The Padres have a relatively small decision to make on trade deadline acquisition Mitch Moreland, whose contract contains a reasonable $3MM club option for the 2021 season. San Diego can buy out that option for $500K and send Moreland back into free agency, but general manager A.J. Preller told reporters yesterday that no decision has been made (link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). The dilemma isn’t so much a financial one, it seems, but rather a quandary as the Padres — and all other NL clubs — will still have a designated hitter slot in 2021.
“The DH question is definitely a question all the teams are asking about,” Preller said. “It does affect your team planning. … We felt that option was something we’d consider. It would help a little bit having a sense of if there is a DH or not.”
At face value, keeping Moreland at a net $2.5MM even if he’s primarily a bench bat seems perfectly defensible, although there’s some reason to be a bit bearish on his outlook. Moreland posted an outrageous .328/.430/.746 slash in 22 games with the Sox before cratering with a .203/.247/.362 line in 20 games with the Padres. Those were samples of 79 and 73 plate appearances, respectively, however — rather small sets of data from which to glean much. Moreland’s overall .265/.342/.551 slash was still terrific, and the composite .251/.329/.479 output he’s put together over the past three seasons reflects that he’s an above-average hitter when properly shielded from facing too many left-handed opponents.
At the same time, the Padres have Eric Hosmer entrenched at first base thanks to the eight-year, $144MM deal he inked three seasons ago. Hosmer had his best year with the Friars in 2020, hitting .287/.333/.517 with nine homers in just 158 plate appearances. Barring an injury, he’d stand in the way of everyday at-bats for Moreland, and the Padres may not want to commit $2.5MM right out of the gate this winter when they already have $90.5MM on next year’s books and are faced with a notable arbitration class; Tommy Pham, Zach Davies, Mike Clevinger, Matt Strahm, Dinelson Lamet and Emilio Pagan are among the club’s more notable cases, and there’s also talk of a potential Fernando Tatis extension.
Preller clearly knows Moreland well, as he was an assistant GM in Texas when Moreland was drafted, developed and broke into the Majors with the Rangers. San Diego parted with some legitimate minor league talent to acquire Moreland, so one would expect that they hoped to get more than one month of production. Whether that’ll be the case may well be tied to measures beyond their control, however.
From a broader perspective, the Padres aren’t the only club that would strongly like to have clarity on this front headed into the offseason. Each NL club’s roster construction plans would vary considerably from universal DH to conventional NL rules structure. Players and agents, similarly, would benefit from a definitive decision on next year’s DH situation being made. A player like Nelson Cruz, for instance, would surely like to know if he can plausibly market himself to NL clubs. At the moment, however, there’s no clear indication as to when anything will be set in stone. The league and MLBPA would need to agree on a change of this nature, but the previous agreement only implemented universal DH status for the 2020 eason.
where would they play him and Hosmer?
I would agree. But if there is the DH option that could split it. If nothing else, at such a paltry (for baseball) sum… sign and trade later in the year. But I think just let him walk.
i mean in theory the DH could be back next year, but I would assume it at least waits until 2021 to happen.
Next year is 2021, but maybe you mean for a decision on the DH in the 2021-2022 offseason?
I still think there’s a chance the league will defer the universal DH and use it as leverage during the upcoming CBA negotiations. If he’s a free agent, Boston should again snap him up to teach Devers how to play 1b and let Dalbec try to win the 3b job.
They have got to get Devers away from 3rd…far too many errors. He’s young, but age will just not improve his natural instincts.
It’s constantly head scratching that people can’t get this across their heads, sorry.. but Hosmer would start every game until he gets cold and Moreland will pinch hit, get DH time of its there, and play first like 10-15 games in a full season.
Or trade him for a prospect by July. $3M is cheap as hell
Hosmer didnt look like a very polished first baseman against the Dodgers. Definitely cost them with some really bad footwork and a mediocre glove. Nice bat, but unless the league makes the DH permanent no room for Hos and Moreland
Hosmer useless against lefties he’s on backend of being a productive 1B
Lol padresforlife so you’re saying he hit .285 against all pitchers this year so he’s no longer a viable option, got it. Remind me how many hitters we’ve had hit over .265 in multiple years in the last 20 years besides him and we can debate whether that makes him worth it or not when he has 2-3 more prime years left..
