Mat Latos trade is 81% Fresh

Fangraphs

We keep losing players whose jersey I would potentially buy.

I don’t know if there’s anyone left on this team who I can say that about.

but I still voted rotten because it won’t matter who we get or how good they are if they end up being further trade bait. Feels like an endless cycle of prospects after prospects… and the ones that pan out are promptly packaged and shipped out for more prospects. Doesn’t matter if it’s the best trade in the world if these guys will never spend significant time with the big league club.

And at first glance I felt we got fleeced, but after reading up on the guys we got I now feel we got the better side of this trade. It not only gives us a better shot at doing something this year alone, but it also gives us a few more options for dealing other guys to improve our position even further. For me alot of it will hinge on which Volquez ends up pitching for us.

Latos can earn enough to buy another ‘t’ for his name.

Volquez is a punk

when I came here, but now I see that I’ve underestimated the toll that constantly shipping away favorites for prospects has taken on the average Padre fan (at least at GLB).

That being said, no matter how you slice it this was an absolute haul for Latos. Alonso, Grandal and Boxberger (in that order) are consistently ranked in the top #15 of the Reds system (Alonso generally ending up in the top #2-5 range, Grandal #5-8 range, Boxberger #12-15). Volquez is a project, no doubt, but not one without hope or promise. If anything he should do better merely from the stadium switch.

Depth is never a bad thing to accumulate…but one of the 1B will definately be flipped for something else. Interested to see what the next move is.

the UT writers are the ones that disliked this trade

I’m thrilled the Reds got Latos…..needed a top-of-the-rotation hammer, and they got one at a cheap salary….Still a good trade for the Padres, though, as the Reds gave up a lot, but they also traded from depth.

Alonso: Nice hitter, but blocked by Votto….also bad defensively, even at 1B. Petco will sap power numbers….20 HRs tops in that ballpark.

Grandal: Good hitting prospect but defense has been shaky. Another guy blocked, as Reds have Devin Mesoraco and Ryan Hanigan.

Boxberger: Good relief prospect….I think Reds will miss him the most….Jocketty made it sound like he was key to deal.

Volquez: I hate him….total headcase. Very frustrating to watch. That said, if he gets his head screwed on straight he could be good….and Petco can help mask his crappiness.

Overall, its a win/win for both teams.

but I don’t understand why people were voting “fresh” for this trade.

Cory Luebke and who?

super rebuilding.

out: a potential ace, an all star first baseman who wanted to leave, and some good relievers

in: kelly, erlin, weiland, alonso, grandal, boxberger, volquez, fuentes, maybin.

with the exception of volquez who’s already somewhat established those guys are probably the biggest influx of young talent this org has ever seen. and byrnes doesn’t look done at all. hoyer was mostly about getting very young players with high upsides in the long term, but byrnes has mostly gone after guys who are close to contributing at the major league level.

consider the fact that we now more or less have 4 guys jockeying for he 1b/LF spot , you have to figure that 1 or 2 are expendable in order to get a targeted acquisition (probably RF, MI, or a starter with big upside). you can probably add another young player or two to that list (which is why i left rizzo off).

what i’m impressed with about byrnes is not only that he is obviously willing to make gutsy moves when the iron is hot, but that he’s simultaneously building for the near future and the long-term future.

i’ve never seen a team re-tool so comprehensively, bringing in so much talent, so inexpensively. We gave up two main guys (one we didn’t really have any choice in moving), and a few good complimentary pieces and brought in potentially an entire new team of young, exciting players that fit in with a team strategy that should allow us to compete consistently into the future.

Was wondering if you all could answer a question from a Reds fan. It seems like there were several articles in 2010 about Latos’ maturation and improved makeup. Has there been any change to that narrative in 2011? I don’t recall any major blowups but thought you guys might have some special insight. Thanks in advance.

Friarhood hates it.

Latos will not be missed by anyone.

To convert my wife (a native chicagoan) from a white sox fan to a Pads fan. But I did it. She loved the Padres, she was the one who bought a season ticket package for us. But after this trade news came out she said she was done with this team and baseball. I don’t blame her. I mean, I get that this was a great trade for us and that we should feel lucky or some shit like that ( you know, just like when you guys said we got some great prospects for adrian). But this cycle sucks. A team that continues trading every recognizable star they have for prospects every year isn’t rebuilding….they’re deconstructing. And they’ve been doing it dice 2008.

Normally I feel better when I see the haul of prospects we gain in these trades, but I’m really not sold on this one…

Boxberger doesn’t fill a particular need, we have bullpen prospects.

Grandal doesn’t fit the team— an offensively-inclined catcher on a team that emphasizes run prevention.

Alonso might be very good but I’m not going to buy the hype after our last two touted 1B prospects floundered badly.

And Volquez is even more of a headcase than Latos.

However, all of these guys offer us a shot to contend in time, and this team reminds me of the squad that rampaged out of the gate and surprised everybody two years ago. We need middle infield help and the emergence of a consistent bat (Jesus saves!) but it would be very hard to be worse than last year.

On a personal level, as a fan, it’s as rotten as rotten as they get.

Rizzo is certainly trade bait. The best fits would probably be the Cubs or Rangers. I’d prefer to move Rizzo to the Rangers for Mike Olt 3B. Good glove, great arm and 20-25 homer projection. That would make Headley expendable. Don’t get me wrong, good player, but he just can’t hit here. We could flip him for someone like Carlos Quentin and add another 20-25 homer bat to the lineup. ,

And that’s it! I mean, basically. We’d still need to address the middle infield but the team would be good to go next season.

You can tell by fan reaction that there are two main types of Padres fans; 1) those who latch on to particular players and threaten to not come to games or support the team when their favorite (read: only player they recognize) is traded. This type is also called the “Hacksaw” Padres fan. The second type likes the players but also recognizes the name on the front of the jersey is what they’re cheering for and that all players are moving parts with the goal of making the playoffs and ultimately winning the World Series. You just have to ask yourselves, do the ends justify the means?