2K24: San Diego Padres

[Friarfan]

Preller is playing the market

While others are focusing on defensive and catcher framing, he's hoarding right-handed power which is going the way of the Dodo bird.

And it's more important in Petco where that power plays to that side of the field a little better than the other.

[mjl]

Have the Padres doubled last season's payroll yet?

[Friarfan]

Wow, that is a steal.

As far as the OFers, they certainly made a splash, but I think they would have been better served trading for just two of these guys, keeping or acquiring an elite CF defender, and using the pieces from one of these OF deals to upgrade an IF bat. That OF is going to be brutal defensively, and in that park, that is especially scary. Still, I'm sure if that trio stays healthy, they will make up for it with their bats. Of course, I imagine they will try to move their old trio of OFers for anything they can get. Maybe they can get a prospect or two back, or an IF upgrade that way.

I think this is the pendulum swinging the complete opposite way of what they've been doing - building a good, fast defensive outfield (Maybin, Venable, etc.). That hasn't worked out too well, so they'll try the opposite.

[Gregg]

Preller is playing the market

While others are focusing on defensive and catcher framing, he's hoarding right-handed power which is going the way of the Dodo bird.

Oh, and he's done all this retaining three of his four best prospects and traded the unhealthiest of those 4.

Blocking Hedges for 3 years would seem to be the same as losing one of his 3 best prospects.

[The Dane]

Fantasy-wise, I am only minimally invested in the Padres, but I do have two shares of cheap Tyson Ross and lots of Hunter Renfroe, who I figured would be the first shipped out as they acquired OFers. How are they both still there?

[Moonlight J]

and still not done

Heyman reporting Padres just signed David Ross to back up Derek Norris

[Friarfan]

This is, literally, a whole new team

[Moonlight J]

It's pretty hilarious. Many of the analysts are ripping the Pads' moves to shreds .

Really? I haven't looked around yet but I'm stoked for the org and I'm not even a fan. What an amazing reconstruct for a former frat friend of Jon Daniels.


I really should have joined a frat in college

[The Dane]

I'm also stoked for the Padres and their fans. It's really a shame that that wonderful park of theirs gets no one in it. I don't see how you can spin these trades as anything less than a huge net gain. They gained A LOT for now and lost... very little. Truth be told, I'm never convinced that adding a ton of players and putting them together automatically makes a champion, but moves like this will put bodies in the stands and if it all goes south, they can have a hell of a firesale and bolster a farm system that they didn't have to compromise to get into this position.

[Friarfan]

I'm also stoked for the Padres and their fans. It's really a shame that that wonderful park of theirs gets no one in it. I don't see how you can spin these trades as anything less than a huge net gain. They gained A LOT for now and lost... very little. Truth be told, I'm never convinced that adding a ton of players and putting them together automatically makes a champion, but moves like this will put bodies in the stands and if it all goes south, they can have a hell of a firesale and bolster a farm system that they didn't have to compromise to get into this position.

And, really, this is all we've been asking for the last decade since they moved in to the park. Moores sold us a bunch of bullstein that payroll would go up and up and up if we got the stadium done. Now, a lot of the crap has to do with his divorce and the debacle of the failed sale over the past few years. It sure beats these nickel and dime trades or trading our superstars (Peavy, Gonzalez, erm, Headley). At least they're trying. Every move has resulted in an upgrade at the position over last year's team.

And, if Upton signs elsewhere at the end of the year, we'll get a pick. And, like I said, Fried's already one TJ in

[GwynnInTheHall]

Well, I'd be excited, too, since the Padres generally don't do anything at all to try in the offseason.


It appears to me that the trades have been received thusly:

- Kemp trade has been roundly panned as a bad one for SD.
- Myers trade has people congratulating Washington more than anything --- the Rays are getting ripped on this one and who knows who the real Myers is? Still, a worthy risk by the Padres.
- Middlebrooks trade has been generally lauded but he's another who knows type of guy --- Hanigan has built-in value due to defense while Middlebrooks probably will need to hit in order to provide value. Another worthy risk, though.
- Upton trade has been getting shredded --- I can't believe they gave up Fried (and a bunch more) for a one year rental! I guess Heaney for Kendrick wasn't as crazy as I thought it was.
- Norris trade also getting shredded

You have to think that at least one more big move is coming, though, right? There's no way they'd put that outfield out there, is there? It might be the worst fielding outfield of all time. Flipping Myers makes sense or maybe even Kemp (I guess) to 1B and flip Alonso? I just can't imagine that anyone intentionally put that outfield together in the most spacious park in the majors. It's like playing exactly against your strengths.