Hosmer useless against lefties
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That was always the problem with the trade. If Moreland were a righty, he’d be a good platoon partner at that price. But two lefty 1Bs is a roster nightmare.
Hosmer looked real prime in postseason hitting .160 with atrocious AB bases loaded against Dodgers. Hosmer last good postseason was 5 years ago he’s average overpaid signing by Preller
The Dh is here to stay-
As an Nl guy I was strongly against it before the start of the season but Ive actually changed course over the year with the installment this year
I love the DH, move Hosmer to DH and sign a better 1st baseman
Moreland is a better 1st baseman.
The biggest knock on Moreland is he can’t stay healthy during a full season. If any team is happy with getting a good half-year’s production for $3M then he’s their man.
$3m for a half season of good production is cheap for the position. My guess is if he’s released is he goes back to Boston for $2.5m and plays in 21 for the same pay including the $500k buyout. He’s from the area, always wanted to play there and the Sox got good value over the last few seasons. Plus if 21 is another losing season, he can again be flipped.
The Red Sox lack a left handed hitter on the bench, so I also have been expecting SD to buy out the option and for Bloom to resign Moreland to platoon with Dalbec (Dalbec 65 percent of games and Moreland 35 percent). Moreland is way more productive with lots of rest as he was this year. He wears down drastically with too many games played.
Moreland is also depth in case JD Martinez under performs in 2021
As someone posted above, I fully expect Devers to be moved to first at some point next season and Dalbec to play 3B. Dalbec is a way better third baseman as he also pitched in college.
“Dalbec is a way better third baseman as he also pitched in college.”
wut?
Great arm!!
…..and way more accurate than Devers…..
Yes but then where does Michael Chavis play?
Based on his 2020 numbers, Chavis plays in Pawtucket
Based on WAR, Moreland is well-worth the $3MM option. Could always trade him.
Right? Plenty of teams would take Moreland at that price tag.
Especially if someone’s starting 1B gets injured and is going to miss significant time, a pro-rated $3M is going to be easy for that acquiring team to take on.
Can’t really count on there being a need like that but it just gives you extra flexibility.
Really funny thing is Moreland has produced with the bat & glove as well as Hosmer since SD gave him almost 200m while Moreland has made 1/4 of the salary, both signing FA deals. Why not give him the 3m? It’s not like there isn’t a super consistent track record, unlike just hype some players seem to con GM’s into giving LT deals and throwaway contracts to.. Hello BJ Upton, heyward etc..
@oldjohnsilver
Not coincidentally, you left Jason Bay off your examples.
Thumbs up. I forgot all about him. can go all over dead sox contracts also. Bay wasn’t some hyped player living on reputation without ever living up to it tho.. Like some super player. Bay had performed earlier in his career, just wasn’t all that great after a sweet half dozen year run.
A better “dud” deal for boston would be JD Drew, who came with a decent amount of hype and injury history who only was average after signing his then large contract
I agree, Drew was a solid hitter, but his me-first mentality kept him from being liked anywhere he played.
Jason Bay hit 9 HRs with the Red Sox in 2008 after the trading deadline .293 batting average, .897 OPS. In 2009 Bay hit 36 HRs, 119 RBIs, .921 OPS. He was not resigned and played like crap for the Mets.
Jason Bay hit well for the Red Sox, and I do not remember him being any worse in the outfield than Manny Ramirez whom he replaced…..
In 4 years with the Red Sox JD Drew had between 68 and 64 RBIs. He was never “clutch” for the $70 million he was paid. His OPS seemed artificial high.
Jason bay started with the padres
Career WAR “Hyped up” Jason Heyward 38 and counting.
