An already fascinating season for the Friars just got more interesting. The San Diego organization has made the bold choice to promote top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. to the MLB roster to open the season, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
Tatis, widely considered one of the game’s best two or three best overall prospects, only reached his 20th birthday earlier this year. But he has done nothing but produce offensively in the minors and showed himself to be ready on both sides of the ball this spring. At the plate, he slashed .265/.345/.490 in 55 plate appearances.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be seen as particularly bold to make a decision of that kind, but the reality of today’s game is that teams are loath to part with future seasons of team control. By holding a player down for a few weeks before a promotion, it’s possible to get nearly a full season of production without burning a full year of service time — thus delaying that player’s eventual free agency.
As ever, it’s a tough tradeoff. Just a few weeks of action from one player — particularly, an inexperienced youngster — likely won’t mean the difference between sinking or swimming. But the Padres are to be commended for making the decision based upon a straight talent evaluation. If the club is to make a real run at the postseason this year, every boost will matter; even beyond Tatis’s on-field contributions, the go-for-it mentality may help to further motivate an already stoked roster.
Friars GM A.J. Preller ultimately found it irresistible to put a new left side of the infield into action after seeing it all spring. Promising Manny Machado $300MM was quite a bit more radical than promoting Tatis, after all, and the organization has waited for quite some time to see this much talent in that area of the field. The hope will be that those two players handle the vast majority of the reps at those positions for the next six seasons — if not longer.
Eventually, the Pads would surely like to see Luis Urias join this group to round out the infield (along with first baseman Eric Hosmer). It had been expected that Urias would man short to begin the year and shift over to second base in the long run. But with veteran Ian Kinsler locked in at second for the time being, Urias will end up opening the season at Triple-A, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic (via Twitter).
That’s not to say that Tatis will be the lone youngster in the Padres’ dugout. To the contrary, exciting right-hander Chris Paddack is also slated to head north with the big-league roster, as Lin first tweeted. Youngsters including Francisco Mejia, Franchy Cordero, and Franmil Reyes (#FranDiego?) are expected to do so as well, along with a variety of other hurlers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Wow surprising
Wild card and the top NL offense…here we come.
Might want to get to a .500 record first.
The NL central laughs at this
Lol baseball experts over here everybody!
hahahahahahahaahhaahaha
In the middle, NOT top.
After spending all that money on Machado I think Preller might be feeling the heat to finally come out of the rebuild.
He isnt feeling any heat
Not sure I agree.
Gotta make good on the promise they definitely made to Manny to actually try & win now. Preller definitely feels the fuego
Of course Preller feeling heat. He’s guaranteed 440 mil last 2 years to two players and he’s 92 games under .500 as GM
I think we fans take the politicing of teams a little for granted. How much say did ownership take in signing Machado?
If ownership is pressing him to come out of the rebuild then they must not have pushed for him to trade the farm away back in 2015 to try and create a winning team. But is that the case?
I think we just dont always know who is pulling the strings behind the scenes.
ROY
Bold move, Cotton.
Wow, dodgeball reference! Nice!
Thanks for answering
my ?
Pepper needs new shorts!
Yes push for that division. Hopefully Machado, Tatis, and Paddack are the pieces that move them in the right direction. I think too many MLB teams have forgot that winning is fun.
No, they just realized it’s totally worth it to tank for a couple seasons to win 90+ games in the future, instead of being mediocre year after year.
Mediocre? We haven’t been mediocre in years.
Yep; there are exactly 8 teams in the AL that are trying to win this year. That’s pathetic. I don’t think the Padres are much more than a .500 team, if everything goes right, but I give them credit for doing the right things – signing Machado, calling up Tatis – these are things all teams should be doing. I’m proud of San Diego for doing the right thing.
6 years from now you are going to be a very proud and equally Tatis-less man.
Meh. We’ll see. If they win a World Seres with him I won’t mind if he leaves in Free Agency. The fact that they aren’t manipulating his service time is a goodwill gesture that might pay off in the long run. See what happened with Mike Trout, who was not manipulated.
“Goodwill” doesn’t win championships and I’m pretty sure Trout’s service time was manipulated.
Oh and starting him in AAA for the first 15 days of the 2019 season would not have made them winning a World Series with him any less likely.
Nope. Mike Trout was promoted directly from double-A because the Angels were in contention. He was over matched but they kept him up. The next season he began in triple-A but was called up because he was absolutely demolishing the league. He’d already gotten the service time needed – and then the Angels signed him to two extensions, the first one buying out his arb years and the second one buying out his free agency.
And no, “goodwill” doesn’t win championships. You know what does? Having the best players on the roster.
So it appears that Trout did finish 2012 with over a full year’s worth of service time. Either way, not manipulating a player’s service time doesn’t guarantee that he will sign an extension. Nor does manipulating his service time guarantee that he won’t.
And they would have had the best players on the roster. I wanted them to hold Tatis down for 15 days. Not half the season.
If padres don’t sign him before he hits free agent year . then this will be looked back on as dumb call!!!!
Whoa. Here they come
Eloy-ish extension to be announced shortly?
Was thinking the same thing.
Might have a little to do with Urias not hitting at all this spring until the last couple games.
I’m going to be watching the padres quite a lot. Not just machado I also really need to see Tatis, Reyes, Strahm and Paddack. This team is gonna be fun
Dorothy Mantooth is a saint!
This might have to do with the fact that Urias hasn’t hit all spring until the last couple games.
Absolutely does. If Urias hit well last year in his call up, or this spring, tatis would still be in the minors. But, in my opinion, even with Urias struggling in that small sample size…. it still isn’t worth calling tatis up yet.
This move makes NO sense. Also, enjoy the bench Urias. You won’t be starting over Kinsler. Certainly not right away. Unless he (Urias) is sent back down to AAA, what a complete waste. Tatis has played 1/2 year of AA ball and has to figure out a way to cut down on his strikeouts. In addition, he is an extremely slow starter each year. IN ADDITION, they just burned a year of control. Seriously, for every one good move Preller makes, he follows it up with two or three duds. Definitely dislike this move for three reasons: Control over tatis just lost a year, tatis isn’t ready for the majors yet, and you just relegated another alleged “top prospect” (Urias) to a bench role. Terrible
What? WHY!? Have fun losing Tatis after 2024!
