FanPost

Meet the 2020 San Diego Padres (RoyalsReview Simulation)


Every year the fine people at Royals Review produce a fun, frantic and fantastic 3 day Off-season Simulator whereby 30 people take a team and engage in a few days of insane trading and signing to build the 2020 variation of their team. It's been an honor and a pleasure to take on the mantle of AJ Prellar for the past few years, and like my real world counterpart, I am feeling the heat to create a winner. I took on his responsibility to go out and make this team even better, with a salary cap of around $130 million. Even with that in mind, I had a few......albatrosses I needed to clear out on the way to improving the team.

Goals

  • Upgrade the Offense
  • Remove players that won't be part of the long term team
  • Revamp the starting pitching
  • Protect your best prospects but don't be afraid to trade the one's you need
With that in mind here we go...............

Padres Non Tendered LHP Robbie Erlin, OF Travis Jankowski, Not make an offer to RHP Craig Stanmen, Decline Option on P Aaron Loup & Adam Warren

I feel like this doesn't need much of an explanation

Padres sign OF Adam Jones to a 1 year, $2.5 million deal with a $2.5 million club option, $1 million buyout

Not exactly the most amazing first move but I've always been a big fan of his, I think he provides far better depth than Martini did and I had planned for there to be a bunch of moves in the OF, so veteran depth was needed.

Padres trade P Garrett Richards and P Steven Wilson to the Padres for OF Nick Williams

I don't like that we got Richards.........at all. I thought it was a stupid move that was trying to be way too far ahead not even including he was owed double digits in terms of salary. So I sent him to the Phillies along with a young reliever for Nick Williams, an left handed outfielder who can play everywhere with an excellent arm, fantastic bat speed and good power. He basically needs time and an opportunity to play.

Padres trade OF Wil Myers and RHP Carl Edwards to Boston for LHP Chris Sale and $15 million

Here's my master stroke and one alot of people have been thinking about. Myers does have use to the Red Sox who need to get rid of money (yes Myers is cheaper) and need help at first base. I basically had a choice between Sale and Price; the latter is more expensive and older. The former is an ace, younger and, even coming off an injury, more valuable to a younger team. With the extra money it helps and he is roughly the same price as Myers was, but with far more value. Sale is my ace right off the bat and has the drive, passion and attitude (to say nothing of the skill) to anchor this team.

Pirates trade INF Rodolfo Castro to the Padres for C Blake Hunt

I got asked alot about my catching depth and decided to parlay that into an excellent young infielder, the 22nd best prospect in the Pirates system. I'm also not as fond of Hunt as others.

Padres trade OF Hunter Renfroe, INF Hudson Potts and C Luis Torrens to the Braves for SP/RP Bryce Wilson, LHP Tucker Burrowsand OF Greyson Jenista

I know Renfroe has some fans on this site but he's very one dimensional in terms of hitting, even with his better defense. He is who we should've sent to Cincinnati but then again we can't go back and redo that. So I packaged him, a catcher that was repeatedly blocked and an infielder that's also blocked for one immediately useful pitcher and two good prospects. Wilson is the one I really wanted; I see him as a right handed Matt Strahm in that he could pitch, handle high leverage situations and go multiple innings. Jenista is the Braves #11 prospect and a fantastic left handed power hitting outfielder with good defense, but still needs time to develop, He's basically a better younger Renfroe. Burrows is the #16 prospect with a low 90-s fast ball, a breaking ball that's ungodly and an interesting 3/4 slot throwing motion. Not the biggest piece in a trade but definitely useful and reminds me a little of a left handed Gregerson.

Padres trade 2B Luis Urias, Ps Michel Baez and Adrian Morejon to the Red Sox for OF Andrew Benintendi

Here's the coup de grace - the move that would make this an excellent off-season. The Red Sox wanted cost controllable pitching, so we started with the Cuban duo. Then he made noise about wanting a replacement for Pedroia - well I have that in Urias. Done and Done right there. Just last year, Benintendi was one of the hottest young outfielders in the game. Even with an off-year his WAR was 2.6, higher than any hitter not named Tatis or Machado. Is there a chance he fades badly? Of course. But he provides all around excellent hitting, good defense and is a left handed bat. He can be moved directly into LF or RF without a thought and be in the middle of the order for years to come. He's even cost controlled for a few years.

Nationals trade 2B Carter Kieboom, LHP Tim Cate and OF Jeremy De La Rosa to the Padres for Ps Joey Luchessi, Eric Lauer, and Kirby Yates and $3 million

Hi there! Would you like one of the best infield prospects in the game?
Yes......Yes I would
Cool, let's make a deal.

