Padres' Gonzalez a future White Sox player?

So now, Jake Peavy is making a pitch for his Chicago White Sox to obtain first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from Peavy’s former team, the San Diego Padres.

Not a bad way for Peavy to try to make his voice heard during his first spring training with the White Sox.

Chicago could use Gonzalez, who most certainly will be gone from the low-budget Padres before his contract expires after the 2011 season.

The White Sox lack a big left-handed hitter, which is where Gonzalez and his 40 home runs/99 RBI from last season could fit in. (He was also walked 119 times last season as opponents habitually pitched around him in a weak San Diego lineup.)

The question concerns what the White Sox would be willing to give in return for Gonzalez.

Speculation has it they would be OK with trading power-hitting third baseman Gordon Beckham, who had 14 home runs and 63 RBI in 103 games last season.

The last time San Diego and the Chisox made a trade last summer, Chicago gave up plenty to get 2007 Cy Young award winner Peavy.

San Diego received its current No. 4 starting pitcher Clayton Richard, along with probable future major-league pitchers Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter.

If the White Sox are willing to trade Beckham and a couple other so-called prospects, they could likely land Gonzalez.

But if Chicago is unwilling to deal Beckham, then it probably does not have enough prospects to make a Gonzalez trade worthwhile for the Padres.

Adrian Gonzalez is quite a hit(s)

How about that Adrian Gonzalez?

Forget Baseball Hall of Fame players Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield for a moment.

Gonzalez became the first San Diego Padres player ever to collect six hits in a nine-inning game Tuesday at the Milwaukee Brewers.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone.

After all, Gonzalez was tearing the cover off the ball and leading the National League in home runs until opposing teams wisely decided to start walking him over-and-over again from June on forward.

And to think that Gonzalez and Padres closer Heath Bell could have been members of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the July 31 trading deadline …

The Padres were asking for Dodgers first baseman James Loney and catcher Russell Martin … among others … for Bell and Gonzalez.

Can you imagine even how much better the Dodgers would be with Bell and Gonzalez?

Speaking of the trading deadline, it doesn’t look so much like a fire sale when the Padres traded Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox for four pitchers on July 31.

Has anybody else noticed that the Padres have won all three games started by Clayton Richard, a key figure from the White Sox in the Peavy deal?

For the past two weeks, it’s all good news for the Padres as they gaze toward what the future might have to offer.

Jury will long be out on Jake Peavy trade

Just because Clayton Richard pitched 5 2/3 solid innings Saturday night, it doesn’t mean the San Diego Padres made a great trade in getting rid of Jake Peavy.

On the other hand, perhaps the multitudes shouldn’t jump to conclusions by calling it a bad trade yet for the Padres.

If Peavy can help lead the Chicago White Sox to the playoffs this year, it’s certainly a good immediate trade for them.

But remember, Peavy practiced off the mound for the first time in nearly two months Sunday because of his ankle injury. It may be September until he can help the Chisox; if it all.

And if Peavy does pitch in the postseason, his small sample says he might not do so well.

In two division series games, Peavy is 0-2 with a 12.10 ERA. In addition, he gave up six runs on 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings during a one-game playoff for the National League wild card in 2007 vs. the Colorado Rockies.

As for the pitchers the Padres received from Chicago:

Richard was in the White Sox rotation and will continue to be a regular (and the only left-hander) in San Diego’s rotation.

Aaron Poreda, another southpaw, has been projected as a No. 2 starter by some among the MLB Network family and should join the Padres soon.

Minor-league right-handers Adam Russell and Dexter Carter both have potential … whatever that means.

Sure, this was another money dump for San Diego, which owed Peavy close to $55 million. But this might not have reached the fire sale stage yet of the 1993 Padres. (Hey, Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez are still in San Diego … for now.)

Is there another Peavy in this group? Doubtful.

But when the Padres drafted Peavy in the 15th round in 1999, who knew he would turn out to be the superstar (on those occasions when he’s healthy) that he has been?

