Top Padres Stories of 2014

Seth Smith

Jul 20, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Seth Smith (12) hits the game winning RBI during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

On December 3rd of 2013 the Padres traded Luke Gregerson to the A’s for Seth Smith. It was a move that garnered very little media attention, but it turned out be the biggest move the Padres made leading up to the 2014 season.

Smith hit .266/.367/.440 in 136 games for the Padres last season, leading the team in all 3 categories. He also led the team with a .357 wOBA and a wRC+ of 133. While it didn’t rival his years with the Rockies where he played half his games at Coors Field, it was still a remarkable year. It was so remarkable that while the Padres were in the midst of the transition period between Josh Byrnes and A.J. Preller and didn’t have a General Manager, they still extended him.

Unfortunately for Smith, he’ll never get a chance to play a game for the Padres under that extension he signed. As 2014 came to a close, so did Smith’s Padres career. After acquiring Wil Myers, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, there was no more room in the outfield for Smith, so he was dealt to the Mariners in exchange for Brandon Maurer. Smith was a great story for the Padres last year, but Preller’s plan for a quick rebuild didn’t include him, so sadly he had to go.