Brian Giles signs with Dodgers

Sunday February 7, 2010

According to a Twitter post by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, former Padre Brian Giles reportedly signed a minor league deal with the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers with an invitation to spring training.

Giles is a career .291 hitter with a .400 OBP, .502 SLG , .902 OPS. His career 136 OPS+ is 15th among active players, but he is coming off an injury filled year in 2009 that saw him hit 100 points lower than his career average and start only 58 games.

Giles would likely fill a 4th outfielder and LH bat off the bench role for the Dodgers,

Eckstein, "the heart and soul" of the Padres, signs extension for 2010

Saturday August 22, 2009

Today San Diego Padres GM Kevin Towers declared David Eckstein "the heart and soul for us" and signed Eckstein to a one year extension for $1 million through the 2010 season.

I don't know how others feel about this signing, but for me it was essential to the growth of a very young team. Eckstein provides leadership both in his words and in his actions.

Eckstein is a student of the game who excels not because of his physical talent, because he is not a player with tremendous physical tools. Eckstein has been able to continue to start at the major league level because he is a tireless worker and student of the game. He does all the little things right.

That is what this team needs most right now.

I know not a very popular opinion in a lot of places right now, but another player that does all the little things right is Brian Giles. He plays hard every moment of every game and excels at getting on base.

Giles has had a bad year due to an injury sustained in April and the distraction of a lawsuit, and at 37 he may not be an everyday starter in this league anymore, but if he would agree to a $1-2 million salary to return to San Diego in 2010 it would be a great signing for the San Diego Padres.

A player that provides the example on the field he does, hits the .270-.280 a healthy Giles is capable of and plays good defense is worth much more, but perhaps Giles would take a contract like that to finish his career in San Diego and go out on his own terms instead of hobbled by an injury.

A young team led by a budding superstar in Adrian Gonzalez and two vets who play the game right could be a team that surprises alot of the league in 2010.

Fish Or Cut Bait

Thursday June 18, 2009

Today the Detroit Tigers sat Magglio Ordonez indefinitely. Ordonez, who is making $18 million this season, was hitting .273 with 2 home runs prior to being benched.

Yes. I know that the Ordonez situation is as much about keeping him from getting the 135 starts or 540 plate appearances that would cause his $18 million 2010 option to vest.

So if the Tigers can sit Ordonez, what is keeping the Padres from sitting Giles who is making $9 million while only hitting .191 a little over a third into the season?

I don't know what is responsible for the falling off a cliff type decline in Giles performance, but after 200 at bats and 65 games, he should at least be showing signs of improvement. He is not. In his last 10 games he has went 7 for 38 (.184) with just 3 walks and 8 strike outs.

Its time for him to either fish or cut bait.

For that matter, why is a guy like Blanco getting any at bats at all while hitting .182? Yes I know he can throw out an occasional runner, but how many runs are the Padres giving up with his pathetic excuse for a bat? Is a little defense really worth it?

And when is Macias going to be called up to replace the .136 hitting Venable?

Is Brian Giles finally turning it around?

Monday June 1st, 2009

Brian Giles has gone 9/29 with 5 bb, 3 doubles and a triple in his last 10 games for a .310 BA and a .412 OBP. He has done that against 3 teams, the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Giants, who have good pitching staffs.

That is the Brian Giles we are used to seeing.

The question is, has he finally turned it around and will this be the Brian Giles we will see the rest of the season?

If it is, he is one of the bigger bargains on the market for a RF.

If not and he continues to sit around the Mendoza Line for the rest of the season, he may just be the biggest bust since Andruw Jones.

As a Padres fan I am hoping he does keep it up and his past would indicate he more than likely will.

I have had my say. Now what do you think?

Giles drives in two again to pace Padres 8th straight win!

Sunday May 24, 2009

Wee hours of the morning.

It is soooo much fun to watch the Padres beat the Cubs at Petco. Cubs fans come out in numbers only seen when the Dodgers are in town and try to make themselves at home in our house. They can be arrogant and more than a little obnoxious.

When the Padres beat them it is awesome to be able to throw it back at them.

