Mike Dee: ‘Changes Could Be On The Horizon’

Mike Dee of the San Diego Padres. Mandatory Credit: sandiegomagazine.com

The San Diego Padres concluded their series against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday, where they were swept. It’s not the first, and won’t be the last time the Padres get swept this season, but when you lose three in a row to a team that may actually be worse than you, that is cause for concern.

That concern was shared by Padres CEO Mike Dee, when he joined the Darren Smith show on Mighty 1090 yesterday afternoon, where Dee, like most would assume, said that change may be on the horizon.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I was not looking at everything and everybody in this organization from top to bottom,” said Dee. “We increased payroll 25 percent. We got an enormous commitment by ownership to do that, and it’s not getting done. And when it’s not getting done, everybody and everything gets put under the microscope, and if changes are appropriate, changes will be made.”

When asked about Bud Black, Dee declined to say that Buddy has a “shot clock” on him, but did state that much like everyone else in the organization, he’s under the microscope.

With a record 10 games under .500, and the worst offense in baseball according to pretty much every relevant statistic, it’s not surprising to hear these kinds of comments. Normally when a team struggles like this, the manager is always the first one under fire, so this is just par for the course.

However, unlike most managers that are under fire, Black is one of the most well liked, and respected managers in the game. His firing has nothing to do with his character and ability to handle a roster. It’s a call for a change of scenery to try and ignite something in this team.

Black isn’t the only person that Dee was talking about when he said changes needed to be made. Like he mentioned, they are going top to bottom, trying to figure out who is the deadweight in this ball club.

At the moment there are only four players (Seth Smith, Cameron Maybin, Chris Denorfia, and Tommy Medica) on the Padres who are batting over .260. While that stat is not surprising considering the Padres offensive woes, something needs to change.

Payroll increased 25% for San Diego this season, but a lot of that money went to set-up man Joaquin Benoit and Huston Street, two guys who rarely see the light of day during games. Both pitchers combined for 1 IP in Philadelphia.

It’s no surprise to hear that Dee is saying that there will be changes made for the Padres if the team does not improve. The only question is where the changes will come from. Will the front office tear apart the roster, selling parts like an auto shop? Or will they fire long-time beloved manager Bud Black, who arguably has never had a roster capable of winning a World Series?

Dee hit the nail on the head with this interview, changes need to be made. It’s only fair to the fans, and honestly the team itself, whose offense is the laughing stock of the league. Don’t expect anything drastic to happen right away, but the gears are in motion folks.