All -Rods aside, I’m bringing up Boras because he was recently fired by pitcher Kenny Rogers, who apparently really wants to return to the Detroit Tigers.  The theme behind this post is how being overzealous for your client can hurt them in the long run.

Boras is known for getting the big bucks for his clients, often at the expense of their original team (see Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran, and Barry Zito) being able to keep that talent.  The reason is because a lot of those teams (Mariners, Royals and A’s) don’t have the financial resources available to balance out that player’s contract and stay competitive (the Rangers tried with A-Rod, and we all know what a big success they have been since acquiring him and subsequently trading him to the Yankees and paying him to play in pinstripes).  There are generally three teams who can swallow a Boras contract and maintain competitive, and they are the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets (especially the Red Sox, recently, seeing as Matsuzaka and Drew have really worked out for them).  There are others who can venture into it, such as the Dodgers, Angels, Cubs and Giants, but they risk handcuffing themselves (see Barry the best #3 starter in the majors and the G-Men).

Obviously, agents have duties to their clients (loyalty, obedience and care).  However, price isn’t always the main driving point.  Sometimes a player will take the lesser contract in order to (1) stay in the area (for family or personal reasons), (2) stay with the original team (for nostalgic or competitive reasons) or (3) join a team that looks to be a contender (see Rogers to the Tigers or Eckstein to the Cardinals).

I think the general view of Boras is that he ignores those aspects of a client’s wishes to get top dollar.  Sometimes I think I feel that way, too.  I certainly know that team front offices think about it, making players fire Boras in order to stay with them (see Jake Peavy) or making trades because Boras represents them (see Carlos Beltran and Josh Barfield).  To be fair to Boras, not all of his clients sign for the top dollar (Greg Maddux took a conservative contract to stay in San Diego past 2007).  However, that perception of his reputation can unfortunately hurt his clients by forcing them to use someone else’s services or miss possibilities to sign with other teams.

Despite his reputation, he still manages to score the big contracts for his clients.  So, obviously, he is not a complete detriment to baseball (especially since players are getting smaller and smaller shares of baseball revenues, which is kinda-sorta made up for with bigger contracts).

This ultimately begs the question:  What is the deal with Scott Boras?  (Best Jerry Seinfeld impersonation)

QotM:

“People say what we’re doing is holding out when in reality the teams are trying to crush the draft market because they don’t want to pay fair market value.”
~Scott Boras in re one of his big money MLB draftees (this is another sticky situation for a client, since what if holding out means they have to wait until next year and have their MLB career pushed back one year, but what if the drafting team really is low-balling the player)

PS-What is “fair market value” for a baseball prospect anyways?

PPS-Congratulations to Jake Peavy in winning the NL Cy Young!!!

I really don’t know what to say about this.  However, it just feels like another reason why space travel should probably become an international effort rather than dependent on one nation.  The unfortunate reality of that position is that there is really no pressing reason to emphasize why the collective nations of Earth should band together and help humanity explore the stars.

QotM:

“If we were told that we had to reduce [the money spent] I think we would reduce the number of honorees rather than trying to go to a poor place or a place that doesn’t have good service.”
~NASA Spokesman Bill O’Connor (How much do you want to bet it would mean the government employees get the ax, and not the private contractors?)

The Padres are finally ready to offer Khalil Greene a multi-year deal to lock up the rest of his arbitration years.  There are a few more nuggets of information in the linked article, and I totally plan on writing about it, just not now.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a big fan of Khalil Thabit Greene.  He is the best shortstop I have had the good fortune of actually seeing play for the Padres in person (I didn’t watch the games back when Ozzie played in San Diego because I wasn’t born yet…I hope that’s a good enough excuse).  This year was particularly special because he (1) stayed healthy and (2) broke several of the team’s offensive records from the position.

As much as I like the Friar’s Jeff Spicoli lookalike, I understand that he has his flaws.  He is an above average shortstop defensively at best, certainly not the Wizard of Oz, who makes the most out of his talents with good positioning.  He gets more credit than he is due because he plays the position with style (especially in 2004 with the awesome pivots and spins).  He shows big-time power for the position (74 of his 155 hits went for extra bases), but is frustratingly streaky at the plate (2007 gives a good example of that) with poor plate discipline (he walked 32 times, 3 of those being intentional, compared to 128 strikeouts) with a career low in OBP (I’m not counting his cup of coffee in the majors in 2003) in OBP.

