The Padres are seeking top-of-the-order production this offseason, writes Don Norcross of the San Diego Union Tribune. The club went through nine players in the leadoff spot in 2010 and got little offense from David Eckstein who batted second.
As it stands now, Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley are set to play the corner infield positions while Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick will be the corner outfielders. Norcross writes that this means that the higher on-base percentage that San Diego is after will have to come from the middle of the field.
While Tony Gwynn turned in another excellent season in center field (32.9 UZR/150), his .204/.304/.287 slash line in 339 plate appearances left much to be desired. Meanwhile, shortstop Everth Cabrera took a major step back in 2010, hitting just .208/.279/.278.
The Padres' combined on-base percentage for the top two spots in their batting order was .310, third worst in the majors.
How about Beltran for ya guys? well eat half his contract…we’ll take one of your sweet pitchers 😀
awww livin’ in dream town.
doesn’t seem crazy to me actually. I could definetly see that happening to be honest but not for the Padres to just give up one of their young pitchers…Maybe something like Beltran for Hunter, Portillo, and Rincon for Beltran. Or maybe just soomething like Corey Luebke.
I think if we throw in Lucas Duda or Capt. Kirk it could work…
Kirk definetly. He’s really overrated. I love the Mets but they need. To unload Beltran and get a pitcher like Luebke or Stauffer.
Thats a major overpay. Portillo and Rincon are very young talented prospects that are both highly regarded, for an overpriced injury prone player. That is not the kind of deal the Padres can make. Luebke is a player 6 years of team control left, and can be an effective #4 starter, why move that for Beltran, even if the Mets pay half the salary,9.25 mil would be the most expensive player on the Padres.
And you can also get potentially one of the best CF’s in Baseball, a comeback candidate.
I am not saying that it would not be an upgrade if he is healthy, which is a big if. Thats going to make the Padres be fairly conservative about any deal with the Mets for him. The Padres simply are not going to move prospects for 1 season of anybody unless they truly believe it be the difference in winning a world series. The Padres are not going to be able to spend even mid market money until the sale is compete, which is another 2-3 years away. Sucks for us the fans, but thats the truth.
Put it this way, the Mets pay half his salary and gets that package, the Padres will be paying about 16 million of a projected 45 million to two players. And if they resign Bell for a go for it season, the Padres will be committing about 23 million for 3 players. That leaves them with 22 million to fill out the rest of the roster, including arbitration with Ludwick and upgrades at 2nd and SS. The math doesn’t work.
Ill be honest, I love the Padres and know a lot about their system, its deep. You’re right, my bad, but maybe that package can be used to acquire a more sure-thing player. What about someone like Chris Young, Matt Kemp, or Colby Rasmus? Maybe Jacoby Ellsbury? Jeremy Moore? Coco Crisp even.
Simon Castro, Rincon, and Williams for Matt Kemp?
Corey Luebke, Williams, Sampson for Rasmus?
Just speculating…
I dont see any of Young/Rasmus/Kemp being moved. Cards would have a lot of offers for Rasmus if they decided to move him, and thus would be out of the Padres reach (Atlanta for one would be able and willing to out bid the Padres). Young is personally favorite, but intra division will make the tough. Same with Kemp. Ellsbury is a good option, if the Red Sox would move him without demanding Adrian (highly unlikely). Dont know much about Moore, and Crisp is a stop gap. Personally I would love to see the Padres and Astros make a deal for Bourne. I am just not sure how they match up since I know little about the Astros (plus I have a feeling he isn’t on their list for players they intend to move).
He isn’t on their list, but there are other players like Bourn who can be made available, like Brett Gardner.
I like Gardner as well, but that depends on who the Yanks sign, if they get Crawford then that would be ideal. Depends on who the ask for him thou.
Just throwing out all maybe available players. I really think Orlando Hudson, a new shortstop (maybe Jason Bartlett) and a new CF will all be Padres next season.
Not a fan of Hudson, but it could work. I like Bartlett, but don’t see the Padres paying him through, unless of course he is non-tendered. But if he becomes an FA, a few teams will have interest.
