Major League Baseball

Padres blow up team after collapse

Published Dec. 6, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

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The San Diego Padres spent 148 days in first place in the NL West last year, avoiding official elimination in the divisional race until a loss to the eventual world champion San Francisco Giants in the 162nd, and final, game of the regular season.

It is apparent, however, that instead of being encouraged by the surprising effort, the 14-23 season-ending slump convinced the front office and ownership that last year was more a blip on the radar than a sign of things to come.

The Padres officially underscored their lack of confidence in what was their team and their overriding need to rebuild from the bottom up with the weekend trade of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, their lone consistent offensive player, to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects.

And they aren’t done yet.

They are intent enough on moving closer Heath Bell that several teams are actually offering to put the right-hander in a trade package with a third team.

The bottom line is there are growing problems with the Padres' bottom line, which is why they decided to trade native son Gonzalez, who will make $5.5 million in 2011 and would have been a free agent after the season, and why they will move Bell, who figures to reach at least $6 million in salary arbitration after back-to-back All-Star appearances in seasons in which he has finished first (2009) and second (2010) in the NL in saves.

The Padres also saw right-handed pitchers Kevin Correia, Chris Young and Jon Garland and shortstop Miguel Tejada opt for free agency, with Garland having already signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. And San Diego non-tendered outfielders Tony Gwynn Jr. and Scott Hairston.

All the moves have left them with a 40-man roster that has only one middle infielder — shortstop Everth Cabrera, a winter meetings draft gamble from two years ago who has not shown any signs of being able to play every day.

The Padres did reportedly sign free-agent pitcher Aaron Harang, a San Diego native whose leverage after going 18-38 the past three years in Cincinnati is limited.

STILL HERE

Edwin Rodriguez is living proof it’s all about an opportunity.

He is, after all, still managing the Florida Marlins, much to the surprise of most everybody, including folks in the Marlins organization.

Consider that when Fredi Gonzalez was fired as Marlins manager 70 games into the 2010 season, owner Jeffrey Loria’s plan was to have Gonzalez handle the job for only three days so Loria would finalize the details of a contract with Bobby Valentine to manage the team.

Loria, however, was persuaded to keep Gonzalez on the job for six games and allow him to manage the Marlins for a three-game series they were playing in Puerto Rico, where there was an outpouring of support for Rodriguez, the first Puerto Rican to manage in the big leagues.

During that six-game stretch, Loria and Valentine, his handpicked candidate for the job, had a blow up negotiating a contract, and Rodriguez wound up managing the Marlins for the final 92 games and compiled a 46-46 record.

Then came the plans to find a full-time manager in the offseason. Loria said the team was looking for a man with big-league managerial experience, and a reputation for being demanding.

The Marlins, however, never interviewed any managerial candidates, and Rodriguez was given a contract for 2012.

QUICK HITS

• In addition to a full-time right fielder, Philadelphia needs to find a backup center fielder. The Phillies don’t have anyone on the roster to fill in if Shane Victorino gets a day off or is injured. Jayson Werth, who signed a seven-year, $126 million deal with Washington, had been the Phillies' right fielder and also the protection for Victorino in center field. The $18 million a year didn’t bother the Phillies, but they were talking with Werth about only three guaranteed seasons.

• Interesting decision for Lance Berkman to sign with St. Louis, where he won’t supplant Albert Pujols at first base so he will wind up playing left field with Matt Holliday moving to right field. With Berkman and Holliday on either side, the question is whether center fielder Colby Rasmus will be run ragged by the All-Star break. The Chicago Cubs were willing to give Berkman their first base job, but he preferred playing in St. Louis.

• Free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford is playing the waiting game in negotiations, and given Werth’s contract, the stall is paying off for Crawford, easily the most talented free agent in this winter’s market. A legitimate center fielder and speed factor in a lineup, Crawford figures to benefit from Werth receiving the 13th-largest contract in major league history.

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