All in all, though, there's no way they're as terrible on offense as they were last year. That has to be a huge relief for San Diego fans. Cool to see them making big splashes for the first time in a long time --- since, what, Brian Giles?

Like any trade, we can find those who like it and those who pan it. The Padres have hoped for years that their farm system would produce results only to watch them fail or get injured. Well NOW it has, but flipping them for bonafide MLB studs. It's going to be fun in the NL West this year as the Padres had the worst offense in baseball to back a staff who's FIP was 3rd in the league. They've touched none of those arms, but have added a hell of a lot of offense. Now, defense might be a question as we've yet to see if one of the new bats is going to 1st leaving Maybin/Venable to man CF but all in all, I love this new squad and the fact that he's not done is great...shit I wouldn't be surprised to hear he's collected Cole Hamels by the end of the day.....

[Moonlight J]

Myers's abilities are truly up to him. I heard several people around the team last year that were frustrated with him and after talking to others the last few days, learned that he was truly Nuke LaLoosh. The Rays tried to find the Crash Davis to get through to him, but he tuned everyone, even Zobrist, out. If he gets his shit together, he could be special. Right now, I saw a guy making the same mistakes in September as he was making in April. Pitch him in enough so he fouls it off, and then beat him away with anything. It's a very long read, but my buddy covered his issues well

[GwynnInTheHall]

I keep hearing this, too. San Diego's park adjusted pitching staff ranked 23rd in the majors. San Diego's ERA was 3rd in the league. Any team pitches really well in that park.

That may be true, but Petco doesn't help with every pitching category, it merely suppresses power some and not even as much as it used to after bringing in the right field wall last season. The point in, the Padres had the second lowest run support in the majors, were shut out a league leading 19 times, had the worst OPS, avg. and scored the fewest runs. The overhaul to the offense is so great that, those changes alone will make the team 10-15 games better. I haven't said the Padres are the class of the Division, i still the LA has the best team, but they've definitely closed the gap this week.

[The Dane]

I generally do not draft Padres hitters, unless they can be had at a huge bargain. That park eats hitting stats and since they also play a lot of games in LA and SF, that's just too many pitching parks for my tastes. The ARI and COL games are great, but it's cool comfort when you get 15 and 16 game stretches in pitcher's parks, you can just hear your team sink into the mud.

I think all of the new hires will see depressed stats because of park effects and superior NL pitching, and the fact that the NL West is a tough division. How many times do you want your hitters to face Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner in unholy pitching havens?

That said, I'd take fliers on Middlebrooks and Myers, for sure, but they'll likely have the new car smell on them and will go for more than I'll pay.

[chancellor]

What do you guys think of Myers and Middlebrooks? Looks like I'll be joining an NL only (maybe) coming up soon and am curious to see what kinds of bids you all would throw out for those two.

If I'd bet on a rebound, it would be Myers. It's not like he's ever hit in a hitters park, though PETCO is even worse than KC or TB. And he does have talent. Yeah, by all reports, he's a self-centered, aloof, no chemistry guy, but that doesn't impact his hitting. I mean, shoot, if you couldn't hit if you were a self-centered, aloof, no chemistry guy, some player named Ted Williams would have sucked his whole career. Or Gary Sheffield. Or a host of others. Now the wrist...that is the issue, IMO. If you're in a 12-team only, I'd venture into the low teens for him.

I wouldn't touch Middlebrooks for a buck at PETCO. He's a train wreck as a hitter, below average defensively, and will sink your BA somewhere near Dante's 7th circle of Hell. This is a guy who had a sub .550 OPS in Fenway last year, and was pretty bad the year before. His only value is power, and that's going to take a hit in San Diego.