“Thoughts about the Team-in-Town”

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Padres….Thank goodness for the Colorado Rockies pitching staff, for it is worse than the Padres. They got smoked in games 1-and-2 of the weekend series as the Padres teed off for 29-runs and 36-hits up in Denver. Sure the thin air had something to do with it, but so did the bad arms.

Still not convinced the Padres have enough pitching, and now Tyson Ross is gone till the end of the month after laboring on opening day. James Shields is still a 6-inning pitcher, but he battled the Rockies, though giving up 3-solo home runs. He gave up 33-shots last year.

Wafer thin, now they lost 3rd baseman Yanger Solarte with what looks to be a bad hamstring pull. Anyone seen a 3rd baseman around? Not Adam Rosales everyday. Surely not Alexi Amarista. Maybe a swap out of Corey Spangenberg moving over.

Love the signing of James Loney as a free-agent first baseman, for the veterans minimum. He is not a proto-type power hitter, but a lifetime (.285) guy, with a great glove. Bet he is here quickly. Now Wil Myers goes back to the outfield, and who knows where the excess baggage of Melvin Upton winds up.

Rumors-rumors won’t go away, involving Pablo Sandoval, he of girth (261lbs), he of big contract (19M) per year. I would not deal Shields away from this limited rotation. But here’s what the Padres should say. You take my bad contract (Melvin Upton) and a minor league prospect, I’ll take the Panda Bear off your hands. You add Loney and Sandoval for next to nothing, would make a big difference.

And the Derek Norris trade rumors have popped again with the Rangers needing catching help. Texas has a loaded farm system, but I’m not sure you deal a fiery leader-grinder like Norris for more prospects.

AJ Preller likes to wheel and deal, but this year’s transactions leading to open day left the big club vulnerable. He did not get any ready-made major league players for San Diego, while trying to restock the farm system.

Bad reminder, the Padres have not been in the post season in 10-years, and have not a home playoff game in 18-years. They have had 5-winning seasons in the last 17-years.

The LA Times dinged Padres ownership saying lead owner Ron Fowler has lots of explaining to do to the fan base in San Diego, answering the question “do the owners know what they are doing”? A bit early to condemn everything I’d say, but this does look like a 4th to 5th place team. And if they have any significant injuries-oh my-as Dick Enberg would say.

By the way, still awaiting the TV debut of Dan Orsillo, the Red Sox voice. Let him work games with Enberg and let him have some series when Dick takes time off.

The Padres like to talk about prospects. The only real one at AAA-El Paso is Hunter Renfroe. Have you seen the Chihauas starting rotation?. 4-journeyman starters, led by Jeremy Guthrie. Not a prospect there on the mound for sure.

The Friars have had a great relationship with the San Antonio Missions. bit ot appears the Missions will be moving from the Texas League-AA to the Pacific Coast League, if the Colorado Springs Sky Sox team moves into that market. Don’t think the Padres want their AA-team located in the Springs, high altitude, bad for pitching confidence and evaluating players. Years in Las Vegas taught them lots about that.

Once the Friars get done with this series in Philadelphia, they come home but they start facing real people again, Pirates-Cardinals and then road trips to Dodgers Stadium and San Francisco.

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