Really? So you are OK with giving up Cory Luebke for an outfielder who hasn’t played a full season since 2008 and frankly looked a step or two slow when he came back? Beltran’s knees are shot and he was heavy when he came back. He can’t play CF in PetCo. I’d be OK with giving up Hunter because I don’t think he’s more than a 4th OFer, but there is no reason to believe Beltran is capable of playing regularly over 162 games and producing at a high level.
Beltran is not even on the Padres radar. They wouldnt touch the salary or the question marks on health. Period. I would however trade Castro for a guy like Brett Gardner. I could also go Bell or Adams plus portillo for Gardner.
Unload an expensive player to a team having problems retaining his players… and also give up a “sweet pitcher”… yeah right…
Joke you derp.
But who really is available?
2 wrds. 0-Dawg.
I’m chuckling that you typed Zero-Dawg when you meant to type Oh-Dawg. Freudian slip? I’ve heard Hudson called the Oh-for-4 Dog, but I haven’t heard anyone call him the Zero Dog.
The “O” on my parents laptop is broken. I’m on my phone now. So I tried to avoid using the letter “O” but would never refer to him as the 0-Dawg. More like the 10000000-Dawg!
Such a lack of mi-priced bats this offseason. The Pads will not have the money to make any huge FA splashes, so what do they do?
I think at some point, the only thing they can do is trade Adrian Gonzales and Heath Bell. The Pads can afford to lose Bell far more than they can A Gonz, but it is really the only move they can make based on limited payroll and a total lack of hitters on the farm.
As sad as it is (as a Pads fan) to say it, the only solution is addition by subtraction.
Ughhh I really want to see Padres keep Gonzalez.
Heck, I would love it if they could add Crawford or something. Shame they don’t have enough payroll. They are pretty close to contending IMO.
If they took a risk and fronted the money to sign Crawford and extend Gonzalez, I think they would be paid back big time in attendance.
Hmm…the Brewers need pitching in the worst way. The Padres might love Rickie Weeks manning 2nd base. Cost controlled pitching-one starter and one reliever, for Rickie Weeks.Brandon Phillips could end up on the block at some point too. If he does the Padres ought to pounce.
They might want to watch and see what the A’s do with Coco Crisp. He could end up being a low cost acquisition that could offer short term help.
I like the Weeks idea, but this is his last year of control. He will be a FA after the 2011 season, which means the Padres are not going to be likely to trade a projected piece of the future for him. I have a hard time seeing the Padres move anything of value unless they get a piece back that they can control of a couple of years min.
I thought about that. At some point, they are going to have to pay something to someone. A Gon may be too large of a contract to handle long term; Weeks’ probably won’t be, and the Padres don’t seem to have a 2nd baseman in their system anywhere close to ready.
I have to ask why someone who has so little money to spend on a team would be allowed by MLB to buy a team; and why, if you didn’t have the kind of money it takes to do it right, you would want to own a team. I don’t understand that.
If the Padres want to stay competitive, they are going to have to get some guys who can hit, even if it costs them money and prospects.
MLB really didnt have a choice in this sale, it was this or the team be auctioned after the divorce of Moores. It was sold at the height of the recession, and there wasn’t bidders line-up to buy the team.
Of course the Padres are going to have to spend money to make themselves stable in the long run, but for the moment, they are trying to build up a farm system and plan for the future, and if the Padres are unlikely to keep Adrian it makes little sense for them to delay the process by trading prospects now. Personally I want to see what they do with Adrian before dealing with the rest of the Padres issues, if the Padres decide to trade Adrian, then move him and see where the holes are after the trade.
Yes they do. They have top prospects Logan Forsythe and Drew Cumberland that will most likely end up at 2B.
Neither of which is ready. Both still need work defensively and Cumberland has to prove he can hit at least AA ball for a full season and stay healthy. Forsythe is essentially major league replacement level with a little upside if he proves he can be a valuable utility player. Cumberland, if healthy, has real impact upside. We need a 2 year solution…. Hudson or Weeks could work.
I guess it depends on your interpretation of “anywhere close to ready.”
To me, Players in AA are usually pretty close. Do I expect us to break camp with one of them at 2B? No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were fighting for a job in Spring Training of 2012.
