FanPost

Kouzmanoff for Swisher?

Just an idea I was toying this and I would be curious as to what some Padre fans think of this. It's a hypothetical Kevin Kouzmanoff trade idea, and like most of theme, they are unrealistic, but here we go.

I certainly understand the fact that Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley can coexist, but is that actually best for the team? I am not completely sure how good or bad Headley's defense is in LF, but he does not seem like a strong defender in LF and that's likely because he is a 3B playing LF. So the issue with the team isn't so much Headley vs Kouz, but really Kouz vs avaliable LF production

With that in mind, I started to think about what teams might need a 3B, but have a surplus of OF's? Then it hit me, what about the White Sox? Joe Crede is a free agent after this year and while the Sox do have Josh Fields in the minors, he had a poor 08 in AAA and did even worse in the bigs.

Where am I going with this? The Padres trade Kevin Kouzmanoff to the White Sox for Nick Swisher, who had an absolutely horrible 2008 with the team in which he hit .219/.332/.410 with 24 homers in an offensive park. He is under contract until 2010 at 5.3 million in 09, and 6.75 M in 2010. He also has option years for 2011 and 12 at 9 and 10 million dollars apiece.

So why Swisher? He hit worse than Kouz and he did it at US Cellular, NOT Petco. Here's my reasons why:

-Nick Swisher is only one year younger than Kouz, but prior to 08 has a track year of marked MLB success.
-In 08, Swisher posted the highest LD% of his career at 20.9%, which gives him an expected BABIP of .329, his actual BABIP this year was .249, suggesting he was quite unlucky.

-If you adjust for that "luck" Swisher hits the following line .272/.383/.477  which is a very good line I think we'd all like, even after park adjustment.

-This move would help the defense, because I believe Swisher & Headley at LF and 3B would be more efficient with the glove than Headley & Kouz

-While Kouz is a good hitter and would be extremely special if he had more plate patience, Swisher already has demonstrated plate patience, and I'd rather bet on the 28 year old who already has that skill than the 27 year old who may or may not ever develop it.

-I'd even throw in Venable or Gerut if I had to, but would obviously prefer not to

Would the Sox do it? Obviously I have no idea, but I don't know how high they are on Swisher given the fact that he had such a bad year that they decided to acquire Griffey at the deadline (although Konerko was partially responsible for that too). Do they view 3B as a hole? Maybe not, maybe they love Josh Fields despite 2008 or maybe they want to bring back Crede. If that's the case, I haven't given up, I just try to find a 3rd team to make it fit. That team? The San Francisco Giants

The Giants clearly have a hole at 3B and would covet a young 3B like Kouzmanoff. They could send Aaron Rowand, who Williams tried to acquire this past off-season via FA, cash, and a few pieces (Jack Taschner and Clayton Tanner?) to the Sox for Kouz from the Pads, and Swisher to the Pads.  That's a highly unrealistic scenario, but that's what the internet is for. To explore cooky half baked ideas that will never see the light of day.

This FanPost was written by a member of the Gaslamp Ball community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gaslamp Ball staff or SB Nation.