4 in a Row!

Friday July 31, 2009

The Padres mounted one of the biggest comebacks of the year overcoming a 7-1 deficit to post their 2nd double digit run total and defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-7 at Petco Park tonight.

Kyle Blanks went 2 for 3 including his 5th home run of the season walked twice and scored 2 runs, Tony Gwynn went 3 for 5 and scored 3 runs, and Will Venable hit a 3 run shot to pace the Padres offensive attack.

Starting pitcher Chad Guadin got pounded in the 2nd inning, surrendering 6 hits 2 walks and all 7 runs in 1.2 innings pitched. Poor defense from Chase Headley and Tony Gwynn contributed to the run total as only 3 runs were earned. After loading the bases Gaudin on a leadoff walk and 2 singles. Gaudin got 2 outs on strike outs before a pair of singles drove in 3 runs. Gaudin then walked the next batter to reload the bases and a pair of errors by Headley and Gwynn on the next two plays allowed three more runs to score.

The Padres, now on a 4 game winning streak, have been one of the streakiest teams this season having had one of the longest winning streaks (10 games) and several 6 game losing streaks so far this year.

In unrelated Padres news - The Padres fired hitting coach Jim Lefebvre and replaced him with AAA manager Randy Ready. Ready is the 4th hitting coach in 4 seasons for the Padres.

A Look Ahead at the Padres Roster for 2010

Friday July 31, 2009

Potential 2010 Roster by ages on opening day

Starters
Adrian Gonzalez - 27
David Eckstein (or ??) - 37
Everth Cabrera - 23
Kevin Kouzmanoff - 28
Chase Headley - 25
Tony Gwynn Jr. - 27
Will Venable/????? - 27
Nick Hundley - 26

Bench
C
IF
IF
OF
OF

Pitching Staff
Chris Young - 30
Mat Latos - 22
Tim Stauffer - 27
Kevin Correia - 29
Clayton Richard - 26
Sean Gallagher - 24
Heath Bell - 32
Aaron Poreda - 23
Edward Mujica - 25
Luke Gregerson - 25
Greg Burke - 27
Luis Perdomo - 25
Joe Thatcher???? - 28
Mike Adams - 31

Possibly Will Inman - 22, Wade LeBlanc - 25, Eulogio De La Cruz - 26, and Mike Ekstron - 25.

There are also a few guys at AA that could get a shot like Ernesto Frieri - 24 and Evan Scribner - 24.

Depending on who is signed to fill 2B and the bench slots, the Padres could be the younget team in baseball by a large margin.

Peavy Accepts Trade to White Sox

Friday July 31, 2009

Moments before the trading deadline today, Jake Peavy finally accepted a trade to the Chicago White Sox.

So what changed between May and now?

• Is it the fact that the White Sox now have a winning record?
• Is it the fact that including Peavy's injury, the Padres were on pace to absolutely smash the MLB record they set for injuries in 2008?
• Was it the good young pitchers the Padres have had traded for and brought up like Mat Latos, Tim Stauffer and Sean Gallagher? Did Peavy feel the Padres could make due without him now?

I don't know what changed in Jake Peavy's head. I didn't like this trade for the Padres in May. Now I am just glad its over.

Regardless of the payroll limitations the team may have, with Peavy gone and Giles coming off the books at the end of 2009, the Padres can now:

1. Keep players like Gonzalez, Bell, Young and Eckstein for 2010.
2. Go after some mid level free agents to compliment the good young players like Headley, Gwynn, Hundley, Blanks, and Cabrera that they have now.
3. Prepare for a bright future.
   

In this trade the Padres got back a #4 - 5 type starter in Clayton Richard and a future closer/possible front line starter in Aaron Poreda and a real good young prospect that is in A ball for Peavy.

Overall the Padres got what Baseball America ranked as the White Sox 2, 3 and 12th best prospects for 2009 and a hard throwing 6'8", 26 year old reliever that has 22 appearances in his rookie season this year.

Would I have liked to have seen more coming back the Padres way in this trade? Of course. But the Padres did not get a bad haul considering the no win situation they were in.

This trade also frees up alot of payroll.

In 2010 the Padres have salary committed to just Young and Gonzalez. Of the players likely to be coming back, only Bell, Kouzmanoff, Correia, Baek and Adams are arbitration eligible players. The rest of the players are either on one year deals or are not eligible for arbitration.

The way I see it that leaves the Padres with a Payroll of about $25 - 26 million.

• $11 million for Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez.
• About $6.5 million for Bell, Kouzmanoff and the other arbitrration eligibles.
• About $2 - $2.5 million to bring back Eckstein and Gaudin.
• and $7.2 million for 16 guys at or about the major league minimum like:
  Headley, Hundley, Cabrera, Gwynn, Blanks, Venable, Latos, Stuaffer, Burke, Gregerson, Mujica, Perdomo, Gallagher, and now Richard and Poreda.

We will probably still see Kouzmanoff traded in the off season and with the pickup of a mid level free agent outfielder or two, the Padres would be set and still be under $35 million.

Bring on 2010.