Post by Commish_Ron on Apr 26, 2017 20:35:31 GMT -5
It is another tough season in San Diego. 19 games under .500 so far and lost 11 out of the last 12 games. No fun watching this squad at all. So to numb my pain I am going to take a look ahead at my project 2044 lineup.
Padres project to turn over 7 of the 13 position players on the major league roster in the next two seasons. These are the profiles of the projected 2044 opening day batters.
Catchers
(AAA) 21 year old Antonio Lopez was drafted in the first round of the 2039 draft with the 18th overall pick. Lopez is crushing AAA pitching with a .351 batting average. Exactly what the team was hoping for when they druled over that 8 contact potential. Lopez also brings to the table 22 doubles in 271 at bats while striking out only 32 times. All that and a rocket arm behind the plate that should make even the most prolific base stealers think twice. No reason Lopez should not attend multiple all star games before all is said and done.
(AAA) 24 year old Eddie Cash was a really nice IFA find from Puerto Rico. Most of those random finds are junk but once in awhile a guy like Cash comes along. Eddie is spending one final season in AAA before making his jump to the bigs next season. With 6's across the board defensively and a decent bat with a little bit of pop he will be more than up to the task of spelling Lopez as needed.
Infielders
(ML) 25 year old Allan Hawkins was a lucky find in the fourth round of the 2035 draft. His one star potential exploded to 4.5 and his development closed the gap quickly. He is already enjoying his first full season in the major leagues. You will not find Hawkins name among the long list of problems the club is experiencing right now. Hawkins is rolling with a .380 OBP and .812 OPS. His defense falls short of elite but he can play the middle infield very well. We are guessing when it all shakes out he will be the starting short stop.
(AA) 21 year old Manuel Gonzalez is looking like a steal from the second round of the 2040 draft. He still needs to season a bit. He is down at AA now but is more than holding his own at that level. Hopefully his current 2 month injury won't impact his development. It is just a fractured finger and should not be a problem. Gonzalez has great range and does not make many errors at all. But his arm is pretty weak which almost guarantees him to be the every day second basement assuming his trajectory continues as it has so far.
(ML) 24 year old Richard Mullins joined the organization in a trade from the Marlins back in 2038. This is his second season on the major league squad. He shows some flashes and goes on some great runs but has been inconsistent. There still may be time to better develop that eye and draw some walks. He also could end up a real threat on the base paths when the coaches loosen the reins and let him run free. Mullins is penciled in as the every day third baseman.
(ML) 23 year old Marvin Martinez has only been with the squad for a couple of weeks. The ink is still drying on the trade agreement that brought him over from Cincinnati. The plan is to let him develop another season in AAA but injuries have forced him to the ML roster for now. Marvin has great speed and can play all of the outfield positions. We have him listed here as an infielder because he is the current leading candidate to start at first base. The scouts say he still has a chance to grow into a power hitter but truth be told he may be running out of time. If all goes well, Marvin will be playing first base and logging 35 HR and 100 RBI.
(AA) 22 year old Patrick Reed was a 6th round pick in the 2040 draft. He has enjoyed his time in the Padres system and his stock has risen nicely. Currently he is suiting up with the AA squad. With any luck he can spend next season in AAA and then join the ball club in 2044 as the utility infield guy.
(ML) 26 year old Julio Morales was picked up off the scrap heap as a minor league FA in 2034. He projects to be the aged veteran of the group. He is currently looking ahead to only 4 more years of team controlled salary. Julio has had a tough season this year but he still can point to his .794 career OPS and the 4.9 WAR he has accumulated in 1200 career at bats. At the moment Julio looks like the main competition for Martinez at first base.
Outfielders
(AAA) 22 year old Melvin Price was a big acquisition in a 2040 trade with the Tigers. Oh man, this guy looks like he has all of the tools and is primed and ready to burst onto the scene next season. Price is a base running threat every time he gets on base and we are loving the .380 OBP he is putting up in AAA this year. Oh yeah, double digit HR and a .300 batting average too. His Defense is just a click below elite. Absolutely no reason not to project Price to be a regular on the leader boards for the next decade and a half.
(AAA) 21 year old Carl Holmes is another Padre development success story. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2039 draft and like some of his teammates has blossomed into a potential all star. His batting average in the minors leaves a bit to be desired but the guy can work a count and draw a walk like no ones business. His eye and speed will turn many walks into doubles and triples, not to mention his ability to score from first or second on a regular basis. His defense is elite and he should spend many seasons chasing down fly balls in Center field.
