Playing General Manager for the 2024 San Diego Padres

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Yeah baseball’s float um the San Diego Padres were financially sinking at the end there we go how about that transition bridg loan team the San Diego Padres and AJ PR are in a decisionmaking point they are at an inflection point in their franchise I’d say uh as of right now their estimated

Tax payroll accounting for arbitration and pre-arbitration estimates is at is Under The Firm dollar the competitive balance taxes at 237 they clearly want to stay below that based on what we’ve read in regards to the San Diego Padres I wonder if $200 billion is the point

That they want to stay below the move so far they traded Juan stto and Trent gam to Peter New York Yankees for Michael King Drew Thorp Johnny breedo Randy Vasquez and Kyle higashioka please they reportedly agreed to terms with Yuki matui who was one of the best closers in Japan

For 4 years and $21 million they also got cheaper in the setup role trading Scott Barlo to Cleveland who’s estimated to be worth about 7.2 million in arbitration this year for enel de los Santos who’s worth about $1 million in his first year of arbitration they also

Got the Matt Carpenter money off the books for the most part along with Ray Kerr to Atlanta and they hired Mike shil as their manager but they lost Blake Snell Josh hater richill Mike Kaka Seth Lugo Nick Martinez Garrett Cooper Drew pomerans Gary Sanchez G man Choy Tim

Hill and Austin ol that’s a lot of guys that just disappeared that’s a team they just lost that’s a team that they just lost so we’ll go through position by position but armm Laden overall state of the San Diego Padres right now in one to five words how would you put

It fascinating I actually find it fascinating um and and I’ll get into it because he only gave me one to five words so I don’t do you want me to get into it now or or save it so your one word was fascinating elaborate on

Fascinating okay so I want to see AJ PR work with some restraint like I want to see what it looks like when AJ PR’s hands are tied a little bit when he has to be economical when when every move matters a little bit and PR is a smart

Mind he’s one of the best Scouts that we’ve seen in a long time I mean look at the way that they draft every single year but it’s always been swing for the fences throw money at guys I got a lot I got endless money behind which is great

Testament to the ownership that you know was was so good and we need more owners like the Padres have had but you know I I do feel like that there was almost this recklessness that came with that to a degree and now he’s got to work with

Between the margins he’s got to be really efficient he’s got to be very very particular with where he spends his money where he wants to allocate that I love Yuki Matsui we’ll get into that a second but I thought it was crazy that they gave them a four-year deal probably

More years less a AV that’s what they’re looking at I’m just fascinated to see what AJ PR does and how he operates with some constraints and I I’ve kind of liked some of the the savviness that we’ve seen we haven’t seen these smaller moves from from PR and that’s what it’s

Gonna take for them to be competitive yeah and this I I don’t know this tightening of assets is by no means attributed to Peter Sidler the late Peter Sidler now who loved his San Diego Padres and was willing to you know extend beyond maybe their financial reaches

In order to win baseball games in San Diego he was one of the great owners in professional sports going to miss him dearly but you also have to factor in that hey their RSN deal fell out like Bal the first team that Bal dropped was the San Diego Padres Major League

Baseball took over their local telecast they had big money committed man we looked at that Xander Bogart’s deal last year and it was like I’m sorry how much did that guy just get there were so many big M things that are not necessarily working in their favor where it’s

Entirely understandable that they got to peel it back a bit financially because there are very few markets that can handle that type of financial commitment to like five players and losing TV rights like it’s just bizarre what they’re going through Peter one to five words where are the San Diego Padre’s

Can I use an analogy instead of one to five words it’ll be short go ahead so the San Diego Padres is kind of remind me of when you go to a bar and you see a pretty girl ordering a drink and uh then you go up and talk isn’t your girlfriend

Sitting right next to you no comment um she’s like a pretty girl you go up to a bar and then you talk to her and she’s extremely shallow she’s got no personality at all that’s what that’s not my girlfriend at all my girlfriend’s perfect but that’s what the San Diego

Padre’s remind me of they’re very pretty Xander Bogarts Fernando tatis Jr Manny Machado Joe Musgrove they have plenty of Pizzaz but then you look deeper into their roster and you’re looking at Cal Mitchell and Jose azocar in the Outfield it’s a lot of bling Without Really any

Substance to it so that’s how I describe the current San Diego Padres he went way that went way better than I thought it was going to go I was kind of nervous when you when you started talking about like oh you see a girl I’m like oh God where’s it going to

