NewsInbox: Is Durango ready to play?
Beat reporter Corey Brock answers questions from fans
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
10/23/09 3:26 PM ET
I only saw rookie outfielder Luis Durango for two weeks at the end of the 2008 season at Single-A Lake Elsinore. He looked to me to be a special player. He has lots of experience for a young player after playing in the World Baseball Classic. I think the Padres need to make room for him on the 25-man roster next season. What is your take?-- Ken M., Hemet, Calif.
Hey Ken, sorry to burst your bubble, but I think Durango needs to spend the entire 2010 season with Triple-A Portland. The Padres outfield situation is already crowded and he isn't the kind of player who is advanced enough offensively to make the leap over Triple-A. Chase Headley didn't do it, Kyle Blanks didn't do it and Will Venable didn't do it.
Now, we're talking about a different kind of player here -- a player who has had success offensively due in large part to his speed, a Juan Pierre type. What will the new general manager think of Durango? That remains to be seen and is a question for down the road. This guy is young and needs to play every day. He can only do that in Portland.
Have there been any teams confirming interest in either Headley or Kevin Kouzmanoff? If so, have there been any offers, or even solid speculation? I seem to remember something about the Twins -- and maybe the Marlins -- being interested in one of our third basemen.
-- R.J. L., Chula Vista, Calif.
I doubt much has happened in regards to Headley and Kouzmanoff for the simple fact the Padres have been without a general manager since the end of the regular season. I would imagine there would be some interest in both of these two players.
It's hard to say what the new general manager will make of both players and their future. There wasn't a lot of interest in Kouzmanoff at the trading deadline last season. Headley had some feelers, but not enough to make the Padres want to move him. Personally, I think they both have a place in the lineup in 2010. I see no reason to think Headley won't get better. And I think Kouzmanoff fared better in the second half with hitting coach Randy Ready, who got him to let the ball get deeper in the strike zone and to use all fields more.
I heard -- and haven't had time to research it fully -- that tickets would be 15-20 percent less in 2010 than they were in 2009. Is this true? Is it only certain tickets?
-- Trisha, San Diego
Hey Trisha, you're right. The team is doing some pretty exciting things as far as tickets go in 2010. I wrote about this last month while the team was in Colorado. Season tickets for next season will come at a 35 percent discount from individual tickets. As for those individual tickets, 60 percent of those that are sold will go for less than they did in 2009. Here's the link to the story that should clear everything up.
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I think the Padres have definitely improved since the end of the 99-loss season of 2008. How long do you think it will be before we see the Padres in the playoffs again?
-- Adam L., Phoenix
That's difficult to say, Adam. Baseball is such a cyclical sport and we've seen here in San Diego (2007 to 2008) how fast a contending team can drop. And, of course, look at what happened in Seattle this season for an example of a team rebounding quickly. The Mariners won 85 games this season, a year after going 61-101.
I will say this team is in better shape now than they were a year ago at this time. We saw how well this group played after July 28, going 37-25. A lot, of course, will depend on the moves that could be made this winter. Do you hang on to Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez? Does the team make a significant move in free agency? These questions remain to be answered.
If Bell is traded, do you see Mike Adams as his replacement? In my opinion, his stuff is even more nasty than Bell's.
-- Dan H., Wenatchee, Wash.
Hey, it's a fellow Washingtonian.
Dan, you're right. Adams is probably the best in-house candidate to replace Bell as closer if the team makes a move. I'm not certain they will, but it's food for thought here.
Adams, recovering from shoulder surgery last October, didn't appear in a game with the Padres until June, but all he did was post a 0.73 ERA in 37 games, allowing just 14 hits with eight walks. He gave up just one earned run after June 16, and none after Aug. 17. Adams was slowed by a shoulder strain late in the season, but when he returned he didn't skip a beat.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
