David Wells' future undecided released

by jbox on Aug 8, 2007 9:28 AM PDT in News Comment 60 comments

Listen to KT on Mighty XX. He discusses David Wells' future. Wells will not start on Saturday and will not be a Padre much longer.

The meeting between Wells, KT and Buddy gave Wells the choice to retire, be traded or be released. KT said they'll know before the end of the day.

Update [2007-8-8 17:15:21 by Dex]: AP says Boomer's released. It was a good run, dude. Have fun.

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Life after Boomer

Ok, so Chris Young plans to be back this week, but who fills in as #5 in the rotation? Ledezma? Hensley? Stauffer?

And what happens with Hermano? If he doesn't turn things around, who do we replace him with? Suddenly, our rock-solid rotation is a big question mark.

by CM Strapz on Aug 8, 2007 9:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That's a shame.

I really think he could be a valuable asset as a long reliever.

by TheThirdGonzalez on Aug 8, 2007 9:41 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Long relief.

Obviously the Padres have thought about that. Either Boomer has no interest in working from the bully...or the Padres feel he's just "done".

by Drama on Aug 8, 2007 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

KT knows best.

Regardless of my personal feelings on this or any other matter, I always have to remember that any time I've ever questioned him he's made me look like an ass... as opposed to Bud Black, who routinely makes me look like John McGraw. I swear we'd be three up in the West with me and my bench coach Joey Cora running things.

by TheThirdGonzalez on Aug 8, 2007 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

If KT says it's time to go, it's time to go.

And wouldn't it feel like Cora was breathing down your neck, now that everyone thinks he should be managing?

by Winfield's Ghost on Aug 8, 2007 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Boomer

"If I'm not starting, that means I'm on a flight to the ranch," the Michigan spread where Wells likes to hunt.

Padres for life

by sdgaucho on Aug 8, 2007 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Khali-Lama

needs to take him aside and counsel him on humility and making one's self void of egotism.

by TheThirdGonzalez on Aug 8, 2007 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

during Blum interview

they bring up the fact that Wells could end up with the Dodgers or the Giants.

by jbox on Aug 8, 2007 9:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

NOOOOO!!!!!

I guarantee if that happens, we'll make him look like Nolan Ryan everytime we face him!

C'mon, Boomer...take a bullpen gig! You've still got the stuff, just not the endurance.

by Mr Meadows on Aug 8, 2007 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dodgers not so desparate

to put a downward trending Wells in the rotation, are they? It would be interesting. Just a hunch: the Padres would explode for 7 runs in 4+ innings.

by Billy Almon on Aug 8, 2007 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Knowing us

it'd be perfect game #2.

by TheThirdGonzalez on Aug 8, 2007 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

more specifically,

we'd go 0 for 12, but then score all seven runs in the fifth innning.

by pjbno4 on Aug 8, 2007 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I vote for Dodgers

San Fran is no threat...

Geoff
Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual

by Geoff on Aug 8, 2007 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wells

I thought maybe Wells would be a good fit for middle relief, but now I'm not so sure. Here are his splits this year:

Innings 1-3: .299/.330/.494
Innings 4-6: .338/.379/.535
Innings 7-9: .440/.516/.480

So obviously he's been better early, but he's still given up an .824 OPS in innings 1-3 despite pitching half his games in Petco. That's not good.

Obviously his brutal stats in innings 4-9 mean that he probably shouldn't be starting for anyone.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Aug 8, 2007 10:19 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

further research

He actually has been pretty good this year through his first 15 pitches (he has a high-ish BA, but a sub-.300 OBP), and he has a good career ERA as a reliever. I think he'd probably be best suited as a situational lefty at this point.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Aug 8, 2007 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even more research

Through July 16th, Wells had a 4.15 ERA, which isn't great, but not terrible either. Maybe it would be best to just put him on the DL for a little while.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Aug 8, 2007 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he is tired

and could use a rest. DL might not be bad. Wellsy is good for 4 innings. The last game he had a shutout thru 4. Buddy just has to be ready with mid relief after 4 - or Wells becomes the mid-relief. This is all wishful thinking, however. All of KT's options for Wells said good bye.

by planetjeffy on Aug 8, 2007 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

scattering hits

Seems like he was surviving - for a mediocre first half of the season - by 'scattering' hits and pitching his way out of jams. July it caught up to him.

Those numbers are brutal, though I don't remember seeing him in innings 7-9 too often, perhaps never 8-9.

by Billy Almon on Aug 8, 2007 10:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Shawn Estes

Shawn Estes is about ready to come back and has had two good starts "in the minors" so that could be our fifth starter.

by SD Padres Gal on Aug 8, 2007 11:03 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That is a possibility.

He had some good appearances in the minors up until Saturday night. He made his first start for the Beavers and got hammered by the Nashville Sounds.

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1186295193103560.xml&coll=7

by Drama on Aug 8, 2007 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What about Jose Contreras?