Go I was like that actually was a good analogy I kind of with them on that the front it’s like almost like when you have a building and the front looks great and then you open the door and then there’s nothing behind it it’s just it’s just a blown out wall where they

Took down the whole the whole building but left the wall up like that’s where it feels like sometimes but that said their looks could be enough to get them over the top like these stars are really good if they all play the way that they’re able to play and as you know in

This world looks could take you pretty far like people people have written looks pretty far but I do agree like there there is there needs to be more beneath the surface and that’s why I’m so fascinated by what he’s going to do because it’s like you don’t need to go

Get a superstar but how are you g to piece this together like who are you gonna find that can give you replacement level production if they can get replacement level production from five to nine and the guys one through four hit the way they’re capable of

They’re in good shape and to that point arum it’s not hard to get some of these guys right they need outfielders there are plenty of free agent outfielders that are going to be relatively cheap that we can sign to this team and be thinking to ourselves immediately this

Is a better option than what they currently have it’s not really that hard to get out of their hole because to your point the looks of this team Fernando Tachi Jr is one of the best players in Major League Baseball so is Manny Machado Bogarts was dealing with a wrist

Injury last year and it was his first year under a big contract in a new team across the country I assume that he is going to bounce back as well Joe Musgrove was injured for a lot of the year like they do have some core incredible pieces we just got to fill in

The other aspects we got to we gotta teach this girl some manners yeah I I do think that analogy is very very very similar to what we were saying at the beginning of the 2023 season and hell maybe at you know like last off season when we were talking about this team

Immediately after the Bogarts thing this was on paper coming into 2023 far and a way the most topheavy team in major league baseball maybe the most topheavy team of recent memory like since 2000 the most topheavy team now it’s still topheavy and you took Juan sto off the

Team and you added depth in return for Juan stto so it’s it’s less topheavy now but they don’t have the depth because we mentioned the entire team just left in free agency or via trade um I love the return they got in that sto deal it’s

Really hard to say bye to WAN sto but at that price point for one year for them to go get their three and for them to go get maybe their four and five at points this year too for Juan sto is great but let’s go position by position here

Catching tandem you don’t need to touch Luis cisano and Kyle higashioka I feel good about that tandem finally too I’m finally yeah Unleashed Camp are you excited arum I am I’ve been begging for this for years now years years Jake Cronin worth is at first base you’re not getting out from that

Contract can’t do anything it just stinks that he’s the first baseman like if he was this utility player he’s valuable but as the as the big swinging first baseman second base Hassan Kim Tyler way Aggie Rari or his backups Hassan Kim is one of the more underrated players in

Baseball so you’re you’re cool with that Manny Machado at third cool with it Matthew baton is his backup you don’t love that grah Paulie’s not far away arum can paully play third or is he a left fielder he can play a decent third I think he’s a fine backup that could

Fill in cool and then Bogart said short you assume Kim can fill in eggy can fill in as well and Hellman Jackson Maryland far away either no I’m gonna get into that because like I think left field I think they might not do anything that’s that’s what I think I

Think they may not do anything Jackson Merl started to see reps in left field at the end of the year that’s GNA be just in the short term right because you’re gonna probably lose hos on Kim Merl will probably feel in at second base in

2025 he was getting reps and left he’s a great athlete Elite bat to ball guy sneaky power great makeup they love him if he shows well in Triple A maybe they bump him up maybe he can make the team out right out of Camp especially with the prospect promotion incentive and how

Well the Padre’s draft if if he does well I mean they love that additional draft like they could really use that right now I think you have Paulie who showed out really well last year solid looking the fall league can also play left between him and Paulie and then I

Think they have a few other prospects that you could potentially kind of have this open competition for out there I think they may just do nothing there and save the money Jacob Marc was awesome he was the MVP of the Arizona fall leag unbelievable year can play all

Three Outfield spots another guy that could be a candidate you got three legitimate candidates that could kind of earn the spot and left I think they might just leave that open what about Center so the Outfield right now is tatis and right I have no issue with

Fernando tatis Jr or right field let’s that clear arguably the best right fielder in baseball outside of Audia I each just had an amazing year the defense on this guy he’s such a Freakazoid out there dude he was a platinum Glover this year he won the Platinum glove he was the best defender

