1-Man’s Opinion Column-Thursday “Mid Season Report Card-Padres”

Posted by on July 14th, 2016  •  0 Comments  • 

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Padres-Mid Season Report Card

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The All Star game has come and gone, a glorious four days of baseball entertainment. Next up, the second half of a likely last place season for the Padres. The mid-season break saw the team get to the All Star game with a (38-51) record. Here are letter grades for what I saw, and what I think.

Ownership…They are all in with the baseball leadership, headed by AJ Preller. If you had doubts about the GM, you would not have allowed him to invest 73M in the acquisition of 43-draft picks and international free agents in the last month. That financial commitment is impressive, as well as their determination to make Petco Park a ‘crowned jewel’ place for family fun.
Grade (A)

GM…AJ Preller has been given carte-blanche to fix the team. They have drafted well, and have spent alot in the Latin American free agent market. Only three years will tell us if he made the right choices and overpaid on a key collection of Cubans, Venezuelans and players from the Dominican. But his mis-steps in all his initial trades, and the U-turn in philosophy is his second off season of acquisitions makes you wonder if he really has a blueprint. Rumors are everywhere he has issues with ownership about blowing thru budgets. You are what your record says you are, a poor organization right how. Grade (D).

Manager..Andy Green has kept the team focused, competitive, aggressive and playing on an edge. He has had a couple of meltdowns, but seems to be the type of guy you’d want in a foxhole next to you. He has followed thru on his promises of how he wanted the game played, And he has instilled pride in those he puts on the field. They play hard. Grade (B).

Wil Myers…Has grown into a role of a rock solid young pro who can hit with some power….Gifted around lst base….Team needs a leader and a personality, something he needs to grow into ..Grade (A)

Cory Spangenberg…Three leg injuries have ruined his season, but he was elevating himself in eyes of manager with his style of hustle….Based on potential when healthy (B)

Alexi Ramirez…Still gifted with the glove, but no longer what he was in young White Sox days with the bat….Grade (C)

Yangervais Solarte…A surprise player who has developed by being in the lineup….Grinds hard with the glove…makes things happen with the bats…having career season…Grade (B).

Alexi Amirista…No longer same player, just a utility man now at best, having been sent to minors twice…serviceable…Grade (C).

Brett Wallace…Got lost in the shuffle…Elite pinch hitter last year, has had to play lots of positions which took edge off his bat…Think he is better than (.170) hitter…Proud worker..Grade (D)

Adam Rosales…Does hustle-loves the game…Not much with glove…sometimes dangerous with bat….bench players don’t win pennants…Everybody needs 25th player on roster..Grade (D)

Derek Norris…Not the season we expected on offense nor defense after flashes last year…Love his attitude-edge-leadership….Grade (C)

Christian Bethancourt….Can hit some…Not much of a catcher…now you see why Atlanta gave up on him…still some future ahead of him…Grade (C)

Melvin Upton…Could qualify as “Comeback Player of Year” if he keeps hitting…seeing flashes of what he used to be in Tampa, but that’s years back..Grossly overpaid….Really distant player and personality type, but this has been good half……..Grade (B).

John Jay…Having really good year…quiet individual-let’s bat-glove do talking…solid major leaguer headed to free agency…Grade (B)

Matt Kemp…Not what he used to be, though he has played really hard…seems finally healthy, but that’s alot of money (21M) for someone to hit in .250’s with some homers….Grade (C)

Travis Jankowski….Sparkplug young guy…Plays hard..yet to show major league bat, but everything else is positive about him…..Super utility man..Grade (B)

Ryan Schimpf…Just glad to be here after banging around minor leagues…not hitting but that’s who he was also in minors…Grade (D)

Jabari Blash…All the hype of someone who strikes out…Poor man’s Kyle Blanks…struggling at AAA….Grade (F)

Alex Dickerson..Has done everything he can in minors with productive bat-just needs lots of AB’s in the show…Grade (C)

Jemile Weeks..Has never regained stature of what he was with A’s when he broke in, then broke down once he got the chance (D)

Drew Pomeranz….The find of the season…Matured into trustworthy starter…Strong first half…becoming lead guy though not a Kershaw-Bumgarner…Grade (B)

Christian Friederich…Maybe getting away from Coors Field has made a difference…does compete…just half season sample size…Grade (C)

Andrew Cashner…So much expected-very little delivered the last two years, and now headed to exit via free agency…Wished there was more considering whom they traded to get him…Grade (D).

Colin Rea…..Pitched well early…not so well late…does not get ruffled by bad innings, but not convincing starts over the last months…Grade (C)

Cesar Vargas…Pitched very competively in first group of starts, then it all caught up with him…might be better long man than starter…Grade (C)

Tyson Ross…1-start then arm issues after two solid seasons….If healthy, lead dog in rotation, but he has yet to come back….Basing this on past contribution…Grade (B)

Erik Johnson…Winless here after hardly winning in Chicago…For 6th year pro-looks like a washout…now hurt…Grade (F).

Luis Perdomo…There is upside here…learning to pitch on job…has yet to figure out how to avoid catastrophic inning though…Keep him healthy…Pleasant surprise for a guy jumping from Class A-ball….Grade (B).

Brandon Mauer…Found himself after getting put back in bullpen…His turn to see if he can be closer…Mentally tough guy-really gets heated up on mound…Grade (B)

Matt Thornton…Missed chunk of time with spring training injury, pitching okay in mop-up role…not what he used to be…Grade (C)

Brad Hand..Hard to believe Miami gave up on him…Real trustworthy role pitcher out of pen..lots of innings…Grade (B)

Ryan Buchter…Journeyman minor leaguer-has blossomed….let’s see if second half can be just as effective…Grade (B)

Kevin Quackenbush…Career seems stalled-plagued by home run ball…finding niche as 8th inning guy but not difference maker…Grade (C)

Robbie Erlin…Tough break with elbow surgery…softoss kid who competes…now out a year with elbow surgery….Grade (C)

Carlos Villanueva…Really disappointed…way too many home runs..thought he could be next Dale Thayer…Grade (D)

James Shields…Costly mistake, what they paid him, what they are paying Chicago to take him, what they got for him…Disaster….Big Game James has to prove he was not Big Game Fraud….Grade (D)

Fernando Rodney….Nice pickup-now in a pennant race…Fearless of any failure….Good teammate…Grade (A)..

Jose Dominguez…Just a guy….Grade (C).

Michael Kirkman…Here and gone…Grade (F)

Lyonel Campos;..Not ready for prime time..Grade (D)

Tayron Guerrero….See Campos story…Grade (D)

Keith Hessler…Who..Grade (F)

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Grade Scale: (A) 4-points..(B) 3…(C) 2…(D) 1..(F) 0.

Mid Term Report…. 39-players….3-upper management grades….Total (84-points)….Grade Point for entire organization (2.0) for first half of season..
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Grade “C”.

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