the past, a good clutch 4th OF that is borderline starter. Their addressing offense and when doing an over haul in a major way I don’t think they will rely on the youngsters after they faded the way they did this season, pitching and otherwise. They are going to want the most sure thing they can get out of the offense.
I think when Adrian is dealt, because I believe that will happen I think you will start to see more changes and then we will get a chance to see more of the youngsters. I agree with the over all consensus that Ludwick is not the answer per se’ I just think while he is on the decline he is still the most consistent option in the OF that will also go over with the majority of fans from the casual to the die hard. Duarngo or Cunningham going into the season over him for example wont exactly sell tickets, not that people will do backflips for Ludwick either. Who knows, we may see many moves in the off season and bring in a Rasmus, Kalish, Ellsbury or a Brett Gardner etc. I believe (and have maintained this for over a year) that Durango can be a Juan Pierre type player and be successful on the MLB level. I just don’t see the Padres FO and going into the year with him as a starter. Regardless of his progress, his arm, his continued success getting OB and being a great bunter, he still needs to cut down on his caught stealing % and learn to drive the ball at least to keep the OF’s honest. I believe he can, we will see him at some point hopefully maybe he is the 2011 TGJ. Thats how I see him IN A WAY. AC I am big on also but the Padres do not see to be at all or else they would have played him far more down the stretch. I think he could be a 20/20 guy and hit 275 but it doesn’t look like the Padres are ready to throw him in as the starter part of that could be the poor performance in AAA and the small sample size of success on the MLB level. Ludwick to start the season mid season transition baring any major moves or injuries, there is always injuries too.
You might not have seen a healthy Ludwick but i have. Living in stl for 4 years i had a chance to see him and he is definitely on the decline. Injuries will become more frequent and more serious, Ii also disagree with Ludwick “wearing out RCF i checked his numbers and he doesnt have any real consistent spraying to that area in any of his seasons, all of his power comes from Pull. Also fun fact since he turned 30 (career year) his numbers have dropped. There is good reason why they wouldn’t get anything for him. While Blanks isnt a guarantee Cunningham would be a great contributor and Durango only needs a chance. each of the last years he has made dramatic improvement in every part of his game and while it isnt guaranteed i expect it to happen again this offseason.
The guy has had one really good year (2008) and a whole bunch of mediocre years. So what is the reality of what kind of player he is, the one very good year or the 7 mediocre or worse years?
The fact is he is a .266/.337 career hitter. At $1-2 million he is a good deal. At $6-8 million he is overpriced.
Of course not however, neither are Durango, Cunningham or even Blanks future in the OF for that matter. I don’t even think Blanks after his elbow injury will see any time in the OF.
If they tried to deal Ryan L. they would not get much at this point and Ludwick despite his injury riddled season has a proven track record. They essentially dealt for Ryan right when he was coming off the DL. Then, he got hit in the hand, (forget in what series) but it seemed to have him pulling off the ball instead of using RCF, where when he is going good he wears out.
The price that he will be “rewarded” with is not a substantial amount considering his track record. His numbers before the injuries were very good, especially with RISP.
The guy just wasn’t right, he was not healthy man, he may not be ideal for Petco but we definitely didn’t see a healthy Ryan Ludwick.
Not hard to be better than .211/.301 So Ludwick improves next season to his career averages. Is .266/.337 with 15 home runs really worth $6-8 million? Is it really something that Venable or others can’t do more affordably?
Ludwick was also banged up much of the year. If he is healthy, his numbers are better period, despite spacious Petco Park.
Right now Ryan is easily the Padres most reliable option by far in the OF. Despite his mediocre performance brining him back is a no brainer.
EArlier Hoyer said the chances of Ludwick returning were 50/50. A guy that so obviously pouted and gave up after being traded does not deserve a shot at coming back. .211 is atrocious and so was Ludwick’s attitude. Good riddance.
I also don’t think he “pouted” or “gave up”, I just think he was obviously still bothered by injuries (IMO) and was a little psyched out (Maybe partially by Petco) by being one of the go to guys,(protecting Adrian no less) knowing he was brought in to make a big impact in a pennant race and failed miserably. Ludwick, like other Padres in the past is just not ideal to hit behind Adrian.
There were no injuries responsible for Ludwick’s total lack of performance as a Padre. It was a lack of character that was responsible for his lack of performance. Several people have told me he sulked after the trade and we could see it both in his stats at the plate and his demeanor in the field.
There were no injuries responsible for Ludwick’s total lack of performance as a Padre. It was a lack of character that was responsible for his lack of performance. Several people have told me he sulked after the trade and we could see it both in his stats at the plate and his demeanor in the field.
Ludwick is a career .266/.337/.476 hitter playing in hitters parks like St Louis & the hitter friendly NL Central who is 33 years old. He is not getting much better if at all.
Yes he will hit better than .211/.301/.330 if the Padres bring him back, but is mediocre power, mediocre defense and a mediocre batting average any better than just playing Venable?
Are you sure the Padres can’t get more for their $6-7 million than .267 with 15-20 hr?
Dump Ludwick now. His career averages and his time as a Padre in 2010 do not point to a player worth $6 million. Especially on a team that will have a payroll in the $40-49 million range.
Dump Ludwick now. His career averages and his time as a Padre in 2010 do not point to a player worth $6 million. Especially on a team that will have a payroll in the $40-49 million range.