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“Padres-Shopping List–Need List”

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The Padres, wearing new Brown and Gold uniforms, are now searching for new players to put in those uniforms.

The GM’s meetings started Monday night in Scottsdale, as baseball execs lay the groundwork for possible trades they might make at the Winter Meetings coming up the first week in December.

For the first time in a long time, the Padres walked thru Omni Hotel at Camelback Mountain… lobbies with a pocketful of names other teams might be interested in, some veteran players, some rookie prospects.

The Padres are dealing from strength in their organization for the first time ever, but they are dealing with their backs to the wall too, and dealing to fill needs.

They have a significant roster issue.  The 40-man roster has to be adjusted in the next couple of weeks before the Rule 5-draft.  The Friars have 9-hot minor leaguers they must account for in addition to the 40-they already have on the major league roster.  If they cannot protect some of them, they likely lose them in the Rule 5-draft, so this week promises to be busy, and the first days of December will definitely be busy.

Not on the 40-roster yet, but draft eligible are OF-Taylor Trammell, who hit in the (.229) in AA after coming over from the Reds in that 3-way trade with the Indians…..young infielder Hudson Potts (.227)…outfielder Buddy Reed (.228)…pitcher Luis Patino (2.69)..power pitcher Reggie Lawson and infielder Gabe Arias (.302). All have shown promise at times.

A look at the names in play.

WIL MYERS…Has never turned out to be the All Star player the Padres hoped for.  An erratic bat and a player without a position.  A likely trade chip to someone in the American League, but the burning question, who wants his 20M a year contract that kicks in this season.  Too streaky, and too hot and cold defensively.  Evidently the Padres now know what the Royals and Tampa Bay knew, no idea where to play him, and no idea of what kind of players he can be at bat.  The scary part, Preller would have to eat part of the contract, but if you get the right frontline pitcher, maybe it is worth it.

AUSTIN HEDGES…Great value on defense, but not much on offense.  How do you define his true value.  He is being pushed for the starting job by developing catcher Francisco Mejia, who hit well last year in rotation.  Remember the Friars traded Brad Hand and another pitcher to get him, so you assume he has to be the starting catcher going forward.  Hedges has great value, but great risk moving him.

HUNTER RENFRO…It looked like he arrived by midseason, with his hitting, his power, his cannon arm, and his ability to play both corner outfield spots.  But then he got hurt and he fell off the map with a horrible final couple of months.  Might be too early to give up on him, considering the team dealt away the other young power hitting outfielder Franmil Reyes at the deadline.

ADRIAN MOREJON…They’ve waited three years, and they paid a lot of money to sign him, but he’s had five different arm issues in the three years.  A hot prospect on a pitching staff of more established prospects.  It would be a costly deal to move him considering he cost the team 11M in bonuses and 11M in tax money when they signed him out of Cuba.  Somebody young likely has to go, he might be it.

ERIC LAUER….A proven young talent who has pitched well over a year and a half, but of pitchers on the major league staff, he might bring the most value in a swap for a quality centerfielder.  But then, are you hurting your rotation to fill another spot on the roster.

CAL QUANTRILL…People will call, but will they consider moving him or keeping him with Lauer as part of the future staff.  Pitched very competitively thru most of his starts from mid season on.  Again, there is the numbers game here, you cannot keep them all.

LUIS TORRENS…They have had him for 3-years but cannot hide him in the system with this catcher logjam.

AUSTIN ALLEN…In cameo appearances looked good, and does hit minor league pitching, but where does he fit with the catchers ahead of him in the dugout?

IAN KINSLER…Would have to be a salary dump for a prospect at best, since Ty France-Greg Garcia-Luis Urias all play the same position.

FRANCHY CORDERO….Can’t stay on the field, nor stay healthy, but is taking up a valuable roster spot.  Exposed, he probably gets drafted by someone.

JOSH NAYLOR…No place for him to play, even so he can hit occasional homers.  Like Cordero, if not protected, somebody looking for a DH might take him in the draft.

NICK MARTINI…Can hit, played a bunch at end of season, but is a career journeyman who could be exposed.  Would you choose him over Naylor or Cordero to retain?

ANDERSON ESPINOSA…Came from Red Sox three years ago and promptly had 2-elbow surgeries.  Potential yes, but potential risk too considering he’s not pitched in a long time.  A gamble to expose him, but he takes up roster space.

LUIS PERDOMO…On year of promise, the next two a disappointment.  Just a guy now as a long reliever, but there is still upside.  If you deal him, or lose him, you better make sure the young 100mph pitchers you have can actually replace him in the role.

