You always here about great bargains and how a particular business is offering a sale seemingly every weekend to bring in customers. One example that I keep thinking of is Moor furniture. For every recognized holiday they will have a marketing program that says something like, "No interest until the year 4759262947!!!!" Yeah, that will sure draw me in. The Padres seem to be something similar. As the trade deadline approaches, each team is trying to market itself as a seller or a buyer. The Padres have been very active recently at the trade deadline, which hits next Monday. Just a week and a half ago, or so, they traded Drew Pomeranz to the Red Sox in exchange for an elite pitching prospect, Anderson Espinoza. Even though everybody in the organization seems to praise the deals being done, here is my issue with trading good players who are controllable and affordable: You look at the Cubs and the Astros and other teams that have built their success from the inside. But once you find a good player, you want to build around him. That is my issue with the Padres of the past and Padres of the future. Look at Adrian Gonzalez. He wanted to stay in San Diego but could not because he was becoming "too expensive." Jake Peavy was the same way. And we have seen very little success from those received in those deals. Pomeranz is a pitcher that has turned his career around here. Now let's build around that. Sure, our minor league system may be #2 in the majors now, but who cares? They're just prospects. Don't just give up on your current big league team. Continue to add piece by piece while patiently and gradually building up the farm system. That is what the Cardinals have done. The trade deadline is a week away. The only trade that I see to be productive is if you unload a burdensome contract or poisonous personality. Other than that, keep the guy and see what he can do.
