Adam Dunn for Clay Hensley

by jbox on Jun 4, 2007 8:59 PM PDT in News

Ken Rosenthal mentions Clay Hensley as possible trade bait for Cincinnati's Adam Dunn.

The emergence of right-hander Justin Germano theoretically could make righty Clay Hensley available, but the Padres will need to be careful -- they've got two 40-somethings in their rotation, righty Greg Maddux and lefty David Wells, plus oft-injured righty Jake Peavy.

Here's the thing we've got to trade something of value to get something of value. The Reds need pitching and we need an outfielder that can hit for power. Sure it's a risk, but it's a risk trying to win a division without a power bat. We may not even need Clay. You can either have Clay playing in the minors, spot starting and throwing out of the bullpen or you can have Adam Dunn in your line up everyday. If at some point Hensley is brought back up to the Padres bullpen who's to say that Buddy Black would ever even use him. It could be weeks before he even gets to pitch.

We've got pitching talent coming out of our collective asses and we are in desperate need of someone who can hit. With Dunn in the line up not every body would have to get hot at the same time to get the offense rolling. Think of the pitches Adrian Gonzalez would see if he had someone protecting him in the lineup. What would our line up look like?

M. Giles
B. Giles (Cruz)
Gonzalez
Dunn
Cameron
Kouzmanoff
Bard
Khalil

The upside of Dunn is that he has a lot of power and wouldn't have too much trouble hitting balls out of Petco. Adding a power bat to our lineup would make it lethal. The downside is that he'd also have to play outfield in Petco and there is a lot of ground to cover out there. Remember Sledge hasn't been winning any gold gloves in left field either. Dunn also strikes out a ton, his yearly strike out totals are higher than some guys batting averages. He would also become a free agent at the end of the year.

Like I said it's a risk, I think I would make the move if the deal was for Hensley. I'd pass on the deal if it was for Cla Meredith. Cla is a big part of the world's greatest bullpen and if we pull him out it could be like Jenga.

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The problem with that lineup

is Dunn and Cameron are strikeout machines and you probably don't want those two back to back in the batting order. Maybe use Bard to split them up?

M. Giles
B. Giles (Cruz)
Gonzalez
Dunn
Bard
Cameron
Kouzmanoff
Khalil

by A Whales Vajayjay on Jun 4, 2007 9:37 PM PDT 0 recs

What about

Batting Dunn 3rd in the lineup forcing guys to pitch to him fearing Gonzalez. That way if we go down 1-2-3 in the first, you don't have a K machine leading off the 2nd. Plus if one of the Giles's do get on and Dunn K's, we still have Gonzo to potentially drive them in.

M. Giles
B. Giles
Dunn
Gonzo
Cameron
Bard
Kouz
Greene

by jburtrum1 on Jun 4, 2007 10:44 PM PDT up 0 recs

I wouldnt mind trading Hensley

if we got a big bat. But I don't like it for Dunn. too many strikeouts, lousy defense.

Also, I've got to think the Yankees will call/have called about Hensley, considering their situation. Who can we take from NY?

by RBS on Jun 4, 2007 9:49 PM PDT 0 recs

I agree

I do not like Adam Dunn as a baseball player. Yah he may hit 35-40 homers, but the rest of his ABs end up as Ks.

As for the Yankees, maybe Melky Cabrera? Although then I don't know who they'd put in the outfield to replace him, especially since they are talking about putting Damon at 1B since Mienkevitch got hurt.

Hate is a strong word. I really dislike Geoff Blum.

by sdsuaztec4 on Jun 4, 2007 11:12 PM PDT up 0 recs

35-40 homers in petco?