Tonight Brian Giles drove in two runs for his 2nd straight game and the San Diego Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-1 at Petco Park.

It was the Padres 8th straight win on the home stand.

Josh Geer pitched 6 2/3 innings for the win, giving up 5 hits and just 1 run on a Derrek Lee home run in the 2nd. Geer struck out 7 and walked none. Geer has been either outstanding or terrible in his 6 starts this season. Tonight he had pin point control and the result was a great outing.

Cubs rookie starting pitcher Randy Wells came into the game having not given up a run in 16 1/3 innings on the year. He went 7 innings giving up just 5 hits, but was stung for 3 earned runs.

Alfonso Soriano took the night off and there were rumors he argued with Cubs manager Lou Piniella after going 1 for 5 with 3 strike outs in last nights game.

Sunday's game will see Chris Young going for the Padres 9th straight win and 3rd straight series sweep.

Changes the Padres don't need to make.

Friday May 15, 2009

Changes the Padres don't need to make
and Ten Changes they DO need to make.

I keep reading alot of articles saying the Padres need to make drastic changes in their roster and to a certain extent those calls for changes are well placed. After all the Padres are in the midst of a 4-19 collapse with 11 straight losses on the road.

For all of you, including Tim Sullivan over at San Diego's rag they call a newspaper, who are stupid enough to want to replace Kevin Kouzmanoff in the starting 8 with Will Venable, keep in mind that Venable has more strike outs than hits as well this season, and that is at the AAA level.

In other words, Venable is NOT hitting any better than Kouzmanoff and you want to give him a regular starting job?

That is downright idiotic. At least we know what Kouzmanoff can do and we also know that Kouzmanoff is a slow starter who will probably end up around .270 for the season with around 20 home runs if the last two seasons are any indication.

I do believe the Padres need to make some changes, but throwing a #4 (at best) or #5 outfielder like Venable into a starting position is ludicrous.

As a FOURTH or FIFTH outfielder, Macias at least plays spectacular defense so the runs he takes away with his defense may compensate for his mediocre bat on a part time basis, but Venable is playing below average defensively in CF this season, so his defense would not.

Venable is not good defensively in CF as either Gerut or Hairston. Last year it graded out with Gerut at +5.8 UZR, Hairston +3.3 and Venable +2.4. At a +9.5 career UZR, Gerut is one of the better defensive CF in the game.

And how long will it take Headley to begin to play defense at 3B at the level Kouzmanoff is currently playing? How many games will be lost until he does. 1, 2, more? Remember, Headley has not regularly played the position since 2007 and he does not even take gound balls at the position in practice currently.

How many of you really believe, based on 44 abs against RHP this season, that Hairston should be a everyday starter? Especially given how poorly he has done of 650+ career at bats against RHP. Hairston's BA against RHP since May 1st of .242 has been much closer to his career average of .234/.294/.414/.709 and, as they always do, will continue to regress towards the mean as the season continues. ( VS RHP in 2008 - .224/.309/.399/.708)

Hairston is good against LHP. Always has been (career - .287/.337/.549/.886, 2008 - .280/.316/.580/.896) and this season he has been a monster (.381/.447/.762/1.209). So platoon Hairston at ALL of the outfield positions against LHP if you want, but don't give him ANY position as an everyday starter. We have seen that dog, and it don't hunt.

And if you trade away Peavy now, what is that saying to Gonzalez and the players you do want to sign long term about the teams commitment to winning? In my opinion it kills any chance of getting Gonzalez signed to an extension. Would you sign a contract knowing the team is not going to be any better than it is right now for several years to come?

So those are changes the Padres absolutely should not make.

So what changes do I think the Padres need to make?

#1 Fire Bud Black - It is Black's job to get these guys to relax and perform and he has failed. No, he has not been given a big league squad and there have been a lot of injuries, but this team is still better than the 4-19 record they have in their last 23 games.

#2 DFA Duaner Sanchez, and cut Luis Perdomo. Bring up Greg Burke and Even Scribner or Gabe DeHoyos to replace them and go with just 12 relievers. My last post was dedicated to Sanchez so I am not going to rehash that. Perdomo has simply not shown he has what it takes, yet. He may in a couple of years, but taking a Rule V guy that did not dominate at the lower levels is risky, and this gamble did not pay off.

