Quote from fenn68 on September 21, 2024, 1:53 pm

More of an issue for this off-season but Padres may be in an interesting position is setting up the 2025 catching at the ML and AAA call-up.

1. Both Higashioka and Diaz are FA
2. Both Campusano and Sullivan have no minor league options for 2025 ... ML roster or DFA. Also note that Campusano is in his first ARB year.
3. Not much in AA/AAA (a way until they are ready for Salas) except maybe Valenzuela now in AAA but little offense and non-roster. Padres may have to add him to the 40 man just for insurance.

Sullivan is a 30 +/- year old AAAA catcher ... Valenzuela is clearly not ready for the ML on a contender.

Would appear the Padres have to make a push to re-sign Higashioka for the stability in one ML slot. Campy becomes the question ... still one of the poorest defensive catchers and had a poor offensive year. Likely kept through ST but if he falters there (or early in the season) likely lost via waivers then ????? Sign another FA? ...  don't forget money is always an issue with the Padres and the CBT. Side: Diaz has shown little in his time with the Padres, so maybe a no to his re-sign.

This may be one of those under the radar issues that may impact 2025 quite a lot.

Quote from BoosterSD on September 21, 2024, 2:03 pm

Just saw a MLB Network on Facebook on Machado. Many on here were on Machado saying he might be done and his new contract might be an anchor now.

Well since July 27, he leads all ML in RBI, and has the following stat line.

BA - .323, OBP - .361, and SLG - .645 with 16 HRs and 51 RBIs. Safe to say that the elbow might have been worse last season than thought, and his rebound from surgery took longer than expected.

But Machado is Machado again, and it looks good in a SD uni!!

Quote from Randy Manese on September 21, 2024, 3:29 pm

I may be wrong, but I don't think Campy will have spent enough time in the minors to have used up his last option year.  I think the same thing applies to Morejon.  If this is the case, Campy gets a longer look and hopefully he at hits like he did earlier in the 2024 season.  I'm thinking they will add Valenzuela on the 40 man and retain Sullivan there just to give them more options  in case of injury or Higgy can't get close to the career year he has had with the Padres this year.  One or both could be dropped, if necessary, to protect other possible Rule 5 losses but I think there is enough 40-man space initially.  Diaz likely overpriced; solid behind the plate but not showing anything offensively.

Quote from fenn68 on September 21, 2024, 3:40 pm

Quote from Randy Manese on September 21, 2024, 3:29 pm

I may be wrong, but I don't think Campy will have spent enough time in the minors to have used up his last option year.  I think the same thing applies to Morejon.  If this is the case, Campy gets a longer look and hopefully he at hits like he did earlier in the 2024 season.  I'm thinking they will add Valenzuela on the 40 man and retain Sullivan there just to give them more options  in case of injury or Higgy can't get close to the career year he has had with the Padres this year.  One or both could be dropped, if necessary, to protect other possible Rule 5 losses but I think there is enough 40-man space initially.  Diaz likely overpriced; solid behind the plate but not showing anything offensively.

Think you are right on Campy ... he was optioned on Sept 11 so think 19 days to the end of the season ... need to be in the minors for 20 to lose an option year. Well played by Preller.

Quote from fenn68 on September 22, 2024, 10:27 am

Since the Padres are on the brink of the playoffs have to give kudos to Preller considering the team's failure (with big names) in 2023 and the mandate to lower the payroll by about $100MM to get under the CBT ... and yes, remain a contender ... he has done what was a daunting task for anyone. Consider:

He signed low budget FA that have been keys to the season long success of the team: Matsui, Profar, Solano, Diaz, Wade, D.Peralta, W.Peralta, and picked up Estrada via waivers ... combined are lesss than $15MM.

Four deadline trades ... low cost add who are producing:

1. Scott and Hoeing (4 more years of control): Mazur; Snelling; Pauley; Beshears
2. Adam ( 2 more years of control): Lesko; Bush; J.D. Gonzales
3. Perez: Jimenez
4. Lockridge (6 more years of control): De Los Santos; Balboni

Mid season trade (May) ... Arraez (MIA picks up his contract cost for 2024): Head; Marsee; Maraorella; Go

ST trade (Mar) ... Cease: Thorpe; Iriate; Zavala; Wilson

Winter trade (Dec) ... Thorpe; King; Higashioka; Vasquez; Brito: Soto; Grisham

That is a lot of moves resulting in having the 3rd best record in the NL (1st WC slot), dropping below the CBT ... while having Tatis, Bogaerts, Darvish, and Musgrove missing extensive playing time and Machado spending the first two months struggling to recover from elbow surgery.

Kudos to Preller.

Quote from brent wolff on September 22, 2024, 2:09 pm

The only thing you forgot to include Fenn is AJP letting Melvin leave for SF and the hiring of Mike Schildt as manager and Victor Gonzalez has hitting coach.  Both of those moves have paid off in spades.

Once the Padres win one more game for a total of 90 this year, Schildt will become the 14th manager ever to win 90 games in the first 3 complete seasons possible to do so.  Schildt took over mid-season in 2018 for the Cards, so that year didn't count.  He won 91 games in 2019, then the Covid season of 2020 interrupted, in the 2021 season he won 90 games with the Cards, then was fired for philosophical differences after the 2021 season.  Schildt then returned to managing this season with the Pads and has won 90 with 6 games remaining in the season.  Schildt is the first manager to do this with different teams.

Could Schildt be NL manager of the year & could AJP for NL executive of the year, sweeping those awards?  Go Pads!

 

Quote from Alex Tamayo on September 22, 2024, 2:56 pm

Quote from brent wolff on September 22, 2024, 2:09 pm

The only thing you forgot to include Fenn is AJP letting Melvin leave for SF and the hiring of Mike Schildt as manager and Victor Gonzalez has hitting coach.  Both of those moves have paid off in spades.

Once the Padres win one more game for a total of 90 this year, Schildt will become the 14th manager ever to win 90 games in the first 3 complete seasons possible to do so.  Schildt took over mid-season in 2018 for the Cards, so that year didn't count.  He won 91 games in 2019, then the Covid season of 2020 interrupted, in the 2021 season he won 90 games with the Cards, then was fired for philosophical differences after the 2021 season.  Schildt then returned to managing this season with the Pads and is one win away from 90 before the start of our last home game of the year vs. the CWS.

AJP for NL executive of the year?  Go Pads!

 

The "philosophical differences" thing was so dumb, the guy won 90 games twice and you worry about how he did it? He just showed you he knows WTF he is doing, why not support his way of running a ballclub?

Quote from LynchMob on September 22, 2024, 5:48 pm

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/09/padres-select-nick-ahmed.html

The Padres announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of shortstop Nick Ahmed. To accommodate the addition of Ahmed to the club’s active and 40-man rosters, infielder Mason McCoy was placed on the 10-day injured list due to back inflammation while right-hander Jhony Brito was recalled to the majors before being placed on the 60-day IL due to a right elbow strain.

Quote from brent wolff on September 23, 2024, 7:59 am

With 6 games remaining in the regular season, the Pads have won 85% of the games when they score 4 or more runs (74-13).  Thus scoring 4 runs appears to be the magic number for the Pads.

Congrats to Yu Darvish for becoming the first Japanese born pitcher to record 2,000 strikeouts in MLB!