I'll take it. At least the Ks aren't GIDP monsters.

by Dex on Jun 5, 2007 3:58 AM PDT up 0 recs

Visiting from Pinstripe Alley

I haven't followed the Padres that closely this year. What are you guys looking for?
Big bat, obviously, but we're really locked into our lineup as is, especially with Giambi out indefinitely and Damon relegated to DH/1B because of his sore wheels. Every starting position player has a no-trade but Melky and Cano, either by contract or 5&10.
As for trading for bullpen help, I don't see it happening. We've got the arms either on the staff or in the minors, we just need a front office smart enough to force Joe Torre to use them. (Edwar Ramirez has split the season between AA and AAA with 50Ks in 27IP).
We've got some starters who could be 4-5s in the NL to spare, but that's looking more at someone to replace our backup catcher, who is really a folding chair and a pillow in disguise.

"If you're in love with the game, you can't turn it on and off like a light. It's something that runs so deep it takes you over." ~Billy Martin.

by jscape2000 on Jun 5, 2007 11:18 PM PDT up 0 recs

Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn can strike out all he wants as long as he delivers a .400+ OBP and 35+ HR. Make the trade.

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

by metalsupplier on Jun 5, 2007 12:55 AM PDT 0 recs

oops

More like .360+ OBP, but anyway...

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

by metalsupplier on Jun 5, 2007 12:57 AM PDT up 0 recs

exactly

we're not going to be able to afford the type of player that is perfect. if he's going to have this much power, chances are he'll strike out a bunch and won't win any gold gloves. this is the way of moneyball.

make the trade. go for it all this year. worry about filling the holes maddux and wells leave later.

by obviousman on Jun 5, 2007 4:03 AM PDT up 0 recs

I'd make the deal for either clay or claw.

If we were to insert dunn into our lineup, he'd instantly be leading the team in home runs, second on OBP, second in SLG, second in OPS -- all behind Adrian Gonzalez, professional hitter.

Or maybe I just miss Greg Vaughn.

by pjbno4 on Jun 5, 2007 6:21 AM PDT 0 recs

No brainer

Even though they played well Sunday, the starting OF of Sledge, Bocachica and P Mac (a decent outfield--for Portland), severity of Giles' injury, and Cruz Jr injuring his back on a sneeze means that a move has to be made.

I'm guessing KT feels that, with the 'dres pitching, he can get by platooning these guys for a few more weeks while prices for left field sluggers drop somewhat as more teams give up on their seasons. Unless Clay proves himself though, I suspect the Reds would want more though.

by Billy Almon on Jun 5, 2007 6:34 AM PDT 0 recs

Adam Dunn...

Adam Dunn drives me crazy watching him play. I can't stand seeing a guy strikeout THAT much. It's just painful to me. His incredible strikeout total is the reason I was certain he would never be a Padre. We all know how much Sandy values on base percentage. So there's no way a guy that whiffs that much could possibly have a decent on base percentage...right? Wrong. A closer look at the numbers reveals a different story. Over the past three seasons (2004, 2005 & 2006), his OBP is .380. To give you someone to compare it to, over the same span...Brian Giles had an OBP of .390.

Another thing that surprised me is his durability. In that same three season span, Dunn played in 161, 160 & 160 games.

His fielding isn't exactly gold glove material. He had 12 errors in LF in 2006. But in 2005 he only had 5 errors, and 8 errors the season before that. All he needs to know is that anything in the gap is Cam's. Pretty simple.

Dunn is only 27 and his contract has a $13 million dollar club option for 2008.

For the right price (Clay Hensley and maybe a Triple A reliever) I think this would be a great deal for the Padres.

by Drama on Jun 5, 2007 7:40 AM PDT 0 recs

*oops

"Reds left fielder Adam Dunn lacks a no-trade clause, but his contract includes a provision that grants him his own form of protection, effectively allowing him to determine his own fate.
If Dunn is traded, his $13 million club option for '08 will be voided, making him a free agent at the end of the season, according to a source with knowledge of his contract."