They have nothing to lose to see what he is made of. It’s great having a stacked farm but unless you play the kids to see if they can succeed or not it is only that, a stacked farm. I’m really happy for the kid ! If he struggles this season fans better not jump on the “he’s a bust” wagon quickly either. Judge looked terrible in 2016 and well … you know what happened the next season onward 😉
They have a whole year of control to lose and it’s not like 3 weeks in the minors would’ve been an eternity. Preller must think his job is on the line if they don’t improve. That’s my best guess. I guess he doesn’t really care about year 6 of tatis if he gets canned beforehand.
No. Look for an extension, which will make service time irrelevant.
They could extend him I never said that wasn’t a possibility but you’ve lost leverage in those discussions by putting him on the roster day 1. Maybe he’s thankful for that and they can come to an agreement on an extension but this isn’t a position which gives the team power. It takes some away.
Great, they lose leverage. Now they give him 8yr/$90M instead of 8yr/$80M. Oh no.
The difference for a year of FA is bigger than that. But that’s clearly not that point. They gave away something they didn’t have to. Imagine if the Indians did that with Lindor right now. They’d be looking down the barrel of a gun with 2 years left. You think they’re happy they did that? Or the cubs with Bryant. The list goes on and on. You don’t know that Tatis even wants an extension. There’s a reason your white Sox inked Eloy before the season because you can bet your life his service time was going to be manipulated if not. It already had been because you know he was ready for a September call up last year…..The smaller the market the more crucial these control years are.
Players absolutely get the shaft in the system but as an organization why would you give away your advantage? Are your opponents going to stop using it? I don’t think so. Not until someone rewrites the rule.
They have a whole year of control to lose genius!
Like I said above, he’s probably getting an extension my friend
Oh you mean like how Freddy Galvis was probably getting an extension?
Never your friend.
I agree. But you might have say it a few times. LOL
You my friend are out of touch. Calling yourself a Padres Fanatic and then typing negatively about a great moment where “your team” did the right thing is odd. The Padres are setting a precedence by NOT KEEPING an MLB ready star in the making down. They are going for it now and having Tatis out on the field as the starting SS is the smart money. You want excitement and anticipation in SD? You got it pal. You also understand 14 of their first 17 games are against division rival opponents, these games are HUGE. So, my advice is to sit back and enjoy the show. These aren’t your old Padres and this all starts with making changes.
Let’s not talk about “doing the right thing” when the agents whining about service time manipulation are the same guys that will drive a truck at 100 mph through any loophole they find that benefits them.
There is no benefit to having Tatis on the roster to start the season. And after 2024 when he moves on you’ll realize that.
Ditto!
Chill out man
Preller may really be feeling the seat get warm here. Idk. Maybe it builds a good relationship between team and player but this was a big gamble.
Are the Padres’ prospects overhyped? The real thing?
Not a Padres’ fan, but excited to see how they turn out.
Only way to know is if they play
Yankee do you truly believe they wouldn’t know how good he was if they waited a few weeks and got the extra year of control? Are these 3 weeks going to be that crucial? It’s a bold move by preller and more power to him if he wants to do it. Young players are criminally underpaid and this is very good for Tatis as he’ll be able to get to FA earlier if he chooses to do so. But waiting 3 weeks isn’t detrimental to the player at all.
I agree with you but there has to be a legit reason for this
He did the same thing with Lucchesi last year. Tatis is obviously another caliber of prospect but this doesn’t mean anything other than he’ll be on their roster day 1 and they’re taking a serious risk of losing that extra year for a couple weeks. With the way the rules are written right now it makes too much sense to wait from a business perspective. Things will probably change in the next CBA and preller may just be moving that way now. its risky.
My only hope is that in the event he struggles the Pads don’t do like they did with Anthony Rizzo and trade him away.
It’s great to see a Team trying to put the best Team on the field they can today – rather than focusing on what may or may not happen half a decade down the track.
I agree
He can play the field no doubt hopefully he can hit major league pitching
Without an extension, this makes zero sense.
Which means? Yep. Fully expect an Eloy-type extension.
That would be terrible, in my opinion. I don’t know about you spack, but I am 100% against signing a player to an extension prior to them seeing major league action. Hate it. Probably the biggest gamble you could take….
With the new CBA coming in 2021, I’d expect some aspects of free agency and arbitration to change. Extend now and avoid that change. Probably save millions in arbitration, too. I think it would be the smart thing to do.
They’re going to have to do that to players coming up moving forward if things change. I don’t think you’re going to see any change that effects Tatis or guys who come up this year.
Guys who have already extended would have a legitimate grievance if that was the case.
@Kwflanne the idea is extending him will cost a lot more if they wait a year and he delivers on the hype. So if they believe in him then absolutely extending him now makes sense.
I understand that it’s cheaper to extend him now, than after a few seasons IF he delivers on his potential. That’s why I called it a probably one of the biggest gambles a team could make. I just happen to not agree with doubling down on a prospect who hasn’t shown anything at the major league level yet. I understand the reasoning behind it, just don’t agree with actually doing it.
Yes it is a big gamble. This is reflected in it costing less than extending a guy after he has already shown he can hack it in the Majors.
Oh and please please please please PLEASE don’t say they can still send him down later on to get that extra year of control.
1. If Tatis is as good as advertised it will be impossible to send him down without getting hit with a grievance from the MLBPA.
2. Calling him up then sending him back down burns an option year. Holding him down for the first 2 weeks of the season does not.
Stop worrying about control. If he struggles send him down for three weeks or longer. Right back to having extra year of control. I’m more interested in who will not earn that roster spot.
It’s got to be that Pirela, Garcia thing that’s been going on…?
I really hope it’s Pirela. Guy only hits when it doesn’t matter and he is a terrible defender.
It might not be the SMARTEST move, but I’d posit:
1. It’s GREAT Public Relations; it helps the Pads in that regard
2. The Union will be happy
3. There’s little doubt, with extensions and stuff, that MLB is pushing teams (especially those that have been pocketing Revenue Sharing money) to stop gigging the system and put some excitement out on the field. It’s the beginning of the end of the “playing for the future” idiocy, which was nothing but marketing anyway.
