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The Editor’s Desk With Billy Brost: Off-Season Pursuits End On Strange Note

By Billy Brost

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If we were in New York, and fans of the Yankees, it would be easy to say “Those damned Boston Red Sox!” But it sounds much different coming from a fan base such as that of the San Diego Padres. However, when the dust settled not only on the Yoan Moncada Sweepstakes, but the craziest off-season in team history, it was indeed the Boston Red Sox, who book-ended the Friars’ winter pursuits with a pair of swing and misses. 

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It wasn’t long after the conclusion of the World Series, that the Padres and A.J. Preller began their hunt for their first big name of the off-season, and their target was set squarely on the Kung Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval. The one big pieces that was missing throughout the off-season for Preller, regardless of who else he brought into the fold, was a left-handed hitting, leather-flashing shortstop. The Padres thought Yoan Moncada was their guy.

I mean after all, it seemed after Sandoval signed with Boston, and Yasmany Tomas signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, whatever Preller and the boys wanted, they simply got…okay, other than Cole Hamels, but enough of that story already. According to many reports, Moncada was a so-called “franchise-changing talent.” If that was the case, then why has it been reported on several occasions, that Moncada is likely to be moved off of shortstop? Does that sound like a franchise-changing talent to you?

And the money that Boston paid him. I’m aware that San Diego brought the heat as well, offering up to $25 million dollars. I hope for Boston’s sake, he’s as good as advertised, because Moncada along with Rusney Castillo are the future of the Boston Red Sox, good, bad or indifferent.

So where do the Padres go now? For starters, they’ve saved themselves all kinds of money by not signing Moncada. This could allow a deal financially speaking, to be more feasible for the aforementioned Hamels. But then again you’re speaking about Ruben Amaro and his ability to make a deal. Don’t think that’s happening any time soon. What is really going to happen now, is that A.J. Preller, Logan White, and Don Welke are going to put THEIR best skills to use…sniffing out the best international talent available. After June, the Yankees and Red Sox are out in terms of being able to pull themselves up to the plate and sign players for big money. This is where Preller will be the X-Factor for San Diego.

Yes, he’s made some amazing deals this past winter, but what I look forward to, is the under the radar international talent that he brings to replenish the Padres’ minor league system, who turn out to be absolute studs. That, is where A.J. Preller is going to make a lasting impression on this franchise. So while the Boston Red Sox packaged a strange end to the off-season for the San Diego Padres, the future looks bright for a franchise in desperate need of something to be excited about.

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