Quadruple-A Baseball: The Padres All-Trade Team

The Padres are usually busy this time of year, the trade deadline. As a Padres fan, I am constantly frustrated when I see a player they trade away excel for their new team. The Padres, in the recent past, have traded away some good players. In the past decade and beyond, one could nearly make an All-Star team with just the players the Padres have traded away. I have come up with the Padres All-Trade team, highlighting the players at each position they have traded away that have succeeded after being dealt.

Catcher: David Ross

Ross played for the Padres in 2005 for only 11 games. He was then dealt to the Reds that next off-season. He went on to hit 38 HRs the next two years with Cincy and most recently, he made contributions in the Red Sox 2013 World Series run, getting 6 hits with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored last postseason.

First Base: Adrian Gonzalez and Anthony Rizzo

Gonzalez was a hometown San Diego kid. The Padres dealt him to the Red Sox after the 2010 season for Rizzo among others. That next year with Boston, he was an All-Star, hitting 27 HRs with 117 RBI and a .338 average. He has driven in 100+ runs 3 times since the Padres let him g,o and is likely going to reach that mark again this year.

I chose these two players because the Padres also traded away the best player they received for Gonzalez, Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo has become the Cubs’ premier hitter, and earned his first All-Star bid this year. He has hit 63 HRs since being traded to the Cubs in January of 2012. He is among the tops in the National League in home runs and RBI this year. He also is among the leaders in walks.

Second Base: Roberto Alomar

I went a little old school with this one, since there hasn’t been a second baseman of value traded by the Padres in a while. But this one is glaring. Alomar played his first few years (1988-1990) with San Diego before getting traded to Toronto. He then went on to have a Hall of Fame career. He finished with 2,724 hits (2,227 after leaving the Padres), 210 HRs, multiple Gold Gloves and an even .300 lifetime batting average. He was the 1992 ALCS MVP for the Blue Jays and won 2 straight rings with them. He made the All-Star team 11 times after leaving San Diego, and also was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Shortstop: Ozzie Smith

Another blast from the past, and like Alomar, he had a Hall of Fame career after the Padres traded him in 1981. 14 of the next 15 years after being dealt, he was an All-Star. He won 11 Gold Gloves and a World Series. “The Wizard” finished his career with 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Third base: David Freese

The Padres drafted Freese in 2006, and then traded him to the Cardinals in 2007 for Jim Edmonds (Padres fans remember how well that worked out). Freese has gone on to be a solid hitter. He was an All-Star in 2012 when he hit 20 HRs with a .293 average. He played a huge role in the 2011 Cardinals World Series run. In fact, he was the MVP in the NLCS and World Series. He has a .289 average with 48 hits, 7 HRs in 48 postseason games.

Outfield #1: Jason Bay

Bay was traded by the Padres to the Pirates in 2003. That next year he hit 26 HRs with the Bucs, and went on to two consecutive All-Star games in 2005 and 2006. He hit 30+ home runs in both of those years. He hit 221 career home runs after leaving San Diego, with 1,200 hits even and 754 RBI.

Outfield #2: Xavier Nady

Nady was drafted by San Diego in 2000, then was dealt to the Mets in 2005. In 2008, he hit .305 with 25 HRs and 97 RBI. He hit 76 HRs after leaving the Padres. He was just starting to bloom as the Padres sent him to New York.

Pitcher #1: Mat Latos

Latos was drafted by the Padres in 2006 and had 2+ solid seasons with the big league club. The Padres traded him after the 2011 season. Since joining the Reds, he is 30-14, with a 3.32 ERA and had 187 strikeouts in 2013. He has pitched 200+ innings each season with Cincinnati.

Pitcher #2: Corey Kluber

In 2010, the Padres traded Kluber to the Indians. He had a good 2013, winning 11 games while striking out 136. But he has burst onto the scene for Cleveland this year. He already has tied his career high with 11 wins with a 2.61 ERA and is 3rd in the AL with 170 strikeouts, also a career high. He is well on his way to a 200-inning, 200-strikeout season.

Depressing, I know, but it definitely paints a picture. The Padres have made some head-scratching moves in the past. I think it is fair to say the Padres are safe from history repeating itself as a result of this year’s trades, for now. The returns they have received have been quality. The scary part is that I know I missed a few players. Let’s hope this trend is reversed in the years to come.