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“Padres Begin Off Season-Not Done Either”

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The busiest team in baseball on Tuesday, roster deadline day, was in San Diego.

Why not? When you have a 96-loss tin can tied around your tail, you cannot stay with the same roster.

And so the Padres made 3-trades of fringe players to clear roster spots. They are about to sell off last year’s starting 3rd baseman, and promoted 7-kids from the farm system, to be protected from the Rule 5-draft.

The one things that still might happen, is the rumored trade of OF-3B-1B-Wil Myers.

I reported two weeks ago at the GM’s meetings, he was being shopped to Seattle. Voila, now the national media has picked up on what I reported.

Myers and his 64M-contract, shaky glove, and laissez-fair attitude, might be headed to the Seattle Mariners, as I said he might, in a package deal for 2B-SS-3B- Jean Segura and mid-rotation workhorse starter Mike Leake.

The Padres would be taking on some 20M in additional salaries in the transaction, but Segura hit (.304) last year, and Leake is a (10-10) pitcher with a fierce starters personality.

There may still be more transactions coming. Part time infielder-outfielder Jose Pirela is still here, so is the overload of other outfielders, and 4-catchers are still on the protected list. P-Brett Kennedy Bryan Mitchell..and utility men Carlos Asuaje-Greg Garcia-Javy Guerra are still in San Diego, but trades could still happen.

Say goodbye to Christian Villanueva, with reports he might be going to the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. Good start to last season, lousy 3-months and then he got hurt. Lots of errors at 3B too. Not a bad guy, just not a complete player.

The club is sending out Corey Spangenberg and Colin Rea among others to AAA-El Paso, exposing them to the Rule 5-draft.

Dispatched in trades, P-Colton Brewer went to the Red Sox; P-Rowan Wick is now a Cub; P-Walker Lockett was shipped to the Indians, for minor leaguers, who did not need to be protected.

They had to create at least 7-roster spots to protect a series of young arms, led by fast moving prospect Chris Paddack, power hitting catcher Austin Allen, infielder Ty France and others.

The Padres have a big bargaining chip in Myers as well as fellow flychaser Hunter Renfroe. Only time will tell if one, or both, are moved. This franchise still desperately needs veteran pitching presence, so anyone, most everyone, with the exception of Eric Hosmer could be in play.

Tough to say goodbye to some of these guys, but it’s the transient part of baseball, and the Hot Stove League is starting to heat up.

It’s just the beginning of a busy winter of trades.You can’t keep everyone here, and why would you. The bad taste of another last place season, this a 96-loss campaign, is not going away unless you rinse your mouth and get rid of a chunk of players who made it a 96-loss year.

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