Trades and other acquisitions, including promotions

[RobH]

Pads just traded Gregerson straight up to the A's for Seth Smith, LH OF. Both are due to become FAs at the end of the year. Smith has hit well against RH pitchers throughout his career. His fielding ability is good in LF, but apparently not as good in RF.

I would have thought we could get more for Gregerson, but what do I know. Smith sounds to me like a Denorfia/Venable clone, and I don't much see the benefit.

I can only surmise that more moves are around the corner with at least one OF heading out.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

I didn't see that. Terrible deal. Beane just ass raped us.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

The more I think about it, the less I like it. Would rather have Gregerson closing and no Street than another spare part OF'er. Nothing against Smith, but if that's our idea of improving this club might as well tune out now. Think we could've done better for that asset. No reason a mid-season deal couldn't have returned a similar haul to what we got for Adams.

[richpjr]

Terrible, terrible trade. While I agree we need a left handed bat, this trade is very lopsided and we don't really need yet another 4th outfielder.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Terrible, terrible trade. While I agree we need a left handed bat, this trade is very lopsided and we don't really need yet another 4th outfielder.

I mean, I don't thin Gregerson is irreplaceable. The Pads manage to come up with relievers every year. But I know Gregerson was valued around the league. We had no urgency to unload him or to acquire Smith. So in my mind, I don't see why we didn't try to flip the asset for more.

Just not convinced this ownership group is much different than the previous regime.

[TABF]

I kinda like the trade. We have plenty of arms and we need depth in the outfield that can hit. Good power to the allies, which fits petco better than any other current OF on the team. Set up guys are not as rare as they once were; they're being groomed at all levels of baseball for that roll now.

[6025]

This trade is basically the Padres organization in a microcosm. Weak and going through the motions.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

I kinda like the trade. We have plenty of arms and we need depth in the outfield that can hit. Good power to the allies, which fits petco better than any other current OF on the team. Set up guys are not as rare as they once were; they're being groomed at all levels of baseball for that roll now.

I'm not lamenting the loss of Gregerson, particularly, though I would rather he were our closer than Street. But bottom line is we didn't get full value for the asset. This team spent $8M on a broke down pitcher and acquired a 3rd 4th outfielder. Awesome.

[Boltdog]

I'm not lamenting the loss of Gregerson, particularly, though I would rather he were our closer than Street. But bottom line is we didn't get full value for the asset. This team spent $8M on a broke down pitcher and acquired a 3rd 4th outfielder.

4th outfielder and someone who will be a free agent after this season, I believe. Some media who follow the Pads call this a salary dump, as Pads maybe didn't want to pay Gregerson $5mil in arbitration. But he was one of our better relievers and worth it. Now they are trying to trade or sign another LH reliever during winter meetings--who will likely not be as good as Gregerson. Doesn't seem to make sense trading for essentially another Mark Kotsay, unless Seth Smith has unknown potential and Gregerson blows out his elbow this spring.

But according to Byrnes today, Padres are basically "set." So that means another year of Headley inconsistency (unless they trade him during the season), and minimal power around the outfield and at 1B....

[RobH]

4th outfielder and someone who will be a free agent after this season, I believe. Some media who follow the Pads call this a salary dump, as Pads maybe didn't want to pay Gregerson $5mil in arbitration. But he was one of our better relievers and worth it. Now they are trying to trade or sign another LH reliever during winter meetings--who will likely not be as good as Gregerson. Doesn't seem to make sense trading for essentially another Mark Kotsay, unless Seth Smith has unknown potential and Gregerson blows out his elbow this spring.

But according to Byrnes today, Padres are basically "set." So that means another year of Headley inconsistency (unless they trade him during the season), and minimal power around the outfield and at 1B....

Smith actually will cost a bit more than Gregerson, so it's not a salary dump. Smith is far better than Kotsay at this point in his career. He will play against right handed pitchers, and his career line against them is quite good. He is above average in LF and a bit below average for RF. We need another dependable bat in the lineup against righties, and he has also been successful as a pinch hitter.

Gregerson was good last year, but if his slider was off, he was eminently hittable. I believe he had four losses and eight blown saves, so he wasn't perfect. The lefty we're looking to trade for or sign is not to replace Gregerson, but to replace Thatcher.

If we can stay moderately healthy and drug free, I think we can do a fair amount of damage. Our starting pitchers can be downright filthy, if healthy, and of course that remains to be seen. But I just can't see us having that kind of bad luck three years in a row.

I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming season.

[Boltdog]

Smith hit .253 last season, which is not going to assure him a starting spot. And if we are paying Smith $5 mil this season, the joke is on us. I think he will do better in the NL West than he did last year, but he is not going to have those inflationary at bats at sea level like he did in Colorado.

Gregerson was the one stable reliever we had last season after Thatcher was traded--Look at all the games he was in. He has more value than other relievers we had in the pen last year, and I think you see the sentiment in this thread that we did not get value for the guy. He is not a closer, but was forced into that situation. It is ironic that Thatcher now wants to come back to SD, according to 1090, but Padres are supposedly not taking his calls at the moment. They don't like his price tag and maybe fear another arm injury from him. No Gregerson or Thatcher going into Spring, not even Brad Brach. Just a gas thrower like Dale Thayer and old Oliver Perez if they sign him. Hope some of the young guys coming up can move to the pen...

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

I'm not looking forward to this season. What are you excited about? Seth Smith?

Any team starting counting on guys like Will Venable is a second tier team.