Prince Fielder - Go get him

[El Gordo]

Here's more on why the O's and Brewers match up well:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/95703494.html

The Orioles and Brewers have the exact opposite strengths, and both clubs can help each other by a Fielder trade.

Why shouldn't this convince you of your folly. Here is a team with Braun and Fielder as well as a great group of supporting hitters and they stink becuase they have no pitching. Yet you want to give up most of our pitching for one bat.:rolleyestf:

[twoBshorty]

Yea. with Blanks struggling and the Pads winning, they won't be dealing AGon at all...so that opens up the possibility of getting Blanks I would think.

This doesn't make any sense. Blanks is 23 and, more importantly for the Padres, cost-controlled for a long time. He's also been injured this year, so his poor performance is presumably not an accurate gauge. So they're going to throw all their projections out the window and give up on him with not even a year of ML service time in favor of the guy who's about to get too expensive and is probably leaving after 2011 and thus will need to be replaced? When they think Blanks will be a good hitter and they really need a bat now? Why would Hoyer do something like that? That is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. They'll keep him and hope he heals and is an internal addition to their lineup. And they can't trade Gonzalez either unless they go over a cliff by 7/31, as you already alluded to.

And TGO, even if Blanks is available, that package would not do it. Guthrie? The last thing in the world the Padres need is pitching, and Wigginton and Scott are old rent-a-players. They might have interest in those guys on their own, but not in a trade for Blanks.

[RShack]

Did she improve at all? Or did you just succeed in making her as miserable as she was making everybody else?

Oh, she did way better for a while. The problem was that you had to keep it up or she'd slide back into doing the same old thing. While I mainly worked at fancy private hospitals, like Sheppard-Pratt (which is part of what you might call the Ivy League of psych hosptals) and another famous place in Stockbridge, Mass, this was when I was the clinician for part of the state hospital system that served 2 metro-ATL counties, and we got all the people who were too crazy for Grady (which is the big tertiary care hospital in the middle of ATL). With the exception of some NGRI guys and a few lifers like Phyllis, the main job was to do stabilization and get people out of the hospital (because psych hospitals are not exactly good for your mental health). So, when things got too busy, the staff had too many other things to do to keep it up with Phyllis, and she got back into her old pattern. And then they re-organized the whole place and I wound up being the clinician for a new kind of unit they created and I no longer worked on the same unit as Phyllis. But for a few weeks, she became a great conversationalist... she really did know lots about what was going on in the world, it was pretty surprising actually. But you had to start talking about cigarettes and let her be the one who changed the subject and, like I said, we could not maintain it...

[Sports Guy]

This doesn't make any sense. Blanks is 23 and, more importantly for the Padres, cost-controlled for a long time. He's also been injured this year, so his poor performance is presumably not an accurate gauge. So they're going to throw all their projections out the window and give up on him with not even a year of ML service time in favor of the guy who's about to get too expensive and is probably leaving after 2011 and thus will need to be replaced? When they think Blanks will be a good hitter and they really need a bat now? Why would Hoyer do something like that? That is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. They'll keep him and hope he heals and is an internal addition to their lineup. And they can't trade Gonzalez either unless they go over a cliff by 7/31, as you already alluded to.

And TGO, even if Blanks is available, that package would not do it. Guthrie? The last thing in the world the Padres need is pitching, and Wigginton and Scott are old rent-a-players. They might have interest in those guys on their own, but not in a trade for Blanks.

AGon wants to sign an extension in SD and SD would like to extend him...Problem is, SD didn't see themselves as a winner anytime soon...So, if they are winning, they may be able to generate the revenue needed to extend him(Minnesota has done it, why not SD?).

Blanks has a K rate that is insanely high this year...He isn't an OFer.

So, if the Pads continue to stay in the race and they need a piece or 2, Blanks is the logical piece for them to shop...along with one of their third base prospects.

As for Guthrie...Why not? A solid, cost controlled mid rotation starter for a one dimensional(right now) hitter with poor batting peripheral stats?

Do you think Guthrie for Chris Davis is a crazy thought?

[JTrea81]

Do you think Guthrie for Chris Davis is a crazy thought?

This one might might work. Davis was slumping a bit but has been mashing these past few weeks...

[twoBshorty]

AGon wants to sign an extension in SD and SD would like to extend him...Problem is, SD didn't see themselves as a winner anytime soon...So, if they are winning, they may be able to generate the revenue needed to extend him(Minnesota has done it, why not SD?).

Blanks has a K rate that is insanely high this year...He isn't an OFer.

So, if the Pads continue to stay in the race and they need a piece or 2, Blanks is the logical piece for them to shop...along with one of their third base prospects.

That K-rate is based on 33 games. That's not nearly a big enough sample size to draw any conclusions from. What about the .868 OPS last year? That was also a small sample, but which one do we believe? He's only played 87 games in the majors and his minor league numbers were very good with strikeout rates in a more reasonable range. Many power guys strike out a lot.