Still a great deal for the Padres.

by Drama on Jun 5, 2007 7:56 AM PDT up 0 recs

nice breakdown

i now feel like this deal makes way too much sense to actually get done. i also feel like we may be overvaluing Clay a little bit.

in 2006 he threw 187 innings, gave up 174 hits, had a 3.71 ERA and went 11-12. he had a 3.10 ERA at Petco and a 4.34 ERA everywhere else. i would look at that and figure he's going to give me 6 innings a game and have an ERA of 4 or higher (with half his games in a hitters park now instead of a pitchers park). is that worth the best hitter on my team?

also, would ownership approve a trade that is going to add about $10M in payroll this year and possibly more next year? the only trade i can think of where towers was able to add payroll and "go for it" was Perez&Bay for B.Giles. and while towers may be able to rationalize it, i doubt moores can.

by obviousman on Jun 5, 2007 8:08 AM PDT up 0 recs

Agreed

And how is Cincinatti going to spin for its fans trading Dunn - in the middle of another good season - for a guy with a 7+ era in NL this year?

But I do think the Padres will spend the money, especially for a short term contract.

by Billy Almon on Jun 5, 2007 8:15 AM PDT 0 recs

the hitter we need

is a right handed pull hitter. true left, as opposed to never ending left center, is the best place to hit it out at petco. if adam dunn can do that, i say we go for it. but, as someone already said, why would a team be interseted in clay at this point? his numbers are pretty bad and it doesn't look like we're giving him a chance to change that anytime soon. i'm wondering if we need to sell high on meredith. i know a bad month doesn't make a season, but maybe hitters are starting to figure him out.

by DCpadre on Jun 5, 2007 8:26 AM PDT 0 recs

this is a great conversation

the tone of this thread seems to be 'pull the trigger', unloading a previously popular pitcher for a big bat. I'm on the fence about this deal, but its interesting that so far everyone seems to see the importance of bringing in a bat to help our offense.

Would Adam Dunn win us 5 more games? I think so. Would losing Hensley, a pitcher everyone seems to like, be worth it in the long run? Tough call, especially if we only get the rest of this season out of Dunn. and $10mil a year seems a bit high, but if you could resign at $7-8m, (seems unlikely) that would make more sense.

I'm still on the fence.

by RBS on Jun 5, 2007 8:44 AM PDT 0 recs

It is true

about a week ago there was a poll here, who should stay on the roster Germano or Hensley, can't remember the exact percentage but it was close I believe. Now we have him pitching for the Great Americans!

I'm still not convinced we need that "big bat".

by ABY on Jun 5, 2007 9:00 AM PDT up 0 recs

Big Bat

I am with you on this one. I am not sure that home runs our are problem this year. We are out-scoring, out-slugging and out-homering our opponents at home and on the road. While a big power bat would be nice, I think we would benefit as much (if not more) from higher OBPs. Dunn is great in the fact that he has both power and OBP. Enough to make up for the decrease in defense in LF? Probably.

I wouldn't mind seeing Dunn in San Diego, and if it was a straight up trade for Hensley, I would have a hard time saying no. Yes, it will create holes that will need to be filled next year. Yes, I am sure that at some point either Maddux or Wells will need a break. It is nice having that extra starter to fill in when needed, but I think at this point I would take Dunn's bat.

by osbug on Jun 5, 2007 10:40 AM PDT up 0 recs

More Big Bat

I am not sure we need a big bat either. We are hitting home runs. The problem is that we can't get a clutch hit with men on base. We have guys that get clutch strikeouts - Greene, Kouz...I'd rather have a guy that is known to get a hit when you need it.

by planetjeffy on Jun 5, 2007 1:38 PM PDT up 0 recs

F* Dunn

Can you please go back to the Ichiro discussion? Petco was made for contact hitters and quality fielders.

by GoPads on Jun 5, 2007 8:59 AM PDT 0 recs

ichiro

do you realize how much money ichiro brings in for the mariners? they'll never trade him and if they don't spend a ridiculous amount to keep him somebody else will. i don't think sandy or anyone else on the team likes the idea of having a large chunk of the payroll taken up by one person.