This is a complex rubic cube AJ Preller has to play with going forward.  Lots of moving parts.  The burning question, too early to give up on some of them, or have to deal them to guarantee the team can win next season with some additional veteran players.

Interesting weeks ahead….better be.

Need better season too in 2020.

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“What I Think–What I Saw”

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CHARGERS….Brutal battering QB-Philip Rivers took, the 5-sack-10 hit pounding in loss to lowly Raiders defense….Only way the kid Its get better will be to play them…There is no alternative.

CHARGERS…GM-Tom Telesco interesting reaction….”Don’t let Raiders loss beat you twice…”…Get ready for game in Mexico City against Chiefs.  Telesco, who never goes into the locker-room, had to go in the night before the Raiders game to address the London rumors.

CHARGERS….Bad decisions, bad luck, bad mojo.  Name it, it has happened to a (4-6) football team.  Melvin Gordon’s ill advised selfish holdout.  The wrath of injuries that just does not go okay.  And the bad karma that seems to follow owner Dean Spanos in the aftermath of the decision to take the money and run to Los Angels.

AZTECS…A (7-2) record is very good this time of the year, so the public grumbling about boring football is a surprise.  What is not so good is the continued erratic play of SDSU’s offensive unit, this deep late into the season.  Yards and TDs tough to come by right now.  If Rocky Long is truthful about incorporating the passing game more-he better recruit better big play wide receivers.  Just asking, when was last time SDSU had an all conference wide receiver?  They are all over the parking lot, everyone else, even at the Mountain West level, can recruit size wideouts and some with terrorist speed, why not here?  Go get some better receivers to compliment all the other good things on the field.

AZTECS…Sure would like to know how SDSU accounted for over 27,000 fans at Saturday loss to Nevada.  What they should truly release is paid attendance and free tickets.  What they should do is hire better marketing people to sell a pretty good product on the field. This coach is (76-36) on the Mesa, and no one supports the program, not even the 120,000 so called graduate alums that live here?  How come?
USD…No one pays attention, but they should.  Toreros QB-Reid Sinnett, could be the Walter Payton Award winner this year.  That’s the 1-AA version of the Heisman Trophy.  USD is headed to post season playoffs again.  Would be nice if they could host a home game.  Like to see AD Bill McGillis do some creative selling to lure a playoff game, and have the community get behind the team.  USD is not on anyone’ radar.

PADRES…They know how to throw a party, nice “Bring Back the Brown” celebration on Saturday night at Petco Park for some 3,000 or so fans.  Like the pinstripe look, wish they had a new ‘font’ design for Padres instead of the block letters.  Welcome back ‘Swinging Friar’ on the shoulder patch.  Next up,  get some more players for this moribund batting order.

PADRES….GM’s meetings starting Monday over in Scottsdale…AJ Preller should shop Will Myers to an American League team for a pitcher….I’d hate to part with C-Austin Hedges, but you have to “give-to-get” in the trade market.

PADRES… Tough decisions coming with overload of young pitchers they have to account for on the 40-man roster leading into the Rule 5-Draft.  Also tough decisions if people offer you a bat, which arm are you going to part with, Eric Later, Cal Quantrill or younger prospects.  Cannot protect all of them.

PADRES…New manager, new coaches, so Darren Balsey gets reassigned for final year of his contract.  Will work and will have impact tutoring minor league pitchers in the system.  If I were Bud Black in Colorado, I’d be calling Balsley about the Rockies pitching coach consultant position.  Same thing when and if the Giants hire a manager.

AZTECS…Gritty impressive win for SDSU hoops in Provo against BYU.  Jordan Schakel hits 4-three point shots in a row to trigger rally against Cougars.  The 3-guards and Schakel give State some real firepower.  Just have to keep the big men on defense healthy.  They have every component to be pretty good.

USD…This will be a tough season for Sam Scholl led basketball team on Alcala Way….Bad break losing 6’10-C-Yau Massalski with bone spur surgery on a foot….Disappointing in that USD had two years to get ready via recruiting to replace firepower that graduated last year, and it does not look like they got enough in recruiting aside from a couple of late transfers into the program.

GULLS…So many news faces on the roster, I knew it would take time, and the (0-6) start was hard, but it is starting to come together.  They picked up a group of AHL veterans who will score goals.  Now they need to keep the parent Anaheim Ducks from calling to take players back up to the NHL.  The latest to leave, 2nd year D-Simon Benoit.

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“Chargers Season–Fade to Black in Black Hole”

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Crap week for the Chargers.

They could have won the Thursday night game, but didn’t.  They should have won the Thursday night game, but couldn’t.