Minnesota has been a solid team for years but still low-payroll. If they were really using all that winning to be able to spend more, it would have shown earlier. They got a revenue boost from their new stadium and also from the fact that their tight-fisted but extremely wealthy owner passed away and now the team is in the hands of someone more willing to spend that cash. So they extended Mauer. SD doesn't have either of those, and one winning season won't bring in the cash to fund a huge multi-year extension for one guy. Moorad's group is pretty lean.

I just cannot see them trading away a $400,000 guy who they hope will be a big bat when they need...a big bat.

As for Gonzalez, he's said he's not going to sign a hometown discount (again) . Given what Mauer and Ryan Howard just got, I don't see the Padres being the ones to give him what he thinks is "market value." That would eat their whole payroll.

As for Guthrie...Why not? A solid, cost controlled mid rotation starter for a one dimensional(right now) hitter with poor batting peripheral stats?

Because they have limited chips and they need bats, not pitching. If you have $5 to buy a nutritious dinner, spending $4 of that on ice cream when you already have a freezer full is not a good decision. And Guthrie is 31 and in his arbitration years, so "cost-controlled" is getting up there in price as he's going past his prime.

Do you think Guthrie for Chris Davis is a crazy thought?

Not crazy, but I don't think Texas would do it. First of all, they're bankrupt, so the point I made above would be applicable. And a flyball pitcher in that superheated bandbox...oy.

[Sports Guy]

That K-rate is based on 33 games. That's not nearly a big enough sample size to draw any conclusions from. What about the .868 OPS last year? That was also a small sample, but which one do we believe? He's only played 87 games in the majors and his minor league numbers were very good with strikeout rates in a more reasonable range. Many power guys strike out a lot.

Minnesota has been a solid team for years but still low-payroll. If they were really using all that winning to be able to spend more, it would have shown earlier. They got a revenue boost from their new stadium and also from the fact that their tight-fisted but extremely wealthy owner passed away and now the team is in the hands of someone more willing to spend that cash. So they extended Mauer. SD doesn't have either of those, and one winning season won't bring in the cash to fund a huge multi-year extension for one guy. Moorad's group is pretty lean.

I just cannot see them trading away a $400,000 guy who they hope will be a big bat when they need...a big bat.

As for Gonzalez, he's said he's not going to sign a hometown discount (again) . Given what Mauer and Ryan Howard just got, I don't see the Padres being the ones to give him what he thinks is "market value." That would eat their whole payroll.

Because they have limited chips and they need bats, not pitching. If you have $5 to buy a nutritious dinner, spending $4 of that on ice cream when you already have a freezer full is not a good decision. And Guthrie is 31 and in his arbitration years, so "cost-controlled" is getting up there in price as he's going past his prime.

Not crazy, but I don't think Texas would do it. First of all, they're bankrupt, so the point I made above would be applicable. And a flyball pitcher in that superheated bandbox...oy.

Well, I haven't looked at SD's situation...if they need hitting moreso than pitching, so be it.

But Blanks makes an obvious trade candidate for them this year. There is no question about that.

[JTrea81]

Well, I haven't looked at SD's situation...if they need hitting moreso than pitching, so be it.

But Blanks makes an obvious trade candidate for them this year. There is no question about that.

SD's offense has been pretty poor with a .689 team OPS.

[twoBshorty]

Well, I haven't looked at SD's situation...if they need hitting moreso than pitching, so be it.

But Blanks makes an obvious trade candidate for them this year. There is no question about that.

Their team ERA is 3.04, good for 2nd in MLB.

I think there are plenty of questions about whether Blanks makes an "obvious" trade candidate, but as I spent 2 posts explaining the reasons I disagree with that view and it seems to have made no impact on the discussion, I guess we'll see come 7/31. I am sure if presented a good offer they would listen.

[Sports Guy]

Their team ERA is 3.04, good for 2nd in MLB.

I think there are plenty of questions about whether Blanks makes an "obvious" trade candidate, but as I spent 2 posts explaining the reasons I disagree with that view and it seems to have made no impact on the discussion, I guess we'll see come 7/31. I am sure if presented a good offer they would listen.

They only have so many tradeable pieces.

If they are in position to win the division and feel they need to go get something, then Blanks is an obvious piece to dangle. Now, if Blanks turns it on, that will also be a different story.

Now, if he is sucking really bad still and they aren't getting offered much, then they will keep him I am sure.

BTW, they have a pretty ugly starting staff...Some of those guys could go downhill quickly.

[jdouble777]

We do not have any package that would get us Fielder. Perhaps Arrieta, Tillman, Jones, and Britton would get close, but that would not be worth adding one terribly expensive bat that is unlikely to sign an extension.

[Bruce510]

We had our chance at Fielder in 2002.... but we took Adam Loewen instead.. Fielder went a few picks later

[Sports Guy]

Blanks struck out an insane amount last year, especially his last month. The fact that he's striking out a ton so far this year is more than just a 33 game sample size. This screams out "HOLES IN SWING". I pointed this out last winter when people were crazy to get him. Power hitters strike out a lot. They don't strike out that much.

Yep...The argument can be made that he isn't even worth Guthrie straight up and some on here wanted to trade Adam Jones for him.