Considering the amounts players are now getting in arbitration, I’m not surprised.
As a Padre fan, unless they have contract in place similar to what Jiminez signed with the White Sox, this is plain stupidity. This is one move that I cannot see the silver lining of, unless an announcement of a deal is forthcoming.
Padres earning some good karma here. What is legal or allowable is not always ethical.
Mets made similar decision with Pete Alonso. Organizations are painting themselves into corners by saying they’ll take the “top 25” to the regular season. Honestly, the control rule is bogus. Who came up with 2+ weeks saves a full year? All-Star Break would be understandable. Mid-April is BS.
Preller signed Hosmer. Bet he’d like to take that one back.
Manny: “You bring up Tatis to start the year I’ll sign”
Padres: “Done”
its being wildly reported that the next CBA will change that year of control thing anyways. If they think hes ready then they want to show the fans that in the 50th year anniversary, they want to make noise
I am calling it now Urias to Cleveland in a deal around Kluber. Padres have Kinsler 2 years, have Owen Miller who should be ready to contribute next year as a utility guy at least, and Xavier Edwards, and Tupucano down in A ball who both look legit
If they do change the service time thing it won’t retroactively apply to guys who already had their service times manipulated.
And seriously, give the Kluber thing a rest.
I wondered how long it would take for more proposals for Cleveland’s pitching.
Also remember there having Hudson Potts play second . I like your thinking
In other news, Luis Patino threw 5 shutout innings in a minor league exhibition today … 2 hits, 2 BB, 3Ks. Maintained 95 thru the fifth … this follows Morejon’s 5 hitless innings Sunday. Madfriars reported that Mason Thompson (3rd round, 2016) has been the talk of the camp … was mowing down hitters hitting 97 the other day.
Bad news: Michel Baez has been shut down for the last 10 days. No cause given. Same with Osvaldo Hernandez, who will not break camp with Lake Elsinore.
Padres minor leaguers won both games in Mexico City over the weekend, 11-2 and 7-4. Hudson Potts with 2 bombs, a double and a triple in the two games.. Gore was untouchable Sunday, throwing mostly fastballs between 94-98. Saw video of his outing. Dude is electric.
I’m so impressed with Gore & Patino. Especially Gore. Morejon is pretty awesome too. Really enjoyed the backfields in Peoria last year and this year.
Thanks for the update spack! Are you on any other forums for Padres now? You always have great minor league recaps! As for Baez, I am wondering if it’s something pretty serious. He posted something on his Instagram saying how “everything happens for a reason… and trying times will only make you a better person…” something along those lines. I originally thought maybe he had broken up with his girlfriend or something haha but maybe it’s talking about this injury.
KW, me and CSpackler are from the Union Tribune San Diego baseball forums and have been there for years and years
Hey Spikes. Fancy seeing you here.
Have you seen the video of Gore in Mexico? He was sensational against a pretty good Mexico City team (roughly Double-A level).
Just the SDUT. I tweeted Acee about Baez … find out what’s happened.
Madfriars answered … apparently neither Baez nor Hernandez is a major concern.
Well that’s good. Maybe his Instagram post was just a girlfriend issue haha.
For all of you guys it think Urias and Tatis should be sent down, who would play shortstop on opening day?
I don’t think both should be sent down. Just tatis. Urias would play SS until tatis is ready
Urias has done nothing to win the starting job this season at ss with the major league team.
Nope, he sure hasn’t. But development wise, he’s still (in my opinion) more ready for the major leagues than tatis. Same reason he was called up last season.
Bold, but maybe not all that smart. Tatis will undoubtedly be a better player in 6 years than he will be this season and without much more starting pitching the Padres are not going to contend in 2019. Would you give up a year of a player’s best baseball for about 2 weeks to start his rookie season?
Maybe they’ll have him signed for an extension this year??? Well past 2024?
“MAYBE?” You don’t give up a full year of an All Star’s prime for a maybe!
Padres have not lost a year of control yet. At some time he will be sent down for a few weeks to regain that year back.
Good luck doing that without hearing from the MLBPA if Tatis is any good.
Their number one farm is heavy in high upside pitching. If you know only major leaguers, you don’t know who they are, but scouts and guys like Keith Law do. The Padres are putting out their better prospects now, because there are more on the way. They don’t need somebody else’s #4 innings eater, their own young pitchers can probably match that, and improve as the season goes along.
Urias is happy im sure
Thank you James Shields
Could this just be a PR move and biding time to get Urias going? If you have Tatis up for a month then send him down (and bring Urias up)… he then needs to spend 8-9 weeks down until Tatis still gains the extra year of control. May be a different way to utilize the service manipulation.
You can’t send down Tatis if he’s playing even moderately well. He’s going to have to suck to ever see that happen.
Tatis will be ok..Same thing was said about Bogaerts when he was called up. He turned out good.
I’m almost more surprised that Urias won’t make the club at 2B.
Kind of ironic. For years, some of the most critical Padres fans have been harping on how cheap the organization has been. Now they make a move like this and many of those same fans are screaming about an issue which is ultimately about saving money.
No, it’s not about saving money at all. The Padres won’t have to pay Tatis a single penny more because they didn’t send him down. What it is about is not losing him entirely after the 2024 season.
What this does is actually make it more likely the Padres pay less for Tatis because he won’t be a super two and will go thru arbitration one less time. Barring an extension they lose a year of control but will save a few million bucks. The idea is that another year of Tatis is worth more than those millions of dollars.
The only way to avoid Tatis being a Super Two arbitration eligible player was to keep him down until June. The Padres face losing his first season of his prime years to get the good PR of bringing him up now. That is the trade off. Two weeks of Tatis now vs a full year in his prime. You will have to make the decision which you value more. I would prefer a year of a player that talented in his prime instead of two weeks in a throwaway season.
You don’t know how Super Two works. Tatis is not a Super Two as it is because he will be arb eligible 3 times. If they had held him down for 2 weeks he would have been 1st time arb eligible at the same point as before (after the 2021 season) but would he arb eligible a fourth time after the 2024 season rather than going to free agency, thus becoming a Super Two.
