5 Players the San Diego Padres Could Sever Ties With Before 2014 Season
5 Players the San Diego Padres Could Sever Ties With Before 2014 Season
Competing seemed to be in the cards early on for the 2013 San Diego Padres but they just fell out of the race right about the time everyone else did and the Los Angeles Dodgers sprang forward. While that isn’t necessarily something that would negate their effort for the entire season, it certainly does ring as disappointing that they couldn’t at least stay in the wildcard race for a while. Nonetheless they did rebound at the end of the season as one of the hottest teams in all of Major League Baseball in September.
For the upcoming offseason there are just a few things that need to be covered. First of all they need to be able to have some money free so that if they are falling at mid-season they have the funds to do something about it. To do that they are going to have to free up some cash and that is where some of the men on this slideshow come in. There are good names in the five that I suggest they can sever ties with but none that are irreplaceable.
Rumor has it that the pitching staff is where they want to focus most of their building attention during the offseason and that is a wonderful idea. The way they entered the 2013 season really made me wonder how long they could compete and sure enough they didn’t for long. A stronger and more consistent bunch as the starting five will make all the difference. Once again however, to do that they will probably need to cut some salary. Here are my suggestions.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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5 – Mark Kotsay
Kotsay has had a decent career but as it nears the last few years the Padres really do not need to be hangers on. The best young outfielders in the game make a lot of difference for a reason and it isn’t because the elder statesmen that are not on top of their game anymore are worth a ton of money. Kotsay surely will get a chance somewhere but the Padres need to do what they can to avoid having it be in their backyard.
4 – Jason Marquis
Marquis looked like he really could turn one final good corner for the Padres a year ago but when it comes down to it he just isn’t consistent or reliable enough to be a solid rotation member. If a solid reliable rotation is the Padres’ goal for 2014, Marquis needs to move along.
3 – Ronny Cedeno
While Everth Cabrera was gone on his PED suspension, Cedeno certainly served his purpose. Cabrera will return this next season and we all already know that leaves no place for anyone else looking for playing time. Cedeno has years left but not for the Padres.
2 – Clayton Richard
The fact that Richard was the number one starter going into the season in 2013 really was a head scratcher for me. He had a 5.00 plus ERA and has never had an ERA far below 4.00. They should cut ties with Richard and hope he lands somewhere else and gives it a go once more. Once again building a strong rotation means cutting out guys that cannot deliver on that day in and day out; Richard has to go.
1 – Chase Headley
Headley is one of the more popular players in the Major Leagues but when you look he really has only had one good season. Some call his 2013 campaign a down year but that just isn’t true. The 2012 season was an outrageous year that he very well may never duplicate again. Assuming he will not, there are better options. There is still a lot of interest for him in the trade market because of the bad third baseman market this season. That means a great return but only if the trade him right now. Waiting another season would risk the price going way down.
