Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 12, 2023, 4:01 pm

Quote from fenn68 on May 12, 2023, 2:49 pm

Players get hot ... players get cold ... not easy to explain but would like to get a majority hot at the same time. For your consideration the OPS of the individuals May vs April:

+467 (1270 v 803) ... Soto

+254 (810 v 556) ... Kim

+122 (887 v 765) ... Tatis

+103 (783 v 680) ... Machado

-34 (746 v 780) ... Cronenworth

-47 (685 v 732) ... Grisham

-254 (266 v 520) ... Nola

-484 (399 v 883) ... Bogaerts

-671 (305 v 976) ... Carpenter

-761 (142 v 903) ... Cruz

I guess we are over focused on Nola (never expected much offensively) but have missed the dramatic decline in Bogaerts - Carpenter - Cruz ... the three that helped carry the Padres in April and are dragging down the Padres in May with those pathetic numbers. I expect Bogaerts to rebound to his history but not convinced that will happen with Carpenter and Cruz.

Still Nola in 30 PAs with RISP is .087 BA and low .300's OPS .. next worst up is Grish over 200 OPS points above Nola.. I mean if he had hit his season avg .154 based on the situations he has been up in with RISP thus far we would have at least +3 Wins and -3 loses at this very moment...

 

In any case..please tell me this is because AJP just made a HUGE move

https://twitter.com/NBCSEdgeBB/status/1657138839440474112?t=FG5P1_nmRKOKv5KB3OQeqw&s=19

I know it says blured vision..but maybe he is flying to SD ahead of Next series .. wishful thinking but really the "perfect fit" as he has a good working relationship with Salas already (VWL)

Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 12, 2023, 6:25 pm

Weathers starting on Sunday.. Good for Ryan

Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 12, 2023, 6:35 pm

https://twitter.com/AJCassavell/status/1657176686604214272?t=lMPctE0o8H8FNoCq6MqLZw&s=19

Well this sucks ..

Quote from WindsorUK on May 13, 2023, 12:17 am

Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 12, 2023, 6:35 pm

https://twitter.com/AJCassavell/status/1657176686604214272?t=lMPctE0o8H8FNoCq6MqLZw&s=19

Well this sucks ..

Ugh.....

Quote from WindsorUK on May 13, 2023, 12:21 am

Realistically, this club came into this season with a new catching rotation, new 1B, 2B, SS, LF, RF and 2/5's of a starting rotation.

Irregardless of the fact that a lot of the guys were already here, everyone is making adjustments. I just hope they settle in soon enough so as not to let this season slip away.

Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 13, 2023, 4:29 am

Quote from WindsorUK on May 13, 2023, 12:21 am

Realistically, this club came into this season with a new catching rotation, new 1B, 2B, SS, LF, RF and 2/5's of a starting rotation.

Irregardless of the fact that a lot of the guys were already here, everyone is making adjustments. I just hope they settle in soon enough so as not to let this season slip away.

I see the same thing.. not to mention lots of new rules that most of our guys have never played with.. (the young guys minors have)

On a positive note ..we out hit the LAD for the 10th straight game (including post season) 4W-6L though...

It seems that we are having extremely bad luck with RISP as well..Manny absolutely murdered that ball..right at the SS for GIDP..

I get what your saying ..BUT we got to find a way to win ONE of the next 2 if not both.. Big difference being 4-5 games out vs 7..early or not ..

 

Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 13, 2023, 10:17 am

Alfaro career .810 OPS with RISP (.860 in 2022).... Absolutely raking at AAA for Boston..

Just something to keep in mind

Our Bench has ZERO Vibes..

Carp/Cruz are more Vet like

Engel is an unknown

Odor is just a guy

Sully is a rookie

We don't have that VIBE we had last year Myers/Alfaro/

Even (Dixon/Bell) had that vibe

 

I look at our everyday lineup.. (last yr we didn't find a successful lead off guy til Profar got a chance) this year the "black hole seems to be #2 hitter..

I suggest Kim (great vs LHP there).. as the #2 vs LHP

Tatis/Kim/Manny/Soto/Xander/Cruz/Crone/Nola and (Engel/Azocar) vs LHP.. looks really good to me..