Sure it is. Year of control = money. Plain and simple.
No it isn’t. Club control and money are two completely different concepts.
@fanatic
you’re using a lot of words to describe a scenario which could potentially be nonexistent if tatis signs an eloy deal tomorrow, or a bregman deal in 2 or so years. worry not about what happens AFTER 2024. it’s march 2019 hombre, and the best available prospect in the game is starting opening day.
There’s a lot of “if’s” there. Having control of Tatis’ 2025 season was never going to be an “If” if Preller had done what he should have done and what everyone does and started Tatis in AAA.
one if, and it doesn’t matter. tatis is going to be in SD well past 2025. preller will see to that.
don’t break your keyboard in a rage after your frivolous attempt at complaining falls upon deaf ears. toodles hombre
Powerball numbers please
Ryan?
No. They’re not. Club control implicitly means money. Just a matter of how much and when.
Not at all. The Padres don’t have to pay Tatis more money in 2025 by calling him up now. They risk losing him entirely for that season by calling him up now.
While I was definitelynand admittedly one of the ones who had issue with the Padres not spending money in the past (which I think could be said for any Padres fan…), I still don’t like this move. IF he signs a contract extension like Jimenez and very few others have prior to ML service, I just don’t agree with the pure gamble of it. There’s spending money, then spending money wisely. Signing hosmer, not spending wisely. Signing machado, spending wisely. I’ll even say (at the time) the Myers extension was spending wisely (although I think ultimately it was a whiff as Myers hasn’t exactly performed yet)…. but I just simply don’t agree with giving an extension to a player who has yet to face regular major league pitching. It’s too big of a gamble for my taste. Especially with this market club…. yes, they have exceeded all expectations in terms of how much they will spend. But make no mistake, they are reaching their threshold. They are not the Yankees, dodgers, Red Sox, etc…. they are already pushing the limit on their payroll. I’d just rather not guarantee extended money to a player who they literally has not seen in a single major league game yet. Fact is, major leagues > any minor league level. Nobody can argue that. AAA to the majors is still a huge jump. That’s a pure, simple fact. The HOPE is that tatis lives up to his potential (and we all hope he does)…. it’s just not a gamble I’d be willing to take.
Did anyone also notice Mejia can hit? Urias also had pretty good minor stats that should translate into success.
Cool to see a move that’s not all about the money. Jeter in Miami should take some notes here.
Sending Tatis down wouldn’t have saved the Padres any money.
It wouldn’t? Wouldn’t it add another year of control? If so that’s saving money
Nope. Two different concepts.
“As ever” is a bizarre thing to write by itself.
I was a long time proponent of lots of minor league development, a minimum of 1000 AB … But that’s long gone.
Teams are no longer afraid of developing elite talent with the right mental make up at the major league level.
I like it with the right guys… He seems like the right guy.
Time will tell
Does this mean Tatis will be signed to an extension this year???? (I.e. Eloy)
why Urías doesn’t make OD is surprising to me. This may be about preserving his health, maybe that hamstring’s a little tender and needs to get its strength back??? Although I’m sure he’ll get everyday at bats down in EP, so I don’t know…interesting move….
Didn’t make OD cuz he can’t hit the ball out of the infield and suddenly started striking out a ton.
He hit two opposite field home runs in the last three days.
Hyperbole doesn’t help your argument.
My 25-man roster:
Lauer
Lucchesi
Quantrill
Paddack
Strahm
Solis or Loup
Warren
Erlin
Stammen
Maton
Stock
Wingenter
Yates
Kinsler
Margot
Hosmer
Machado
Reyes
Myers
Tatis
Hedges
Renfroe
Cordero
Pirela
Mejia
Urías back up and Pirela down soon into the season…When is Freddy back? I’d say he’s the first OF up from AAA (when healthy) on any OF injuries (I.e. Myers). Also, anyone know how Dickerson’s doing? Would love to see him back in the MLB!
everyone: service time manipulation needs to stop, it’s hurting the game
Also everyone: what are the Padres doing what fools they are losing an extra year!
It’s not right but it is smart. 3 weeks for an extra year is a trade off that should make sense every time. People start putting personal feelings into it and attempt to say something it’s not. Blame the MLBPA for not seeing this as an issue when they signed the CBA. Teams not taking advantage of it is nearly as bad as the orioles of old completely punting international free agent signings. It’s a clear advantage that teams have. There’s a reason nearly everyone does it every single time. Or as we’re now starting to see teams use that leverage and extend guys.
I’ll be happy when the rules chamge because the players are getting the shaft on this. I don’t blame teams for using a clear advantage they have though. How could you? If your opponents are going to use that to their advantage why would you give yours away?
It’s not everyone, it’s just 2 very loud idiots. Most fans of baseball are thrilled to see a young potential superstar get a chance to impact the game. Don’t mistake 2 people posting the same nonsense over and over and OVER again for a general consensus.
Maybe by not ripping Tatis off now by forcing an extra year of control on him they are buying themselves some good will when he eventually becomes a free agent or when they want to try to extend him later.
Lot to give up for a theoretical intangible.
You’re still going? He’s earned it. Turn the page and watch some fun baseball in SD this season.
Bryant earned starting the 2015 season in the Majors. Probably more than Tatis did. Cubs still sent him down and are a million times better off because of it.
Intangibles aren’t theoretical. You must live in a petri dish or a laboratory or something. Petri dishes and laboratories are not real life.
The guy they just signed, Manny Machado, was Tatis’ biggest fan and lobbied heavily for him to make the team. There’s a TANGIBLE intangible: keep your $300 million man happy.
Machado is already signed bruh
D-Backs just lost Souza. Dodgers and Kershaw getting old. Giants getting old. Rockies, well, are the Rockies. I expect the Padres will be at least 3rd in the division. What do y’all think? Add a legitimate SP or 2, and Padres contend for a wild card spot??? I imagine it’d be against teams like Brewers/Cards/Cubs, Mets (Phillies will win East). I can’t imagine any of the NL west teams have good years except the Dodgers and MAYBe the Rockies. Thoughts? Or am I just a delusioned Padres fan?