Regardless, I still think he is extremely valuable to the Padres.  For starters, the Padres have no real replacement ready.  The closest are Luis Cruz (who keeps taking steps backwards) and poor Ray Chang (who apparently got thrown to the wolves with his promotion to Portland, but still managed a way to hang in there).  Second of all, after the most expensive player in the MLB (and who knows how well he can still pick it), there are not too many external options for SS through free agency (there is David Eckstein).  Third, who would make for a good SS trading partner (I’m asking you, the reader, who would?)?

Perhaps the biggest reason for me is that Khalil brings out the fans without hurting the ball-club.  He is fun to watch, a readily identifiable face for the Padres, and was able to generate a serious amount of offense this year (please bat him 6th, Bud, it’s his best spot in the lineup).

Also, a slight side-note, this was Khalil’s first full season in the majors.  Each prior season was interrupted by a freak injury.  He has never gotten 600+ ABs before.  There is always hope that with said experience, he will learn to make adjustments.

QotM:

“I still want to hit.  I don’t want to walk.  But getting on base, that’s the name of the game.”
~Khalil Greene (it explains so much…)

I just have two points I wanted to mention before I forgot about them.  Both deal with the Houston Astros.

First of all, it appears the Astros are interested in finding another 2B.  With Craig Biggio retiring, it looked like the Astros would finally give Chris Burke a shot at the infield.  Granted, Burke did not open a lot of eyes in 2007, but shifting playing positions along with getting sporadic playing time and ABs can arguably affect a player’s performance at the plate.  Astros GM Ed Wade’s inquiries could be seen as either indicating Burke is available, or just a GM exploring possibilities to improve his team.

Burke would be an interesting acquisition for the Padres, mainly because he can cover both 2B and CF.  His prior experience at SS also adds sauce for the goose (he could be another possible backup should Khalil Greene’s digit curse strike again (let that never be the case)).  I have no idea if Kevin Towers and the Alderson Brain Trust have considered picking him up, but Burke could be another project for the Padres.  The Padres have gotten a few from the Astros over the years, most recently with Scott Linebrink, Tim Redding and Morgan Ensberg.  Linebrink worked out, though Redding tanked, and the jury is still out on Ensberg.

Burke was once a promising player, though his stock has probably hit bottom (little power at a hitter’s park, a general trend of diminishing stats with each year, has entered his prime years with little to show).  Perhaps I’m looking too hard for something good, but it looks like his plate discipline is slowly improving if you look at the stats (27 walks to 52 strikeouts in 2007 at 319 at-bats as opposed to 27 against 77 strikeouts in 366 at-bats-though one of the walks in 2007 was intentional…).  Maybe there is something left to salvage, given regular playing time and/or a change of scenery.

I mention this because Ed Wade recently was a member of the Padres before he replaced Tim Purpura as the Astros GM.  That connection could lay the foundation for a deal between the Padres and the Astros.

This leads into the second point, which is the Astros’ blockbuster trade with the Phillies.  Wade was the Phillies GM before he was summarily fired and joined the Padres.  The deal effectively gives the Astros a new speedy candidate for the outfield, and may indicate two things:  (1) Burke is doubly available (they have Hunter Pence, Lance Berkman, Luke Scott, Carlos Lee and now Michael Bourn) or (2) Luke Scott may be available.

Before anyone asks me, “Why do the Padres want to stockpile on the Astros’ crappy outfielders?” (we do have Jason Lane, and I am intimating that the Padres could inquire as to both Burke and Scott), Scott’s numbers are a little interesting.  This year, he performed better away from Minute Maid and seemed to look more like the player of 2006 after a horrible April.  However, SAMPLE SIZE is a mantra we should all keep in mind, since he had an opposite trend in 2006.

Do I think the Padres should pick up Luke Scott?  He might be a cheap alternative to overpaying for Kosuke Fukudome (assuming he wants to play for the MLB), and he would allow Brian Giles to shift over to LF.  However, the Padres may already have comparable internal options in Jason Lane and Scott Hairston.  Other options, just without as much MLB experience, would be Vince Sinisi (I’m not a believer, even if Fuson is, seeing as he is often injured), Paul McAnulty (I’m still a believer, but he needs his chance) and Drew Macias (who I do like because of his batting discipline).