by obviousman on Jun 5, 2007 9:13 AM PDT up 0 recs

Dunn

I can't stand watching so many strikeouts as well, but Dunn may be more of a fit with the Pads. Think about the result of a majority of the Pads games, specifically losses. We play more close games than most teams, winning or losing 1 run games. The power of a solo home run could change the tide in many of our 1-0 games we see at Petco. And, I'm not too sure about Dunn's defense, but I do recall he has the ability to swipe bases. He ain't no Ichiro, but I don't think we have a chance at Ichiro until the offseason. The Mariners are still in contention.

by Rob on Jun 5, 2007 9:41 AM PDT 0 recs

My take

I'll take Dunn if we can get him for a 2-3 midlevel prospects. I'm not interested in moving any starters for him, nor trading away any future talent.

The way I figure it, the Padres are strong enough to win the West this season. Is our offense a weakness? Hardly. To this point in the season, we've scored more runs than St. Louis, Houston and Colorado in a notoriously pitcher friendly park. Also to that end, the offense is only a weakness if it's not scoring more than the other team. Right now, the Padres are the only team in the major leagues to have allowed fewer than 200 total runs in 2007.

I think we have to ask what our goals are. Our goal first and foremost should always be to make it to the postseason, with a division win being preferable. Do we need to have the very best record going into the postseason to make an impact? Not at all. We just need to get there and take our shots. I'm not saying Dunn (or Ichiro) wouldn't help us. I'm just saying that we need to decide how much help we need.

Keep in mind: The World Series isn't necessarily won by the best team in baseball, but it is won by the champions. Do we want to try to put together the best team in baseball? Or do we want to win a championship?

by Dex on Jun 5, 2007 11:16 AM PDT 0 recs

Offense

I agree that our offense is not a real weakness. On the road, we are the third highest scoring team in the NL (7th in the ML). While we are the lowest scoring team at home, we have still outscored our opponents 101 - 67. A mix of great pitching (2.10 ERA at home is nuts) and the Petco effect. I am sure more runs will be given up at home once the weather warms up, and I am sure it will be to our favor.

I also think Dunn would be a great addition to our team, but we have to be careful what we give up. He could make the difference, depending on what we give up. While Hensley is in AAA, I am sure we will see him up at the Majors at some point. Even so, I still think I would pull the trigger on a Dunn - Hensley trade.

by osbug on Jun 5, 2007 12:46 PM PDT up 0 recs

Great points

The Padres don't have any glaring weaknesses. (Left field has actually been the second most productive position, behind first base.) Sacrificing the future for a marginal upgrade this year is unnecessary.

Plus, Hensley is likely to get at least 10 starts this year for the big league club. The dropoff from him to the next best alternative is catastrophic.

by benrb on Jun 5, 2007 12:59 PM PDT up 0 recs

power vs contact

Those 1 run games could also be resolved by a few key base hits. We are leaving tons of baserunners stranded. You don't necessarily need a home run in those situations, and you DEFINITELY don't want a strike outs. We just need a clutch hitter.

by Gone Savage on Jun 5, 2007 11:22 AM PDT 0 recs

"definitely"?

Which would you rather have in a bases loaded situation: Strikout or Ground into double play?

by Dex on Jun 5, 2007 11:26 AM PDT up 0 recs

right

We need people who are adept at not making outs.

Were he on our team now, only Adrian Gonzalez would make fewer outs than Dunn.

I mean, you want Dunn up with the bases loaded, or Juan Pierre?

by pjbno4 on Jun 5, 2007 11:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

OK...

I totally see both sides of the Dunn argument. But for me, there is no wavering on Ichiro. Ichiro would make us better, plain and simple. I say a package of Mike Cameron (they love him up there), Clay Hensley (they need another starter) and Chase Headley for Ichiro. He's the guy to break the bank for.

by Drama on Jun 5, 2007 11:51 AM PDT up 0 recs

I'm not saying Dunn is the solution...