I know all the experts say that tatis is the real deal, but it’s a red flag to me that the white sox made that trade. Like maybe there are serious character issues or something
@Emerson83
You have to give up quality young players to get back quality major league talent. That’s what happened.
Also keep in mind that at the time of the trade Tatis Jr. was not yet a Top 10 White Sox prospect. The White Sox received James Shields in that deal.
He was 16 in a class with Moncada and a bunch of others. There was an article recently in The Athletic by Dennis Lin of the UT. You should read it.
No, no issues, your answer is in the question. “The White Sox made that trade”. Clearly the most inept and clueless front office in baseball. In fact, they made this trade because they claimed they were “All In” and then proceeded to have a worse record than teams ACTIVELY tanking. You got a great prospect with a built in major league pedigree. Just be thankful that there was a team out there dumb enough to think James Shields was good. Enjoy!
“most inept and clueless front office in baseball”
Yet they were the ones that singed Tatis to begin with… He was the 30th ranked international prospect by MLB.com that year, and he signed for a whopping $700,000. He was nothing more than a lottery ticket at the time of the trade, and luckily for San Diego, it seems like they hit it pretty big.
Good point, SD was able to develop him into the top prospect in the game. Had he stayed in the Sox system, he probably wouldn’t have amounted to much.
He was signed by the Sox at 16 and was traded at 17 before he played a pro game for the White Sox. The deal was the Sox got a starter they thought was good and the Padres paid part of his salary every year he played in Chicago, and they gave up a prospect. The Sox thought they were getting the better of a salary dump, and the Padres thought they were getting a lottery ticket.
The White Sox front Office is a bunch of idiots. Don’t worry about what they do. They also tried to give Machado a silly plate appearance incentive based contract, that obviously no superstar would accept instead of guaranteeing the money it took.
And then threw a massive temper tantrum when Machado signed with the Padres instead
So many “experts” in this forum. I like the move, more experience and more excitement to start the season. This Padres team won’t win 75 games, starting rotation is bottom of the barrel.
The starting pitching may surprise you, but I’m no win/loss record predicting expert…
The first four actually might be pretty decent. But they might not be able to soak up that many innings and it might lead to the bullpen being overtaxed over the course of the season. Then the fifth starter spot is a big question mark.
Best prospect in baseball! Excited to see what he can do, it will be fun seeing him in the lineup w/ Manny. So… just asking for a friend, do you guys miss James Shields? lmao
Shields will be known for 2 things in SD. Bringing us Tatis Jr., and giving up a bomb to Bartolo.
Question: Can they send him down to AAA later in the season and get back the balance of service time? Yes, if they want any chance to win the division then they need Tatis in April But, when it’s clear come July that that won’t be happening, can they get their extra year of control back?
Some strange post going on here. To the head-scratchers:
Sometimes a decision gets made because of the intangibles that you cannot see. You can’t put these things in a box, measure them, dissect them, etc. They belong in the ethereal realm or the land of the immaterial. One of those intangibles is your team, and individual players, playing with hope and excitement and camaraderie and “oneness.” This Tatis move hopes to capitalize and/or be a massive catalyst for those intangibles. Happy players make a happy team make a team that gels make a better ballclub. That is the goal — a better ballclub. This is the move that creates the best ballclub for now and in the long run. And it makes the fanbase happy (well except that fanatic dude, but he’s a lost cause).
Hahaha! Yeah, his thumbs must be killing him from typing the same thing 50 times in this thread. Good points…a little hard to measure with analytics, so the pure numbers guys won’t like it, but there may be something to it. From the fan perspective, I can attest to this being the most exciting time in Padres baseball since 1998.
Your average fan wants their best prospect up tomorrow even if he’s not ready. That doesn’t make it the right move. The cubs didn’t have any problem winning that WS with Bryant and I’d be willing to bet they’re going to be very happy having him for another season. I don’t see how 3 extra weeks of Tatis on a loser is going to generate so much energy that this team just feeds off of it for years to come. Just don’t buy that one at all. That sounds like a nice thing to say and that’s about it. You’re going to see about 10 more top prospects from the Padres in the coming years and close to half these guys they have on the roster now probably won’t be there. I’m not buying the non quantifiable “electricity” this brings to the team or whatever you want to call it.
@jbigz12 Tipsy McStagger is just desperately grasping for straws because he knows he’s wrong. Only a fool would take some theoretical “electicity” or “energy” over having control of a future All Star’s age 26 season. Or think that keeping the aforementioned future All Star down for 15 measly days will stop that “electricity” or “energy” from occuring.
I am not saying that you don’t make a good rational argument. You do. That extra year of control would be nice. But they obviously must feel to do so would harm the dynamic of the team. Can you at least acknowledge this argument?
I have never disagreed with you. I just think you (among others) are leaving out other factors that go into a decision-making process. And to leave out those other factors is just a way of cherry-picking to fit the narrative you want.
There is a level of excitment and energy that had not been felt in San Diego for decades now because of these Padres. The admin sensed this and knew that sending Tatis down now would affect that, which would affect Machado, which would affect the entire team. But once again, you can’t measure this on a statsheet.
You can acknowledge the argument but it relies on a couple of examples. That’s not a strong argument when I could come back and say Acuna,Bryant, Correa, and Bregman off the top of my head. Didn’t mess up any team dynamic there and I bet their quite happy to have their guys moving forward. People will buy into that argument and your average fan will be happy. I completely get that. But that doesn’t make it the right thing to do.
I have acknowledged your argument. It’s just wrong. Leaving Tatis down for a whopping two weeks would not have kept this “excitement and energy” from happening. Nor would it have made a difference in Tatis’ chances of success. You’ll realize this when you get older.
It’s just wrong? Why would anyone even have a conversation with someone so conceited and smug? I think smugness is one of the worst qualities someone can have. It is usually a sign of some internal inadequacies. Age is not important here – maturity is. That is something that, well, you sorta lack. You’ll understand that when you grow up.
It’s not smugness, it’s a low tolerance for stupidity. Something that, well, you sorta have.
Those teams didn’t really need those players. They were pretty darn good without him. The Padres need all the good players they can get.
