Friday June 12, 2009
On the day the San Diego Padres find out that their ace is sidelined for a month, the pitcher that took the mound tonight against the Los Angeles Angels showed why Peavy is so critical to their season.
Starter Chad Gaudin gave up 10 hits 8 earned runs in just 3 innings pitched in the 11-6 loss.
On Saturday, in the place of the injured Jake Peavy, the Padres will have to send Josh Geer to the mound. While Geer may be a fine #5 on most staffs, he is far from an equal or even close to equal replacement for Peavy.
6 or even more times over the next month plus the Padres will be forced to send a pale shadow of Peavy to the mound.
So what becomes of the season now?
The Padres will undoubtedly lose more of the games Peavy's replacements will pitch than those that Peavy would have thrown.
Peavy's injury does mean that the Padres will probably find no takers on the trade front prior to the July 31st trade deadline. Now before the cheering starts, it does not mean Peavy cannot still be traded this season or in the off season. It just means that if he does not come off the DL before the end of July, he can't be traded before the end of July.
Peavy can still be traded after July 31st by placing him on waivers. If he (and what is left on his contract) clears waivers, he can then be traded. Even if he is claimed, the Padres can trade him to the claiming team.
Of course Peavy still would have a full no trade clause and could once again put the kibosh on any trades he does not approve of. It is doubtful teams, including all AL teams, that he has said he does not want to play for will not try making a waiver claim on him.
Well the day was not a total loss. There was some good news.
Shortstop Luis Rodriguez returned from the DL. Although he went 0 for 3 with 3 k's tonight, LRod is miles ahead of Josh Wilson both at the plate and in the field.
Brian Giles went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .200 for the first time since April 10th.
Kevin Kouzmanoff continued his hot streak going 3 for 5, hitting his 6th home run of the season, and driving in 3 runs to raise his total to 31. Kouz has gone 8 for 16 with 10 rbi over the last 4 games.
Cliff Floyd got both his 1st start (at dh) and first hit of the season. If he can get hot over the next few games at DH during interleague, he may just be valuable trade bait.
All of that is interesting and at least somewhat encouraging, but Peavy hitting the DL for a month put a bigger pall on the day than the June Gloom.
Well, as Porky Pig would say, thats all folks.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Padres take 3 of the top HS Centerfielders in last 2 drafts
Friday June 12, 2009
Don't look now, but the Padres have taken 3 of the top 10 HS outfield prospects in the first two rounds of the last 2 drafts.
Jaff Decker last season and Donavan Tate and Everett Williams this season. These kids could be pushing more established players like Cedric Hunter, Kellen Kulbacki and Luis Durango soon.
When you look at that huge outfield in Petco, it cries out for fast outfielders with power at all 3 positions. That is what those 3 players show promise of being someday with a little luck.
You probably thought, maybe even hoped, that was all I would have to say on the draft? Sorry to disappoint you. There is still more.
I have spent several hours over the past 2 days watching film of this kid out of Duke, Nathan Frieman. When I saw the pick come across the board in the 8th round I was surprised at the choice. He is 6'8" and images of Richie Sexson and Dave Kingman and their all or nothing swings and low BA and high SO rate flashed through my head.
Then I saw the film. This guy is a brute and he crushes balls, but he has a great eye and doesn't strike out much. He has pretty quick feet at first and can pick the ball pretty good. He is also a Rhodes Scholar candidate according to Paul DePodesta.
He may quickly add to the plethora of good power hitting prospects at the 1B position in the Padres system.
Don't look now, but the Padres have taken 3 of the top 10 HS outfield prospects in the first two rounds of the last 2 drafts.
Jaff Decker last season and Donavan Tate and Everett Williams this season. These kids could be pushing more established players like Cedric Hunter, Kellen Kulbacki and Luis Durango soon.
When you look at that huge outfield in Petco, it cries out for fast outfielders with power at all 3 positions. That is what those 3 players show promise of being someday with a little luck.
You probably thought, maybe even hoped, that was all I would have to say on the draft? Sorry to disappoint you. There is still more.
I have spent several hours over the past 2 days watching film of this kid out of Duke, Nathan Frieman. When I saw the pick come across the board in the 8th round I was surprised at the choice. He is 6'8" and images of Richie Sexson and Dave Kingman and their all or nothing swings and low BA and high SO rate flashed through my head.
Then I saw the film. This guy is a brute and he crushes balls, but he has a great eye and doesn't strike out much. He has pretty quick feet at first and can pick the ball pretty good. He is also a Rhodes Scholar candidate according to Paul DePodesta.
He may quickly add to the plethora of good power hitting prospects at the 1B position in the Padres system.
The 2009 Padres Amateur Draft
Friday June 12, 2009
So how did I do in my first attempt at a mock draft?
Pretty well considering the difficulty.
I got as many players that went in the first round as most of the other major mock drafts that came out on June 5th or earlier.
As far as the order, I stunk. I guess I could have done alot better if I had waited until early on draft day when several teams including Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the sad sack "Natinals" had pretty much announced who they were going to take.
The Padres surprised me quite a bit by taking a huge risk on Donavan Tate, a high school kid that is already committed to UNC AND is a Boras client. That is a 3 fold risk.