Vs RHP

I like the Tatis/Crone/Manny/Soto/Xander/.. 1thru 5 we have going.. but I feel better with Cruz vs Carp atm RHP or not..

Fine with Kim vs 80% of RHP.. but Odor needs more playing time.. he barrels a lot of balls as is ..but needs more back to back starts or action as we can see.. 3 straight games 2 starting 1 late replacement ..1 HR.. PR and scored and a single..

Sully still looks solid at the plate..(results not whitstanding) he drives the ball well and Grish (slumping) needs to hit better period.. but ok as #8_#9 vs RHP.. just not 100% sold on a vs RHP lineup.. maybe Dahl can fix the bench somewhat.

One last note..Soto or whomever is at 3B needs to commit to Home plate with one out and a flyball to medium LF.. LF was going right and moving to catch that ball.. that was a clear sign to go 💯 towards home.. if he gets thrown out so be it.. but we ain't scoring as is.. so take a chance

Quote from Henry Silvestre on May 14, 2023, 7:53 am

Upon further review ..

Making "no excuses".. Padres have played the 3rd hardest schedule (including today) in Baseball out of the gate.... Starting with KC series til the end of the season Padres have the 2nd easiest schedule in baseball...so there is a light at the end of the tunnel..

What can we do and what do we need (internal only atm..)

C is a Big Black Hole Offensively and defensively.. I dont mind Sully as the backup C, he has been solid in that role and has hit the ball well, with some poor results, but overall his PAs are at least solid..he doesn't seemed overwhelmed.

Nola is a different beast ..He is a complete auto out at the plate, he rarely hits the ball out of the IF and he is even worse (how is that possible when your hitting .140 something?) With RISP.. not blaming Nola exclusively for our problems BUT he is personally responsible for 4 or 5 Ls..

If we are going to carry a Bad bat it better be a GG CF with a couple of hot streaks a season who saves runs in the OF and wins games with an occasional bomb..

What's the solution?

This team needs a "wake up" call.. no better way to make that call than 1. Replace Nola with a combo of Sully/Severino/Yorman..all 3 are offensive upgrades ..and all 3 are at least = overall to Nola.. we've seen SP having = or even > success pitching to Sully/Camp vs Nola.. Besides I don't see how the Padres bring him back for 2024 at $5mil+ (arb) so why not see what Severnino/Yorman and Sully can do, learn, improve on now..

Step 2 Tim Lopes (huge spring and doing well in EP) or the VET Iglesias UP to take Odor's place.. both are versatile and both are better hitters (put balls in play) at a better rate...

3 I don't see Engel here with Dahl and Azocar coming back.. so DFA Engel.. and activate whomever is ready..

Start there shake the clubhouse a bit.. maybe hurt some egos in doing so.. but doing the same thing over and over again and again and expecting different results is the very definition of "Insanity"..

Lets Go Padres...

Quote from fenn68 on May 14, 2023, 9:51 am

40 games into the season and a 6 games behind the LAD but “only” 1.5 games out of a wild card berth … as badly as we viewed the team’s work so far they remain in “easy” striking distance of the playoffs / Division title … especially if the easier part of the schedule helps the big hitters to get on track at the same time.

Agree some changes (even on the fringe) are called for to boost the offense but I have no confidence the EP players will be effective in the ML much more than the incumbents.

With Campusano out at least 2 months (maybe more with a rehab stint), moving on from Nola will be tricky (without a trade). In the short run we should see a lot more of Sullivan to see if he can handle the ML over extended exposure and give Nola a bit more time (primarily because he is Darvish’s catcher and knows the staff … reluctant to lose that link for a very marginal offensive upgrade).  If things don’t really improve, mid-season Severino just for a change but at this point he is not much of a hitter and has regressed defensively. Yorman Rodriguez is not really a catcher … he has played more 1B/DH in his minor league career and if he was a decent catcher he would have had that role full time.

Tinkering by changes on the bench (Engel / Odor) is fine but more of image that significant production given the options. Bumping some combo of Nola, Grisham, and the Carpenter / Cruz DH just does not seem feasible with the alternatives at hand …if you are looking for an impact improvement to the offense. Padres would be basically rotating the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Just guessing but expect Preller in already on the phone looking for upgrades … even if on the margin.