Yes, Cubs fans are very happy the Cubs held Bryant back those two weeks to get the extra year of control. Most of understood the benefit of it at the time. I don’t understand why lots of Padres fans don’t understand it. Bryant was also way more seasoned and ready then Tatis Jr is as well at that time.
Yeah, that’s a rough comp. Bryant was the College POY, then the MiLB in consecutive years before being called up, then of course he was ROY in spite of being called up after the service time clock, helped lead the Cubs to the NLCS then the following year he won MVP and led the Cubs to ring. I believe he’s the only player in MLB history to win College POY, MiLB POY, MLB ROY and MLB MVP in 4 consecutive years.
Also, he led the bigs in HRs and Slugging the spring he was still sent back. Clearly a smart move to gain an extra year of team control, no other reason to send him back to the minors for a few weeks. Bryant was much more of a seasoned and proven prospect. That said, Tatis looks legit to me. He’s my pick for ROY this year.
Just everything about the Bryant service time manipulation was obvious. He steamrolled his way through the minors, dominated in Spring Training, the Cubs gave some b.s. excuse for sending him down, called him up literally the first day after they gained that extra year and all the while his agent was throwing a temper tantrum over it. If the Cubs could get away with that, there’s no reason the Padres couldn’t on a guy who has barely played above A-ball and ended last season on the disabled list.
So we’re just going to consider me a lost cause because I realize that having control over a good player’s age 26 season is a good thing?
Oh and your comment was wrong the first time you posted it. What made you think it would be right the second time?
Okay, you’re not a lost cause. I have hope for you yet. I think you’ll see the mountain top. Just get out of that gloom and doom mentality. You second guess everything that doesn’t go some literal, by-the-books way. You don’t understand that the front office may see something that you, someone in no way connected to the front office, do not see.
But some of us fans understand what is going on. Bring the walls down and feel the excitement. Let it soak in. That’s why Tatis will be on the opening day roster. They didn’t wish to alter a good thing, a good feeling. Now, if sentiment changes and Tatis starts to tank, the Pads will get that extra year of control by sending him down. That is a very possible scenario. And if they compete this year, and have fun doing it, this will prove to be the MVP moment of the year. Why cry and throw a fit about it? Enjoy things.
Lol you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t have too much faith in this front office. It’s the same one that traded away Trea Turner and traded for Matt Kemp. You talk a lot about “excitement.” Well it’s gonna be really freaking “exciting” when Tatis walks after 2024, isn’t it?
And if Tatis doesn’t tank, that extra year becomes all the more important.
Fanatic — You are talking about a brand new admin that tried a quick attempt at making a winning team. It failed. I think most of us knew it would. But it showed that this front office was willing to actually do things. And they took those pieces and created the best minor league system in quite a number of years, which means they also are willing to play the long game. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Don’t be so cynical about the Pads. Chances are, next year they will make a couple more moves and be in the playoff hunt. And maybe this year they will get a few breaks, helped out by a positive attitude in the clubhouse, and create waves this year.
If they lose a year of control from Tatis, so be it. It isn’t the end of the world, especially if they win the world series before then. I think they have plenty of time to make that happen.
Sending Tatis down for a measly two weeks wouldn’t have stopped there from being a positive attitude in the clubhouse. I assure you that.
“If they lose a year of control from Tatis, so be it.”
That attitude is the reason this team has only made the playoffs 5 times in 50 years.
Educated fans would understand the importance of holding Tatis Jr back TWO weeks to get the extra yr. Plus Tatis could use a bit more seasoning.
You heard it here first. 1st: Rockies 2nd:SD….. LA sinks to 3rd
It’s bold. It’s not smart but it’s bold.
I am proud of the Padres front office. They have backed up their promises to the players that this was going to be a competitive spring. By bring up two prospects that were not expected to be brought up, and sending down one who seemed to have his spot sealed. This will vibrate throughout their organization and along with the last two years free agent signings make San Diego a place free agents, prospects, and draft picks want to come! It also means I’ll personally will be going to more games this year! Let the excitement begin opening day! Go Padres!
No doubt about it. So will I.
Hey Wov2. Love the Bartolo comment! That was maybe the only time I was truly happy for an opposing player going yard in my hometown! Hmm maybe, just maybe that was what lead to dumping Shields and SD getting Mr. Tatis.
Yeah, I was at that game. Took him about a month to get around the bases. At that point I think we had seen enough of Shields that all you could do was laugh. The fact that we got lucky enough to have what would become a top prospect come back in a trade for that guy is incredible.
And the Marlins traded Paddack to the Padres for Fernando Rodney (who went on to prove how badly mid season trades can fail). White Sox and Marlin fans must cringe when (thankfully rarely) their teams play the Padres lol!
My son (proud to say a huge Padre fan was watching the game, and yelled at me to run downstairs! Dad, dad you gotta see this! Last year he was like, “We should sign Bartolo, he hits homers here! Aaa yeah right.
I love these comments. For years and years, fans have been crying about how crappy the Padres have been. No playoffs since 2006. Constantly trading away their talent. Now they do an amazing thing to bring up Tatis and put him right next to Machado where he can learn and people STILL complain. Can’t win for losing, I guess.
GO PADRES
For those that think there’s no downside to keeping a stud in the minors for a couple weeks to gain an extra year of control, look no further than my Braves last year. Everyone is excited about the future we have, but I feel we missed a golden opportunity to capitalize on what seems to be the weakest NL playoff field for years to come. 2 more games won – a distinct possibility if we’d had an extra 2-3 weeks of our best player – would have given us home field against the Dodgers (where we won a game). A few more wins would have given us the #1 seed and a different matchup altogether. Now we’ve missed the opportunity to at least give our kids the experience of a competitive playoff series, and a “bright future” doesn’t guarantee anything moving forward – ask the WS Mets team from a few years ago that everyone thought was set up for years of continued success. Plus, the rest of our division reacted, so it’ll be a much tougher road to get back in the near future.
The Padres are at a similar point in their rebuild to the Braves last year – ready to start capitalizing on all the young talent they’ve acquired and developed. For an organization that has literally never won anything, how is it anything other than wonderful that they’re trying to put the best possible product on the field day 1?