Their playoff hopes now likely gone, sunk in the sinkhole of a Raiders Stadium, the Oakland Coliseum, aka the Black Hole.

It was an ugly loss between a struggling battered veteran team, and a mistake prone young team.  The Raiders will take any victory they can, regardless of mistakes, penalties, breakdowns.  The Chargers cannot stomach  the losses, the injuries, the futility of not helping out their record setting quarterback.

The Raiders crushed a battered Chargers offensive line, finishing the night with 3-interceptions, five sacks, 10-hits and 4-pressures on Rivers.  By the time they got to the end, the pass blockers infront of Rivers were from Grambling, Sioux Falls and Fresno State.  When it was over, Russell Okung was hurt again, there was no Mike Pouncey, no Sam Tavi.  Rivers could have had 5-interceptions in all, had two picks not been negated by Raiders penalties.

A week ago everyone wanted to salute the new play caller Shane Steichen.  On Thursday night, he seldom called plays for big receiver Mike Williams, went away from Melvin Gordon and the running game, and will have nightmares flashing back to lineman getting pushed into Rivers face, and a collapsing pocket time and time again.

The Chargers put up a fist fight, slowing down Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, but in a 10-round fight, Oakland kept punching and the Chargers finally wilted.

There was a stretch of time where I said to myself, ‘can’t protect the quarterback, no problem, just run the damn ball’, and they did, for 105-yards in the first half.  But it’s a four quarter game and life got ugly in the second half in that ugly stadium.

The kids had bad days across the board for the Bolts.

Offensive tackle Trent Scott gave up 2-sacks, 3-big hits and took a penalty.  Fellow rookie Trey Pipkens, forced to play at left tackle, gave up a brutal sack and took a bad penalty.  Center Scott Quisenberry took a flag, got beat on plays and even rolled a shotgun snap back to his QB.  A future Hall of Fame quarterback takes a beating from what looked like a Pac 12-Conference defense.

On defense, it wasn’t easy for young players either.  Cornerback Michael Davis wilted in the second half, giving up 2-big pass plays and taking a pass interference penalty.  Rookie linebacker Drue Tranquill got beat 3-times on pass plays.  Rayshawn Jenkins and others were chasing receivers all night, seldom making plays

The vaunted Chargers big play offense had just 5-plays of plus 20-yeards, and this against a Raiders defense that came in giving up (390YPG).

The Raiders kept screwing up, critical off sides calls, a bunch of pass interference flags, and 12-penalties in all for 97-yards on the night, and yet the Chargers could not put them away.

The Bolts had two amazing drives, a 16-play series that went 77-yards, and then in the second half a 10-play 75-yard drive that gave them a temporary lead, but didn’t hold up for 60-minutes, per the league rules..

But in between those two impressive drives, it was awful, all that, QB hits, sacks, incompletions and breakdowns.

So the feel good 3-game win streak is over, and truth be told, were it not for bad kicking opening day from Adam Vinatieri and then by Chicago’s Eddie Pineiro, this Chargers team would-could-should be (2-8) this season.  Looking back, they have played 1-good game this year, last weekend’s plastering of the Packers.  1-good game in a 10-week season so far.

All this days after the whole Dean Spanos meltdown over the Chargers-to-London story.  Just think of the curse words coming out of his mouth last night after a loss that might have been a win.

Crap week for the Chargers, and just six weeks left in a season that is getting away from them.

Playoff hopes fade to black in the black hole.

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“Chargers-vs Raiders”

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Thursday night football should be a dandy.  The Chargers-vs- the Raiders.

It’s had meaning in the past.  It’s very important for the here and now.

The storyline should be the big arm quarterbacks, Philip Rivers-vs-Derek Carr.

It might be the huge matches, how the Raiders can defend Mike Williams-Keenan Allen-Hunter Henry.

It could be how Oakland protects its quarterback with two injured offensive lineman out as they lineup against Joey Bosa-Melvin Ingram.

Some would say the big question will be how the Bolts defend the heavy duty running back Josh Jacobs, the rookie from Alabama, averaging (4.9YPC).

Others think the Raiders will present problems when they throw to TE-Devin Waller, Ethan Moreau and receiver Tyrell Williams.

One wonders what the Raiders would have been like had Antonio Brown-Vontze Burfcit not melted down early in the season.

The Bolts defense did a great job last week in stunning Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. last weekend.

The Raiders have won some tough road games, and are playing better and better week by week, protecting Carr, and hitting big plays.

The Chargers defense has had to fight thru injuries.  The Raiders ultra young defense is giving up (390YPG).

