You know, most teams that have a good pitching staff and play in a pitcher-friendly ballpark will try and have at least one or two big bats in their lineup (Jack Clark on Whitey Herzog's Cardinals, for example). Or they have a bunch of fast guys on the team to run wild on the base paths (again, like the '80s Cardinals). But the Padres have neither power nor speed at all.
To top it off, I don't know that they can offer up any trade deals sweet enough to bring in a big bat. They can't get rid of Peavy or Young. Kouzmanoff and Gonzalez provide what little offensive threat they currently have, and their middle relief pitchers look extremely suspect. About the best they have to offer as trade bait would be Khalil Green, who does play a very solid shortstop. I don't see other teams offering to swap a big bopper for a streak-hitting middle infielder, though, no matter how good his glove.
Looks like the makings of a long season in America's Finest City.
To top it off, I don't know that they can offer up any trade deals sweet enough to bring in a big bat. They can't get rid of Peavy or Young. Kouzmanoff and Gonzalez provide what little offensive threat they currently have, and their middle relief pitchers look extremely suspect. About the best they have to offer as trade bait would be Khalil Green, who does play a very solid shortstop. I don't see other teams offering to swap a big bopper for a streak-hitting middle infielder, though, no matter how good his glove.
Looks like the makings of a long season in America's Finest City.
