San Diego Padres Going Full-Fantasy

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on February 10, 2015

The San Diego Padres have have built quite a nice looking fantasy team for 2015.

They got tired of rolling out Quentin, Maybin and Venable in the OF, 3 guys I don’t think I’ve ever owned even once, so they went out and got Upton, Myers and Kemp. Three shiny names that often get drafted highly in season long leagues.

Their infield still sucks although MIddlebrooks is marginally interesting if he could ever stay healthy. Norris was a staple on most of my season long teams last year. He’s a nice upgrade at catcher for them but we’ll see how he does without the platoon crutch.

Their pitching staff is what really looks strong to me. Shields/Cashner/Ross/Kennedy/Morrow. I’ve drafted all 5 of those guys in one year or another. Their problem will be health. Cashner and Morrow will likely miss large chunks of the season if not the entire chunk. And Shields has a lot of innings on that regular-season arm of his…..

All in all, if I was a Padre fan, I’d be ecstatic going into 2015. My prediction is that it’s going to take a while for those guys to learn how to play together and I think most of the hitters are going to get fed up with that park, probably turning on each other by late July. And since the pitching staff will be breaking down right around the same time, I see the Padres finishing nearer the bottom the the NL West than the top in 2015.

39 comments

39 Responses

Subscribe to comments with RSS.

unca_chuck said, on February 10, 2015 at 7:41 am

Someone has to beat the dogs while we build a lead . . .
dirtnrocksnomo said, on February 10, 2015 at 7:45 am

So what you’re saying is there will not be a Flap fantasy league this year?
- Flavor said, on February 10, 2015 at 7:56 am
  
  yeah, 2 years in a row. I don’t play season-long anymore. Strictly daily play for me.
  - dirtnrocksnomo said, on February 10, 2015 at 7:59 am
    
    Yeah, I can understand. I enjoy it but the season long slog can be brutal.
Nipper said, on February 10, 2015 at 8:40 am

BLEEP San Diego….
willedav said, on February 10, 2015 at 8:50 am

I remember seeing an FG column on Kemp having good luck hitting the ball in the air at the Latrine. See how he likes doing that at Petco. Upton too; Flav could easily be right about them getting frustrated with yard, and Upton’s in last year of deal so he could easily bail for friendlier place to hit, right?

Pads seem to be missing the vet guy on IF that shows the rest of them how to play and be a ml ballplayer day in and day out. Theriot even though he didn’t put up any great numbers is credited with helping Crawford along through difficult times and I think all younger guys need that. Norris isn’t much of a defensive C so that could hurt them too.

I could also see different scenario where given the heightened expectations from fanbase (and pressure that comes with it) they stumble out of the gate especially offensively and aren’t ever much of a factor. What might happen to Black if Pads are still under .500 team having spent all the money?
stickman said, on February 10, 2015 at 10:23 am

My read is that SD has upgraded enough to make a strong run for second but will gradually slide into respectable but not scintillating third place finish.
gianthead said, on February 10, 2015 at 10:44 am

I think Black is a good manager and has gotten more out of his team than their talent level. I still think our Giants will be in odd-year lethargy and Pads will push for a wild card spot. I think FWads from LA win the division and choke in the playoffs yet again.

I think the Nats will be the team to beat after learning a hard lesson at the hands of the Giants last year…
Flavor said, on February 10, 2015 at 11:17 am

I think SD made moves for names without looking too much past the names. For instance, nobody even knew who Derek Norris was before Beane picked him up. Then he put himself on the map but he really is just a LHP masher. And now they’re going to have him play full time? Have they factored in his shitty hitting vs RHP? And what that will do to his mentality at the plate?
I doubt it.
pawliekokonuts said, on February 10, 2015 at 11:57 am

I like your baseballsy optimism. #3in5 #letsgo
Alleykat said, on February 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm

Pads 3rd place at best!
Like their rotation/BP but too many ? marks on the IF, and the OF ( health and that huge park) they will we finish ahead of both the bottomfeeders Arizona& Colorado however, as the Roxs finish dead last Imo.
blade3colorado said, on February 10, 2015 at 6:22 pm

Brian Williams out as NBC Anchor for 6 months . . . Lester Holt is filling in, but I have no doubt NBC will search far and wide for a new anchor. Me? I’m thinking that some “phenom” from social media will get the call from the CEO of NBC. Flavor get your resume ready . . . Stable Boys too. 🙂
- snarkk said, on February 10, 2015 at 6:35 pm
  
  The dude got caught in major lie after a decade. So, he goes into hiding for half a year to see if it blows over. Doubt it…
snarkk said, on February 10, 2015 at 6:24 pm

Looks like I’m in Phoenix feb 24 for a few days. Any games going on or just practice?
- snarkk said, on February 10, 2015 at 6:37 pm
  
  Ah, looks like practice. Anybody have recommendations for eats and watering holes in Scottsdale?
  - blade3colorado said, on February 10, 2015 at 6:39 pm
    
    Chi would know snarkk. However, I haven’t seen him around for a month or so.
  - snarkk said, on February 10, 2015 at 6:47 pm
    