Why is this dude so good anyway? His father wasnt that great and he’ll only be known for one thing. 2 grand slams in the same inning off the same pitcher. Chan Ho Park. I bet he’s a bust after 2 years.
Weird statement. If anyone’s dad is good enough to be a regular in the MLB that provides a couple advantages.
1) Dad knows a thing or two about baseball and gets son going at an early age.
2) financial aid and connections to get the right training and exposure
If you had a dad that even played college baseball it’s an advantage as a kid. The amount of knowledge he can give you is crazy. Compared to some kid whose dad played little league or not at all. Having a dad in the bigs is great. Canajay is spot on. I don’t think you thought about that comment before spilling it out.
Babe Ruth’s father wasn’t any good, either.
Did you forget that the White Sox traded Tatis Jr. to the Padres? This is a Padres article, not a White Sox one. No need to troll here. Move along.
Not really sure what is their reasoning. They are not going to be contenders this year , they are throwing away a year of control with this basically.
The truth is I think a lot of teams over thinking these prospect decisions are confusing and hurting their window. Teams are taking too long too long to figure out what they have in guys at the major league level. There’s a reason the NBA and NHL start so young at the highest level with these elite talents like Tatis and Acuna. I am not saying promote an 18 year old to the majors. Baseball is a game of rhythm and they need to have playing time and develop a major league approach before they can be called up. Baseball is a bit more complex. But once they have that approach, it’s time to see what they have on the field, especially when you don’t have a capable body in that role already (which is usually not the case as teams rarely have big deals blocking top prospects).
Ok, moving on from the should he/should he not be called up debate…. he’s here. So, next topic…. batting order. My thoughts and my ideal order: Tatis has struggled (not just a little… pretty bad numbers, actually) to begin each of the last two seasons in the minors. Each year, he started hitting in the #3 or #4 spot, and openly stated he was trying to do to much and trying to drive in runs. Then, in each season, he was moved into the leadoff spot, and that’s when he took off. His manager and himself stated it let him keep things simple…. just get on base. Now, his strikeouts concern me a bit in the leadoff spot. But he is also certainly a stolen base threat. I am simply tired of the Padres eventually calling up their “hitting prospects”, and slaying them to hit 7th or 8th with the likes of Margot, hedges, or the pitcher spot as their “protection” on the lineup. Some people don’t think batting order matters much, i disagree. While tatis would only technically “leadoff” one time in the game, he would have those proven hitters behind him all game, which impacts the pitches he sees (which is good, considering he tends to chase pitches and strikeout)… would be nice for him to see more pitches, including fastballs, in the zone. Please put this guy leadoff…. don’t give me the “don’t want added pressure on him…” if you’re decision is that he was ready to promote to the majors, then he’s ready. You can’t say he’s ready…. but let’s protect/hide him at the bottom of the lineup. Put him where he has succeeded his entire career, at the top of the lineup. That being said:
1) Tatis
2) Kinsler
3) Machado
4) Reyes
5) Mejía
6) Myers
7) Hosmer
8) Margot
9) pitcher
If you’re wondering why I have Mejía so high, it’s for the same reasons I want tatis up high. I’m tired of these promising prospects being sunk in the lineup to protect them, when in actuality, it exposes them because their “protection” is the worst hitters on the team and the pitcher. If Mejía is a bat first prospect, who has hit everywhere he has been…. let him hit where he belongs. I really like this lineup….. thoughts and changes??
Great move. Vets will be happy to know ownership is serious and Tatis will get an extension. Now he needs to produce to the projections.
Braves in 2017…….. 72-90……
Braves in 2018, call up top prospect Acuna, when many said was a tad bit early, as they were planning on competing starting this year, not really last year…….
Braves in 2018…… 90-72…….first place in NL East……
Padres in 2019…….. call up top prospect Tatis, which some are saying is a tad bit early, as they plan on competing in 2020-22……….
Padres in 2019………
Braves 2018 pitching > Padres 2019 pitching…. I understand your comparison…. but it’s a stretch. Different teams, different pieces. I’d say the braves were at a closer stage than the Padres are right now. But hopefully Padres are getting closer
Braves called up acuna after they got the extra year of control. Preston tucker was shagging balls in LF before that. That example would work against you for that argument. Could the Padres surprise like the Braves? Anything is possible. The NL is a lot stronger now so I wouldn’t bet on it.
^ very good point. As much as I’d like the Padres to compete for a playoff spot, I think sometimes people forget how good the NL is suddenly. NL east (aside from the marlins) could all contend (Phillies, braves, nationals, maybe Mets..).. NL central brewers, cubs, cardinals will all be in it… NL West dodgers, Rockies… and I wouldn’t count out the Dbacks just yet either.
Padres could contend, sure. But they are trying to do so in a window that the NL is very good.
The only hope for the Padres is that the giants and D’Backs are really bad and become punching bags they can beat up on for wins. Since the NL central and NL east project to be a dogfight the hope would be that all those teams beat up on each other too much and the Padres or Rox sneak in. Now, I like the Rockies better for sneaking in if that’s the case but that is the only path. The Padres look to have a very bright future, obviously don’t agree with this move but fans should be excited for the future.
Look, I am not saying it will be the same result, more that I am just saying that if the pieces are there, we cant be afraid to do it. A little pitching here and there, and they’re right in the mix. Truthfully, I hope they go .500ish, then make the playoff jump next year after getting an ace pitcher next winter. As long as the fans understand that while these moves accelerate the timeline, it doesnt jump the Pads to the front of the line. Dont jump ship when they don’t make the playoffs this year.
They don’t need to “win now” — they simply need to sustain a certain level of excitement, which will be very contagious. If things click this year, great. If the hitting clicks and the pitching stalls, well, that’s great too. Why are people being such downers at the BEGINNING of the baseball season? You have 6 months to become a cynic’s cynic. Why start now? If Tatis doesn’t play well he will get sent down. If he plays well he deserves to be up here. I want a happy Tatis and a happy Machado. If keeping Tatis up at the beginning of the season instills happiness in the team, keep up Tatis.