Oh well.  The name of this game is considering options.  There’s no harm in kicking the tires on a Burke and Scott.

Next installment will be CF.

QotM:

“Why is this post making me depressed?”
~Me, as I was writing about “internal options” (oh dear)

First of all, such a trade may block internal options.  While anyone would love to have a guy like Chase Utley or Robinson Cano manning 2B, those types of players do not grow on trees.  They grow on farms (har, har), and the Padres may have something with Antonelli (see Part 1 for a better discussion on Matt).  However, for every prize prospect, there are more than a few “replacement players” (think VORP) waiting for their shot.  2007 saw a few impressive performances by guys like Jack Cust and, more importantly to the middle infield discussion, Brendan Harris, who fit that description.

The Padres have more than a few possible replacement players who could, at the very least, plug the 2B hole for 2008 if the Padres decide not to push Antonelli from AA to the majors.  Guys like Craig Stansberry, Luis Rodriguez and Oscar Robles, and to a lesser extent, Scott Hairston (though he’s more likely to play the OF, and I’d be interested to see him fight for a starting position in the off-season) and Morgan Ensberg (who has said that he is willing to try playing the position).

Second, trading for someone big will cost ML-caliber players or prospects.  I am of the opinion that a team should be willing to trade everybody and anybody so long as it will help improve the team.  That’s a very realpolitik way of looking at building a team, and I’m sure it will lead to sore feelings, but remember:  there is no crying in baseball.  Seriously, though, Billy Beane and Theo Epstein have demonstrated that trading away iconic players for other pieces can help improve a team (Beane ditched the oft-injured Mulder and gained Haren and Kalero, and Epstein managed to snag a WS win without Boston’s beloved Nomar).  That doesn’t always mean trade whenever you get the chance, just trade your pieces intelligently.

I could see the Padres moving one of their current ML-level players for a 2B, I am just not sure who the Padres would send.  The obvious answer is relief pitching, which KT seems to have a never-ending supply of while the rest of the MLB teams can barely put a bullpen together.  Heath Bell and/or Cla Meredith would likely score someone from a team looking for potential closers.  They also may become expendable (I like Mauro Zarate and Will Startup, and I am under the philosophy that you should always buy low, sell high with relievers, provided you have a good pitching and bullpen coach tandem).  Kevin Cameron is also a good candidate to be moved, though he is a guy who could be good and cheap for a while.  The trick is finding a team looking for those players with a 2B available.  The Devil Rays immediately come to mind because they desperately need relief help.

I don’t see the Padres dealing starting pitching or position players because they don’t have THAT many any above-average replacement players in the farm system, and such a move would just open up another hole.

As for prospects, the Padres have finished up Year Three of Sandy Alderson’s and Grady Fuson’s quest to reinvigorate the Padres’ minor league system.  Sending away some for an ML-ready player only would obviously take away from that mission.  Of course, if you can catch a proven ML 2B who will stay for a long time and move Antonelli, problem solved.

That only looks at the possibility of making a trade for a long-term solution.  Trading for a player who is almost on his way to free agency might make a little more sense for the Padres because:  (a) they are trying to restock their farm system, and they could use the draft picks, especially if they can trade away expendable pieces to get them and (b) they have Antonelli waiting to take over, provided he can cut it in the big leagues.

W ell, that does it for the 2B discussion.  The next part will discuss the CF dilemma.  I mean, Mike Cameron’s screw-up certainly adds a new level of intrigue into the Padres’ search for a CF who can handle Petco.  Thinking about it makes me wonder if the Padres should have just kept Freddy Guzman.  He could fly, even if he didn’t have a great bat.  Worst case scenario, bat him 8th (or 9th, if it’s really that bad).  But I’m biased (I like Fast Freddy G, and never thought he got a fair shot at a starting position), and that is a discussion for another day.

QotM:

“I think there is a better chance of filling that position through a trade than free agency.”
~Padres GM Kevin Towers on Center Field (So you’re saying there’s still a chance for Andruw Jones???  Epic sarcasm.)

Look here.

Now, I was dubious about Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman begins.  However, it was Christopher Nolan, so I withheld final judgment until seeing the movie.  That movie was awesome.

The big question is whether I do the same for J.J. Abrams.  It’s a similar situation:  A re-visioned project involving a past and present interest.  Possibly a more dire situation for me since I’ve been a Star Trek fan longer than a Batman fan (I grew up on TOS, call me a Starfleet “brat” if you like).