That was basically how I ended up here. Kieboom was the #20 ranked prospect in baseball this year, and provides fantastic power and hitting ability in addiiton to good base running and solid defense. I think he's a better all around hitter than Urias with more power and frankly better speed. And considering my situation was to allow Kinsler/France/Garcia battle it out, I think it makes for a big big upgrade. It did cost me both my lefties and my closer, a steep price to be sure. However Lucchesi and Lauer weren’t going to be major parts of my team moving forward and I’ve always thought you trade someone like Yates early rather than late. In exchange I get the 9th ranked prospect in their system (who is a potential impact CF) and the 6th best prospect in the Nats system (a similar player to Lauer with more upside). Costly? Yes. Big upgrade in terms of immediate impact? Absolutely.

Padres sign INF Eric Sogard to a 2 year, $4 million deal


Yay depth! Sogard has become a twitter favorite with his work in the playoffs and can play multiple positions over the infield, something Garcia can't necessarily do.

Braves trade 3B CJ Alexander and OF Justin Dean to the Padres for OF Manny Margot

I'd been looking to move Margot as part of the "Let's get rid of the prospects who didn't turn out". Unfortunately because he didn't turn out immediately, he wasn't being sought after for anything top flight. I flipped him for a few decent prospects to clear out the space. CJ Alexander is the Braves #19 prospect, an impact corner bat with excellent hitting skills, growing power but doesn't have great range despite being a solid defender at the hot corner. Justin Dean is a 5'8 center fielder with excellent base stealing ability, plate discipline and some pop (but not much). He reminds me a little of Tony Kemp and could be an excellent utility piece.

Pirates trade RHP Chris Archer and CF Jason Martin to the Padres for C Austin Hedges

Hedges was alot like Margot in that he hasn't really worked out (except in defense) and he was being sought after. The Pirates came a calling and said two words that got me immediately interested; Chris Archer. Already sought after by the Padres, he is a fantastic fit with the staff even considering a down year. When healthy he can eat innings and strike people out, just what the team needs. The Pirates also threw in their 25th best prospect, a left handed speedy
center fielder who could be a Jankowski clone at worse. For a defense only catcher I think this is a fantastic trade on our behalf.

Padres sign RHP Shawn Kelley to a 1 year, $1.5 million deal

Needed some veteran depth in the bullpen, so he's a cheap pick up.

Padres sign OF Yasiel Puig to a 3 year, $33 million deal

I managed to sign Puig at the last second because no one had made him an offer. I didn't go into this expecting to get him but hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. He is very streaky but I can cover that with depth. He remains an excellent power hitting outfielder with good defense, something we lost with Reyes. And yes I like his swag and I think combined with Tatis/Sale/Machado you have a team with some legit attitude. I went into this with Nick Williams as my starting RF but hey you don't pass on a guy like Puig at a good rate. Williams and Puig can rotate between CF/RF along with my backups in Adam Jones and Jason Martin.

Padres sign UTL Yangervis Solarte, RHP Joe Smith, C Sandy Leon and OF Leonys Martin to minor league deals

Nice depth never hurt anyone

Therein, the story ends at a payroll of $113 million, but a far better team

Prospects

So I definitely went through my system to make deals. Ignoring Urias (prospect or not) and Torrens (not really a prospect), I dealt my 7th, 9th, 11th & 26th best prospects. I also had it as a pure goal to keep my big prospects in the system. I walk out of the simulation with LHPs Mackenzie Gore & Ryan Weathers, RHP Luis Patino, INFs CJ Abrams & Xavier Edwards, C Luis Campusano and CF Taylor Trammel. I would’ve been open to trading everyone but Gore, Campusano and Trammel, but in the end nothing came about. So I kept the cream of the crop and added a few nice pieces here and there. Nothing too much to complain about.


What happened to:

Josh Naylor: Back to AAA to keep developing and play every day

Javier Guerra: AAA to work on things
Ty France: Taxi Squad
Franchy Cordero: Wake me when he’s healthy
Ian Kinsler: Released/Don't Care
Nick Martini: Replaced and Released

Meet your 2020 San Diego Padres

Starting Pitchers

SP1: Chris Sale
SP2: Chris Paddack
SP3: Chris Archer
SP4: Cal Quantrill
SP5: Dinelson Lamet

Bullpen

RH Wild Card: Bryce Wilson
LH Wild Card: Matt Strahm
Shawn Kelley
Jose Castillo
Set up: David Bednar
Set up: Trey Wingenter
Closer: Andres Munoz

Starting Line Up

SS: Fernando Tatis Jr.
LF: Andrew Benintendi
3B: Manny Machado
RF: Yasiel Puig
2B Carter Kieboom
1B: Eric Hosmer
C: Francisco Meija
CF: Nick Williams

Bench

OF Adam Jones, OF Jason Martin, INF Eric Sogard, INF Greg Garcia, C/1B Austin Allen


This FanPost was written by a member of the Gaslamp Ball community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gaslamp Ball staff or SB Nation.