With the season over at every level except Triple-A, and players participating in Instructional League activities not scheduled to report to Peoria until later this week, the big news of the day in the Padres system happened away from the field.
Padres Senior Director of Player Development Sam Geaney, Director of Player Development Ryley Westman and Special Assistant to the GM AJ Ellis confer during Spring Training, 2020. (Photo: David Jay)
As Dennis Lin reported, the Padres relieved Sam Geaney of his role as Senior Director of Player Development. Geaney had been in charge of the minor league system since late 2014, when he was one of A.J. Preller’s first hires. Until promotions and trades emptied much of the system’s depth over the last year, the Padres organization has been seen as one of the best in the game over the last several years.
While highly successful player development still means failing more often than converting, the Padres have had few clear examples of success maximizing the performance of players before – or after – they reach the majors. Even as key prospects have struggled as the team asks them to implement mechanical or approach changes, players who have left the organization have taken steps forward.
At this point, no replacement has been announced for Geaney. Ryley Wetsman and Chris Kemp are expected to lead activities for now.
David Jay
Daniel Camarena got the win on Tuesday night. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Chihuahuas 8, Tacoma Rainiers 4
Key Statistics: 2B Gosuke Katoh 4-for-4, HR (8), 2B, RBI, 3 R; DH Patrick Kivlehan 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R; CF Taylor Kohlwey 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R; LHP Daniel Camarena (W, 4-7) 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 3 K
Daniel Camarena has a 1.88 WHIP over his last four starts. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)
Prospect Watch: The Chihuahuas used a 12-hit attack to repel the Rainiers in the series finale at Southwest University Park. After former Padre flamethrower Andres Muñoz opened the contest with a spotless first inning for Tacoma, El Paso capitalized against reliever Tyler Herb with a three run third inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. Patrick Kivlehan and Webster Rivas opened the third with consecutive doubles, with Taylor Kohlwey and Brian O’Grady adding doubles of their own to push the home team out to a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish. … Gosuke Katoh led the offensive charge with a perfect four hit night, falling a triple shy of the cycle. The former Rancho Bernardo Bronco has made an emphatic statement in the final month of the season, hitting a blistering .385 with an OPS just under 1.100 in September. … Kivlehan, serving as the designated hitter, enjoyed a multi-hit night, driving in a pair of runs. The 31-year-old Nyack, New York native has been a bright spot offensively on an El Paso team that has struggled to produce runs,. His 19 home runs and 66 RBI far and away lead the team. … While the El Paso offense garnered the lion’s share of the spotlight, Daniel Camarena stymied the Tacoma offense, tossing five efficient innings. The Cathedral Catholic grad, pitching on three days rest after a one-inning outing his last time out, surrendered just one earned run to collect his fourth win of the season. September has not been kind to Camarena, as the 28-year-old has worked to a 1.88 WHIP across his four starts. El Paso will look to finish the season on a high note as they continue the final homestand of the year with a five game series against the Sugar Land Skeeters on Thursday.
