Padres Report - September 20th

Padres Report - September 20, 2006

Some baseball experts will tell you that you can’t evaluate a trade after the fact. You have to give an evaluation when it happens. To do it weeks/months/years later is unfair, you’re evaluating the trade with information that those who made the trade did not have… While I usually agree with that sentiment, I think there are exceptions.

On August 31st I wrote, “…After initial frustration, I’ve come to the opinion that if the Padres are able to get deep into the playoffs, this might end up being worth it.”

David Wells’ 2006 Padres statistics:

0-2, 4.43 ERA, 22.1 IP, 29 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 11 SO

(The Padres are 1-3 in games Wells started.)

First, we obviously don’t know at this point whether the Padres make the playoffs, let alone make it deep into the playoffs… However, should we conclude that Wells’ production was worth our top prospect, George Kottaras?

Now I will admit that Wells has that big game cachet and his acquisition led to a 5-1 streak (the Padres are 11-7 since Wells arrived). And while a lot of fans look at statistics, there is an element of psychology to the game. So the players may have needed a “pick-me-up.”

On to tonight’s game:
I can deal with a loss (I didn’t expect them to go 13-0 & I don’t expect them to win the final 12), I can deal with the hard-charging Phillies who may make it necessary to win the NL West, I can deal with the inevitable mistakes that happen like Branyan’s throw from 3B in 7th that Gonzales couldn’t quite pick, what gets me going is the mental errors:

• Cameron not charging the shallow pop that Blum missed
• Wells not hustling to 1B on the cover
• Cameron and Ben Johnson not communicating and each holding up as a possibly-catchable ball dropped between them

The NL West is ripe for the taking. The Padres made the task MORE difficult by not getting a win tonight. Thursday night, the Padres get the joy of facing Brandon Webb.