MICHAEL RAWSON
SPORTS EDITOR
In and around baseball, smart people like to call them “stopgaps,” players who fill in for a year or two while the young prospects mature. Problem is, for the most part, they don’t exist.
The Padres are infamous for constantly plugging holes in the lineup with stopgaps. But actually — somewhat unintentionally — the system in San Diego revolves like a hotel door, ushering players in and out every two to four years, just like college.
Cash-heavy clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox often keep players for years. The Yankees recently made headlines because three of their stars are playing together for the 17th straight season. It makes sense: New York sits at the top of the food chain, so where else would they sign? A fourth musketeer, Andy Pettitte, bolted to his hometown Houston for a few years, but he came back to the Yankees before retiring. Houston simply didn’t have the money.
Neither does San Diego. If the Yankees or Red Sox are inserting a veteran player into a starting role, it’s probably because the player narrowly missed winning the MVP the year before. Take Adrian Gonzalez, lured away from his hometown in Chula Vista to the Red Sox for the cool $25 million per year he agreed to last week. If the Padres are giving a veteran a starting role, it’s likely because the reputable guy had a shaky year and was forced to sign for less money, to prove himself again. Jason Bartlett, Aaron Harang and Orlando Hudson all fit the description.
At the university level, baseball players arrive from one of two places: straight out of high school, or from junior college after two years. Larger schools often prioritize high school recruits, but at the NAIA level, teams like CSUSM usually gather a nice mix of both. Johnny Omahen came from Granite Hills High, Ryle Parks transferred from Palomar College.
Likewise, the Padres have consistently built their roster with two types of players: those out of the minor leagues, and “transfer students”—established players signed for two to four years. The formula is an accident, though. The front office would love to bring players up through the minors to play on the team for good. It just never happens. The Padres would die to have another Tony Gwynn (1982-2001) or Trevor Hoffman (1993-2008), but they are the only two. They simply loved San Diego enough to never leave for more money.
Not to worry. The college model will work at the professional level if the right players are assembled. The team must continue to sign veterans for a little less, and cut ties with young players when they demand a little more (like fan favorite Jake Peavy in 2009). There’s no point in overpaying old guys, and there’s no reason to expect to keep young guys.
The Padres kept veteran Brian Giles for seven years, from 2003-09. This fits the college model about as well as your girlfriend’s stilettos fit your roommate.
That’s true. Actually, it helps to make the point. It should be the last time.
After Giles finished 9th in MVP voting in 2006, the Padres re-signed the former all-star at an enormous sum. Why will the Padres think thrice before dishing out an Adrian/Boston type contract again? Look no further than the $36 million over four years dished out to the Giles.
The former all-star slowly down-shifted into nothing more than ordinary. His home run totals, once routinely in the 30s with Pittsburgh, stepped from 14 to 13 to 12. Deceivingly, he showed signs of life in 2008 at age 37, batting .306 and hitting 40 doubles, but by the next year, oft-injured, broken-down and by then the highest-paid player on the team, Giles appeared in just 61 games, bench-ridden, wasted money.
On the other hand, prospects who make the club are constantly traded, like Josh Barfield for Kevin Kouzmanoff (who has since been traded).
Fans are angry or saddened when their favorite players are traded, released, given up on. But the same fans love their colleges, colleges that keep their players for four years, two years, maybe even just one. It’s time to learn to treat Padres the same way.
Photo courtesy of mlb.com