Just a question…. How many MLB franchises have had winning records 5 of the last 7 years?
I would do a Rickie Weeks deal for a solid bullpen piece and mid level prospect. But, you are right… they are not gonna do something like MIke Adams and Luebke for Weeks
Weeks 4 Timmy
Bell 4 Gardner or Bourguos
leBlanc 4 Zeigler
Stauffer still young and under control…. too much for Weeks. The Yankees or angels are not going to give up those players for just Bell. Leblanc for Zeigler I like.
weeks and cash 4 extension 4 portillo, hefner and ramos
Fukudome could play CF and could hit lead-off or second. The Cubs would eat most of the $11M salary in 2011.
Fukudome isn’t a good enough defensive CF. Hoyer wants Venable in RF and a true CF’er. Fukudome isn’t even as good as Venable in CF.
Ellsbury?
That makes too much sense.
price is too high and he is coming off an injury
Nah, it was a freak injury. Broken ribs isn’t like a shoulder or ACL repair. GM’s and scouts know his value, just look at his 2009. And he’s only hitting his 1st year of arbitration.
Ellsbury is something to consider… depends on the asking price. The Padres are going to look for a deal or just sign cheap non impact players.
Ellsbury might make sense, but like has been said.. the ribs and Epstein won’t give him away, plus outside of aGone that SD won’t be moving for the right price (in Epstein’s eye’s) they have nothing that can help them on the offensive side of the game Boston would be looking for and he’s not going to be moved for a middle reliever.
Same with Jed Lowrie that Hoyer has always liked and DOES make more sense on a move to SD, but he’s probably being held back for a piece in a larger deal elsewhere for a bat. Shame SD has nobody that can help them in that regard, cause lowrie could really help them up the middle and is just about ready to hit his potential with injuries finally behind him it looks like.
You don’t think Theo would trade Lowrie for one or two of the nice bullpen arms SD has?
Not myself, going from past history with the Epstein &Co FO. Only time they have given up anyone with any real talent for a middle reliever was Crisp and that was because crisp was politely asking for a trade and they were under the gun to get him moved. Lowrie has more value IMHO and would probably get back at least as good of a middle guy “if* that is what they were looking for, but a bat is what think they would be looking for if they choose to move him, relying on the exact same way as always to fix the BP.. FA, minors and 1-2FA signings.
BP is not as all bad off as the stats really show I at least think with a decent enough closer and top notch setup guy intact, Atchinson is at least a fair 1-2 inning garbage time guy and Doubront should be fine as the long guy/spot starter next year if he is not moved along with Lowrie for that bat…
The Padres are in such need of offensive production that I don’t think you can limit the need to the “top of the lineup” or any other part of the lineup. My headline would have been “Padres Seeking Production at the 7 Batting Order Spots not Occupied by Adrian Gonzalez or the Pitcher”.
Ellsbury would only come in a package for Adrian Gonzalez. I have to agree with Ohhplease the only way the Padres can find a legitimate leadoff hitter is by trading Bell or Gonzo. I wonder how the Angels would feel about a Bell for Borjous deal.
I’d be surprised if the Angels would trade Bourjos for Bell. I don’t see them giving him up, he’s the Angels CF for years to come, that is until Trout reaches the majors. The Angels would much rather part from somebody from their infield rather than Bourjos, like Izturis, Callaspo or maybe even Kendrick or Aybar, although its a longshot.
I wonder if a Bourjos-Wood for Bell-Blanks trade would work…
Blanks is the Padres 1B man when Adrian is gone. That doesn’t work for the Padres. I could see the Angels dealing Bourjos for the very reason you mention… Trout. He’s probably less than two years away, they have Hunter who can play CF, and I think they have a good shot at CC.
Hunter has made a definite move to RF, I don’t see him going back to CF. I really don’t think Bourjos is leaving, he’s in the Angels future plans. When Trout comes up he’ll play CF, with Bourjos probably moving to RF. Torii is a great player, but he is getting a bit slower and his contract is up in 2012. I really don’t see Bell coming to Anaheim through that trade.
I think you’re severely over-estimating Ellsbury or severely under-estimating the Padres’ system if you think the only way they could get him is for Gonzalez. They might not be willing to give up the pieces to get it done, but they certainly COULD.
