Going Bananas: Thoughts on the Padres and the Draft Deadline

When 2010 first round draft pick (9th overall) Karsten Whitson failed to sign by the August 15th deadline, the Padres Front Office tried to assuage fan anger by presenting a half-glass-full scenario:

1. Whitson went back on his word that he would sign when initially drafted.


2.  The Padres would receive a compensation pick in the 2011 draft.

This didn't make me feel much better. The Padres have no choice but to build through the draft in order to be competitvie. How do I know this? Because all ownership and the front office ever does is speak to this talking point. Yet they failed to get Karsten Whitson to sign.*

What of the 2011 comp pick? Who cares. How could we even be certain that this future player would be signed? What if the pick ended in another non-signing?

Fast forward to 2011...

The Padres signed that comp pick. His name is Corey Spangenberg, selected 10th overall, and he has been performing well during his brief tenure as a Padre. But it should be noted that Spangenberg should really be viewed as a player drafted in 2010 as he is the replacement for the Whitson snafu.

This brings us to Joe Ross.

Joe Ross is the real San Diego Padres 1st round draft pick, a RHP chosen 25th overall, and unsigned as of 11:00 AM on August 15th. There are others who are unsigned as well. Here are the big four:

1. Joe Ross RHP (25th)


2. Michael Kelly RHP (48th)


3. Brett Austin C (54th)


4. Austin Hedges C (82nd)

What should fans expect from the Padres Front Office as it relates to the 2011 draft? Fans have reason to expect a lot.

We are constantly told that there is only one viable way for the Padres franchise to compete. It is not via free agency. It is through the draft where players can be obtained inexpensively relative to the market, and then developed and controlled through their least expensive service years. But if this is the message that is being conveyed (at all times I might add), and the Padres fail to sign the high ceiling players who are drafted each year then what are we to think as fans? If the Padres experience failure this afternoon does it become reasonable to throw our hands up in the air and say to all those who will listen, "What on earth is the point of following this baseball team!!!!!"

Failure Defined

Joe Ross must be signed. He is a high upside arm who can help fans forget the Karsten Whitson non-signing. But more importantly, he is a 1st rounder. These are players who must be signed and I'm comfortable in assigning a failing grade to Jeff Moorad if Ross is not a Padre by day's end.

For me to assign a passing grade I think fans need to see three out of the four players above signed today. I am willing to see that one failed signing be Austin Hedges who has a strong commitment to UCLA. I forgot where I read/heard it but someone recently suggested that you should always draft one "un-signable" kid and then sign him. I think Hedges is that guy. The only reason he slid to 82nd was because teams felt there would be dollar issues with him. If the Padres failed to get him into the organization I would be content with giving them a pat on the back and I'd applaud them for the effort.

So for me it's three out of four. If the Padres get all four of the picks signed then I'm about as happy as a fan can be who's following a 54-68 team. But I can live with three out of four.

But what if the Padres get two or less of these high upside players signed by the 12:00 AM EST deadline? At that ominous deadline time I will most definitely be going f*cking bananas with screams of, "What's the point!!!???"  

I will also have to begin asking serious questions as to how Jeffrey Moorad was ever allowed to purchase a MLB franchise.... and I'll also be contacting my season ticket representative.


*I know. I know. This was all on Whitson for getting bad advice. Whatever. Mistakes like these can't be made by a team like the Padres. It's far too costly.

Me Not Here......Using Eastern Philosophy to Win the War of Attrition (part I)

My every-once-in-a-while contribution over at 619 Sports.net sees me exploring the art of stock piling talent in the NFL. In a two part series I look to see how Antonio Cromartie can have a strong year so the Chargers move from a 3rd round pick up to a 2nd... Bruce Lee is also involved. Go read and listen at 619 Sports.net.

2009 MLB Draft looms large for Padres

It's judgement day......June 9th, 2009.....Major League Baseball's Amateur Draft is upon you Padre fans. For an organization that is unable to pay for big time free agents our only chance at success is to have deep drafts year-in and year-out. So today, while it's important to hit on your #1 pick, it is equally as important to stock pile the farm with future major league talent. But it's the 1st rounders that we covet....those are the can't misses, right? Well just look at how recent 1st rounders are doing in MLB today.....

2008 DRAFT
The D-Backs Daniel Schlereth
Padres select...

It's too early to judge last year's draft but Padre fans have witnessed Schlereth in action this last week at Petco. Our pick was Rancho Bernardo/Wake Forest first basemen, Allan Dykstra. Dykstra comes from a great lineage of Rancho Bernardo first basemen, however he has a degenerative hip and lines up behind Adrian Gonzalez and top prospect Kyle Blanks.....hooray!

2007 DRAFT
David Price, Matt Wieters. Rick Porcello Padres select....

While we're hearing a lot about the prominent three names above we opted for a work horse left hander out of the SEC conference. When a college pitcher is described as a work horse....CLOSE YOUR CHECK BOOK AND RUN!!!!! It means he was OVERUSED!!!!! Schmidt blew out his elbow three starts into his career.

2006 DRAFT
Luke Hochevar, Evan Longoria, Andrew Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, Max Scherzer, Ian Kennedy
Padres select....

Look at those names! 20o6 is starting to bear fruit. We opted for a guy who has risen to AAA but can't hit his weight. Antonelli's only impact has been boosting the representation of Italian-Americans who are from Massachusetts and who played hockey in high school. Those traits are not helping the '09 Padres.

2005 DRAFT
Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, Jay Bruce, Jacoby Ellsbury
Padres Select...

WOW!!! Look at those names! Actually Cesar Carillo should be one of those names....I think....but he too blew out his elbow and has slowly worked his way up the ladder to AAA. Who's to say what will happen.

2004.....the touchstone of drafting ineptitude. Enough said.

What does this mean for 2009? Strasburg is going to the Nationals at #1 unless they get courageous. That's right, courageous. The history of #1 college pitchers is so abysmal and at the hi-jacking that Scott Boras is demanding they would be best served to pass on the fella from West Hills HS.

The buzz is that we may take the best college hitter.....Dustin Ackley out of NC, who also happens to play a position we are in great need of.....first base....that was a joke, you can go ahead and laugh.

The word also suggest Donovan Tate who is the finest prep athlete.....five tools and pedigree, with a father who played in the NFL.

Could also be the fella the Nationals couldn't sign last year, Aaron Crowe. He's a pitcher. Petco has proven that mediocre pitchers can excel so why not go for some bats and speed? I could live with it.

This however is where I will blow an absolute HEAD GASKET! The UT reported that the Padres rate this guy more highly than most....

A soft tossing lefty who averaged 134 pitches a start!

Close YOUR CHECKBOOK AND RUN!!!!!!!

I will become an Angels fan if they draft that kid....not really but I'll be pissed.

It should be noted that there are a few guys who are doing alright in our system. Baseball America's Hot Prospect Sheet rates both Mat Latos (P) and James Darnell (3B) in the Top Ten for the week of June 5th.

So we've got that goin' for us...which is nice.