Deal with Rangers Consummated

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Kevin Towers pulled off an outstanding trade.

Padres Get: Chris Young, Adrian Gonzalez, Terrmel Sledge
Padres Give: Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka, Billy Killian

If you're a Padre fan, you have to like that deal.



For those not terribly good at interpreting stats: Young is better. He's also cheaper. He's locked up through 2010 compared to 2006. Oh, and he's younger, too.

Gonzalez is an excellent fielder and is developing at the plate. He makes contact, has decent patience and is expected to develop power, though PetCo may hide any advances in that department.

Sledge is a quality fourth outfielder who could start for some teams.

Billy Killians is the #4 catcher in our system and is not among the Padres top 30 prospects overall.

Otsuka is a 34 y/o middle reliever who regressed in 2005.

Check out Lone Star Ball for their reaction.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Hoffman has re-signed near the upper limits of what I said in the comments I would be okay with. Burroughs has been shipped to Tampa for Dewon Brazelton, in an exchange of former top-ten draft picks (and top-flight disappointments). And Loretta will be rocketing doubles off the Green Monster, having been dealt to Boston for Doug Mirabelli. Really.

Reaction will be forthcoming. And Richard will provide the actual analysis.

Padres, Hoffman Agree to Terms

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Sounds like 2 years with a third year option. Nothing is confirmed.

The Padres 2006 Outfield

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The re-signing of Brian Giles, trading for Mike Cameron and the position change of Ryan Klesko has improved the outfield quite a bit.

Giles is a better left fielder than Klesko, Cameron a better center fielder than Roberts and Johnson a better right fielder than Giles. Whether we've improved in the field is beyond question.

At the plate, there is some question as to whether we've improved or regressed. Giles is still Giles, so that's more/less constant.

Cameron over his career is better than Roberts, but Dave had a career year at the plate in '05, so we may lose a little there, but at least Cameron can be expected to play a full season.

Johnson would seem to be taking Klesko's place, but with Klesko still in the lineup at first that's not quite fair. You'd probably be better off comparing him to our first basemen last season. Last season, we had more production out of our various first basemen than Johnson, but it was his first year in the Majors and he only had 75 AB's.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the way things are unfolding.

2006 Salaries

Someone asked about it, so here's a chart with the salaries I'm aware of.