The James Shields Thread (Signed with Padres)

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm not too high on SF or SD. I think they'll both be decent, but I think each has significant flaws that will prevent them from making the playoffs.

 

accounting for a combined 40% of their division and likely the 2nd and 3rd best teams in that division, that's a pretty big statement.

[ctcf]

I guess I'm high on the Padres this year. Could definitely see them nabbing a spot in the WC game.

Are you assuming that they'll address the infield at some point, or do you think they can be crappy at half the positions on the field and still be okay?

 

I think they'll at least go after Hector Olivera before everything is said and done. They have a pretty damn fine rotation and play a lot of games against a couple of pretty crappy teams. I think you're underestimating them.

[SouthSideRyan]

Damn. That case of beer bet I made with a Padres fan just became a bit harder to win. We had a bet on which team finished with a better record. But, it's the first time in a long time where both teams were good enough for me or him to want to gamble on how good they will be.

 

If nothing else, San Diego fans definitely deserve this. They've been in Petco for quite some time now, and the promises to improve the quality of the talent and to keep their star players if they got a new ballpark was the exact opposite of their promises until now.

 

Still going to be tough to compete with LA and SF in their division (obviously there's 2 WCs though)

 

They also get ~36 games against the worst 2 teams in the majors.

[Guest]

I guess I'm high on the Padres this year. Could definitely see them nabbing a spot in the WC game.

Are you assuming that they'll address the infield at some point, or do you think they can be crappy at half the positions on the field and still be okay?

 

I think they'll at least go after Hector Olivera before everything is said and done. They have a pretty damn fine rotation and play a lot of games against a couple of pretty crappy teams. I think you're underestimating them.

I like the top 3 in the rotation of Ross/Kennedy/Shields. If they get more than 1/2 a season out of Cashner, they could be better than I'm thinking. Maybe they get something out of Johnson or Morrow. But I really don't think any of that's particularly likely at this point. That outfield will give away a lot of their value on defense, which will also hurt the results for that pitching staff.

 

Off the top of my head, though, I can't think of a worse infield in baseball. That is just tough to overcome.

[XZero771679666304]

I think the Padres have a legitimate playoff shot, if Cashner stays healthy, Gyorko rebounds, Spangenberg breaks out and Alonso discovers some power. Middlebrooks doing something would help, but going to SD isn't generally a move that gets your offensive career going.

 

Either way, I think the Padres are jockeying with the Giants for second place in the NL West. The problem is that L.A. may run away with it and it's a distinct possibility that none of the wild cards come from that division.

[Cubswin11]

If they aren't subject to any spending caps, I could see the Padres going after Moncada pretty aggressively. He could be helping them at some point this year, potentially.

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

This effectively takes them out of the running for Cole Hamels now, leaving the Phillies with even less trade partners now. I wonder if his price tag will ever come down or if he is stuck being a Phillie for the rest of his career.

[ctcf]

This effectively takes them out of the running for Cole Hamels now, leaving the Phillies with even less trade partners now. I wonder if his price tag will ever come down or if he is stuck being a Phillie for the rest of his career.

 

Actually there's been some speculation that the Padres could trade Cashner + prospects to the Phils for Hamels as apparently Amaro is "enamored" with Cashner.

[KrisBryantisaBeast]

This effectively takes them out of the running for Cole Hamels now, leaving the Phillies with even less trade partners now. I wonder if his price tag will ever come down or if he is stuck being a Phillie for the rest of his career.

 

Actually there's been some speculation that the Padres could trade Cashner + prospects to the Phils for Hamels as apparently Amaro is "enamored" with Cashner.

 

Do they have the budget for that?

[Guest]

I think the Padres are going to significantly underperform expectations.

[XZero771679666304]

This effectively takes them out of the running for Cole Hamels now, leaving the Phillies with even less trade partners now. I wonder if his price tag will ever come down or if he is stuck being a Phillie for the rest of his career.

 

Actually there's been some speculation that the Padres could trade Cashner + prospects to the Phils for Hamels as apparently Amaro is "enamored" with Cashner.

 

I don't think adding another $15-20MM per year (assuming Philly sends a little money) to their payroll is something SD can do, unless there's some new revenue stream we don't know about. I know Upton is almost certainly coming off the books after 2015, but even so the Padres payroll is going to be high (for them).

 

And it would take more than Cashner, I would think. Hamels is the big piece Amaro has to flip to boost his rebuild, sending him for a return with huge injury risk as the main piece would be less than prudent. Then again, Amaro doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool, so who knows.

[SouthSideRyan]

Upton's money coming off is going to immediately be swallowed up by Kemp. The weird thing about wanting Cashner is he's only under team control for 2 more seasons.

[Guest]

I think the Padres have a legitimate playoff shot, if Cashner stays healthy, Gyorko rebounds, Spangenberg breaks out and Alonso discovers some power. Middlebrooks doing something would help, but going to SD isn't generally a move that gets your offensive career going.

 

Either way, I think the Padres are jockeying with the Giants for second place in the NL West. The problem is that L.A. may run away with it and it's a distinct possibility that none of the wild cards come from that division.

The only thing that will slow down the Dodgers is Mattingly.

[XZero771679666304]

Upton's money coming off is going to immediately be swallowed up by Kemp. The weird thing about wanting Cashner is he's only under team control for 2 more seasons.

 

Yeah, Preller is going to have a hard time keeping this team together as it is, and Kemp (barring some kind of resurgence) isn't going to be a very movable asset. There's a lot of risk in what SD has done this offseason, and I'm not sure they can afford to throw much more money at the roster.

 

And yeah, Amaro would look pretty foolish if the main piece he got for Hamels left via FA before the team was even good again.

[Guest]

Matt Abatacola (sp? who cares) claims Shields was waiting out the Cubs to see if they'd offer the 4th year because he wanted to come here.

[Clem Fandango]

Matt Abatacola (sp? who cares) claims Shields was waiting out the Cubs to see if they'd offer the 4th year because he wanted to come here.

 

Well, they kinda did. Shoulda gave him the 4th year and then done what davell said and Scherzer'd his contract by spreading out payments over several years.

[Guest]

Matt Abatacola (sp? who cares) claims Shields was waiting out the Cubs to see if they'd offer the 4th year because he wanted to come here.

 

Well, they kinda did. Shoulda gave him the 4th year and then done what davell said and Scherzer'd his contract by spreading out payments over several years.

 

vesting option isn't really kinda doing it. assuming the incentives weren't inexplicably easy to reach, it would almost certainly be a situation where he'd rather be a free agent than not in that case.

[Guest]

Dennis Lin @dennistlin

James Shields just said on @Mighty1090 that his decision came down to the Cubs and Padres.