I'm just saying that Dunn may not be as bad as made out to be (especially for the Pads). He's definitely not going to help as much as Ichiro would. And you are right, I'd much rather have a clutch hitter. I was able to bear Khalil's lower average / higher strikeout rate because he came through with the clutch hits. But down in the lower part of the lineup where the OBP drops, I think a solo home run beats out a clutch hit. Hey, Greg Vaughn struck out more than Dunn did (I think?)and look how his bat helped us.

by Rob on Jun 5, 2007 12:40 PM PDT up 0 recs

Rosenthal

often injured Jake Peavy?? He should check the stats, he hasn't missed significant time since 2004.

by Ron Mexico on Jun 5, 2007 11:28 AM PDT 0 recs

Outfielder

how about Steve Finleyanyone?

Hate is a strong word. I really dislike Geoff Blum.

by sdsuaztec4 on Jun 5, 2007 12:04 PM PDT 0 recs

[barf]

sorry, i threw up when i read that.

by RBS on Jun 5, 2007 3:46 PM PDT up 0 recs

HEY!! Watch it RBS!

Finley now has the #1 qualification for KT to sign him: He has finally been thrown on the scrap heap so Kevin will go poke the carcass with a stick to see if there is any life left, sign him cheap, put him on the bench ala Dave Hansen and squeeze the last drops of talent from his withered body.

It's one of the great talents of KT. Finley may be riding the bench soon on a major league team near you.

THAT's why they call me...

by The Pickmaster on Jun 6, 2007 7:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

O

How can the offense - including NL low .241 average - not be a weakness? It's the difference between being a good team now and possibly a great one.

Still, the Bocachica meter is on 1 and counting!

by Billy Almon on Jun 5, 2007 1:07 PM PDT 0 recs

batting average vs runs

We score a ton runs. Who cares about the batting average? In terms of runs, don't the ends justify the means? If we scored 10 runs a game and our guys all had BAs of .180, then I'd take it.

by Dex on Jun 5, 2007 1:15 PM PDT up 0 recs

Offense...

It's not like we're 8 games up in the division. Our pitching has been incredible...and yet we're still a half game back (at least for the next several hours). And it's not like we're just fighting the Dodgers. This is a three team dog fight. There's nothing wrong with hoping for a little more offense to help take a little pressure off of our starters and our bully. You put an Ichiro or an Adam Dunn in our lineup and guys are going to start seeing some better pitches.

by Drama on Jun 5, 2007 1:26 PM PDT up 0 recs

"dog fight"

No offense, Ron Mexico.

by Drama on Jun 5, 2007 1:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

i heard

that mike vick knows a lot about dog fighting

Hate is a strong word. I really dislike Geoff Blum.

by sdsuaztec4 on Jun 5, 2007 2:22 PM PDT up 0 recs

Runs

Agreed that runs are the most important team stat, but I think we will need to score more of em. A higher BA could help that, as could a large slugger in left.

But 3 runs should win it tonight, which they could get in the first two innings against Schmidt.

by Billy Almon on Jun 5, 2007 1:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

Don't forget our run differential

Is the third best in baseball (this was true a week ago, I'm assuming it's still so) behind only the BoSox and the Mets.

Personally, I wouldn't do Hensley/Meredith for Dunn. I agree that a consistent contact hitter with speed would be better suited for this team. Melky or Matsui would be a much better fit.

by Phantom on Jun 5, 2007 2:17 PM PDT 0 recs

the thing about hensley

The guy was good last year, but who knows how good he actually is. He was never a major prospect, and I personally believe he was a bit of a fluke last year.

I would be happy to have Ichiro as well, don't get me wrong. But Ichiro is like a better Dave Roberts, and the Padres got rid of Roberts precisely because they wanted more power production from the corners, and Ichiro doesn't offer that.

