Padres Owner Jeff Moorad talks about Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff

by jbox on Jan 20, 2010 10:30 AM PST

XX Sports Radio: Jeff Moorad Interview (MP3) Part 2 with Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton

Moorad taking phone calls.

A caller doesn't think that a team can win with a $40 million payroll. Moorad says "I'm not so sure we can't." Moorad thinks that the Padres have a number of good players that will be very good and play here for a long time. "As the payroll grows, so to will the cost of the roster."
"The reality is that Adrian Gonzalez is a franchise player. I love him as a person. I love him as a player. If there was a way to keep him here for the course of his career, it'd be a great thing. I don't know if that can happen."
"Can we afford Adrian if he costs $17 -18 -20 million a year? Probably not, quite frankly." If it's worth for him to play in San Diego for more affordable numbers then the Padres would be at the front of the line to sign him.
Jed Hoyer has open discussions with Adrian's agent. They decided to keep the discussions out of the media. "You have my word that we will never trade Adrian Gonzalez if there is a realistic chance of signing him."
No player is untouchable even Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres will listen to offers.
"The Kouzmanoff deal was a tough one." He's been a real trooper in the organization. The Kouzmanoff trade unlocked the playing time for other players, particularly Blanks who can move to left field and Headley can move to third. The move gives the Padres a better chance to compete at a higher level.
"The reality is that I think we have a chance, whether it's this season or next. There is no reason why this club with the players that are hear today can't win the division consistently going forward and that's our goal."
The Kevin Kouzmanoff deal had nothing to do with money at all.

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“You have my word that we will never trade Adrian Gonzalez if there is a realistic chance of signing him.”

Well that’s good to hear.

and I agree that trading Kouz was much more than just the players involved and it will improve our team by giving more playing time to other younger players.

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by Sam (sdsuaztec4) on Jan 20, 2010 10:50 AM PST reply actions

“As the payroll grows, so to will the cost of the roster.”

Huh? I thought the payroll is the cost of the roster. Maybe this is a fancy way of saying, “It is what it is.”

by theodore donald kerabatsos on Jan 20, 2010 11:38 AM PST reply actions

Depends

on what your definition of “is” is

by Sam (sdsuaztec4) on Jan 20, 2010 11:45 AM PST up reply actions

The Padres basically under paying for the talent on the roster at the moment

because 70% of the players are making league minum, this will only be the case for a few more years. As players like Latos, Blanks, Venable, Headley and Cabrera hit thier arbitration years the payroll will have to go up to as well.

by Grey Suit on Jan 20, 2010 4:25 PM PST up reply actions

Their goal is to win the division consistently?

that’s good and all…but KT used to take a lot of crap for saying that kind of stuff and not saying they wanted to win the world series.

by Dugout Dude on Jan 20, 2010 12:33 PM PST reply actions

"As the payroll grows, so to will the cost of the roster."

what does that even mean?

552

by wrveres on Jan 21, 2010 2:10 AM PST reply actions

It basically means

That they plan to increase the payroll over the next couple of years, but it is lowering expectations for free agent signings because he’s saying that the players under team control will match that payroll increase with the cost (in arbitration dollars).

I'm the first person to admit that I'm wrong about a lot of things, but I'm going to be the last person to admit I'm wrong about what we're currently talking about.

by Wonko on Jan 22, 2010 1:03 AM PST up reply actions

gotcha

But i have to add a “yeah right”

We all know that once these kids hit arbitration, they are hitting the trade market. Who on this team is worth locking up long term right now besides Blanks and Latos? And those two won’t have to be addressed for two or three years. Headley has people almost ready to push him, just like he pushed Kouz. Blanks will have to be moved somewhere. He can’t stay in the outfield much longer …

yeah right ..

552

by wrveres on Jan 22, 2010 3:50 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah, I agree.

I’d be thrilled if all of these young guys play well enough to warrant big contracts when they reach free agency. But odds are that a couple of them will be good and the rest will fade into Bolivia.

by theodore donald kerabatsos on Jan 22, 2010 10:00 AM PST up reply actions

You make it sound

Like in a couple of years Blanks will be an old man. In a couple of years he won’t even be as old as Chase Headley is right now.

I'm the first person to admit that I'm wrong about a lot of things, but I'm going to be the last person to admit I'm wrong about what we're currently talking about.

by Wonko on Jan 23, 2010 6:30 PM PST up reply actions

"The Situation" is going to have to be addressed ..

.. sooner or later.

that could be Blanks new nickname.

The Situation.

552

by wrveres on Jan 24, 2010 4:10 AM PST up reply actions

The obvious solution

Is that Gonzalez will be traded or go to free agency by the start of the 2012 season. That seems like a good enough way to address it. And even if he miraculously re-signs, if Blanks’ bat is good enough to be a regular 1B in the majors then it surely can carry him through whatever issues he has in left (if there are any). And if it can’t, then the situation is that he’s not good enough for the major leagues anyway. It’s not really something that anyone should be too concerned with.

I'm the first person to admit that I'm wrong about a lot of things, but I'm going to be the last person to admit I'm wrong about what we're currently talking about.

by Wonko on Jan 24, 2010 10:17 PM PST up reply actions

Also

The Padres very recently had a $70 million payroll and I’m thinking that they weren’t losing money. If the kids can be good enough to draw fans to Petco, then there’s no reason to think that the payroll won’t go up as that happens. It’s a big if, but I assume Moorad is thinking positively.

I'm the first person to admit that I'm wrong about a lot of things, but I'm going to be the last person to admit I'm wrong about what we're currently talking about.

by Wonko on Jan 23, 2010 6:32 PM PST up reply actions