Tate is a true five tool prospect. He is very fast, has a big build that generates tremendous power a he will fill in as he gets older, and he has a cannon for an arm. The Padres are saying worst case he turns into a Mike Cameron type outfielder, at best a younger Andruw Jones type. Either way its a nice fit in an organization that is short on speed and power in CF.
This is a great pick if the Padres can get him signed.
In the 2nd round, at pick number 52, the Padres took another high school player Everett Williams. This is an athletic kid that many, including me, thought would go in the 1st round. That he fell to 52 is a coup for the Padres.
In the 4th round the Padres picked up another player that was picked to go much higher in HS pitcher Keyvius Sampson.
The Padres took 4 high school players in their first 6 picks in a tremendous departure from the modus operandi in past drafts.
Overall I was extremely excited to see the players taken in the top half of the draft. I will have several more posts about some of the other players the Padres selected.
The thing that may have made me happiest in this draft will probably have the least effect on the Padres team now or in the future.
In the bottom half of the draft two of my alma mater New Mexico Lobo's players were drafted by the Padres. Cameron Monger, a lightning fast backup CF, in the 27th round and 3B Dane Hamilton in the 41st round.
So how did I do in my first attempt at a mock draft?
Pretty well considering the difficulty.
I got as many players that went in the first round as most of the other major mock drafts that came out on June 5th or earlier.
As far as the order, I stunk. I guess I could have done alot better if I had waited until early on draft day when several teams including Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the sad sack "Natinals" had pretty much announced who they were going to take.
The Padres surprised me quite a bit by taking a huge risk on Donavan Tate, a high school kid that is already committed to UNC AND is a Boras client. That is a 3 fold risk.
- High school players that do make the major leagues take 4-5 years on average and fail to make it at all at a higher percentage than college players.
- Tate is already committed to go to UNC and play both QB on the football team and baseball. His father, Lars Tate, is a former NFL player. Donovan has been quoted as recently as early May saying his dream is to play in the NFL.
- Scott Boras is his "adviser" (just say agent) and has been rumored to be floating an asking price of $7.25 million for Tate. Obviously this is a negotiating ploy, but Tate could easily command $6 million, or Tim Beckham/Pedro Alvarez type of money.
Tate is a true five tool prospect. He is very fast, has a big build that generates tremendous power a he will fill in as he gets older, and he has a cannon for an arm. The Padres are saying worst case he turns into a Mike Cameron type outfielder, at best a younger Andruw Jones type. Either way its a nice fit in an organization that is short on speed and power in CF.
This is a great pick if the Padres can get him signed.
In the 2nd round, at pick number 52, the Padres took another high school player Everett Williams. This is an athletic kid that many, including me, thought would go in the 1st round. That he fell to 52 is a coup for the Padres.
In the 4th round the Padres picked up another player that was picked to go much higher in HS pitcher Keyvius Sampson.
The Padres took 4 high school players in their first 6 picks in a tremendous departure from the modus operandi in past drafts.
Overall I was extremely excited to see the players taken in the top half of the draft. I will have several more posts about some of the other players the Padres selected.
The thing that may have made me happiest in this draft will probably have the least effect on the Padres team now or in the future.
In the bottom half of the draft two of my alma mater New Mexico Lobo's players were drafted by the Padres. Cameron Monger, a lightning fast backup CF, in the 27th round and 3B Dane Hamilton in the 41st round.
Padres Injury Woes Mount
Friday June 12, 2009
The San Diego Padres injury woes are continuing to grow. Today a 7th pitcher made a trip to the DL
This time it is team ace Jake Peavy who has succumbed to an ankle injury he sustained more than three weeks ago. Peavy will miss at least a month and possibly more.
Peavy injured the ankle running the bases in a game on May 20th against the Cubs and had pushed his way through the pain in his last two starts with treatment and heavily taping the ankle.
Yesterday an MRI revealed that the tibialis tendon behind his right ankle was torn. Peavy will likely be in a cast for 4 weeks and then will require a minor league rehab assignment. Don't expect to see him in a Padres uniform before the All Star break and possibly until the beginning of August.
The good news is that if Peavy is out until August 1st, he probably won't be traded in 2009.
The bad news is that Peavy will miss a minimum of 6 starts and possibly 8 or more starts. Peavy has been the Padres best pitcher this season and will be sorely missed.
Peavy will be replaced in the rotation by Josh Geer on Saturday.
The San Diego Padres injury woes are continuing to grow. Today a 7th pitcher made a trip to the DL
This time it is team ace Jake Peavy who has succumbed to an ankle injury he sustained more than three weeks ago. Peavy will miss at least a month and possibly more.
Peavy injured the ankle running the bases in a game on May 20th against the Cubs and had pushed his way through the pain in his last two starts with treatment and heavily taping the ankle.
Yesterday an MRI revealed that the tibialis tendon behind his right ankle was torn. Peavy will likely be in a cast for 4 weeks and then will require a minor league rehab assignment. Don't expect to see him in a Padres uniform before the All Star break and possibly until the beginning of August.
The good news is that if Peavy is out until August 1st, he probably won't be traded in 2009.
The bad news is that Peavy will miss a minimum of 6 starts and possibly 8 or more starts. Peavy has been the Padres best pitcher this season and will be sorely missed.
Peavy will be replaced in the rotation by Josh Geer on Saturday.
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