Each team is desperate for a win now, considering there are 4-teams ahead of the 4-win Bolts and Silver & Black, in the chase ahead for the 2-wildcard spots.

The winner may stay alive, the loser is likely done.

There’s so much history between these two franchises dating back to the old AFL days, the Al Davis regime, the Air Coryell years, Ross & Schottenheimer, and obviously the run that Philip Rivers has had.

Oddly, there is so much hurt left behind, with the Chargers move out of San Diego, and the Raiders flight at the end of this season to Las Vegas.

But for one night, there is a lot on the line in this Thursday night game.

Look for the Bolts to put up big numbers.  The only way the Raiders win this is to run the ball, control the clock, scores some points, and make Rivers stand on the sidelines for much of the night.

Chargers 28-Raiders 16

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“Chargers–Crisis & Conspiracy Theory”

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This is so much fun to follow from a distance, especially if you have special insight and know all the players in this table, and their history of dealing with issues.  And I do.

This is like ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, a real who-dun-it.

Or maybe it is more like the old board game “Clue”, you know with Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum and Mrs. Peacock.

Talking of course about the 24-hours of rumors, innuendos, angry denials and all, about the future of the Chargers, the NFL team that vacated San Diego for the riches but no love market in Los Angeles.

“The Athletic Website” in a story floated by a longtime NFL writer, reported some ‘internal discussions’ at the owners level about the possibility the struggling ‘at the gate’ Chargers might be a candidate to be the franchise moved to London, England, where the NFL has been staging International games for years, and is dropping hints they’d like a full-time team in Picadilly Circus.

Then “Forbes Magazine” ran a story, from another NFL writer, reporting on rumors the failing Chargers might consider moving back to San Diego after 3-years of struggles in the LA market, where the team more resembles the old LA Clippers and the Donald Sterling rather than the franchise that wants to be recognized like the inconic Dodgers-Lakers-or even the heritage Rams.

Oh the angst did flow within hours of these stories going national.

There was owner Dean Spanos, emerging from the catacombs and shadows of his office, talking to the LA media, possibly for the first time since his bogus press conference, arriving in LA.  You do remember the one where the Chargers rented actors to dress up like fans?

Spanos, who never-ever says anything of value, dropped 4-“S-bombs” in his two sentence statement, denying any and all links to the NFL idea of London.  You know the rest of his story, committed to LA, grow it in LA, succeed in LA.  Eventhough the general consensus is they’ve lost the “Fight for LA.”

Then Fred Maas, one of Spanos’ trusted advisors, who helped him move the team from San Diego, went nuclear saying there would never be a thought of leaving LA to return to the teams 55-year home San Diego, the city they spurned after all those decades of loyalty.  He stopped short of cursing, but he was emphatic they would succeed in LA, no matter what.  Wins-losses-other teams-a bad owner-or Santa Ana fires.

Fascinating 24-hours.  Of course all this erupted a day after the LA Times lead columnist saluted the players on the field, for their surprise win over Green Bay, and went on and on, how the team deserved support, from its longtime San Diego fan base, and wouldn’t have support-ever in Los Angeles.

And now back to the ‘Who dun-it” part of all this.

Are you big into conspiracies?  Agatha Christie was with Hercule Poirot investigating this-that and some of the other, in Murder on the Orient Express.

So the LA Times lambastes the Chargers, just like they did the day the franchise was moved in 2017.

Then the Athletic runs a story about supposed conversations at the league level about London.

And Forbes digs into the depths of a move back to San Diego, where fans would welcome the team back with open arms, as long as it left th owner behind in Los Angeles.

Is it possible, and I am not a conspiracy guy, but is it possible, all these stories were planted by someone,  either designing to bury the Chargers once and for all in the LA market?

Or possibly float these stories, so there could be instant denials from a financially threadbare owner who is not well liked in his new home, after conducting a scorched earth policy to destroy his old home, to evoke some sort of tale-about love for LA-love us back?

Might say a Mark Fabiani have planted one of these stories and Fred Maas the other, so that Spanos could come front and center to deny it all, re-sell his love for a loveless LA market, and try to be painted as a victim in this Chargers-to-LA mess, rather than the guy to be blamed?

Could somebody within the Rams have dropped these rumors out there for the media to feed on, to destroy the Spanos-led franchise once and for all, so that the Rams will forever be the NFL team for Los Angeles?

Connect all the dots on all these angles for me and then let me know what you think.

In the train station in life, they are paging Colonel Mustard or Inspector Poirot to come investigate all this.

Nice drama involving the Bolts.  Fact-Fiction-Fraud.

Follow the clues.

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