I haven’t stayed on top of this movie as much as I could have, mainly because I have been cautiously, anxiously optimistic.  The past few Star Trek movies really burned me, and this promised a different direction.  Unfortunately, it’s a far different direction than I am comfortable with.  I liked Roddenberry’s vision of the Star Trek universe, back when it really was “the human adventure.”  Some of the different permutations have been odd to say the least.

Maybe the end of the Cold War brought this about, seeing as that was a major driving force of the birth of Star Trek.  Star Trek VII marked the end of that chapter in human history by mirroring the collapse of the USSR and showing the difficulty of Cold Warriors adjusting to a new “Age of Diplomacy” (which is how Roddenberry portrayed the 24th Century, albeit it started years before Yeltsin had Russia secede from the USSR).

How will this movie develop, and who is Nero?  Before I knew the name of the villain, I could see this as involving perhaps the Axanar war, of which James T. Kirk was a key figure in putting an end to, or even something involving the legendary Captain Garth.  As of now, I’m completely in the dark.

Whatever happens, please let time travel not be involved.  The introduction of the “Temporal Prime Directive” of the 29th Century opened the door to Enterprise’s “Temporal Cold War” in the 30th (31st?) Century, and that really killed my interest in the series.  They learned that the 22nd Century had plenty of options for interesting story lines far too late, seeing as it really hit its stride the season it was canceled.

QotM:

Kirk:  “Spock, you want to know something?  Everybody’s Human.”
Spock:  “I find that remark…insulting.”
~Star Trek VI:  The Undiscovered Country (That one exchange sums up the fundamental idea of the Star Trek Universe according to Roddenberry)

Nevertheless, I want the Rockies to win because (a) I hate the Red Sox (who are just as bad as the Yankees, if not worse, nowadays), (b) the Rockies beat the Padres in the Wild Card playoff game (so this validates the loss) and (c) I hate Scott Boras.  Payrolls like the Red Sox are exactly what he is lobbying for with his overzealous push to get his clients beyond top dollar, and the unfortunate reality is that most teams can’t do that because they simply don’t have the financial resources.  If the Rockies win, there will be a Boras client involved (Matt Holliday), but with a different team-building philosophy.  The Rockies built from within for the most part, and have one of the smallest payrolls in the MLB.

On the other hand, I want the Red Sox to win because (a) I like the idea of seeing the Rockies embarrassed on the big stage and (b) I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the Rockies winning a WS before my Padres.

QotM:

“Either way you look at it, I win.”
~J

Now it’s happening all over again.

I’ve been trying to check in on my friends in the area. Unfortunately, most of them live in Northern San Diego. As for me, I live near central San Diego, so I’m surrounded by highways and other artificial barriers for the fire. The one that was closest in proximity to where I live, as far as I can tell, is starting to get under control.

So far, I’m far out of harm’s way. My only trouble is living at the bottom of a hill, where a lot of the smoke is coming to settle. All I have to worry about is wearing a dust mask when going outside. Some of my friends haven’t been so lucky.

What is a little frustrating is that as quickly as the state has reacted, it feels like the federal government is dragging its feet. I mean, half a million people have been displaced, and we’re just now getting some help from the navy. San Diego has a major naval base city, and an MCAS near the area. Maybe I am being naive or crass, but doesn’t the military often get involved with natural disasters?

Make no mistake. This is a natural disaster.

QotM:

“Four major fires ripping across San Diego County have burned at least 263,000 acres and destroyed or damaged 1,750 homes and 100 businesses. More than 500,000 people have been told to evacuate.”
~Jeanette Steele, from the San Diego Union-Tribune (That was the count as of 10/23, 3PM, and it is bound to get worse)

On a random tangent, I need to read “Moneyball.”  It seems like the idea gets twisted around in the sports area, focusing on OBP or statistics rather than what I thought the general philosophy was (which was to look for players who can help via an undervalued skill set, which used to be OBP).

Rosenthal concedes that Beckett has pitched more innings this year than ever before, has performed extraordinarily well with more rest, that excelling on short rest in the post-season is the exception, and that the Red Sox use of statistical data has been serving them well.