Jason Bay 24
Jason Bay was fine with the Red Sox. He was a dud after he signed his big money deal with the Mets and the Red Sox let him walk. The Red Sox always let their 30 + guys walk when they wanted big money. Johnny Damon Pedro Martinez Jacoby Ellsbury. You want big-money, see you later. You were great with us but we’re not paying you way more than you deserve.
What kind of RBI numbers do you want when you already have David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez in the lineup? J D Drew was fine. Fans just expected “all World.” Reality was needed protection for Manny in the Five Spot. He was fine.
144 mil is almost 200 mil? Ok
I think they might as well spend the 2.5M extra to exercise even without the DH because with no DH you’re going to have to pinch hit for pitchers again and he’s a good LH bench bat.
Based on pinch hitting, spelling Hosmer occasionally, and DHing in American League hosted interleague games you can probably still get him like ~300 ABs in a full season, which for $2.5M seems reasonable. Hopefully Hosmer stays healthy, but he’s also good insurance if he goes down.
And that comment was hit out of the park at 117 mph. Nailed it, Nichols!
The only problem I see with SD keeping Moreland is if they have a good position players that have no remaining options and would have to pass through waiver to be sent to the minor leagues. A 25 year old with 5 or 6 years of team control and a descent upside would be a smarter choice than an aging, injury prone veteran in most cases, and considering Potts and Rosario (top 20 prospects) were traded to the Red Sox, because SD had better prospects that needed spots on the 40 man, I would assume SD 26 man roster may be full for next year.
With DH it is a no brainer to keep him… without… I would still keep him because 2.5M isn’t breaking the bank and he would be a good lefty off the bench or they could trade him. I do wish they keep the universal DH because as someone who used to be opposed to it.. was much more enjoyable not watching the pitcher have to bat.
The DH is part of the rebel alliance and a traitor. Take it away!
For 3MM? They should pick it up. That’s a bargain and he would make more on the open market
I don’t know, he’s been available every other year and he keeps coming to Boston for not much money. And now he’s a year or two older than the last contract. He’s a .250 guy and hopefully 20 home runs. He’s decent at first base but he’ll look for another one plus one deal and I think you could pay about the same money to get them.
Hope he comes back to Boston as the Sox retool try to get competitive again. After writing that I realize the Red Sox are kind of loaded at first with all those young guys that can’t play third or second LOL. Chavis and dalbeck are ready to take over. Oh well the thought was nice when I typed it.
Gary – I also thought it would be great to have Moreland back as he has been very productive for the Red Sox, but unless Devers comes to spring training in shape and improves his defense (Devers led MLB in errors in 2020 with 14 errors), he will be at first base. Dalbec is better at 3B. I can see Casas coming up at the end of 2021, and he would eventually take 1B with Devers moving to DH and JD being traded at the deadline if he is productive enough.
A decision on a universal DH should be made in advance of free agency however with the rampant discord between the commissioners office and the MLBPA i wouldn’t expect it
It’s not just discord in this case. It’s a bargaining chip in the upcoming CBA talks.
You pick up the option and have him being your DH.
I’m not too concerned about the after trade production. Give him a full off season. Give him a chance to see more film on pitchers, who he never really saw last year prior to the trade, and get a better feel for his new surroundings and I definitely think he will be a productive bat in the lineup.
Took Profar quite a while before he started clicking in the offense.
$3m is light in the baseball world. I think the concern is the 40/26 man roster spot he’ll take.
Moreland should go back to the Rangers
The roster spot isn’t that big of a deal to me. For the 40 man I get that they have to protect some guys from Rule 5, but they consolidated that roster crunch somewhat already by moving Potts, Trammel, Rosario and Arias. Still need to protect Marcano and probably Ornelas but I don’t really see those guys as fits for the 26 man in 2021.
SD has a deep system, but there’s not a lot of MLB ready position players who aren’t already on the 40 man. I kind of doubt someone is going to take Jordy Barley or Justin Lopez in Rule 5 since those guys are like 20 and have never played above A ball. Regardless, these aren’t guys who will get 26 man spots either, just fringe 40 man contenders.
