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Bud Black interview with Darren Smith (MP3)
- The players and coaches are decompressing in these hours and days after the regular season's end. Black says he never gets too far away from baseball, he talked to Josh Byrnes this morning. They already need to start thinking about 2014.
- Black has been having end-of-season meetings with all the players in the last few weeks. He wants to make sure players know the team's expectations for them in the winter.
- There is some disappointment for Black that the team didn't make it to the postseason. "There's always great stories of teams that come out of nowhere. There's teams that were never expected to make the playoffs that do."
- Black says that the team needs to improve their pitching, both starters and relievers. They need to get their ERA down. They also need another bat in the lineup to help their offense. There's some pitching talent in the system but Black would like at least one proven Major League starter.
- Black hopes they can count on Carlos Quentin to be more durable next season. He's changed his stance to take pressure off his knee and had surgery.
- Black says that while Chase Headley won't admit it that he thinks his torn meniscus had some impact on his output. Headley had surgery this morning and it went fine.
- Black says he doesn't know if Headley will get signed to an extension, get traded or comes back under an arbitration agreement. Black says these things have a way of working themselves out in the winter. "I could see him coming back on a one year deal."
- Bud Black says he'll be here in San Diego next year. "This is where I want to win." He has no plans to go anywhere else. Reading the rumors is fun for fans, but most of it is unfounded.