It seems like statistics are being used more as a scapegoat than anything else, here.  While the Red Sox may employ the philosophy, is this really the only reason they decided against playing Beckett?  I mean, it’s the Red Sox.  They have one of the most dangerous offenses in the MLB, and they were facing Paul Byrd.  Byrd has had a good season (not excellent, but definitely not bad), but he’s no ace.  Plus, if they burn Beckett too much in the ALCS, then he will not be available for as many games should the Red Sox make it to the World Series.

Even worse, what if using Beckett on short rest injures him?  How do they replace him?  They can look to the farm, but they have no track record.  Is Clay Buchholz a sure-fire ace who can step into Beckett’s shoes if they lose him?  This last offseason should be a perfect example as to why placing your ace at risk of injury is a less attractive option.  Daisuke Matsuzaka was supposed to be one, guaranteed by Boras himself (he’s a “national treasure” who has posted good numbers, just not phenomenal ones).  So was Kei Igawa.  Barry Zito got paid like one.  Same with Adam Eaton.  Maybe they trade for an ace.  I’m sure Dontrelle Willis is available for the right price, but that would probably mean farewell to Jacoby Ellsbury.  If Boston wants an ace in working condition, say Jake Peavy or Brandon Webb, it will cost a lot more.

Personally, I think Francona made the right choice.  Just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean that statistical analysis is evil, or that Eric Wedge and the Tribe represent old-fashioned baseball (especially because they don’t).  It means Francona decided to play for tomorrow (using a rested Wakefield and saving Beckett for Game 5), because the Red Sox still had one, and it opened up a few new options for them (if the Red Sox won, it meant the Indians couldn’t slam the door on them with Sabbathia, and they could oppose him with Beckett).  Tonight, he will go with Beckett and play for today, because that’s the only option left.

Except for, of course, next year.

QotM:

“We’re not going to give up.  It doesn’t happen, so who cares?  It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”
~Manny Ramirez on the current Red Sox being down 1-3 in the 2007 ALCS (This is actually very poignant, although not exactly what a fan base wants to hear from their very expensive clean-up hitter.)

Hence, avoiding Internet forums is a quick way to protect your sanity.

Blogging about it, on the other hand, offers a form of control.  You can still put your ideas out there, and you normally have control over poster content.  If people want to share their input, they can.  If they want to spread e-carnage and e-dischord, you need only delete the posts.

So, I’ve been kicking around the question of what the Padres should do for the 2008 season.  Here is a link to a list of their free agents after this season.  The obvious holes that open up are center field (Mike Cameron), left field (we’ll just pencil in Milton Bradley), second base (Marcus Giles), and a fourth and/or fifth starter (David Wells).  There are other positions, such as backup catcher (which is exactly what Michael Barrett became after his hitting woes followed him from Chicago), relief pitchers (Doug Brocail, etc.) and spot starters (Brett Tomko, Sean Estes, etc.), but I really don’t count them because the Padres have replacements in the system.   I’ve always been high on Colt Morton, and I see him as someone who could enter a two-headed catcher tandem with Josh Bard.  At the very worst, they still Luke Carlin, who would be a serviceable MLB-level defensive catcher.  As for relief pitchers and spot-starters, I have the utmost faith in Kevin Towers and the San Diego Brain Trust to find some more diamonds in the rough.  2003 brought Scott Linebrink and Rod Beck.  2004 brought Ismael Valdez, David Wells and Akinori Otsuka.  2005 brought Chris Hammond and Scott Cassidy.  2006 brought Cla Meredith, Alan Embree, Doug Brocail, and Jon Adkins.  2007 brought Heath Bell, Justin Hampson, Justin Germano (reacquired and worked out okay), Kevin Cameron and Joe Thatcher.  Granted, there have been a few one-hit wonders (*cough*Jon Adkins*cough*) and some flops (*cough*Dewon Brazelton*cough*), but the truth is that great relievers are hard to find.  Good relievers are aplenty, if you have a decent pitching and bullpen coach tandem (please, Padres, never fire Balsley and Akerfelds).

I’m just going to wander around through the question, not mentioning dollar figures, but just identifying people I’d like the Padres to consider.  That sounds like a wishy-washy answer, but I’m more interested in the options than the details right now.  The Hot Stove season is still far away, and I am not even going to begin guessing at how contracts spin out of control this season.  If Alex Rodriguez opts out of his contract, there will be a 2007 Brian Sabean who sets a new high for stupidity by signing an epic contract of horrible proportions.

I’ll start off with 2B this time.

