San Digo Looks Towards 2020 with Confidence
Oct 20, 2018 19:39:44 GMT -5
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Post by rdavispadres on Oct 20, 2018 19:39:44 GMT -5
After four straight years finishing at the bottom of the NL West and the NL as a whole, the San Diego Padres are dreaming big. "We're feeling really good about this season. It's time for us to step up and show the city that we can compete with the top teams in the NL West and then in all of baseball," catcher Austin Hedges had to say. "We haven't given these fans anything to cheer about since before I was drafted back in 11. We haven't come close to the playoffs since I've been here."
Indeed, one of the saddest franchises in North American sports hasn't made the playoffs since 2006 and hasn't sniffed .500 since 2010. "When AJ came in and made all of those trades before 2015 it really set the franchise back. Even when he tried to kind of go back on some of those deals by trading Myers and Lamet...we really haven't been able to recover," said GM Ryan Davis. "Ever since I got here we've been trying to develop a core group of players we think can set us up for continued success and we believe 2020 is the year it starts to bear fruit".
Davis took over right after the 2017 season, immediately restructuring the Major League roster with a major trade involving current third baseman Jake Lamb. "With Jake we saw an above-average offensive regular who the younger guys could look up to. He isn't the leader Hedgy is but his play has been outstanding since he came over from Arizona." About a month later, Dan Vogelbach was acquired in an effort to clear Carter Capps' salary. "With Vogy we saw the elite eye and well above-average power profile. He struggled a bit with us at first but we love what he's done in the middle of our order." Vogelbach's 130 wRC+ was second on the team.
As an organization, the Padres have received criticism for questionable transactions such as their recent free agent frenzy where they added four players via free agency. "As 2019 wrapped up we all sat down and looked at the whole free agent class. Guys we want, guys we would like to have at a certain price, guys who are injury risks, etc. Our goal was to get better in certain areas and we believe we did that." Yu Darvish, Jake Odorizzi, Tyler Thornburg, and Jonathan Schoop will suit up as Padres for the first time in their careers. Asked about these four Davis had this to say: "Our pitching was sub-par last year, there's no sugarcoating that. Darvish and Odorizzi are guys that we believe in. Espy and Mejia were fantastic last year but we needed guys who have more experience than who we have in-house. With Tyler, we saw a guy who we liked but that was out of our price range earlier in the offseason. Bringing him aboard was huge as it gives us the freedom to play matches late in the ballgame. Schoop we see as a prime bounceback guy. He'll play left for us and bat in the middle of the lineup. We think that power plays here."
The team's biggest acquisition was no doubt first baseman Brandon Belt, acquired in a trade with division-rival San Francisco. "We had guys who got on base like Cordoba, Jank, and Urias. We also had guys like Lamb and Vogy who change the game with their power. With Belt, we get a little bit of both plus a deeper lineup. We can push Margot out of the five-spot and let him do his thing while the middle of the lineup actually looks like a middle of the lineup. Brandon brings a certain level of consistency that we have lacked for quite some time".
"When I got the call that I was traded I was completely caught off guard. San Diego? Really? I won't lie, I was pretty nervous. I've been a Giant my whole professional career. But then Ryan called me and we just talked about the organization and what he wants to do with the big league roster and that definitely helped a little," Belt said. "You look at the guys we have here. Luis is a monster. Just an all-around talent. Lamb and Hedges have been great. They were actually the first to call me and welcome me in. Margot and Jankowski are so fun to watch out there on defense. This could be a very fun ball club."
Asked about the team's goals for 2020 Davis said, "Win. Our plan is to win, our goal is to win. We have a good farm, we have guys we're excited about. But if you can't develop that culture of winning on the big league roster then those young guys come into a clubhouse that is unenergized and lethargic and the chemistry just isn't there. We aren't worried about high draft picks or tanking. We believe in our scouts and are confident we can develop future all stars at any point of the draft. It's time to put up some results."
