so, PFF, do we have a "legit #2" now?

[padrefanforever]

Oh I completely agree that we need a bat in this pathetic lineup for sure.....you wont hear me say otherwise until we have two or three 30+ HR guys on this team... ....How 'bout Cabrerra from the fish....maybe Leone, Stauffer, Kotteras for Cabrerra ? Shore up 3rd for years ? We have a surplus of catching prospects, might as well put one to use.....

I think if Young keeps up this current pace, he'll be viewed by all as a top notch starter....for some teams a #1, for us currently a great #2, next year for us hopefully a shutdown #3....the end cap of a brutal threesome of arms....hopefully...

[HollywoodLeo]

we're not going to get a 3rd "shutdown" pitcher AND 2 or 3 30+HR hitters all in one offseason, not unless Khalil Greene and Josh Barfield suddenly become 30+ HR hitters, and/or Giles suddenly redescovers his home run stroke.

[padrefanforever]

I'm not sure I totally agree with "..not going to get them in one offseason..". I think that we're going to have a very solid core to build around....I think that during this offseason we'll have so much $$ available that we can get the needed pieces....now what I will say is that even if we get guys that normally have avg'd 30+ HRs....bringing them to Petco might change that....why I have yet to fully grasp....but if guys can take Peavy into the top tank in deep LF then it's just a matter of getting the right personell here...and I'm hoping this offseason will see us do that....we wont be praying that some elderly guy will find the fountain of middle age and end up being a stopgap for us.....We're in a position to build on a very very solid core.......

Having said that..... getting a frontline #2 and 2 bats is very realistic IMO...then we'll need our core guys ( Kahlil etc...) to step up

[HollywoodLeo]

There's 2 reasons the Padres won't get two, let alone three 30+ HR guys this offseason from outside the organization.

1) They won't spend the needed cash on that many salaries, and they don't have the needed prospects to trade for that many 30+ HR caliber players. I can see them doing it with one, but 2 or 3 would be pure daydreaming, especially if you expect them to also bring in a "topline pitcher"

2) Outside of Carlos Lee there are no 30+ HR hitters available.

Of course, i'm only thinking free agency with #2.

In regards to the HR concept, i'll only say this. It's not far fetched to think some average joe can hit a home run on a bad pitch, anywhere. But you take that same joe and make him play 81 of his games in PetCo and i'd like to see him keep that up....
Even Phil Nevin has hit a home run or two at PetCo, nobody says it's impossible, the argument is that it can't be done as consistantly as in most other ballparks.

That said, we'll see if the numbers prove my case this year like they have the past two seasons

edit: I do think there is an element of the park "going to their heads" involved as well, because I don't think the drop off should be as much as it's been for players such as Giles.
Of course, I think I read somewhere that Giles changed his approach a bit due to the way the park plays.
Combine that with him really having no power protection, leading to pitching around him, and you see why his HR totals have dropped as much as they have.

[padrefanforever]

Marlins might be willing to move Cabrerra for the right offering....Yes he would cost us, but why would you not pay for a top notch guy? If we could do that it would take care of 3rd base, and bring a young 30+ HR guy to the table. Pick up Carlos Lee in the offseason, that makes two.....Sign Zito and you have your trifecta.....those three guys would change the complexion of this team, and I don't think it's a pipe dream.....it would however take a major grabbing of the nads since we'd of course need to give to get.......but all three are potentially better than anything we have in our system.....so I say explore the idea.....if we can make it happen.......do it..........if not, we tried

[HollywoodLeo]

I think it'd take Kotteras + any 2 of Wells/Stauffer/Carrillo at least to get Cabrerra.... that'd sting, but i'd probably do it anyways.

As far as Carlos Lee goes, with other, richer teams in the hunt for him I don't forsee Sandy Alderson investing that much of the payroll that it'd take to get him in one guy. I'd hope they'd really go for it, but if the Yankees want Carlos Lee and Carlos Lee wants the $$$ the Yankees WILL get Carlos Lee.

If I had to take a bet on 3 scenarios, being told that one of them WILL happen, between Miguel Cabrerra being a Padre next year, Carlos Lee being a Padre next year, or both being a Padre next year, i'd put my money option A.

That said, it's very possible it'd be option D: none of the above.

I'm not normally one to believe the Padres would spend money on a top notch free agent, and in principal I don't think they normally should.....but they don't normally have ~30 million coming off the books either, so who knows, it's not beyond the realm of possibility.

[Rufio181]

We would be a good time for a long time if we get Cabrera.

LETS DO IT!!!!1

[padrefanforever]

Cabrera would go a long way to shore up this team on both sides of the ball....and I agree.....with all the catching talent we have, time to use some to our benefit..... Kotteras, Stauffer, Wells for Cabrera = Done if they would do it.....then lock him up for 4-5 years

Carlos Lee I fully agree with you on, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make a legit run at him....offer him something like 4/40 to play here, and if he goes somewhere else....we tried....i't's big money, only a 4 year deal, he'll be young still when the contract is up and could play elsewhere unless he finds a home here.....etc.....and we can afford to give a big masher $10M/yr ....and in this market that's not that much anymore you wont get to pay less than that for a real player anymore....