In the National League and you know sometimes when they get the give the Platinum glove away and you’re like he didn’t deserve it tatis deserved it the defensive run saved the outs above average he was in the 99th percent off basically everything the arm transition over there is one of the great athletes

That we have in Major League Baseball amazing so you got tatis and right Jose zokar in center and Cal Mitchell in left with terso oras as the fourth outfielder on fan graphs Don’t Panic with fan graphs K AR just laid it out for you you’ve got Merill as a possibility Marc

Is a Poss Poss Marc is a possibility Paulie is a possibility there are options Galore here AR what do you think the best version of the Padre’s if they make no moves opening day Outfield looks like I would like they’re not if it ain’t broke don’t fix it like tatis is

Gonna be a platinum Glover and right I would have loved to have seen that the center field experiment can’t do it now um so I think it’s tatis and right a zokar is is I think actually not the worst I want to see a little bit of of

An opportunity to see AAR there but a zokar backed up by Marc because I like Marci in center field I think he’s a good Defender there and then left field you’re either having one of Marcy or zokar or Merill and I think that’s probably the best way to to go about it

And I mean it’s not the sexiest but it’s a good defensive Outfield I do think Merill is going to settle in and be good out there really fast Outfield and you know you think those guys can at least hit their weight at the back of the at

The end of the order I think Marc can I think Merill can it’s not the worst Outfield I have a player who I think they should add that solves a couple of things and I’m going to start it with a question who’s the Padres DH tias no it’s not the San Diego Padre’s

Were 13th in home runs last year you look at their team and they got to replace the 35 home runs left by Juan stto I think what they should do is they should add jock Peterson I think he could be a DH I think he could also

Serve in left field until maybe a Jackson Merill is ready I think that’s the guy that they have to add I think you need kind of a power bat in this lineup because when I look at the lineup like yes Machado and tatis are going to

Hit their home runs but outside of them there’s not a ton of power I think jock Peterson makes the most sense for this team so let me ask you two questions how much money does Jack Peterson get on an aav basis do you think it’s gonna be a lot I mean I it

Might be more than what I’m thinking but close your eyes and spit out the first contract that comes to mind two years $34 million okay 17 a year yeah can the Padres afford that can they not I don’t think they can if we’re talking about all this cutting they’re

At 200 mil still yeah I mean they’d still be under the luxury tax adding him yeah he’s such a perfect fit and maybe it isn’t that much maybe it is less might not be wasn’t the report that they wanted to stay below 200 I have it in

Front of me Dennis Lynn Padre’s prefer to stay under luxury tax in 2024 could reduce payroll below 200 million I think for for round numbers and you know just to give a little buffer let’s say we we have them around 210 what was their number that they’re

At right now 199 when you have arbitration estimates in we are handcuffed yes we are handcuffed I don’t see a way for the Padre’s not to get worse if they want to hit this they can trade marker they can trade I’ve got some trade options here arum do you have any trade options

I have some some in mine okay do they revolve on Hassan Kim I think if you really want to be competitive it’s it’s really hard to to justify trading h on Kim I I really think it’s it’s hard to justify moving him at at this point yeah I guess like I’ll just

Okay how expensive is Max Kepler gonna be to trade for not you can trade for him he a good player right outfielder some power right you can move him around one of the guys I was looking at honestly I think Kepler makes a lot of sense and again if if Merill comes up

And ready and Kepler you know isn’t playing great or whatever he’s making around 10 mil this year twins are looking to cut some salary but you could kick a slightly better Prospect and have them kick in a little bit of money too and and you kind of help each other

There and it’s at least an established option that you feel pretty good about and if you don’t want to pay the whole salary and he’s not performing and Jackson Merill is performing really well you could probably dump him you know at some point towards the end of the season

Especially if you’re not performing that well as a team the other one that I’m kind of looking at is who’s a player with some control who’s cheap that they could trade for that you know maybe they can offer something that a team could be interested in I I gotta float my Marlins

In here because I think everybody is available I think it’s extremely underrated how available everybody is I don’t think that they swing for the fenes on some major major deal Jesus Sanchez I could see them moving him he’s extremely cheap he’s going to be able to

Get them a decent return in terms of prospects Bendix wants to really replenish this farm system and I mean Bendix was there when they traded him away from the race there’s a reason why they moved him there was a lot of red flags in the profile and it’s been a

