XX Sports Radio: Paul DePodesta Interview (MP3) with Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton
- DePodesta is engaged in more business items like ticket pricing and beer pricing.
- The goal is to try to have a great scouting staff, have great drafts year after year and develop players internally.
- Smaller market teams have less room for error.
- "The payrolls don't play the games, the players do."
- Drafting is so much more difficult than in other sports because even the best players can be 3-4 years away from the big leagues.
- The Padres are prepared to ramp up their investment and offer players professional contracts that are more money then they would normally get in that round and convince them to not play in college.
- Over the past 4-5 years the Padres are in the top 5 in amateur player spending.
- The Padres are still committed to getting players from Latin America.
Paul DePodesta Interview Part 2 (MP3)
- The first 3 years of a players of career a team can set his salary as long as it is above the minimum. He is eligible for salary arbitration for the next 3 years and then after that he is eligible for free agency.
- The minimum salary for a player is $400K.
- Adrian Gonzalez signed a long term deal that took out his arbitration years. A player takes deals like this for security and so they don't have to go through arbitration.
- Adrian is 2 years away from free agency. "Are we willing to go two years and get nothing in return?"
- Kyle Blanks is 6'7" and close to 300 lbs. DePodesta thinks he moves really well in the outfield. He has a chance to be a solid/average defender in the outfield and he's an above average first basemen.
Paul DePodesta Interview Part 3 (MP3)
- The Padres think Chase Headley turned the corner in the middle of the season and he is going to be a very productive third basemen.
- Trading Kevin Kouzmanoff wasn't because they didn't like him, but because they could move players to more natural positions.
- David Eckstein made a lot of people around him better. He gives solid veteran leadership. It was like having another coach on the field. If he gets hurt, Jerry Hairston Jr. would take his place. Jerry gives the team a lot of comfort knowing that he can fill in anywhere.
- The Padres want to keep restocking the farm system.
- The Padres have 30-35 16-18 year old players in the Dominican Republic.
Paul DePodesta Interview Part 4 (MP3)
- The Padres feel good about their outfield depth and the versatility.
- Matt Stairs is a dangerous left handed bat off the bench.
- Jon Garland's durability fits the needs of the Padres.
- The Padres want to force the young players to earn a spot on the club.
- They feel confident that they have 9-10 Major League ready pitchers. They'll probably end up using about 8 of them this season.
- The Padres spend all the money that comes in. It doesn't always show up in Major League payroll, sometimes it shows in drafting.
- Chris Young is feeling good. It would be a huge boost if he can come back healthy. The top 4 starting pitchers are probably Young, Garland, Correia and Richard. Latos, LeBlanc, Stauffer, Gallagher, Ramos and others will compete for the fifth spot.
- Logan Forsythe James Darnell, Cedric Hunter, Sawyer Carroll could be stand outs in AA San Antonio.