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#921 · January 20, 2021, 4:05 pm
With all the Padres’ movement this winter ... might lose site of the fact they only have signed two FA for the ML roster:
1. Kim from Korea
2. O’Grady released by TB with minimal ML time after 6+ years in the minors.
Kudos to Preller for building (and using) a deep farm system without giving up elite prospects (except Patino) and getting top quality ML players under control for multiple years on contracts that would be far less than their production would be valued on the FA market. Kudos to Siedler for seeing the same vision and opening up the payroll to take advantage of this opportunity.
#922 · January 20, 2021, 9:24 pm
A healthy Lamet ... as a Cy Young candidate has much more value than Closer of the Year candidate ... so I would gamble with the starter role until it is clear he can’t handle it.
Cy Young candidate in a 60 game season... Just like many of us (esp Mr P) thought Lamet might break out last year, I'm really skeptical he can be THAT effective over an extended stretch b/c it just seems logical that he will have to develop that elusive 3rd pitch he hasn't yet to decrease his reliance on the slider. HAS to throw less of his best pitch, and more of a by far the worst 3rd pitch (kind of the opposite of Musgrove finding a better pitch mix to minimize his < Avg FB). So my thought is, would he have more value as a dominant bullpen guy than a "less" dominant SP than he was last year... given our 3 new SP's?
I WANT him to be able to stick at SP, but from the 30,000 foot view: The 3 guys traded for are positively SP's. Gore has 4 above avg pitches & (normally) plus command; he's definitely a SP. Weathers is too young & has too much upside to move off SP yet unless he's just light years better than every other option for the 7th/8th guy in pen. More likely to get exposure in pen as an injury or heavy pen use (extra innings) callup.
That leaves Lamet, Paddack (lacking true "3rd pitch" guys) and Morejon (can he "hold" his stuff deeper into games). Morejon looks like the most likely to wind up in pen permanently, but don't think Pads were thinking "7th inning guy" when they had to pony up almost 22 MM for him. Paddack DID make progress last offseason revamping his curveball; definitely was better, but not used enough to "hide" the FB location issues. I think no real breaking pitch makes him a less likely bullpen candidate. It's pretty blatantly obvious Lamet would excel out of the pen with his stuff & mentality... IF he accepted the role and could adapt to "getting hot" quickly.
#923 · January 21, 2021, 10:21 am
As I read through MLBTR and this thread, isnt it refreshing and different to think about where this SD teams sits compared to the majority of the rest of the league. We are not looking for a 3B, SS, 2B, 1B, CF, RF, nor LF for this season. We have C covered, bench INF, the SP and RP is in a better position than I have ever seen a SD team, except for maybe Closer. Yes, we want a RHH 4th OFer that can play CF, and maybe Rosenthal back, but really guys, have we ever seen a Padres team this prepared for a season before!?!
As Mr. P, bring on ST and the start to the season!!!
#924 · January 21, 2021, 11:16 am
Quote from BoosterSD on January 21, 2021, 10:21 amAs I read through MLBTR and this thread, isnt it refreshing and different to think about where this SD teams sits compared to the majority of the rest of the league. We are not looking for a 3B, SS, 2B, 1B, CF, RF, nor LF for this season. We have C covered, bench INF, the SP and RP is in a better position than I have ever seen a SD team, except for maybe Closer. Yes, we want a RHH 4th OFer that can play CF, and maybe Rosenthal back, but really guys, have we ever seen a Padres team this prepared for a season before!?!
As Mr. P, bring on ST and the start to the season!!!
SERIOUSLY! Remember the "who's our starting 3B going to be: Ty France or Jason Vosler?" discussion. Or how indispensable Joey Lucchesi & Eric Lauer were to our Starting rotation. Or a few years earlier, the merits of bringing back Alexi Amarista as our SS? AAAGGH!
What Preller with Seidler & Fowler's blessing going back years to the 80 MM International FA signing spree has now built in the last 12-14 months is unbelieveable: A top 5-MLB team with a 3 year contention window with only these needs... FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS:
- Closer - May be filled from within by Pomeranz/Pagan combo
- 4th OF - Likely a 1 year patch, but Mateo (prospect pedigree) & O'Grady (performance) do have potential
- Corner OF (LF) - After 1 year. Unlikely possibility Pham either takes Q.O. or re-ups as FA
- Corner OF (RF) - After 2 years, assuming Pads opt out of Myers deal
That's it! For 3 years! And that's with 6 top 100 prospects PLUS Kim to slide in to help & be part of the next 3 year window...
#925 · January 21, 2021, 11:52 am
Big difference for sure.
Plus in 2-3 years we will have Abrams/Hassell and a few others who break out in the next few years.
Or,AJ keeps on trading prospects for 2-3 years of all star level major league players.
Either way.
Just think of all the ML teams(and their fans) who have a bad ML team, or a bad Farm system,or in some cases....both.
Suddenly we don’t have either.....
#926 · January 21, 2021, 12:08 pm
While Lamet only throws a fastball slider, in effect their 4 different pitches. He throws both a two seam and four seam extremely well (completely different action I don’t get why they’re not considered throwing two pitches) and he throws a hard biting sliding and a bit of a slower one that acts more like a slurve.
So two “pitches” but in effect the batter sees for different actions, straight, horizontal, diagonal, and inside run.
Lamet can be an ace type for years if he can stay healthy
#927 · January 21, 2021, 12:12 pm
And a DH. Still Padres should be among the elite in this 3 year window.
Pitching is well stocked and have not shut out the possibility that one (or more) of Pomeranz, Pagan, Adams, or Castillo hold that “closer” title. As early as next year ... not ruling out one of Espinosa, Thompson, or one of the lesser known prospects pushing their way in ... RP are a fickle bunch.
LF - DH will start to matter in 2022 and RF in 2023, but Padres do have pitching and catching to trade (and trades seem to be Preller’s preferred strategy). Unlikely they make a QO to Pham lest he actually take it in the $18MM range (huge over pay). Hopefully Abrams gets a slot by 2023 and confident Preller can swing deals to appropriately fill the holes .. he has the assets.
IF everyone is healthy and the top prospects appear ML ready after 2021 .... going to be debate as to whom among the excess is used in a trade. Probably not one of the prospects since Preller wants to keep the winning going beyond 2023 (so do I).
Padres should be in for a good run.
#928 · January 21, 2021, 3:18 pm
I’m not sure what it’s gonna be like the next few off seasons.....gonna be boring I’m guessing.
Which will be AWESOME!
#929 · January 22, 2021, 8:11 am
Padres To Re-Sign Jurickson Profar
The Padres have agreed to re-sign infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar on a three-year, $21MM contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter).
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Love him or not .... he is the Padres for 3 years .... super-utility - DH - LF.
#930 · January 22, 2021, 8:24 am
Quote from fenn68 on January 22, 2021, 8:11 amPadres To Re-Sign Jurickson Profar
The Padres have agreed to re-sign infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar on a three-year, $21MM contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter).
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Love him or not .... he is the Padres for 3 years .... super-utility - DH - LF.
Not a huge fan of this deal at this time. I think its way too much money for a 40 day window of barely above average hitting.
With Kim signed for 4 years, and Profar for 3 years, I wonder if this leads to a trade of Cro for a controllable OFer. Im not sure how MIN is set for INF prospects, maybe a Cronenworth for Kiriloff or Fenns favorite target, Marsh from ANA?