San Diego Padres should give Drew Macias a shot

Did you know that the San Diego Padres have a player with a .667 slugging percentage and an on base percentage of .435?

No, it’s not Adrian Gonzalez, Tony Gwynn or anybody else on the current major-league roster.

The man with the big stats and big bat is outfielder Drew Macias, who’s currently playing for the Triple-A Portland Beavers.

So, why, might you ask, would the Padres have a player with such potential in the minor leagues?

That’s a good question … without a good answer.

Sure, the left-handed hitting Macias has a very small sample this year with 18 official MLB at bats and five walks (not a bad percentage, walking more than 20 percent of the time.)

What’s really of note is that Macias has four doubles and one home run in those 18 at bats; meaning he has gotten an extra base hit in nearly 30 percent of his at bats.

OK, these aren’t nearly enough at bats to judge Macias; so why not give him a try to find out for sure if he’s for real?

The Padres currently have youngsters Will Venable and Kyle Blanks playing in the outfield … at least part-time. Neither has exactly set the work on fire, fitting in with the rest of the downtrodden team.

Macias did set the world on fire earlier this season. So why not see if he can do it again on what has turned into MLB’s worst hitting team?

Adrian Gonzalez: Superstar in the making

Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres is only fourth in the National League balloting for All-Star Game first basemen.

Sad.

If Gonzalez (a) played in a big market and (b) played in a smaller ballpark … you could make an argument that he’s the best player in baseball.

Thanks to Marc Normandin of Baseball Prospectus, here are some interesting statistics on how Gonzalez is held back by playing in huge Petco Park.

Through June, Gonzalez had 24 homers and 48 RBI. If he were playing elsewhere:

He would have 30 home runs and 57 RBI at Coors Field in Colorado. He would have 30 HRs and 58 RBI at the new Yankee Stadium in New York.

Not only that, pitchers have basically stopped pitching to Gonzalez because he is surrounded by such a weak lineup in San Diego.

He has walked nearly 20 percent of the time this season … a rate that keeps increasing monthly.

On top of it all, he is superb defensively at first base.

Gonzalez may not get much attention nationally, but he’d be touted as a superstar if he performed for ESPN’s favorite teams including the Yankees, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.

Are San Diego Padres now MLB's worst team?

Even with Jake Peavy, the San Diego Padres were among the worst teams in MLB.

Now that Peavy will likely be out a couple months with an injured ankle, the ultimate question for the 2009 season has become: Are the Padres now the worst team in MLB?

The Padres have an 11 ½ game “lead” on the Washington Nationals, so they probably won’t finish with the majors’ worst record.

In fact, San Diego would have to go a paltry 35-65 over its final 100 games to “match” last year’s record of 63-99.

But without Peavy (or even with him), don’t for a minute think that the team is certain finish with a better mark than last year.

In Peavy’s absence, the only legitimate major-league starter in the rotation is Chris Young. And he’s not exactly having a great year with a 4-6 record and 5.21 ERA.

Outside of closer Heath Bell, can you even name three other pitchers in the bullpen?

As for the offense, it begins and ends with Adrian Gonzalez. And now that other teams have figured out it’s best to walk Gonzalez, it further lessens the Padres’ chances of having many major rallies.

Oh, sure, Tony Gwynn Jr. has shown some spark as a leadoff batter and Kevin Kouzmanoff went through a recent hot streak of driving in runs. But neither player has enough of a major-league pedigree to say he will succeed over the long haul.

Speaking of the long haul, it looks like a long summer for the Padres.

Adrian Gonzalez: Best player in MLB this season?

Is Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres the best player in MLB this season?

You could certainly make an argument for it.

Gonzalez leads the majors with 20 home runs; three more than anybody else.

A few items make his feat all the more impressive:

Gonzalez plays in a pitcher’s stadium at Petco Park.

Three-quarters (15) of his homers have come on the road. Nobody else in MLB is in double figures in such a category.

He’s in a weak line-up, so opposing teams certainly have the viable option of pitching around him.

Playing on the West Coast in a city than many consider a suburb of Los Angeles, Gonzalez tends to get very little attention nationally.

However, Hall of Famer Peter Gammons of ESPN calls Gonzalez and Arizona’s Justin Upton the two most overlooked players on the MLB All-Star ballot.

The left-handed hitting Gonzalez certainly isn’t going to start the All-Star game over Albert Pujols, especially with the game in St. Louis.

But it would be nice if Gonzalez, also a great fielder, was higher than his current fifth place among vote-getters at first base.

And it’d be appropriate if he was among the 10 National League players on the All-Star ballot for the Home Run Derby, but he’s not.

Gonzalez still may have a way to go in popularity polls; but he’s certainly a leader when it comes to the most feared players in the NL.

San Diego Padres: Among the best in MLB?

Are the San Diego Padres really one of the best teams in MLB?

With a 6-2 start, you’d think so. With most “experts” picking them to finish last in the NL West (and possibly with the worst MLB record), you’d think not.

What makes this team go thus far in 2009?

Look no further than the bullpen.

Through eight games, it has been the best bullpen ERA in the majors. (Of course, San Diego started out the same way last year, only to implode on its way to a 63-99 record.)

Outside of Duaner Sanchez, Cla Meredith and Heath Bell, you’ve never heard of any of the guys in the bullpen. Bell won’t make people forget that Trevor Hoffman is the all-time saves leader; but he’s soon going to make people forget about Hoffman as the team’s closer (Bell is for real!)

The starting staff is solid at the top with Jake Peavy (until he gets traded) and Chris Young. When you consider No. 3 starter Walter Silva came to the U.S. on a tryout from Mexico last month, it tells you all that you need to know about the back end of the rotation.

Outside of cleanup-man Adrian Gonzalez, the lineup is either largely unproven or a couple of has-beens. Those has-beens, David Eckstein and Brian Giles, will make opposing pitchers rack up the pitch count … if nothing else.

Thus far, Eckstein is playing with the enthusiasm of a rookie. He can only hope that his enthusiasm spreads; along with his patience.

Nobody is petitioning yet for Bud Black to be the NL Manager of the Year.

But if he can keep this rag-tag bunch at or near .500 all year, he certainly needs to be considered.

Padres trying to get better/cheaper?

Evidently, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ double play duo of Bill Russell and Davey Lopes from the 1980s isn’t available.

Maybe that’s why the Padres have signed David Eckstein to play second base … and perhaps shortstop Omar Vizquel could be the next to come.

The Padres got away with signing veteran players on the cheap for a couple years, but it didn’t work in 2008. (Remember Tadahito Iguchi and Jim Edmonds?)

So now, with a projected $40 million payroll, the Padres apparently have no choice but to go with rookies or veterans on the cheap.

More than 60% of that payroll is already committed to pitchers Jake Peavy and Chris Young, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and outfielder Brian Giles. (A Peavy trade could still open up some room for cash – but not miracles.)

So don’t expect the Padres to jump in on the Manny Ramirez bidding on the last minute.

We all know you get what you pay for: which likely means another last-place finish in 2009 for the Padres.

Padres: Things may only get worse

Now we’re hearing rumors that the Padres may have a $40 million payroll in 2009.

Do you know what that means?

It would amount to likely the second lowest payroll in Major League Baseball. Only the Florida Marlins, at $22 million, have a payroll below $40 million in 2008.

If $40 million is the going rate for the 2009 Padres, look for another last-place finish in the Weak, Weak NL West.

Four players alone are down for $25 million from the Padres next season: Jake Peavy ($11 million), Khalil Greene ($6.5 million), Chris Young ($4.5 million) and Adrian Gonzalez ($3 million.)

Should the Padres hold true to a $40 million payroll, it would mean $15 million for the remaining players beyond Peavy, Greene, Young and Gonzalez.

Sure, the Padres will try their best to unload Greene’s salary on somebody else. But considering he had his worst season ever in 2008, it just isn’t going to happen.

If you can remember the fire sales of the early 1990s by the Padres, you have a good memory.

And that time period may also be a look into the team’s near future.

Sad.

Adrian Gonzalez: All Star on, off the field

It’s nice to see Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres finally getting some recognition as the team’s lone 2008 All Star.

If you haven’t heard of Gonzalez and live off the West Coast, join the majority. The big boys at ESPN, Fox, etc. just simply don’t promote anything or anyone west of the Mississippi.

Here are a couple of things you would know about Gonzalez if he played on the East Coast:

He’s fourth in the National League in RBI (71) and sixth in home runs (22), despite playing his home games at a pitcher’s park called Petco Park.

He’s also a well-above average first baseman defensively and was the first pick in the nation by the Florida Marlins in 2000 out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif.

Jon Sciambi, the outstanding play-by-play announcer of the Atlanta Braves, hit it on the nose over the weekend when mentioning that players like Gonzalez get overlooked on the West Coast.

“I think there is reality as it relates to the East Coast bias,” Sciambi said on the SportSouth telecast of a Padres-Atlanta Braves game.

Gonzalez credits much of his turnaround in the past year or two to his religious faith.

You can find out more about Gonzalez, an All-Star on the field and off, by visiting his new Web site at http://www.agonzalez23.com/

Klesko: Padres' best first baseman this decade?

As much as Adrian Gonzalez deserves to be making his first All-Star appearance for the Padres next week at Yankee Stadium, there was another Padre first baseman doing quite well at the break this decade.

Back in 2001, All-Star Ryan Klesko was having an even better year than Gonzalez is in 2008 nearing the mid-summer classic.

Here are Klesko’s 2001 stats at the All-Star break vs. Gonzalez’ going into the final weekend before the All-Star game:

Doubles: Klesko 22, Gonzalez 15
Home runs: Klesko 17, Gonzalez 22
RBI: Klesko 75, Gonzalez 70
Average: Klesko .297, Gonzalez .279
On-base percentage: Klesko .406, Gonzalez .348
Slugging percentage: Klesko .556, Gonzalez .510

While Klesko had a better first half seven years ago than Gonzalez is now, there are also mitigating factors.

Klesko played on a halfway decent team in 2001 that finished 79-83. Gonzalez is currently on a pathetic team at 36-56.

The sad thing is that as the Padres get worse and worse in 2008, more and more teams will continue to pitch around Gonzalez.

Will Adrian Gonzalez hit 50 home runs?

Local media members are tripping all over themselves, trying to figure out which person first said Adrian Gonzalez should represent the Padres in the 2008 All-Star Game.

Let us be the first to ask: Will Gonzalez hit 50 home runs this season?

It looks like he very well could.

Gonzalez already has 15 homers one-third of the way into the season, 10 coming in May.

He’s two off the club record for home runs in a month, set by Greg Vaughn in May 1998 on his way to an all-time team record of 50 homers.

The difference in teams is immense: Vaughn played on a team that went to the World Series; Gonzalez is on a team with the worst record in the National League.

This brings up the point that opposing teams will likely start pitching around Gonzalez because he is the one hitter to fear in the Padres’ lineup.

That being said, Gonzalez is one of the best there is at taking an outside pitch and going the opposite way over the left field wall.

As the Padres limp through the last four months of the season, at least the Gonzalez home run watch will be something worth talking about.

Padres line up well lately

The Padres have won three of four games since they altered their lineup.

This came directly in response to the team losing 18 of 22 previous games.

So is it the new lineup making the difference?

Jody Gerut hasn’t even been here a week since being recalled from the minors and is leading off.

Tadahito Iguchi bats second, and Brian Giles has been moved from first to third in the order.

Adrian Gonzalez is clean-up and Kevin Kouzmanoff bats fifth, each dropping one spot in the order from before.

Perhaps the new lineup is making a difference, but the test of time will tell.

The last time the Padres had a set lineup was on Opening Day, and they won three of their first four games …. just as they have with the new lineup.

History will tell whether the new lineup is a winner, or just a temporary fix for a losing team.

Kevin Towers: Padres' resident genius?

If you’re going to Las Vegas any time soon, take Padres general manager Kevin Towers with you.

Why? It seems like everything he touches turns into a winner.

Just take his recent acquisitions for example and tell us how:

Scott Hairston hits three consecutive home runs, including a game-winner, after he replaces the injured Milton Bradley.
Morgan Ensberg homers in his first at bat as a first baseman when Adrian Gonzalez gets a rare night off.
Michael Barrett doesn’t succeed behind the plate, but his presence spurs Josh Bard on to greater heights.

Then there are the pitching miracles:

Tim Stauffer starts in place of the injured Chris Young and gets racked. The Padres still win.
Wil Ledezma starts for David Wells after Wells is cut, and Ledezma gets knocked around. The Padres win again.

The list goes on and on concerning how the Padres have conquered the odds this year.

Speaking of odds, don’t bet against Towers when he makes moves that may not appear that great on paper.

Padres suffer power outage

If pitching and defense win championships, the Padres may be in luck.

But if it comes down to power, the Padres may be in the tank.

Why? Five of the eight position players in their starting line-up during last night’s 3-2 win over Cincinnati have not hit a home run in May.

Mike Cameron did homer May 8 against Atlanta. Adrian Gonzalez homered May 9 against the Braves and Khalil Greene hit a round-tripper May 11 against St. Louis.

The remainder of the starting eight?

Brian Giles has not homered in 104 at bats since April 14.
Marcus Giles has not homered in 84 at bats since April 16.
Kevin Kouzmanoff has not homered in 59 at bats since April 14.
Jose Cruz Jr. has not homered in 48 at bats since April 27.
Josh Bard has not homered in 40 at bats since April 30.

Mike Piazza, where are you? (Or for that matter, where are Jack Cust … and Phil Nevin?)

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Chad Paronto of the Atlanta Braves is stupid.

Make that stupid, stupid, stupid!

With two outs and nobody on base in the sixth inning Monday night, Paronto decided to (seemingly) hit Padres pitcher Chris Young on purpose. Young then went on to score and give San Diego a 4-2 lead, its final margin of victory.

Paronto hit Young in the back of the knee as apparent retaliation for Young throwing a fastball near the head of Andruw Jones, then later hitting Jeff Francoeur. It marked the first time Young has hit a batter this year.

Here’s a clue for Paronto: Don’t hit the pitcher! Not to name names; but get the point across by throwing a pitch behind such players as Adrian Gonzalez or Brian Giles, who are probably going to reach base anyway.

Paronto may or may not have cost his team a potential win. But he did wake up the Padres ... not to mention the fact he fell asleep when it came to the best method of retaliation.

Vin Scully: Simply the Best

Vin Scully is simply the best.

No other Major League Baseball television announcer can compare to the play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Listening to Scully is like taking a walk along the beach, listening to the waves. It's calm, relaxing and just a joyful sound to hear.

One of the things that makes Scully so great is his knowledge of the opposing team. This past weekend against the San Diego Padres, for instance, Scully came up with some gems that went well beyond the Padre media guide. Did you know ...

Shortstop Khalil Greene's father served as a Marine in Vietnam.

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez comes from a family that owns an air conditioning firm with five locations in San Diego County.

Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff played on a high school team in Evergreen, Colo., which never had a home game his senior season because of too much snow at 7,000 feet.

Then there are those famed Scully quotes.

After the Dodgers failed on a couple bunt attempts: "The art of bunting. You think it would be so easy."

When San Diego's Marcus Giles swung and missed a pitch from Takashi Saito: Marcus looked back at him as if to say, 'Where did that come from?' Well, it came from Japan."

On Padres hefty pitcher David Wells: "He grew up a surfer. Obviously, he needed a big board. Now, he's 'Hanging 10' on the mound at Petco Park."

Upon Derek Lowe being pulled from a game: "For Derek Lowe, he was cut off at the appropriate number of pitches -- 86."

The Scully quips and quotes are unending. Nobody does it better.