San Diego Padres: Logan White brings impressive track record to the Padres

The San Diego Padres brought in Logan White, a seasoned scout who has had a hand in some of the Dodgers’ most successful additions.

In October 2014, the Padres managed to lure longtime scouting director Logan White from the Los Angeles Dodgers that filthy rich rival to the north. White had interviewed for the job as general manager, which ultimately went to A.J. Preller, but he agreed to sign on with the unheralded Padres as Senior Advisor to the General Manager/Director, Pro Scouting. White’s scouting credentials should give Padres’ fans an additional measure of hope about improving the Padres’ fortunes in the draft.

White, a 13-year veteran with the Dodgers, started overseeing the team’s draft in 2002. During that time more than 50 prospects he helped scout ended up in the major leagues. Fruit of those drafts includes Clayton Kershaw (aka the best pitcher on the planet, owner of a 55.7 WAR).

White also helped to acquire players like Russell Martin (30.4 WAR), former Padre Matt Kemp (22.1 WAR) and Chad Billingsley (17.2), as well as 2016 Rookie-of-the-Year Corey Seager (selected ahead of former Padre Trea Turner, who was also in the running). Unsigned draftees include David Price and Paul Goldschmidt.

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White undoubtedly had input into the Padres’ selection of Cole Bellinger, the brother of Dodger’s outfielder and first baseman Cody Bellinger (recipient of the May National League Rookie of the Month award). The latter recently became the first rookie in history to hit 10 home runs in 10 consecutive games.Internationally, White helped to ferret out the mercurial Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig, Japanese pitchers Takashi Saito and Hiroki Kuroda, as well as Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu.

White undoubtedly had input into the Padres’ selection of Cole Bellinger, the brother of Dodger’s outfielder and first baseman Cody Bellinger (recipient of the May National League Rookie of the Month award). The latter recently became the first rookie in history to hit 10 home runs in 10 consecutive games.

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Internationally, White helped to ferret out the mercurial Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig, Japanese pitchers Takashi Saito and Hiroki Kuroda, as well as Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. The Padres need to have that level of success in scouting and signing players to make up for the inexplicable futility of the franchise, especially in the amateur draft.

“Certainly, in the history of sports — that’s all sports — no franchise has been more draft-impaired than the San Diego Padres,” Nick Canepa wrote in the San Diego Union Tribune this month. “The Padres’ record is at once astonishing and disgraceful. Even former GM Kevin Towers, who was so good at acquiring talent through trades, couldn’t draft a lick. Can’t say it was all his fault. It was organizational.”

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Obviously Logan White brings a track record and reputation to the Padres’ scouting department that should help change the Padres’ dismal history of drafting and developing young players.