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Padres GM Hoyer says this was the right thing to do for the franchise

By jbox

XX Sports Radio: Jed Hoyer Interview with Darren Smith (MP3)

  • "Once it was so clear that he [Adrian Gonzalez] wasn't going to be here I thought the right thing to do was look for a trade to bolster our future."
  • "I think if we never did it, it'd be a detriment to the franchise."
  • Hoyer says there were 3 teams that were really interested and about 4 others that were just kicking the tires. The market for Adrian was limited.  His agent said he'd only take an extension from a major market (Boston, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles).
  • Hoyer feared all the suitors would sign free agents and he'd lose his market for Gonzalez.
  • Hoyer talked to Theo Epstein about Adrian Gonzalez a month after he took the job.  Epstein was the most aggressive GM.
  • Hoyer got a lot of comfort from the fact that he knew about all of Boston's prospects.  Hoyer overvaluing the prospects because of his knowledge of them was discussed.  "This was clearly the best package."
  • "I'm very happy with the return, I think we got 3 very good prospects that will really brighten our future."
  • "I think this is the best deal we could have gotten for Adrian Gonzalez, period."  With only one year left on his contract the return on the trade was greatly decreased. 
  • The return the Braves got for Mark Texeira at the trade deadline "frightened" Hoyer.
  • The Padres farm system is not where it should be. "Letting it walk away for just draft picks was not an acceptable risk."
  • Hoyer thought the right thing to do was be preemptive and get a really good package going forward.  Moorad and Garfinkel have always supported Hoyer's decision making.
  • If the Padres had the resources they'd love to keep Adrian but that's just not reality.
  • "Our preference, obviously, would have been to get young controllable big league players, but that just wasn't reality.  The best we could have done from another team was one major league ready player and a bunch of prospects that I wasn't very high on.  The only deals that we had that I really felt were acceptable were deals that had significant prospect haul.  The reason for that is simple because the teams that want Adrian Gonzalez, they're doing it to try and win in 2011.  If you're trying to win in 2011, you don't give up young big leaguers.  Obviously if I could have gotten young big leaguers I would have, but that's just not reality.  Why would a team give up young big leaguers if they're trying to win next year? It just doesn't make sense."
  • If Hoyer was still in the Red Sox front office he would have thought that they were double paying for Adrian Gonzalez by giving up prospects and paying a large contract extension.
  • "My goal is to build a young, athletic, dynamic team and I think we took a step in that direction."
  • "These deals do work out there are plenty of examples of that, but it requires a little bit of patience.  As a fan I would rather us go after a significant prospect haul like we got than to get one guy to fill a hole and some relief pitching prospect that we can stick in AAA.  I don't think that's an appropriate return for a guy of Adrian's caliber."
  • Adrian will do well in Boston.  He'll have to adjust to pressure from fans and media.  He'll be able to blend in and get some of the heat taken off of him.
  • Hoyer agrees that this trade will define his career with the Padres.  He thinks it was better to be aggressive than to let him leave.
  • "I hope they are Padres fans and not just Adrian Gonzalez fans."  They are going to work really hard to be competitive in 2011.
  • Hoyer will likely sign a first basemen to a one year deal.  "We'll fill the holes very well."
  • Fuentes will start in Lake Elsinore, Kelly will start in San Antonio and Rizzo will start in Tuscon in AAA
  • Kyle Blanks is still in the Padres plans.  The negative in 2010 was that the young position players struggled. The Padres aren't sure which position Blanks will play.
  • Hoyer doesn't think the team is rebuilding, instead they are creating a wave of young talent.
  • "I know it was the right thing to do for the franchise."

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