(AAA) 23 year old Paul Sieg was the 41st overall pick in the 2039 draft. His development has been a little bit slow and honestly we were starting to get concerned. But this season he has really gotten over the hump with a .305 average and .790 OPS. Sieg is yet another threat on the basepaths showing a solid 10 on all base running ratings. Sieg is primed to jump into the majors next season and solidify his spot in the outfield and starting lineup.
(ML) 28 year old Tony Ochoa is obviously a favorite of the GM. In 2035 Ochoa was acquired via the Rule V draft. He spent one awful season with the squad then went down to the minors to develop through his 3 option years. The GM left the Padres and moved to Milwaukee. While with the Brewers the new Padre GM put Ochoa on waivers. He was rapidly claimed and spent a couple years as an extra outfielder in Brew town. The GM went back to SD and history repeated itself. The new Brewer GM put him on waivers and bam, Ochoa and Harrison were reunited in SD. Is Ochoa some kind of great? Not at all but I am a sucker for speed and defense. Ochoa is just the kind of guy we love to have as a fourth outfielder. He has great speed, great defense, can play all outfield positions well and can draw a walk with the best of them.
Final Spot
(ML) 26 year old Pablo Moran joined the club in a trade from the Cubs in 2040. 6 games into the 2041 season Pablo suffered a season ending injury and spent the year on the 60 day DL. He is back this season batting .300 and his performance has been one of the silver linings of the year. Pablo is another candidate for the starting job at first basement although his complete lack of power would be disappointing from that position. He can play in the outfield as well and he is another base threat guy. His main contribution would probably be as a pinch hitter and pinch runner but his versatility make him an attractive candidate for the final roster spot.
Wrap up
So there you have it. This is a squad built after my own heart with my favorite kind of players. Speed, OBP and Defense. With any luck in two seasons the Padres offense should be full of young potential all stars poised to grow in the big leagues together and thrive to match the Padres run of 5 strait 100+ win seasons.
But what about the pitching you ask? Yeah, about that.... That's still under construction.
Pitching may be a season or two behind.
Whew. That was therapeutic. I feel better. Appreciate your indulgence. Go Padres!
Padres project to turn over 7 of the 13 position players on the major league roster in the next two seasons. These are the profiles of the projected 2044 opening day batters.
Catchers
(AAA) 21 year old Antonio Lopez was drafted in the first round of the 2039 draft with the 18th overall pick. Lopez is crushing AAA pitching with a .351 batting average. Exactly what the team was hoping for when they druled over that 8 contact potential. Lopez also brings to the table 22 doubles in 271 at bats while striking out only 32 times. All that and a rocket arm behind the plate that should make even the most prolific base stealers think twice. No reason Lopez should not attend multiple all star games before all is said and done.
(AAA) 24 year old Eddie Cash was a really nice IFA find from Puerto Rico. Most of those random finds are junk but once in awhile a guy like Cash comes along. Eddie is spending one final season in AAA before making his jump to the bigs next season. With 6's across the board defensively and a decent bat with a little bit of pop he will be more than up to the task of spelling Lopez as needed.
Infielders
(ML) 25 year old Allan Hawkins was a lucky find in the fourth round of the 2035 draft. His one star potential exploded to 4.5 and his development closed the gap quickly. He is already enjoying his first full season in the major leagues. You will not find Hawkins name among the long list of problems the club is experiencing right now. Hawkins is rolling with a .380 OBP and .812 OPS. His defense falls short of elite but he can play the middle infield very well. We are guessing when it all shakes out he will be the starting short stop.
(AA) 21 year old Manuel Gonzalez is looking like a steal from the second round of the 2040 draft. He still needs to season a bit. He is down at AA now but is more than holding his own at that level. Hopefully his current 2 month injury won't impact his development. It is just a fractured finger and should not be a problem. Gonzalez has great range and does not make many errors at all. But his arm is pretty weak which almost guarantees him to be the every day second basement assuming his trajectory continues as it has so far.
(ML) 24 year old Richard Mullins joined the organization in a trade from the Marlins back in 2038. This is his second season on the major league squad. He shows some flashes and goes on some great runs but has been inconsistent. There still may be time to better develop that eye and draw some walks. He also could end up a real threat on the base paths when the coaches loosen the reins and let him run free. Mullins is penciled in as the every day third baseman.