Good point Vermonster. Astute point. Imagine what could have happened if he had been allowed to start the season with the Braves.
They would’ve won 1st place in their division as they already did and lost a year on the backend. They were 6 games back of the brewers. And quite frankly acuna wasn’t all that great until the monster 2nd half. I don’t think this is the anecdotal argument you want here.
If they’d have won 2 more games, they’d have had home field in their series against the Dodgers. In Atlanta, they won a game; they didn’t in LA. 2 games was all it took to put us in a worse position against a superior team. This is a perfect anecdotal argument.
They didn’t expect to be there …when the service-time-management decision was made. Like the Jays with Guerrero this year …lol
If it was your money, I’m guessing you’d do exactly the same. And take your chances chasing homefield advantage. I agree that is worth chasing, and might have made a difference, but was it likely to be a serious consideration before the All Star break?
If he’s any good, the kid will get his money. The extra “year” of team control will probably bother his agent more
Yes he will get his money. Who says it will be from SDP?
I don’t know you if recall but acuna batted .249 in the first half and was more of a decent player than a guy who would’ve singlehandedly won you 2 more games out of what the 12 he wasn’t up for? He was an absolute monster in the second half but he wasn’t a huge impact player in the first half. That was albies. Who was awful in the second half.
This kids numbers are mediocre expect for half a season….yet ranked top 3 prospect? Now being brought up when he hasnt even shown he can reproduce last years production in AA? This is what happens when you have a last place organization that burns up prospects by mismanaging their work load and progression. Should be fun to watch this trainwreck happen get your popcorn only a matter of time to mannys attitute pollutes the rest of the roster esspecially the youngsters.
Your name is fitting
Still yet to present any real facts about your team. In the last 20 years name a star player than was drafted and developed by the padres? This kid is vastly overrated because of who his father was and like i said gonna be great to watch this blow up
Hmm. All four public scouting organizations say the same thing … Fangraphs has him at a future value of $70 million. Guess that even though they’ve all seen him, multiple times,, they’re all connected to all of the major league organizations and use them as sources … those who do this for a living .. they’re all wrong and you’re right.
We’ll all watch as he develops into a star … and it’ll be great to watch you disappear.
The current regime is not responsible for the previous regimes’ ineptitude at drafting.
His father wasn’t even all that great. He was a quality player to be sure but he never once made an All Star team. It’s not like Guerrero.
The last 20 years? Ok, I’ll bite. Corey Kluber. Anthony Rizzo. Chase Headley. Jake Peavy. Trea Turner. Khalil Greene was a terrific player….I mean, this is just off the top of my head.
Padresfanatic — Why must you insult, insult, insult? Do you talk like this to people in person? You probably just kiss people’s asses, don’t you? You questioned someone’s age in another post. It is you that acts like a child — like a self-destructive bullying child.
Cry about it.
I’d rather meet you outside by the flagpole. Show you what we do to bullies round these parts.
Ooooooh Internet threats!
LOL
I’ll referee. I got a thousand bucks on Trillary. Wait that’s a conflict of interest. Who’ll referee? I wanna make a thousand bucks.
Dang sounds like you had a big cup of haterade!
Nah just a cup of “keeping it real” if you guys think adding a guy like manny all of sudden gives you 25+ wins you guys are even more hopeless than i originally thought. This is at best a 4th place team in this divsion maybe worse if arizona can rebound from injuries and losing players like goldy.
Nope!
Well, I personally think that Machado will win 134 games for us singlehandedly. But then I wake up in a Russian gulag. Wait, where am I? Oh, the guy with the cattle prod says I’m in Guantanamo. Cuba sounds nice. Hey, I know her. Didn’t she run for president?
Yay! Maybe third place this year!
So it doesn’t seem like Preller is all that interested in playing the service time game. This is a third year in a row (Margot, Lucchesi, Tatis) that he has decided against it. Plus he called up Urias last year basically when he felt like it even though he was already well past the Super Two cutoff and still had a ways to go before he would have his free agency pushed back by a year.
As it is, Urias may be called up no earlier than May 16th in order for the Padres to lock down control of his 2025 season.
Forgetting all the argument of whether it should be done or not. I wonder when the last elite prospect was called up to play day 1 of the major league season without taking an AB at the AAA level. Machado went straight from AA to the big leagues but the orioles waited until they gained another year of control. I’m pretty confident it’s been a long time.
Well, there was Shohei Ohtani last year
Well, yeah but he was a Japanese professional.
I think the Padres are doing their fans a disservice. Whether he’s good enough to play now or not, AJ Preller has to do what’s best for the Padres. Losing a full year of control over what could be a superstar is definitely not good for the Padres. I’m sure Fernando Tatis is happy, but if he actually does become a star he’s going to be even happier when he can cash in a year early, and the fans (who Preller is actually working for) are going to be decidedly UNhappy. The players union can cry all they want when teams hold their young studs back for a few weeks, but they signed off on that deal when they agreed to the contract. For a few weeks without him, the team can have him for a full year after he’s fully developed. The question is, who pays Preller’s salary? It sure isn’t the players. It’s the team. And it’s not only Preller’s option, but his responsibility, to do what’s best for the TEAM. The Jays are doing it with Vlad, and good for them. The Mets SHOULD do it with Alonso, but I don’t know if they will. The players are going to get plenty of perks and boatloads of cash in their careers; I think the fans should get a GM who should do whatever is best for the team.
I agree with you for the most part. The system isn’t right how it is for the players. They get the shaft and I recognize that but doesn’t mean the team should just give away the advantage that is currently given to them as the rules are written. If you’re competitors are using it to their advantage why wouldn’t you? 2 weeks as a rookie isn’t worth a whole year in the middle of their prime. I know people will attempt to justify it and it’ll make your average fan real happy now but it just isn’t. It’s essentially a 15 day DL stint you’re losing. Remember those? 15 days for an ENTIRE year. Should be a relatively easy call and it has been for 95% of the teams out there.
Your*
Mike Trout went directly from AA to the majors with zero service time manipulation, although he did spend a month the next season at AAA, where he just decimated the league.
This promotion may well prove to be the “MVP” decision of the year. Two hits in his first game. Go Tatis!