I know his velocity is down and he isn't the pitcher he was last year or the year before, but he might be able to fool some people in one trip around the NL. The move from the AL to the NL should be worth a run in ERA, not to mention being able to pitch in Petco, against players who haven't seen him much.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Aug 8, 2007 11:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

maybe I should think before I post

He has been so terrible this year, ugh.

Maybe we could assign him to AAA and have him hang out with Shea Hillenbrand!

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Aug 8, 2007 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was about to say...

WHAT?! Let KT find the diamonds in the rough. Maybe he'll find the next Chan Ho...hey speaking of, what's he up to. Maybe he can be our 5th starter, or did he go back to Korea.

by bktabinga on Aug 8, 2007 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chan Ho

He's pitching for the Astros Triple A club in Round Rock, Texas. He's 6-11 this season with a 6.47 ERA.

by Drama on Aug 8, 2007 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Released

by the Mets in early June. I don't think KT is that desperate...yet.

by Pants on Aug 8, 2007 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's not forget

That he still has a 7 game suspension looking.

by jburtrum1 on Aug 8, 2007 11:22 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That's right!

Totally forgot about that. Retiring would be the ultimate screw you to Bud Selig. He'll avoid the suspension, and I would assume, never pay the fine.

by Drama on Aug 8, 2007 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I liked his idea

of sending Selig a bunch of pennies.

by jburtrum1 on Aug 8, 2007 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's amazing what names sound better than wells

right now.

we're going to need to fill his spot somehow...is it better to fill it with someone young who might develop (ledezma) but who might get shellacked? wells' last few starts have set the bar pretty low...

a fifth starter committee with hensley, ledezma, maybe estes could hardly be worse than 4 IP, 7 ER. someone in the padres organization seems to think that neither hampson or cameron are starters, though they've looked solid, and the bullpen is where hensley started, too.

realistically, how many of the next fifty games do we need to win to make the post season? there's about 10 starts left, more or less, for a 5th starter...i would be happy to have someone on the mound who gives us even a handful of those ten games. peavy and young and maddux will have to do the rest.

by goose1 on Aug 8, 2007 11:29 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Hampson

would probably be a decent choice for a replacement starter. But, at least for now, I see Cameron as stictly a 1 or 2 inning reliever.

by Mr Meadows on Aug 8, 2007 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I am always wondering why they never put in Hampson when they obviously should. I feel like we know more about the Padres than Buddy does sometimes.

by padresgirlforlife44 on Aug 8, 2007 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Someone, somewhere has ideas about Hampson

I just don't know what they are. Between Kevin Towers, Depodesta, Bud Black, Balsley....somebody knows his numbers are solid, and that he's come in in long relief situations and done really well.

So, what gives? Maybe they want to keep introducing him slowly? I can't see anything too scary in his numbers...too many walks against not enough strikeouts, sure, but for a 5th starter late in the season, he doesn't look nearly as bad as the other options.

But, like I said, I'm sure someone is talking about this. i just wish i knew what they were saying...

by goose1 on Aug 8, 2007 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sorry that it's ending this way

It almost makes me wish that Wellsey hadn't signed on for this season. If he'd left last season it would have been on his own terms, rather than essentially being forced out. I hope he has the good sense not to sign on to some faultering club to fizzle out.

I've always been fond of Boomer, and I wish he was going to stick around in the bullpen for us, or that he had been better managed by Buddy.

--Sigh--

by Demoira on Aug 8, 2007 11:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree...

I like Wells as a San Diego guy and wish it wasn't ending like this.

In one, small defense of Bud Black: In the game the other night, there really was no reason NOT to send Wells out in the 5th. He'd pitched 4 scoreless, hadn't been hit much (or very hard) and it was the bottom of the order coming up--the 8-9-1 spots. I don't remember the pitch count, but I know it wasn't particularly high yet--not even for Boomer. Even the doltish announcers were saying Wells had been 'efficient.' Now: the decision not to pull Boomer once it was 4-3, he hadn't recorded an out, and there were 2 men on....that just baffles me. We were still in the game before the Rolen homer.

by goose1 on Aug 8, 2007 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

It's not like Thompson was lights out once he relieved Wells. He did a good job of throwing kerosene on the fire.

"Winfield's head hits the wall! It's rolling toward second base!" - Jerry Coleman

by metalsupplier on Aug 8, 2007 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ledezma

It makes sense to give Ledezma the start in Cincinnati on Saturday. He's a left-handed pitcher that has never faced the Reds before. Hopefully he'll be able to fool them for 5 or 6 innings. We need to see what the guys got to offer as a starter. Perfect opportunity.

by Drama on Aug 8, 2007 12:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The left-handed part is key

as the Reds are much worse this season against lefties.

by benrb on Aug 8, 2007 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Boomer not retiring?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7104100

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Boomer "will be designated for assignment and simultaneously placed on release waivers, giving the Padres three days to trade him."

He also mentions the Dodgers as a possible destination.

by Drama on Aug 8, 2007 12:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs