Since the day I answered these questions and forecasted how I thought the Padres 2010 season would shake out many have stepped forth with an opinion on our Friars. Most have assessed the Padres as "terrible" and former announcer Matt Vasgersian even went as far as to predict a last place finish for our hometown nine. ESPN the Magazine did over 100 simulations which yielded an average of 69 wins. Have I reconsidered my stance? The short answer is, NO! I've become even more bullish on this team and can't wait for the season to start...(click below to continue reading)
1) How was the off-season? What kind of grade would you give it?
All things considered, I thought the off-season was a success. We brought in Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod from the Red Sox to fill the rolls of GM and Assistant GM. They've both had success in identifying, drafting, and developing talent so I think that bodes well for the Padres' future. Kevin Kouzmanoff was dealt for OF depth in Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham but most importantly it opened up 3B for Chase Headley who should become more productive at the plate playing his natural position. We also added Jon Garland to help round out the rotation and perhaps most importantly added Jerry Hairston JR. who will provide bench help and be the 'yin' to brother Scott's 'yang'. Padres may translate to "Fathers" but the nickname of Friars means "Brothers". The Padres always field a pair of brothers and Jed Hoyer did his best to accommodate for 2010. (read on)
2) What is the key to success for 2010?
The same for every team: health, luck, and career years from EVERYONE! We have a young team and it'll be fun to watch them learn and grow this year. The key to staying in the wild-card hunt will be a healthy rotation. Chris Young has shown to be dominant at times in the past but he rarely completes the 6th inning let alone an entire season. If he can stay healthy, Kevin Correia repeats last years performance, Jon Garland takes to Petco (what 30 year old pitcher wouldn't?), Clayton Richard continues his growth, and Mat Latos or another young gun ably mans the 5th spot, the 2010 Padres should be all right. Those are a lot of "ifs" and "buts"....
3) What will be the team's strength?
Bullpen and the creation of runs. The Padres bullpen is always solid and 2010 should be no different with Heath Bell and Mike Adams holding down the back end. The offense will also look to create runs in spacious Petco Park. With base stealing threat Everth Cabrera and the above average speed of Tony Gwynn Jr., Will Venable, and Scott Hairston, I can see the sort of aggressive base running that takes advantage of opportunity.
4) What could be their Achilles' heel?
Youth, no true #1 on the hill, and a relative lack of power outside of Adrian Gonzalez.
5) Who will be the team's MVP?
If Adrian Gonzalez makes it past the trade deadline he'll be the MVP without question. Since the likelihood of this happening is slim I'm going with Heath Bell. He'll save a lot of games and he's a leader. He's already professed a shot at the World Series. Every team needs a crazy S.O.B. to follow and Heath Bell is ours.
6) Will a rookie make a significant impact on the team in 2010, and if so, who?
I think RHP Matt Latos is still considered a rookie so he's the best candidate of them all.
7) Who will be the breakout player for the team?
Chase Headley. His swing started to make gains towards the end of last season and with the move back to his comfort zone at 3B I can see him figuring it out on the offensive side of things. Ditto for Will Venable.
8) Which player will drop off the most from 2009?
Kevin Correia. He's a natural pick because he had a career year last year. Now is his chance to prove it wasn't a fluke.
9) Who is the most likely player to be dangled as trade bait?
Obviously the elephant in the room is affordable, Gold Glove, power hitting Adrian Gonzalez but I won't be surprised to see Bell dangled before a desperate contender.
10) What will be the team's final record and divisional standing?
The Padres will finish in 3rd place at 83-79. They'll be mentioned in the WC race after the all-star break but they'll never make a legitimate push for the post season. This strong effort, however, will ensure that Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell both survive the trade dead line and finish the 2010 season as Padres. To trade either while they have a winning record in July would be organizational suicide and lead to the unraveling of all the good will built in the last year between ownership and the fans.
Take away the miserable end to San Diego's football season, dearest Padres!!!
Don't worry about the NCAA tournament brackets, we all stunk on those.
ReplyDeleteYou are more bullish on the Padres than I am. I had them at 81 wins.
After reading your predictions we seemed to be of like mind on a good many things, though.
ReplyDelete