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

by metalsupplier on Jun 5, 2007 3:02 PM PDT 0 recs

A MUCH better Dave Roberts

Ichiro has a .102 higher career OPS than Roberts. He has never played in less than 157(!) games, while Roberts has never played in more than 129 games. He steals bases at almost the same sucess rate as Roberts, and has more stolen bases in less years. He is a huge upgrade over Roberts in everything, and is exactly what the Padres need. I don't think they would pass him up if they had a legitimate chance to get him.

by osbug on Jun 5, 2007 3:19 PM PDT up 0 recs

I agree that he's better

But I think you're underrating what Roberts did while he was a Padre. Over the last three years, Roberts' average OPS was only about .50 less than Ichiro's. That's a sizeable difference but not a huge one. Yes, Ichiro is injured less, but Roberts managed roughly the same number of extra-base hits as Ichiro, in far fewer at-bats. And he did it at Petco!

Ichiro is the superior defender, but Roberts is a very good defensive corner outfielder in his own right. Ichiro is a far better center fielder than Roberts, though.

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

by metalsupplier on Jun 6, 2007 12:29 AM PDT up 0 recs

Dude....

..."a better Dave Roberts"?? Whatever you're drinking tonight...I'll take one please.

by Drama on Jun 5, 2007 6:18 PM PDT up 0 recs

well

I know that Ichiro is cooler and more marketable, but if you actually look at the stats, he hasn't been THAT much better than what Roberts did with the Padres.

Oh, and Roberts cost $1.3 mil and $2.25 mil in 2005 and 2006, while Ichiro cost $12.5 million per year.

And as I said, I would love to have Ichiro on the Padres. He would be a great fit, and money well spent.

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

by metalsupplier on Jun 6, 2007 12:32 AM PDT up 0 recs

metalsupplier

I posted this in a diary right after the series in Seattle...maybe you missed it.

If you watched any of the Padres-Mariners games over the weekend, you couldn't help but dream about seeing Ichiro wearing a San Diego Padres uniform. Ichiro would add an entirely different dimension to the club. His bat is fitted perfectly to Petco. I can hear many of you already starting with the whole money issue. I get that. The chances that the Padres would be the high bidder for his services are very slim. BUT...at some point, for the perfect guy, there is a good possibility the Padres will step up and break the bank. This isn't a Carlos Lee...or for that matter, even an Alfonso Soriano. Ichiro is a Sandy-type guy.

We're going to pay top dollar for a player eventually...it will happen. Here are some reasons why I think he's the guy.

He's a TRUE lead-off hitter. With him at the top of the order, Marcus could move to his natural batting position of 2nd.

His on-base percentage is sick. .377 for his career.

He steals bases. Over the last five seasons, he's averaged over 35 stolen bases. And he's rarely thrown out. He seems to be getting better at it with age. Last season he stole 45 bases and was caught just twice.

His plays EXCELLENT defense. Six seasons...six Gold Gloves. Runners are scared to death to try and run on him. His arm is a rocket...and deadly accurate.

He scores runs. Ichiro finds a way to touch home plate. In his six seasons, he's averaged 111 runs scored. Just to give you something to compare that to...Dave Roberts scored 80 runs for us last season...and that was a career high.

Mike Cameron isn't coming back. There's a reason the Padres cut-off talks with Cameron and his agent. If they wanted him back...he would have got his three-year deal at the end of Spring Training.

Ichiro is as durable as anyone in the game. He's averaged 159.5 games over his first six seasons in the majors.

Playing in San Diego would allow him stay on the West Coast and open incredible international opportunities for the Padres. New revenue streams...immeasurable exposure for the franchise.