    Yeah he would. Hope all is ok with him…
zumiee said, on February 10, 2015 at 9:11 pm

The Sporting News baseball season preview magazine went so far out of the box on its World Series prediction that it went off the planet. They’re predicting the Cubs vs. the Tigers, with the Cubs winning it all.
That’s pretty goofy, but the rest of the magazine is good.
zumiee said, on February 10, 2015 at 9:16 pm

Today’s Puig gif. Maybe Puig’s best catch of the season.
- DJLoo said, on February 10, 2015 at 9:24 pm
  
  We gotta get this guy somehow, someday, someway…
  - zumiee said, on February 10, 2015 at 9:36 pm
    
    Who knows what the future holds? 🙂
  - Flavor said, on February 11, 2015 at 5:51 am
    
    Agreed. I’m glad I’m not the only one. Puig is nonstop entertainment.
  - willedav said, on February 11, 2015 at 7:33 am
    
    nonstop lunacy. This guy is uncoachable. Very talented, but I don’t think has a bright future.
willedav said, on February 11, 2015 at 8:03 am

If you really want to see a collection of great gifs that are highly entertaining, check out column from last October on F/G that shows all 7 of the last swings Puig took when Cardinals struck him out 7 consecutive times over course of 2 playoff games. If you type in Puig’s name on F/G there is link to the column.
Great stuff. I could watch this all day.
And we all know how that ended.
- zumiee said, on February 11, 2015 at 9:44 am
  
  I think it was MacDog who said “Puig is the gif that keeps giving.” 🙂
  - Bozo said, on February 11, 2015 at 2:45 pm
    
    Great line.
Irish Kevin said, on February 11, 2015 at 2:43 pm

Someone asked about Chi(Chuck) he is fine busy at work. Work computer will not allow him to post comments here. I talked to him on Facebook
- DJLoo said, on February 11, 2015 at 9:26 pm
  
  Glad to hear that. Chi is hardcore.
Bozo said, on February 11, 2015 at 2:47 pm

Puig in the infield would be fun, can he play third?
- unca_chuck said, on February 11, 2015 at 4:41 pm
  
  Yeah, the way Johnnie LeMaster played short.
  - blade3colorado said, on February 11, 2015 at 5:09 pm
    
    Maybe I am thinking of the wrong Lemaster, but Mr. “Boo” played a very good shortstop defensively . . . Fucker couldn’t hit though.
  - James said, on February 11, 2015 at 8:44 pm
    
    Take a look at Johnnie Lee’s stats. What’s most remarkable and surprising about them is how few games he actually played. He was an abomination at the plate, and I doubt that even today’s advanced defensive stats would help his cause too much.
willedav said, on February 11, 2015 at 9:01 pm

Lemaster was from Kentucky I think and had pretty good drawl going on. my buddies used to call him “Redneck disaster.” Lot of teams had classic good field/no hit SS in those days. Dal Maxvill once made AS team along with Cards entire IF and he wasn’t much of a hitter. Neither was Ozzie Smith til he got on the turf in STL.

Sad to hear of passing of Jerry Tarkanian. His Vegas teams were fun to watch (Long Beach St with Ratliffs too before that) and he was defensive genius. Constant thorn in NCAA side too.
Saw Larry Johnson as a rookie with Carolina at Coliseum vs. Dubs, Dell Curry too. LJ had one of the great haircuts of all time. So did Armon Gilliam, another cool player out of UNLV.
- snarkk said, on February 11, 2015 at 10:15 pm
  
  That UNLV team with Grandmama was nasty good in the late 80s, early 90s…
  - zumiee said, on February 11, 2015 at 10:24 pm
    
    Yeah, Tarkanian always chewing on that towel. He also had the Fresno St. basketball program on the map for a while.
zumiee said, on February 11, 2015 at 10:26 pm

Great catch.
sportdude said, on February 11, 2015 at 10:33 pm

SD looking good. I imagine they will be picked ahead of us in most of the national rags. Mad bum has a LOT of innings oon that arm. High stress playoff innings. Cain surgery, Hudson Timmy and Voggy round out the 5. Playoffs I take us. Regular season I take SD right now. Lots of question marks for us,…
snarkk said, on February 11, 2015 at 10:40 pm

On paper, SD staff is better than SF, Pen not as good. Infield not as good, outfield slightly better. They’re not going to be pushovers, that’s for sure…
zumiee said, on February 11, 2015 at 11:34 pm

The baseball magazines I’ve seen so far have been picking the Padres to finish 3rd. But the Padres added Shields after those magazines went to press, so I don’t know if that would change their predictions.
The SABR world seems very down on the Padres outfield defense, and Kemp in particular. I guess Kemp is not a good defender; but it just seems, anecdotally, as a Giants fan, that Kemp made several really good defensive plays against the Giants over the years. I was surprised to find out how negative people were about his defense. Maybe that’s a product of his accumulation of injuries.
There’s a lot of outfield grass to cover in Petco Park. Padre outfield defense might be a issue, which will impact their pitching staff.