The “Where’s the line-up beef?” Padres Fan.

                

                From their hopeful second place 90 win season in 2010, the Padres essentially took 3 giant position holding steps in the wrong direction in 2011.  Trading 20 wins from 2010 for 20 loses in 2011, the Pads finished with a good for last in the easiest division, 71-91 record.  What can the bulk of those losses and the drop off from the previous year be attributed to?  Not their 3^rd overall collective ERA, that’s for sure.

                Despite the dissipate season last year, the Padres managed to land in the top ten in each of the League’s major pitching categories: ERA, Quality Starts, WHIP, and Batting Average Against.  To the discomfort of Padres fans and their playoff hopes however, all of their key collective batting statistics landed among the League’s worst.  The only remotely respectable performer in the line-up was Cameron “help me out” Maybin, and next to him I think Padres fans would start giving Phillip Rivers more run support credit than the rest of the irrelevant line-up. 

                The off-season came bearing gifts for Padres fans however.  With a new, feisty G.M. in Josh “I make unprecedented deals” Byrnes, the Padres can look to add some “Reds” meat to their line-up in 2011.  His first order of business: Use the team’s noteworthy pitching from 2010 as leverage for re-vamping the line-up in 2011.  His most notable trade coming in a deal with the Reds, in which he managed to get 4 players for reliable right hander, Matt “I’m worth it” Latos; in what some are calling quite possibly the most lop-sided deal in baseball’s recent history.  The Padres beef up the line-up with two everyday position players in Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal, and bolster the pen with Volquez and Boxberger.  To acquire this many contributing players, two of which are geared towards significantly improving the line-up, is a definite positive light for Padres Fans.

                Byrnes is fixed on bringing new every-day players to San Diego, and is committed to providing some runs for the pitching staff, even if it requires him to dump some of the pitching which gave him his leverage in the first place.  His most recent acquisition, Carlos “I’m Onboard” Quentin also coming at the price of pitching to Byrnes.  With the new trades and signings setting the line-up for 2011 coming at the cost of some reliable pitching, it will be interesting to see if the Pads can climb back in contention in the N.L. West.