I'm not saying this is going to happen...the chances are not in our favor judging by our history. If the Padres decided to finally pull the trigger and spend the cash necessary to sign a true superstar...I can't think of a better fit. Dare to dream, Gaslamp Ballers.
And wouldn't it be great to steal our most hated rivals best player?

by Drama on Jun 6, 2007 8:34 AM PDT up 0 recs

Let's also keep in mind.....

it is almost certain that David Wells will get hurt this year and when that does happen, I'd much rather have Clay to fall back on than Thompson or any of those other guys that are getting lit up in Portland.

by jwood on Jun 5, 2007 3:25 PM PDT 0 recs

speaking of getting lit up in portland

No one is getting more lit up in Portland than Clay Hensley

Hate is a strong word. I really dislike Geoff Blum.

by sdsuaztec4 on Jun 5, 2007 5:13 PM PDT up 0 recs

I'm starting to warm up to the Dunn idea

but I'm not sure I'm ready to unload Hensley, and I don't have any better solutions.

I still heart Ichiro more than anyone else.

But a run producer in the middle of the lineup is something we need now and could get for a reasonable price. He could protect Adrian if hit hit after him. He would get a lot of good pitches to hit if he hit before Adrian.

We DO have a weakness, and it's our offense. We are a good team, we may have enough to win the division, but it takes more than a good team to win a championship, boys. Great teams win it all. We're not there yet, but the addition of a Dunn or similar bat gets us a step closer.

by RBS on Jun 5, 2007 3:52 PM PDT 0 recs

Fortunately for us

a study baseball prospectus did a couple of years ago found that good offense during the regular season didn't correlate at all to postseason wins. The things that did correlate to postseason success were a strong, strikeout pitching staff, a great closer, and a good defense. Hmm, what sort of team is built like that?

by benrb on Jun 5, 2007 4:43 PM PDT up 0 recs

what sort of team built like that?

the 05 and 06 Padres.

Every team that makes the playoffs has strong pitching. My concern is we don't have the offense to compete with the Mets or Braves or whoever wins the Central.

by RBS on Jun 5, 2007 10:52 PM PDT up 0 recs

Yes our team is good enough to make the playoffs

People can go on all you want over how much better we are during the regular season that all these other first place teams, but I honestly think is because we have to play that much harder during the regular season to make it to the playoffs. Minus the Yanks, its crazy how much better the elite teams play during the postseason. Its like they figure the division is theirs to lose and put the cruise control on, then finally show up to play when it counts. Yes, we make it to the playoffs... but we really do need an offense this time. And yes, a player like Ichiro who is as consistent as Tony Gwynn would really help in the postseason.

by Rob on Jun 6, 2007 11:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

Playoffs

are a complete crap shoot, Only one stat has any correlation to success and that is a weak correlation at best. (K/BB ratio for bullpen).

by Ron Mexico on Jun 7, 2007 12:51 PM PDT up 0 recs

Trade from the bullpen

We have much better bullpen depth than starter depth right now, so I say trade away a reliever. We've got Royce Ring (0.68 ERA in AAA), Scott Cassidy, and Andrew Brown (3.62 ERA) down there in AAA. Sure, they wouldn't replace a Linebrink or Meredith, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

But I still don't think Dunn is the guy. He just strikes out too much for my taste. I'd rather have an Aaron Rowand with .319/.387/.887 marks and 76 K's last year. Dunn's already struck out 77 times this year.

Also, I'd just like to say that I love trade rumors.

by JollyWaffle on Jun 5, 2007 4:19 PM PDT 0 recs

Royce Ring aka "Snacks"

He went to my high school. Played on the same team as my brother-in-law. That being said, KT has such a soft spot for local guys, I gotta believe that he'd find a reason why we need to hang onto Snacks.

Plus, he has a great nickname.

by Dex on Jun 5, 2007 6:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

All Wrong

Three words: Tony Gwynn Jr. The Brew Crew could possibly use some pitching to go with their bats, and Gwynn is a contact hitter with a good eye. The trick is convincing Milwaukee to go for it.

"You stay classy San Diego" - Ron Burgundy

by IdahoPadre on Jun 5, 2007 5:32 PM PDT 0 recs