(ML) 23 year old Marvin Martinez has only been with the squad for a couple of weeks. The ink is still drying on the trade agreement that brought him over from Cincinnati. The plan is to let him develop another season in AAA but injuries have forced him to the ML roster for now. Marvin has great speed and can play all of the outfield positions. We have him listed here as an infielder because he is the current leading candidate to start at first base. The scouts say he still has a chance to grow into a power hitter but truth be told he may be running out of time. If all goes well, Marvin will be playing first base and logging 35 HR and 100 RBI.
(AA) 22 year old Patrick Reed was a 6th round pick in the 2040 draft. He has enjoyed his time in the Padres system and his stock has risen nicely. Currently he is suiting up with the AA squad. With any luck he can spend next season in AAA and then join the ball club in 2044 as the utility infield guy.
(ML) 26 year old Julio Morales was picked up off the scrap heap as a minor league FA in 2034. He projects to be the aged veteran of the group. He is currently looking ahead to only 4 more years of team controlled salary. Julio has had a tough season this year but he still can point to his .794 career OPS and the 4.9 WAR he has accumulated in 1200 career at bats. At the moment Julio looks like the main competition for Martinez at first base.
Outfielders
(AAA) 22 year old Melvin Price was a big acquisition in a 2040 trade with the Tigers. Oh man, this guy looks like he has all of the tools and is primed and ready to burst onto the scene next season. Price is a base running threat every time he gets on base and we are loving the .380 OBP he is putting up in AAA this year. Oh yeah, double digit HR and a .300 batting average too. His Defense is just a click below elite. Absolutely no reason not to project Price to be a regular on the leader boards for the next decade and a half.
(AAA) 21 year old Carl Holmes is another Padre development success story. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2039 draft and like some of his teammates has blossomed into a potential all star. His batting average in the minors leaves a bit to be desired but the guy can work a count and draw a walk like no ones business. His eye and speed will turn many walks into doubles and triples, not to mention his ability to score from first or second on a regular basis. His defense is elite and he should spend many seasons chasing down fly balls in Center field.
(AAA) 23 year old Paul Sieg was the 41st overall pick in the 2039 draft. His development has been a little bit slow and honestly we were starting to get concerned. But this season he has really gotten over the hump with a .305 average and .790 OPS. Sieg is yet another threat on the basepaths showing a solid 10 on all base running ratings. Sieg is primed to jump into the majors next season and solidify his spot in the outfield and starting lineup.
(ML) 28 year old Tony Ochoa is obviously a favorite of the GM. In 2035 Ochoa was acquired via the Rule V draft. He spent one awful season with the squad then went down to the minors to develop through his 3 option years. The GM left the Padres and moved to Milwaukee. While with the Brewers the new Padre GM put Ochoa on waivers. He was rapidly claimed and spent a couple years as an extra outfielder in Brew town. The GM went back to SD and history repeated itself. The new Brewer GM put him on waivers and bam, Ochoa and Harrison were reunited in SD. Is Ochoa some kind of great? Not at all but I am a sucker for speed and defense. Ochoa is just the kind of guy we love to have as a fourth outfielder. He has great speed, great defense, can play all outfield positions well and can draw a walk with the best of them.
Final Spot
(ML) 26 year old Pablo Moran joined the club in a trade from the Cubs in 2040. 6 games into the 2041 season Pablo suffered a season ending injury and spent the year on the 60 day DL. He is back this season batting .300 and his performance has been one of the silver linings of the year. Pablo is another candidate for the starting job at first basement although his complete lack of power would be disappointing from that position. He can play in the outfield as well and he is another base threat guy. His main contribution would probably be as a pinch hitter and pinch runner but his versatility make him an attractive candidate for the final roster spot.
Wrap up
So there you have it. This is a squad built after my own heart with my favorite kind of players. Speed, OBP and Defense. With any luck in two seasons the Padres offense should be full of young potential all stars poised to grow in the big leagues together and thrive to match the Padres run of 5 strait 100+ win seasons.
But what about the pitching you ask? Yeah, about that.... That's still under construction.
Pitching may be a season or two behind.Whew. That was therapeutic. I feel better. Appreciate your indulgence. Go Padres!