#3 Get Kyle Blanks ready to play LF. The Padres are already starting to get him some playing time in LF and once he is able to adjust to AAA pitching (he has hit just .200 over his past 10 games), he should also have had a chance to start 40 or 50 games in LF and be ready to make the jump later in the season.

#4 Get Headley some time at 3B. As I mentioned above, Headley has not played the position reguarly since 2007 and is not taking ground balls at 3B now. Sit Kouzmanoff against some RHP that have been historically bad matchups for him and let Headley get a few starts at 3B. By the time Blanks is ready to be called up, Headley will have been able to play at least 5 or 6 games at 3B and have taken grounders in practive for a couple of months.

#5 Play Jody Gerut. Gerut is a rhythm hitter and needs at bats daily to hit well. Gerut and Hairston is a great platoon by the numbers, but Gerut struggles against all pitching when he isn't out there daily. Gerut is also a better fielder than Hairston and has good power. As Tampa showed last season and several clubs are showing this season, good defense that takes away runs is as important to winning as bats that add runs. This is especially true in Petco, where runs are at a premium.

#6 Start looking for new trainer and strength coach. While some of the injuries cannot be blamed wholy on them, their job is to condition the athletes on the Padres to minimize injuries, and given the fact that the Padres have been consistently among the top 5 in player days on the DL each of the past 8 seasons and are on pace to break 1100 player days on the DL this season, they are failing miserably.

The Padres are the only team to have over 880 player days on the DL in the last 10 years and they have done it 5 times including the only 2 seasons over 1000 player days on the dl since they began keeping records of this stuff. REgardless of whether the players or anyone else says they like the trainers hee, their results stink.

#7 Figure out how to turn Kouzmanoff's bat around. This guy hit everywhere he went before the Padres started tinkering with his swing. Maybe it is the Padres approach and not Kouzmanoff that is to blame here. SO Lefebvre do your job and figure it out. You can't trade him while he is hitting .229 and sending him down does no good since Headley would take a month or more to readjust to third base.

So get Kouzmanoff hitting so you CAN trade him for help at SS or for the pitching staff when Blanks is ready to come up and take over LF.

#8 Put Brian Giles back into the front of the rotation and sit him down and say, "Brian, we know you are having problems off the field. It is time to focus on doing your job and let baseball take your mind off those things. SO get out their and do what you do best, hit the damn ball."

If you want to rest him, send Hairston or Gerut or even Macias out there against a few lefties since Giles has hit just .255 off LHP over the past 3 seasons and just .111 this season.

#9 Trade for a decent everyday SS. Cabrera did well while he was here but it was 13 abs and he isn't expected back until Late June at the earliest. Luis Rodriguez is not the answer when he comes back. He is a below average defender and he is a slightly above replacement level hitter. He could be a good platoon player, but playing everyday seems to be beyond his abilities.

So who can the Padres trade for? They are not going to get a top level prospect like Alcides Escobar or Yunel Esobar or even Jason Donald, but maybe a player like Argenis Diaz or Reid Brignac who is blocked by a ML player and a top prospect will be available for a package of prospects.

#10 All Padres fans need to remember 4 words -

REGRESSION TOWARDS THE MEAN!

What does that mean? It means that players will regress towards their career averages as the season progresses unless there is some underlying problem like an injury. So put them out there and let them play their way out of their slumps. Eventually they will start hitting enough ABOVE their career averages to end up near their career averages when the season is over. In other words there will be a hot streak to average out a slump at some point if you just shut up and let them play.

I have had my say. Now What do you think?

Giles comes through in bottom of the 10th!

HAPPY Cinco De Mayo, 2009

Brian Giles with a Walk Off Double!

For the 2nd time at home this season Brian Giles comes through with a walk off hit in extra innings.

Tonight it was a one out double to DEEP right center that scored Edgar Gonzalez. Gonzalez was on base after walking against Matt Daley.

Padres Win, Padres Win, Padres Win.

