Quote from fenn68 on June 7, 2024, 7:01 pm

Heard some speculation (not to the rumor stage) that the Padres are a potential trade partner for CWS CF Luis Robert (a power hitting star … when healthy) along with the LHP Crochet.

Robert is an outstanding defender along with the power … RHH … could shuffle the OF with Profar to 1B/DH. Big risk on health but controlled for 2024 and two more years vis club options.

Getting BOTH Robert and Crochet would be mega expensive via prospects … would think one of Salas or DeVries would be in play (maybe both). Do the Padres play for 2024-25 or sit on prospects maybe 3-5 years away?

Quote from MrPadre19 on June 8, 2024, 4:21 am

Much needed win last night.

Extra base hits….Campy with a good game.

Profar continues to hit….can he do it for 162?

Starting pitching continues to keep us in games.

With Joe and Yu out how big have the Cease and King acquisitions been?

 

Quote from fenn68 on June 8, 2024, 5:21 am

Good game and good to see some extra base hits. Note that for the past few weeks Tatis is blazing hot and Kim has also heated up. Machado (before injury) too was getting hot. The big 3 actually hitting is a good sign if the other players don’t fade.

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I was listening to a Texas broadcaster and he was lamenting on the lack of hitting across the ML this season … pitching dominated … and hoping the summer will get the bats going. So we are not alone in question the offense this season which made be look how the Padres are doing vs the rest of the NL. Since there are 6 playoff slots … listing the top 6 teams in order by selected stats:

SD - MIL - LAD - PHI - SF - AZ … Batting Average

LAD - MIL - PHI - SD - SF - AZ … OBP

LAD - MIL - PHI - ATL - SD - AZ … SLG

LAD - MIL - PHI - SD - ATL - AZ … OPS

Padres are in the top 5 in all categories and if you take out the Division leaders (LAD, PHI, MIL) the Padres have the best offense of the Wild Card contenders even with Tatis, Machado and Kim under performing early in the season.

Just to round out the picture … looked at the pitching.

PHI - LAD - ATL - MIL - CIN - SD … ERA

PHI - LAD - SD - ATL - CIN - MIL … WHIP

LAD - PHI - NYM - SD - CIN - ATL … BAA

Again pitching-wise the Padres are in the top 6 in the NL.

So even though frustrated on a game by game view and the losing record … the season is based on wining more than your opponents … getting to the playoffs … getting hot. Padres sit with the 5th best record in the NL (playoff slot) and have the offense and pitching balanced that should keep them in play for the playoff slot.

The makings of a tense season for the fans.

Quote from MrPadre19 on June 9, 2024, 5:43 am

Well,we can no longer talk about the Clevinger trade without at least acknowledging Preller getting Matt Waldron in the deal.

While his minor league stats are not good if you take out the 2 seasons at El Paso,which you always should for a pitcher…..they make more sense considering what we’re seeing now.

But who had him as the best arm in the Sunshine deal?

 

Quote from fenn68 on June 10, 2024, 5:49 am

Make of this as you will … a point in time … but as it stands ranking NL SP by ERA:

20. King (3.38) … acquired (with others) for Soto

21. Cease (3.51) … acquired for Thorpe, Iriate, and others (note Thorpe called up to start Tues

22. Weathers (3.55) … traded for Garrett Cooper / Sean Reynolds

23. Gore (3.57) … traded (with others) for Soto

24. Quantrill (3.58) … traded (with others) for Clevinger

Could interpret that Preller can draft well with Weathers, Gore, and Quantrill being #1 picks but maybe not as strong in making trades. Too impatient in moving prospects before fully developing? Trying to hard to win now when really don’t have the base team?

From a draft of #1 picks: Quantrill (2016 … #8); Gore (2017 … #3); Weathers (2018 … #7); Abrams (2019 …#6); Hassell (2020 … #8); Merrill (2021 … #27); Lesko (2022 … #15); Head (2023 … #25). The success rates of #1 picks across baseball is not that certain and Preller seems to be exceeding the odds … Lesko and Head are a TBD and even Hassell (who seems to be faltering) is still young in the development phase. Hitting on the others who are actually doing well in the ML (not just a token appearance) is a win.

Note that Merrill and Lesko (for now) are the only ones in the organization … insight into Preller’s strategy on the use of prospects?

Now as for trades …

Quote from fenn68 on June 11, 2024, 3:40 am

Normally the summer across baseball plays a bit differently than early in the season ... weather a factor. Understanding that, have been hearing comments that pitching is more dominant in 2024 over 2023. That appears to be true as pitching stats are running better y-t-d than total 2023. Pitching ERA is down 8% (3.98 down from 4.33), HR/9 is down 14%.

I had noticed that the Padres have been hitting a lot of warning track fly balls ... seems a league issue ... change in the ball?

However, the Padres' offense holding a bit better vs that trend. Less SLG (.400 vs .413) but BA better (.262 from .244) with OBP the same. BB% is down (8.1% from 10.6%) but K% is down (18.0% from 21.2%).

I looks as though the Padres are more aggressive ... not so much taking pitches to get a walk  (maybe Soto gone is a factor) ... and successfully hitting better ... more contact / balls in play. A lot can change over the next 3 1/2 months but Victor Rodriguez seems to be a positive influence on the hitters.

Quote from WindsorUK on June 13, 2024, 2:41 pm

The Metropolitans are not a very good baseball team, correct? And we generally play better on the road, correct? Definitely a winnable series there in New York.

Need to see Arraez, Tatis, Merrill, Cronenworth, Kim, Solano continue as they have been. And hope Manny becomes Manny sometime before the break. Hopefully Profar's knee isn't a long term issue, either.

This year's team just seems....different?....from last years. Subtracting Soto( and Bogaerts?) seems to have turned this group hungry. They want to fight all 9. I don't agree with Schildty's lineups but the guys seem to buy into whatever he's selling. Another 90+ games to go, I'm liking where we're at. Now, another 5 game losing streak will change my opinion but I'm not sure I see that happening with this group( think they've learned their lesson from the last 5 game losing streak)

Go Pads!

Quote from fenn68 on June 16, 2024, 9:15 am

If you recall I am not a Machado fan ... respected his past performance but not a fan. Now I am getting very concerned about his performance now (and going forward) along with his ability to avoid injury. He is a $30MM+ AAV guy through 2033 so considering short - medium - long term implications.

Looking at his trajectory:

304/370/580 (950) ... 2020 ... age 27 ... MVP 3rd in vote

278/347/489 (836) ... 2021 ... age 28 .... MVP 18th in vote

298/366/531 (897) ... 2022 ... age 29 ... MVP 2nd in vote

signs mega new contact ... turns 30

258/319/462 (781) ... 2023 ... age 30

244/303/364 (667) ... 2024 ... age 31

Age sometimes gets players sooner than expected ... are Manny's injuries last season and this season a sign that his body is not holding up?

This is the guy paid to be the middle of the order power / RBI bat ... and that is the problem and hard to hide.

Quote from MrPadre19 on June 25, 2024, 7:18 am

I love the walk off wins as much as anyone but what I wouldn't give for two or three  8-0 laughers in a row at this point.

Let the high leverage relievers have a break...let our SP's get some wins on their stat sheet and help my heart and my sleep levels....that game ended late last night.