Padres Editorial: More Moves on the Horizon?
Will the San Diego Padres bust open the bank this offseason? That question has crossed the mind of many Padres and baseball fans around the globe. Is there going to be a major run into free agency again this winter? Many people do think so.
Knowing A.J. Preller, anything can happen. Some of the names that have crossed everyone’s minds have included the 30-year-old short-stop Ian Desmond.
Desmond is not known for his fielding skills in D.C. He continuously leads the majority of the league in errors. His 27 this season was the most in the National League. He does have good pop in his bat with 19 long balls last season. Preller and the Padres could be trying to make a run at Ian Desmond. He is coming off a down year where he hit .233 and had 62 RBI’s. Some may say his play is declining and the age bug is finally catching up to him, but the Padres need him on a long-term deal.
In the Craig Kimbrel trade to the Boston Red Sox, the Padres received high quality prospects. Including all top 30 Boston prospects, two of them were in their top ten. The Padres got in return two quality infielders, a center fielder, and a left-handed pitcher. These young ball players are what Preller needs for the future. Javier Guerra will be ready eventually so signing Desmond long-term would not be ideal.
The other real need for the Padres is a first baseman. The Braves seem to be stocking up the farm for their new stadium in 2017. They would like to have a winning ball club to draw fans and are definitely selling big time.
Freddie Freeman seems to be on the market. The Padres have shown interest in trading starting pitcher Tyson Ross, who is turning 29. They have also made it very clear they are listening to offers for outfielder Matt Kemp. A trade for Freeman who hit .276 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI’s (in only 118 games due to injury) does not seem likely with the amount he is owed long-term.
Never rule out A.J. Preller as he has made many moves last winter earning him the ‘rockstar GM’ nick name from Matt Kemp as he was introduced by the Padres and answered questions from the media. You can clearly expect the Padres to make more moves this offseason as Preller has made it clear they are not in a full rebuilding mode. So be prepared for a free agent signing or even a trade. This is the rockstar GM, the savior the Padres so desperately needed. So anything can happen.
I write, I write, and then I write some more.. Lifelong Padres & Chargers fan who is tired of the acceptance of losing that grips all of San Diego sports fans!