How to turn this ship around

Tuesday April 28, 2009

How To Turn This Ship Around

That is a post that I have seen on two boards and a couple of blogs now, including the Padres board over at ESPN.

Let me give you my take on that subject.

#1 - Stop thinking the ship needs to be turned around and realize you are over .500 and start thinking about how to extend the winning! Get rid of the stinkin' thinkin' as my 11 time state champion high school coach used to say. As we saw early in the year, the Padres have good players, now lets see the fans and media talking more about that and less about what has gone wrong the past 6 games. Lets talk about them doing what they are capable of doing.

#2 - Get key players like Giles jump started. We know Giles will hit .280+ with double digit home runs for the season, but we need him to get started hitting now. We know Peavy will end the season with an ERA closer to 3 than to its current 5.74, but we need some wins from Peavy to start happening now. Hey Jake, stop trying to be perfect and throw strikes. That is what the other 8 players are on the field to do, catch batted balls.

#3 - Keep your pitchers healthy. Something Trainer Todd Hutcheson and strength coach Jim Malone are doing is NOT WORKING or the Padres would not have led the league in pitching injuries from 2006-2009!!!!! Get another trainer and strength coach to work with your pitchers.

#4 - Make a trade for one good quality starter. That is all. How about Kouzmanoff for one of the good young starters on either the Twins or the Marlins?

That is what I think. Now what do YOU have to say?

Giles to get night off on Saturday

Saturday April 25, 2009

Giles to get night off on Saturday.

The slumping Brian Giles is scheduled to get the night off against the Pirates LHP Zach Dukes one day after driving in the winning run with a walk off single in the 11th inning according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union Tribune.

Jody Gerut will get the start in RF tonight.

Scott Hairston will start in CF in what has become a lety/righty platoon with Jody Gerut.

Padres win in 11 innings

Friday April 24, 2009

The San Diego Padres defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight with a walk off single to right by Brian Giles in the 11th inning.

Chris Burke walked with one out in the 11th inning and and promptly stole 2nd base. Jody Gerut stuck out for the 2nd out after barely missing a home run to RF, David Ecsktein fought off pitch after pitch to draw a walk off Pirate closer Matt Capps. Giles then lined a shot down the line to RF to drive in Burke for the win.

The Padres scoring for the night was led off by Adrian Gonzalez 6th home run of the season in the bottom of the 1st. Gonzalez is ahead of his home run pace from 2008, a season that saw him hit a career high 36 home runs.

The Padres had a big scare in the top of the 11th when Gonzalez was struck on the hand by a hard hit ball struck by Brandon Moss of the Pirates. After Manager Bud Black and the training staff come out to first check him out, Gonzalez stayed in the game.

The season for the Padres has been marked by a fighting spirit that seemed to be absent in 2008. The Padres have fought from behind to win games and have won several games that were tied or close late in the game.

The Padres are now 10-6 and in 2nd place in the NL West to the red hot LA Dodgers.

A Look Back and a Look Forward – Position by Position

December 23, 2008

A Position by Position Look at the 2008 Padres and My Thoughts about 2009.

This is the first part of a three part post.

This morning the position players, starting pitchers will follow later today and the bullpen asap.

Part One – The Position Players

1B was GREAT! Adrian Gonzales was among the best in baseball with 36 hr and 119 rbi
- NO Changes Needed

2B was bad hitting .244/.304/.333 overall with 9 hr and 54 rbi.
- See below. Lots of youngsters fighting for this position in 2009.

SS was a black hole going .244/.291/.348 with 10 hr and 49 rbi
- See below. Not enough youngsters fighting for this job in 2009!

3B was decent hitting .260 with 25 hr and 87 rbi
- No Changes needed unless Kouzmanoff can be traded for starting pitching

LF was not great but certainly better than 2B or SS hitting .258/.345/.422 with 19 hr and 69 rbi. Headley's .275/.346/.417 in 82 games in LF was encouraging.
- No changes needed unless Kouzmanoff is traded and Headley is moved to 3B.

