Post by San Diego Padres GM on Nov 23, 2008 16:14:26 GMT -5
It's been another tough season for San Diego; another year, another last-place
finish in the weak National League West. In a season full of mis-steps and
changes, there were a few bright spots. Additionally, it may be the future
potential of the team that shined the brightest this year.
On May 29th, 2000, a week before the amateur draft, San Diego hired a new
manager to lead the team after running with an interim manager the first
part of the season. The first order of business was unexpected by many
of the league's managers; a tight, controlled approach to trading with an
initial announcement of being in "no-trade" status. Many rumors were
swirling within the community that starting pitcher prospect Jake Peavy
was high in demand, yet new Padres management politely rebuffed all
requests. This lead to speculation that management was trying to drive
up the price of Peavy, but later it was revealed that they merely thought
highly of Peavy and weren't willing to trade him.
It wasn't until July 9th that San Diego opened its trade doors moving SP
Matt Clement, but even then, it ended up being their only trade of the
year. The trade of Clement to Kansas City netted the Pads a package
of prospects in 3B Mark Teahen, C John Buck, SP Miguel Asencio, and
SP Brian Meadows. This one move continued to cement rumors that
the new management was fully in a build-and-see mode.
In the end, there was little to celebrate with a last place finish in the West.
But there were a few highlights this year. For one, fourty year-old OF and
fan favorite Tony Gwynn somehow improved on his fielding by posting a
career best .995 fielding percentage in 137 games played in right field. With
only one more year left on his contract, it's expected that Gwynn will retire
after a full career playing solely in San Diego.
Another suprise this year was reliever-turned-starter Donne Wall. New
management decided that Wall - who hadn't started many games since
1997 - needed to take another shot at starting after the trade of Clement.
Wall proceeded to crush all speculation that he could start again at age
33 by rattling off a number of quality starts after being placed in the rotation.
He ended the season with a 2.79 ERA and brought a much-needed lift to
a Padres rotatation leaning heavily on ace Woody Williams (who, by the
way, posted some of his best numbers since becoming a starter.)
Meanwhile, Trevor Hoffman kept things going, somehow posting 48 saves
where save opportunities often seemed few and far between for a struggling
Padres team. Yes, his ERA jumped to a 3.17 finish - somewhat above his normal
miniscul levels - but still managed to keep opposing batters to a .208 average.
And yet, it may be what's not yet in the Majors that draws the attention of
the fans. It could be the likes of much-desired SP Jake Peavy, (2.93 ERA in
120 IP in AAA), SP Oliver Perez (128 Ks in 116 IP), LF Jason Bay (who posted
a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage between AA and AAA this past year), and
CF Shane Victorino (another fielder with perfect fielding this year) that make
the difference in the future for the team. Fans recognize it will take patience
and a few years of waiting, but the new management has shown they are
willing to add young talent and be patient now while they build a potentially
much brighter future.
So what will 2001 hold in store for the Padres? We admit it's probably some
more of the same. San Diego doesn't have much in the way of prospects
ready for promotion this winter, and free agency doesn't expect to yield
much in the way of long-term talent. That said, it may be another rough
year in store for the Padres in 2001, but know this: things are slowly looking
a little brighter, especially if new management maintains a flexible yet smart
position about trading and player developement. Only time will tell.
-Pads
finish in the weak National League West. In a season full of mis-steps and
changes, there were a few bright spots. Additionally, it may be the future
potential of the team that shined the brightest this year.
On May 29th, 2000, a week before the amateur draft, San Diego hired a new
manager to lead the team after running with an interim manager the first
part of the season. The first order of business was unexpected by many
of the league's managers; a tight, controlled approach to trading with an
initial announcement of being in "no-trade" status. Many rumors were
swirling within the community that starting pitcher prospect Jake Peavy
was high in demand, yet new Padres management politely rebuffed all
requests. This lead to speculation that management was trying to drive
up the price of Peavy, but later it was revealed that they merely thought
highly of Peavy and weren't willing to trade him.
It wasn't until July 9th that San Diego opened its trade doors moving SP
Matt Clement, but even then, it ended up being their only trade of the
year. The trade of Clement to Kansas City netted the Pads a package
of prospects in 3B Mark Teahen, C John Buck, SP Miguel Asencio, and
SP Brian Meadows. This one move continued to cement rumors that
the new management was fully in a build-and-see mode.
In the end, there was little to celebrate with a last place finish in the West.
But there were a few highlights this year. For one, fourty year-old OF and
fan favorite Tony Gwynn somehow improved on his fielding by posting a
career best .995 fielding percentage in 137 games played in right field. With
only one more year left on his contract, it's expected that Gwynn will retire
after a full career playing solely in San Diego.
Another suprise this year was reliever-turned-starter Donne Wall. New
management decided that Wall - who hadn't started many games since
1997 - needed to take another shot at starting after the trade of Clement.
Wall proceeded to crush all speculation that he could start again at age
33 by rattling off a number of quality starts after being placed in the rotation.
He ended the season with a 2.79 ERA and brought a much-needed lift to
a Padres rotatation leaning heavily on ace Woody Williams (who, by the
way, posted some of his best numbers since becoming a starter.)
Meanwhile, Trevor Hoffman kept things going, somehow posting 48 saves
where save opportunities often seemed few and far between for a struggling
Padres team. Yes, his ERA jumped to a 3.17 finish - somewhat above his normal
miniscul levels - but still managed to keep opposing batters to a .208 average.
And yet, it may be what's not yet in the Majors that draws the attention of
the fans. It could be the likes of much-desired SP Jake Peavy, (2.93 ERA in
120 IP in AAA), SP Oliver Perez (128 Ks in 116 IP), LF Jason Bay (who posted
a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage between AA and AAA this past year), and
CF Shane Victorino (another fielder with perfect fielding this year) that make
the difference in the future for the team. Fans recognize it will take patience
and a few years of waiting, but the new management has shown they are
willing to add young talent and be patient now while they build a potentially
much brighter future.
So what will 2001 hold in store for the Padres? We admit it's probably some
more of the same. San Diego doesn't have much in the way of prospects
ready for promotion this winter, and free agency doesn't expect to yield
much in the way of long-term talent. That said, it may be another rough
year in store for the Padres in 2001, but know this: things are slowly looking
a little brighter, especially if new management maintains a flexible yet smart
position about trading and player developement. Only time will tell.
-Pads