Slow progress for Jesus Sanchez who finally kind of put it together a little bit this year I wouldn’t be surprised if Bendix wants to move him again he sent him from the Rays probably sent him out of town again if he doesn’t really believe in him as a player and there

Were some uh makeup concerns and and some things that frustrated the Marlins I know during the season I think that he could be a guy that gets moved and the Marlins can finally get you know some intriguing prospects back the C the Padre’s have so many arms that they

Could potentially trade especially now after that trade with with stto they could trade an Adam merer who I actually really like they have a bunch of double A arms who they could flip one of those Yankee arms in a deal to the Marlins Marlins need some pitching depth

Throughout their system and I I could see them matching up on a deal there going into next year the Marlins ain’t trying to get back to the playoffs I I just genuinely don’t believe that I think they’re trying to replenish this Farm I feel like they would love a

Johnny buredo type like would be exactly what not exactly what they’re looking for because obviously they’re looking for a middle rotation arm but like having him as a 56 a guy that can hang out in Jacksonville for a little bit kind of seems like best case scenario

For them and I think yeah buredo and another for a Jesu Sanchez could be great um I will throw you my my Kim thought because if the Padres are truly looking to cut the seven on Kim and then the $7 million Mutual option on Kim 25 might I point you to Boston where

Boston clearly needs some help when it comes to the infield particularly the middle in field hasung Kim for a package centered around one of sedon rafhaela or jiren Durant I think there is a world where he may cost both and San Diego puts in another player to follow like

Hey you need another fourth Outfield type if they were to go with okay you give us you know Kim or n Los and another lower level Prospect for Rafaela and Duran I don’t know if the Red Sox say yes to it but I think that solves

Some of the Outfield issue and you get way cheaper immediately because both those guys have several pre-arb years left I like the thought but is the way of cutting payroll trading Kim I feel like he’s the best cheapest option on the team I like the thought though it

Makes total sense I know Red Sox fans probably throwing up in their mouth a little bit over the fact that they might have to trade but you go and get a four and a half win player there you are with the thumbs up again new Apple update uh

But you go and get a four and a half win player that can play shortstop oh absolutely like it makes sense I just I like arm’s thought on Jesu Sanchez I just I cannot see the Padres trading Kim right now I he was arguably their Most Valuable Player

Outside of tatis last year and he’s the cheapest quote unquote star that they have like if they’re trading Kim as well I mean we’re not signing anybody I feel like this is now they’re waving the White Flag here yeah it’s kind of one step forward and then it’s kind of a

Lateral move I would say actually not even a step forward I do like the idea of training Kim if you’re gonna kind of say hey we’re rebuilding and I just don’t think that they’re gonna do that how cans Bogarts machada like how can they rebuild with all these guys within the

10-year contracts they can’t they can’t I think they got I think they got to trade from the prospects and they always do that they have no problem doing that and they just sign another IFA stud who’s probably going to be one of their one of their key dudes they could sell

High on one of Marcia or paully we’ve seen a bunch of guys that were in the AFL get get moved because a lot of teams feel confident about you know the looks that they were able to get at these players and again Marc showed very well

I could see them being more in favor of maybe packaging those guys to get a to get a vet or or get somebody that’s relatively affordable rather than you know trading one of the more consistent guys you got because if they do suck this year you’re not going to get the

Same return but you can still trade Kim at the deadline and then just get a prospect return then I think we should either trade for Kepler or Jesus Sanchez and find the best trade in doing so and um I guess the reason to trade for Kepler is it’s not as much of a

Commitment right arm you’re talking about all these guys that could potentially be their next left fielder Kepler could just provide an offensive thump because he is a free agent after the year Jesus Sanchez if you trade for him might be a little bit more expensive but he does come with some control he’s

Very very cheap but I do feel as if and maybe correct me if I’m wrong that if you’re trading for Jesus Sanchez you’re kind of thinking that he is going to be the left fielder at least for the next couple of years and then what do you do

With your other guys who you might want to bring up instead that’s why I feel like Kepler is that kind of perfect middle but I’m willing to talk about both of them because I think both have their pros and cons Kim Hits free agency so Merill goes to Second there you go

And then no but you gotta where you going to put cronenworth maybe he goes a second cronenworth plays first I know and then Marc would presumably play center field and then you know you see where you know gr paully lines up and you know not really basing any decisions