The Padres face some tough competition in the NL West as both Colorado and Los Angeles have very formidable rosters. "They're great teams, no doubt about it. San Francisco, Arizona, both are good organizations as well. But I believe in our guys. Plus, we owned Colorado at the minor league level last year so we're feeling pretty good."
Indeed, one of the saddest franchises in North American sports hasn't made the playoffs since 2006 and hasn't sniffed .500 since 2010. "When AJ came in and made all of those trades before 2015 it really set the franchise back. Even when he tried to kind of go back on some of those deals by trading Myers and Lamet...we really haven't been able to recover," said GM Ryan Davis. "Ever since I got here we've been trying to develop a core group of players we think can set us up for continued success and we believe 2020 is the year it starts to bear fruit".
Davis took over right after the 2017 season, immediately restructuring the Major League roster with a major trade involving current third baseman Jake Lamb. "With Jake we saw an above-average offensive regular who the younger guys could look up to. He isn't the leader Hedgy is but his play has been outstanding since he came over from Arizona." About a month later, Dan Vogelbach was acquired in an effort to clear Carter Capps' salary. "With Vogy we saw the elite eye and well above-average power profile. He struggled a bit with us at first but we love what he's done in the middle of our order." Vogelbach's 130 wRC+ was second on the team.
As an organization, the Padres have received criticism for questionable transactions such as their recent free agent frenzy where they added four players via free agency. "As 2019 wrapped up we all sat down and looked at the whole free agent class. Guys we want, guys we would like to have at a certain price, guys who are injury risks, etc. Our goal was to get better in certain areas and we believe we did that." Yu Darvish, Jake Odorizzi, Tyler Thornburg, and Jonathan Schoop will suit up as Padres for the first time in their careers. Asked about these four Davis had this to say: "Our pitching was sub-par last year, there's no sugarcoating that. Darvish and Odorizzi are guys that we believe in. Espy and Mejia were fantastic last year but we needed guys who have more experience than who we have in-house. With Tyler, we saw a guy who we liked but that was out of our price range earlier in the offseason. Bringing him aboard was huge as it gives us the freedom to play matches late in the ballgame. Schoop we see as a prime bounceback guy. He'll play left for us and bat in the middle of the lineup. We think that power plays here."
The team's biggest acquisition was no doubt first baseman Brandon Belt, acquired in a trade with division-rival San Francisco. "We had guys who got on base like Cordoba, Jank, and Urias. We also had guys like Lamb and Vogy who change the game with their power. With Belt, we get a little bit of both plus a deeper lineup. We can push Margot out of the five-spot and let him do his thing while the middle of the lineup actually looks like a middle of the lineup. Brandon brings a certain level of consistency that we have lacked for quite some time".
"When I got the call that I was traded I was completely caught off guard. San Diego? Really? I won't lie, I was pretty nervous. I've been a Giant my whole professional career. But then Ryan called me and we just talked about the organization and what he wants to do with the big league roster and that definitely helped a little," Belt said. "You look at the guys we have here. Luis is a monster. Just an all-around talent. Lamb and Hedges have been great. They were actually the first to call me and welcome me in. Margot and Jankowski are so fun to watch out there on defense. This could be a very fun ball club."
Asked about the team's goals for 2020 Davis said, "Win. Our plan is to win, our goal is to win. We have a good farm, we have guys we're excited about. But if you can't develop that culture of winning on the big league roster then those young guys come into a clubhouse that is unenergized and lethargic and the chemistry just isn't there. We aren't worried about high draft picks or tanking. We believe in our scouts and are confident we can develop future all stars at any point of the draft. It's time to put up some results."
The Padres face some tough competition in the NL West as both Colorado and Los Angeles have very formidable rosters. "They're great teams, no doubt about it. San Francisco, Arizona, both are good organizations as well. But I believe in our guys. Plus, we owned Colorado at the minor league level last year so we're feeling pretty good."