MLB: Padres: The Effects of Eric Hosmer’s Commitment on Rebuild

The San Diego Padres are one of the most interesting rebuild projects of Major League Baseball. However, the commitment of First Baseman Eric Hosmer could accelerate the original timetable. In any case, the franchise sends a message to the rest of the league.

The San Diego Padres’ last playoff appearance was a long time ago. In 2005 and 2006, the monks won the NLDS as winners of the National League West, where they were each beaten by the St. Stephen’s side. Louis Cardinals won a total of seven games with one win. Since then, the club has only had two “winning seasons”, i. e. seasons that ended on a positive note.

The last of this category was in 2010, when the team from the West Coast won 90 victories (72 times). The season was sweetened with a Rookie of the Year Award for Closer Heath Bell and Manager of the Year for Bud Black (today manager of Colorado Rockies).

What followed, however, were some disappointments. In 2012, for example, an attempt was made to attack with well-known commitments such as Carlos Quentin or Cameron Maybin. But this team did not fit together from day one and reached only 4th place in the west. It was then quickly torn apart. What remained was mediocrity.

This status quo still exists today, even though there is a new optimism. Optimism manifested in First Baseman Eric Hosmer. He signed an eight-year contract for 144 million euros to leave the Kansas City Royals behind him. A record deal for San Diego. A pointer for the team, the fanbase and the rest of the league – the Padres attack again. Faster than everyone thought.

The year 2014 may be considered as a turning point in the recent history of the Padres, because in August A. J. was born. Preller as Executive Vice President and General Manager. The man who previously spent years with the Texas Rangers in the Pros and International Scouting, Player Personnel, and finally as Assistant GM, and was instrumental in bringing a team to the turf that reached the World Series in 2010 and 2011.

In San Diego he had only one task: a complete rebuild to be competitive again in the not too distant future. From then on, the focus was on the draft and the international amateur market, which offers a lot of talent.

From the outset, Preller worked aggressively on these fronts: In the past three seasons, no team spent more money on international amateur players than the Padres. In 2016 alone, this approach threw off three top prospects for the organisation with the pitchers Michael Baez and Adrian Morejon as well as Shortstop Gabriel Arias.

Meanwhile in the draft, Catcher Austin Hedges (2011) and outfielder Hunter Renfroe (2013) were two of the cornerstones of the current team even before Bouncer’s arrival. Shortstop Trea Turner (2014) was also drawn before him. That in turn was the key to the trade for Wil Myers, who later got rid of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In general, trades were another important part of the long reconstruction of the Padres. It was striking that the team went all the way, more than ever before, and often focused on prospects with big upside. Thus Pitcher James Shields was sent to Chicago for Fernando Tatis Jr. in a rather rare one-to-one trade. The Shortstop is regarded as a future all-star and is one of the top talents in the league this season.

Closer Craig Kimbrel was sent to the Red Sox for no less than four players, including 2017’s convincing outfielder Manuel Margot, whose dynamics are particularly striking.

In addition, all these transactions had the desired side effect that the payroll of the team is extremely manageable. On paper, it was almost 70 million at the beginning of 2017, but it included payments of just under 40 million to players who were no longer there. At the end of the year, the payroll totaled just under 90 million, which still meant 28th place in the league.

It’s the same level as now, but that includes the $21 million for Hosmer and the $13 million Chase Headley is entitled to. Headley, in turn, was brought back to San Diego by trade from the New York Yankees. Not because they needed it, but because they could afford it in view of the low payroll, which the Padres have worked out with their financial discipline of the last few years.

From New York’s point of view, the headley trade was a simple “salary dump”, they simply did not want to pay his salary of 13 million. The Padres gladly took him to get their real target, power pitcher Bryan Mitchell. In return, they only sent outfielder Jabari Blash to the Bronx. A player who was already over.

In 2017, for example, he threw all his doubts into the wind and snatched a high school pitcher, left-hander Mackenzie Gore, with the third pick. The type of player who is the worst rated and therefore associated with a high risk. But also the largest Upside offers.

At that time, however, the plan was still to build carefully. 71 victories in 2017 were enough to achieve a respectable 4th place. In the NL West, in front of the Giants, who have since rearmed powerfully but are not necessarily equipped for the future.

The Padres, with their core of young players, could follow in the footsteps of the recently completed rebuild campaigns in Chicago or Houston.

If we want to draw parallels, Hosmer’s commitment is now roughly on a par with Jon Lester, who joined the Boston Red Sox’s successful team at the Cubs in 2015. This was also a signal to the baseball world:”We are again who we are!” Hosmer comes from 2015 Champion Royals and was twice in the World Series. And he’s only 28, so he still has some good years ahead of him.

The fact that a team such as the Padres, which has been running after the music on the Major League level for years, will suddenly be able to get hold of one of the three probably best free agents on the market, will make you listen carefully. The original plan to attack again in 2020 or 2021 must now be brought forward – to 2019 or perhaps even earlier.