When it comes to the holes, second base may be the easiest to fill because the Padres have all but handed the job to Matt Antonelli.  Despite his Arizonal Fall League doldrums, he turned in a tremendous season split between High A and AA ball, and promises to turn into a second baseman who could possibly post an 800+ OPS.  I doubt he’ll become the next Chase Utley, but Antonelli looks like someone who could consistently maintain a high OBP based on his Brian Giles-esque command of the strike zone.

At the same time, I don’t know how wise it would be to jump Antonelli straight from AA to MLB.  They (and by they, I mean the guys who are “in the know” AKA baseball scouts) suggest the jump from High A to AA is the hardest to make for a prospect.  If you judge Matt by that rule of thumb, he passed with flying colors all the while adjusting to a new position (from 3B to 2B).  However, I would hate to see him become the second coming of Kevin Nicholson (some of you thought I’d go for Burroughs, but Burroughs actually seemed to have some decent seasoning at the AAA level, even if he never developed home run power) and flame out quickly only to be claimed off waivers by another team and disappear into obscurity.

Based on available FAs, Tadahito Iguchi might be a decent stopgap, if you can sign him short-term.  His power numbers are starting to decline (and I’d take a hard look at his Philadelphia numbers before betting on them to repeat, although he could become next year’s 2006 Alfonso Soriano), but his OBP seems to sit between .340-.360, which is what the Padres are looking for.  They have enough happy hackers in Greene and Gonzalez, as well as Cameron if he sticks around.

A lot of people are clamoring for Kazuo Matsui, but I would avoid him like the plague.  First of all, his playoff performance is quickly boosting his FA price.  That would only be a minor problem if this next part was not true.  Secondly, he strongly looks like a Coors Field product.  There is nothing wrong with being that, if you are playing for the Rockies.  However, his splits over the past few years show several indications of it (check out his stats at sports.yahoo.com/mlb).  His OBP jumps up 80 points at Coors, most of it coming from hits and not walks (he had the same amount of walks home and away at 17 apiece).  If his OBP was mainly supported by walks, that might not be so bad since a walk is only as cheap as your umpire, and that is usually stadium-independent.  However, he depends on hits, with more of them seeming to come at Coors than away.  When you look at his SLG, you also see a big discrepancy, having about a 150 point difference.  Strangely enough, he only has two more extra base hits at home than away (18 compared to 16).  The difference comes in him hitting fewer doubles at home and more triples and home runs.  If you look over Kaz’s career numbers, you’ll see his power does better at bandboxes, as you would suspect.  There is an extreme difference, though.  You can easily see the difference even in this season, comparing where he played in the NL West.  The sample sizes are small, but he played much better at Chase Fields than he did at Dodger Stadium and Petco Park.  That latter one might be a big reason as to lay off making Kaz a Friar.

You can make the same arguments for Iguchi, but I stress again that Iguchi at least walks, and would most likely be a cheaper alternative than Kaz after this postseason.

Personally, neither look good to me, but another season of Marcus Giles is likely not the answer.  The Padres don’t need another happy hacker, and I am really hoping that picking up Luis Rodriguez does not mean KT & Co. are willing to keep Blum at 2B (that would be a disaster waiting to happen).

Luis Castillo would be an excellent option as a stopgap.  Again, this is under the impression that the Padres want a non-happy hacker player.  Castillo posts an OBP that sits around .370 and scores runs.  Perhaps more importantly, he could allow Brian Giles to move back down to the #2 spot in the lineup.  He would add speed to the top of the lineup, and make it all the more important for a pitcher to pitch to Brian Giles rather than face the battery of Kouzmanoff and Gonzalez in the #3 and #4 spots (because that is where they will likely be based on the last few lineups of the season) with two men on.

Unfortunately, he would likely be looking for a long-term deal, and the Mets are most likely happy to give him one.  He performed well for them (probably giving them the best infield tandem since the days of Rey Ordonez and Edgardo Alfonzo), and is on the cusp of his prime years.  Of course, it might be interesting to sign him and then flip him to another team once Antonelli looks to be ready.

The other option would be to look for a trading partner.  Seeing as this post ended up taking about two hours to think about and write, I will leave that for another time.  I mean, I’ve got months until the 2008 season starts and Padre baseball is back in business…

QotM:

“Baseball was made for kids and grownups only screw it up.”
~Bob Lemon (more on that in a Scott Boras post…)