On on gr paully I I I think it just depends on how much they want to give up you know Prospect return wise I think from a financial perspective and just the trend of AJ PR not giving it a about trading prospects I I could see

Them being will willing to go trade for a guy with control I just don’t know how they feel about Jesus Sanchez very polarizing player Jack if you’re AJ prer you’ve heard the pitch for Kepler you’ve heard the pitch for Jesus Sanchez will give you kind of the deciding vote what would

You rather do and then we’ll move on rather do Jesus Sanchez um you know you think about the best players in your lineup Xander Bogarts bats right-handed Manny Machado bats right-handed um Fernando tatis Jr bats right-handed so like what yeah I know but like Sanchez is the he’s almost like a platoon option

He’s that much better against right-handed pitching than he is left on left does he get many at bats left on left or no no yeah that’s that’s my thing it’s like you Shield him I think Kepler gives off more of an idea of an everyday guy where he may be honest to

Got more expensive like that that’s the thing but um if you’re trading for a platoon guy um I I think that fits their Prospect range right now without having to part ways with Amero or Dylan head or alesco or Snelling those kind of guys if you can get away with the non-blue

Chippers I I think that’s kind of where you can make your money there let’s roll with Sanchez so we just traded uh burrito and a flyer in order to get Jesus Sanchez sure I think we were good to move on from the offense a little more than that but we

Don’t need to get into it yeah like and burrito and who I think apali or MRC I think those guys okay so let’s say burrito RTO and Paulie expensive yeah everybody’s expensive right now dude yeah no I’m down I’m down to do it pitching rotation right now uh Joe Musgrove UD darish

Michael King Randy Vasquez Matt Waldren haido I Arte is close I Arte is going to be in Triple A arm you love him uh we just traded Johnny burito so he doesn’t really factor in other guys are like J groom um they really lack some depth

Sign somebody to a I like mer I think merer could get up there as well yep mer can get up there I mean dude letco can climb quickly Snelling is already in dou a like L we’ll see what happens so they they’ve got options the bullpen I

Think like you do not need to touch and AR I’m going to run through the names but I want you to give me the primer on Yuki Matsui in a moment um matui probably slots in as either the eighth or ninth inning guy I bet he gets closer

Reps Robert Suarez is the setup guy Angel de los Santos I thought was a great swap down budget wise for Scott Barlo hell I think there are spurts where deos Santos is just better than Barlo flat out I’d love that move he is better I think yeah Stephen Wilson Tom

Cosgro had a good year Adrien morone has some from the left side and then Steven KCK was a rule five guy too but AUM give us the 811 on Yuki Matsui oh he’s funky I think people are G to really enjoy him on Savant specifically like 5’8 unique release he gets like

203 24 inches of IBB I saw a couple fast balls in the world basball classic that were 24 inches of induced vertical break which would be like you the highest that you’ve like ever seen basically these guys from Japan can just spin the ball and and just do things with the ball

That’s just different it’s almost like they’re born with a baseball in their hand the way they’re able to manipulated is unbelievable uh and then his splitter is up there with with any of the guys that are goingon to be coming over I it might be as it might be better than just

About everybody not named Yamamoto 30% swinging strike rate on the pitch uh in in Japan last year I mean the guy has closer stuff he’s gonna be really uncomfortable at bat it’s not like he throws 90 either it’s 93 94 with that kind of life and that kind of jump

To it he can be a closer for them or or a really really really good setup man so there’s a reason why they shell out four years when they don’t want to be spending money right now arm just to put 24 inches of ivb into perspective off

The top of your head do you know which Hitcher in Major League Baseball LED an ivb on their fastball last year that’s induced vertical break that gives it that rise like 24 inches is absurd yeah I would say so top ivb guy I mean like Nester Cortez is an example of

One of the better like high carry fast balls like how do that 90 just get by everybody he’s like 20 21 sometimes 22 inches of ivb um guys are not getting 24 it’s just very very very rare interesting guys I don’t really want to do anything to the bullpen the rotation

And I love I love poic in in the rule F I think KCK is really good I think he’s a good he could be a seventh ending guy for them so I I think they’re pretty good relief wise yeah all right we made the only M move Jesus Sanchez for uh

What Johnny burrito and and gr paully let’s call it a day I love this show we just SP like 25 minutes we made one move but I like the move that’s fine we’re g toes strap yeah