Padres Editorial: What Will Happen to Jedd Gyorko?
It’s no secret that Jedd Gyorko is having a rough season. The San Diego Padres‘ second baseman is hitting just .210 with two home runs. On top of that, his OPS is .593, the third lowest on the team for that category. Only shortstop Alexi Amarista (.557 OPS) and Austin Hedges (.186 OPS) are worse than Gyorko at this point.
Gyorko was signed to a multi-year deal after his rookie season, worth $35 million over five years. With three years left on that contract, Gyorko has not lived up to the numbers he posted during his first season in the Majors. He hit 23 home runs and finished sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2014, he hit .210 (the same average he has so far in 2015) with only 10 home runs in 400 at-bats.
Gyorko’s poor play has landed him a ticket to El Paso, where he will spend time at AAA and try to correct whatever it is that is contributing to his troubles in the batter’s box. But, what will it mean if he makes improvement?
This website has brought you a few stories about the Padres’ roster situation. San Diego has a plethora of players that can contribute and who deserve to be on a Major League roster. Unfortunately, they have more players than available positions. On top of that, the starters are playing too well to be rotated in a platoon-style situation at several positions.
Second base is one of those positions. That position currently belongs to Yangervis Solarte, although his status in the lineup could become uncertain once Wil Myers returns from his rehab assignment.
San Diego needs to make some trades. Could Gyorko be one of those players if he can improve his numbers at AAA El Paso? Or would another player be dealt and Gyorko returns to San Diego to be the everyday second baseman?
The future is not certain at this point, but the picture will become clearer once moves are made.
Mike is the sports editor for the Fayette Advertiser, and has been with East Village Times since 2015. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report. He is an avid Padres fan who is keeping the faith and trusting the process.