I guess another way of saying this is, it’s not like they have a guy internally who is ready and waiting for that active roster spot. As long as they can make the 40 man work, which I think they can, then he’s going to warrant a 26 man spot.
I totally agree! With Hosmer’s medical issue that sidelined him this year being a concern it would make sense to keep…. except for the rule 5 draft!
Trammel now plays for the Mariners. Is he the player you were referring to?
Moreland is a pretty good risk, IMO. $3M is cheap in today’s market, and he can play first if necessary.
Do the Pads have a budget going forward? I wonder if they would ever go after Stanton. Yanks fans are still pissed bc he struck out in the 9th when they wouldn’t have even been there without him. Gotta wonder when he has enough of it and wants out. Besides the money it seems like a perfect fit….dude absolutely rakes at Petco.
Interesting thing about that strikeout. According to pitch tracker, the first or second strike was about 4″ off the plate. Changed the count from a hitter’s count. The 9th inning in an elimination game, no less. Another good case for robo-umps. Can’t come too soon.
Postseason heroics nonwithstanding, Stanton probably has the most negative trade value of anyone in baseball except maybe for Felipe Vazquez. The Yankees are just going to have to live with the contract.
On top of that, Stanton has a full no-trade clause and already said before that he wouldn’t accept trades to anyone except the Yankees, Dodgers, Astros and Cubs.
I’ll put Stanton 3rd personally. Chris Davis is still owed 86 million bucks through 2037.Miguel Cabrera is also owed 100 million bucks.
Stanton’s at 170 for what the Yankees owe. He can still hit a baseball when he’s on the field. Extremely ugly deal but he’s still useful when he’s out there.
They cut a lot of salary this offseason regardless of Moreland. They had all the dead salaries that finally fall of plus pending free agents
Oh let’s see Padres have lost millions let’s take on Stanton and his contract sounds like genius move
Even if there is not a DH, NL teams need a strong bench for pinch hitting. Each league has always needed 8 strong starters. The AL needed an extra strong starter and then basically whatever on the bench. But the NL always needed several relatively strong bats on the bench to cover pinch hitting. That is where the strategy comes into play. Do you burn your best bench bat in the 5th or save him for a better situation in the 8th or 9th? AL bench guys might as well bring a deck of cards and play some poker.
I never liked having to pull a starting pitcher out of a game because the team is behind and a pinch hitter is needed…..then you have the double switches….
I hope the NL finally makes the DH permanent. Better late than never…. what around 45 years late….
If you don’t like it, then follow any of 15 AL teams. You have that option. But why take away the 15 team option for people that don’t want the DH?
It’s called strategy. If you like the DH, follow the AL. It’s that simple. And, don’t try to force your will on the rest of us.
Silly strategy. Besides, 90% of the people in an NL stadium have no idea what’s going on, and can’t read the box score the next. Silly strategy.
Preller is stressed over $2.5MM for Moreland, but he thought nothing of wasting $15MM on a pitcher he couldn’t use for one year, and didn’t use when he needed him most.
Preller is still an idiot.
Don’t tell that to Padre fan their world Preller is genius
The likelihood of Preller letting Moreland loose is slim. That contract is very reasonable and he could at least be trade fodder for a team like Philly who needs a 1B after Hoskins will likely be out for a couple of months due to TJ surgery. Worse case, he’s a solid LH bat off the bench, DH in AL parks and protection in case Hosmer goes down again.
As a RS fan, I loved trading him to SD.
And, as a RS fan, I’d love to see him back. I don’t know how they view Dalbec. Maybe they want to give him 600 ABs to see whether or not they like him. But if they just want to give Dalbec 450-500 ABs, or play him 10% at 3B, then I think Moreland is a great option.
With the added benefit of feeling like we just stole 2 (mediocre) prospects from SD.
Just as an aside, and it isn’t a big reason to trade for a player, but the dude is lauded for his charity work.
He’s toast but Preller the misfit will make the move to keep him