CF platoon of Gerut/Hairston was among best in MLB hitting a combined .305 w/26 hr and 60 rbi in 131 games in CF. Venable filled in well in 26 starts. Edmonds was pitiful.
- Gerut will start in CF and if he stays healthy I would project him at .290/.350/.500 with 20 hr and 75-80 rbi and plus defense. Great production from that position!

RF Giles was among the best in baseball .306/.399/.458/.857 w/12 hr in 144 games in RF
- No Changes needed.

C was a black hole going .204/.269/.297 Hundley was the lone bright spot hitting .239 and playing good defense. How often is .239 a bright spot?
- See Below. Hundley and the invisible backup catcher.

Bench
– Hairston, Egon, Venable, Backup Catcher – Ausmus?, Denker/Cabrera/Antonelli

So the areas of greatest needs in the field are 2B, SS and C.

I would like to see Hundley get 90-100 starts in 2009 so the Padres really only need a decent backup catcher that can tutor Hundley. Recently they signed 30 year old career backup Eliezer Alonzo to a minor league deal. I think Ausmus would also be a good choice at backup catcher.

2B is a position where the Padres have 2 real good 23 year old prospects in Denker and Antonelli and one Rule V pick in Cabrera plus a good bench player in EGon that all may make the opening day roster. Let’s hope one of them steps up to the plate (pun intended) and does well. My money is on Denker.

SS is still a very weak position. LRod is the only real ML player who can play the position well and swings a decent, not good, bat. Everth Cabrera is making a jump from Low A ball to the majors, something that has been successfully done by a position player only once that I can find, and he is really a 2B, not a SS.

Kazmar doesn't seem ready and Drew Cumberland is the next SS prospect in the farm system and he played in Low A ball in 2008.

I think the Padres were hoping to find a starting SS and let LRod play 2b with Egon backing him up.

Eckstein or Vizquel might be good one year transitions to the next generation or a stop gap until the Padres can make a trade for a young starting SS.

I hope that the Padres are not done wheeling and dealing. Still too many question marks and not enough proven depth.

KT, if you are listening, here are my thoughts on position player moves.
1) Trade Kouzmanoff and a prospect for a starting pitcher that can fill the #3 hole and throw 190-200 innings.
2) Sign Eckstein or Vizquel or ??? to a one year deal to fortify the middle infield.
3) Sign Ausmus to backup Hundley – He would be a great teacher.

Padres Contract Projections

Monday December 15, 2008

San Diego Padres 2009 Contract Projections

Players with guaranteed salaries for 2009
Jake Peavy – $11.0 million
Chris Young – $4.5 million
Adrian Gonzalez – $3.0 million
Brian Giles - $9.0 million with $3 million buyout.

Total $ Guaranteed - $27.5 million

Arbitration Eligible Players
Jody Gerut $0.700m (2008) - 2009 Est - $1.5 - $2.5 m
Scott Hairston $.406m (2008) - 2009 Est - $.750 - $1.5 m
Heath Bell $0.420m (2008) - 2009 Est - $2.0 - $2.5 m
Luis Rodriguez $0.4025m (2008) 2009 Est - $0.410 - $.600m
2008 salaries - $1.9825 million Est 2009 Salaries - $7.1 million (worst case)

On 25 Man Roster & Under Team Control - 2008 Salaries Listed
Kevin Kouzmanoff $0.410m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Edgar Gonzalez $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Chase Headley $0.410m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Nick Hundley $0.410m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Mike Adams $0.410m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Cha Seung Baek $0.3925m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Josh Geer - $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Justin Hampson - $0.4025m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Cla Meredith - $0.415m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Scott Patterson - $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Matt Antonelli - $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Will Venable - $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Travis Denker - $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Drew Macias - $0.390m (2008-not arbitration eligible)
Total 2008 Salaries*- $6.395 million
* if remaining 3 slots are at major league minimum

Total Current Player Projected 2009 Salaries -
With 3 roster spots open - $40.995

Some of those players won't be on the 2009 Roster opening day roster and other minor league minimum types will be on the 2009 roster.

A 2nd catcher has to be added whether from the minors or from FA.

The Padres remaining Free agents Hoffman and Prior, are not on that list.