I think what Dylan is saying is that the only reason the Red Sox would trade Ellsbury to the Padres is in a package deal for Adrian, not so much that the Padres don’t have the quality to obtain Jacoby otherwise.
I don’t see Borjous in a deal, at least not yet. He had suprising power and is really fast. If he gets a little more discipline at the plate (he looked nervous a lot of the time) he stays put. If they want production, how about Izturis or maybe even Aybar?
At age 30 Izturis isn’t much more than a utility player and the Padres would have to believe that Aybar could regain his .353 OBP from ’09 to make him worth trading for, imo.
How about David DeJesus in KC? I know that the Pet is huge, but the guy could play all three positions in the outfield and would offer a ton of production from the 1/2 hole. Don’t know what the Royals would want back for him, as last year’s asking price before he got hurt was HUGE, and he is in the last year of his contract. However, guy would make sense for a couple of type B prospects.
Figgins + prospects for Gonzo… Come on Jack”!””
Keep dreaming. The padres would never take on that contract.
If the Mariners would do Figgins, Smoak and Pineda for Gonzalez I would do it in a minute. Figgins can play 3rd right away and bat lead off, Smoak can take over at 1st and Pineda just adds to an all ready improving farm system. I don’t think the Mariners would do this deal, but if they want another team to eat Figgins’ contract they will have to give a little more than expected. This all hinges on whether or not Gonzo would sign a deal before the trade.
you know and I know AGon go to RSox this winter and Bell is going to another team too and Ludwick is no tender then looking for replacements.
IMO id be surprised if they did much this offseason. Everyone seems to think that the are going to ship out their 2 big pieces. I think that they will hang on to both of them and if they fall out of contention then move them closer to the deadline.
They were a team that spent much of the year in 1st and was in the playoff hunt til game 162. With that starting staff in that park they may be inclined to just go into this year and see what happens then if needed trade them in june or july.
Of course they will listen to offers as any team should and if they can get what they are asking or more they’ll probably pull the trigger but if i was them id bring in a guy like Orlando Hudson to put at the top of the order to help with the production and then add him to the list of trade bait if they are out of it come mid to late june.
Good post. You are spot on. The Padres will dangle bell and Adrian and only pounce if they get the deal they want. The are not desperate to move either. Hudson makes sense on a 1 or 2 year deal.
I would add: Sign Westbrook to add to the pitching depth.
These are the moves the padres are likely to make.
I dont think Westbrook gets away from St. Louis, and even if he does id expect him to want something relatively close to what Marquis got from the Nats last year.
In that same thought though a guy to keep your eye on might be Kevin Millwood. He isnt spectacular but he is durable starting 30 or more games 5 of the last 6 years and the year that he didnt he started 29.
His numbers this year were ugly. But i think that he can have a bounce back year finally getting to pitch in a pitchers park like PetCo kind of like Garland had this year.
I know he’s awful defensively, but what about Johnny Damon?
The Padres are not interested in building a championship team. They only want a cheap, competitive team that will fill seats and get fans to hope the team will win it all.
Look for inexpensive players past thier prime. And Blanks will NOT make it as any kind of impact player.
Sox would love Agone,but so far the price is to high,Ellsburry ,close to major league ready Casey kelly,Michael Bowden,starter in minors, helped in bulpin in september,Rizzo high power first base prospect ,and the deal braker Jose Iglesias our SS of the future 2012.Take Iglesias of the table and you’ve got a lot of talent for AGone.Sox fans are hopping!!
It makes alot of sense. They’re shortening right field for cryan out loud, he hits left, great glove. It just makes sense. Question is, since Jed Hoyer knows the Boston farm system inside and out from his time as Theo’s assistant GM, would they be able to pull the trigger on a deal. Kelly has been labeled untouchable but maybe Gonzo is a good reason to deal him.
Lowrie Ellsbury,Rizo , and Kelly for AGon and you have a deal.
I think Sox would love it,but what I’m reading here is they would want a “sign and trade deal” I’ve only heard of that in the NBA.
I don’t know about that but I think is a good idea.