Post by White Sox GM (Michael) on Jan 26, 2015 13:06:18 GMT -5
After the tumultuous end to the previous Padres' GM's career, Noah took over in the final months of 2014. San Diego has historically been one of the league's worst franchises, never really coming close to a playoff berth. However, Noah has already taken apart the old roster, and with the newest version of the Pads, he looks to build a powerhouse out West for years to come. Noah made time out of his schedule of trade talks and Chatango banter to discuss the current and future San Diego Padres franchise with me:
What was your initial impression of the Padres when you took the job as GM?
"What the hell?" The Padres didn't have much besides Syndergaard. I decided to go into a rebuild.
You've signed a lot of free agents this offseason. What is your reasoning behind that strategy?
Well. It's the Oren strategy. Sign guys. Pay them off before May 1st. Flip them for prospects. Guys like Porcello and Anderson are young enough to keep around if I like them, while guys like Curtis Granderson and Pat Neshek I just saw bargains that I could afford.
In addition to all the free agents, you also have a lot of young, low-profile scale players. Which do you think will be big contributors to your team in 2015?
Look for Caleb Joseph and Roenis Elias to contribute from the scale guys. Maybe Kris Negron. Maybe Yonder Alonso or Radhames Liz. Maybe Shane Greene or Jackie Bradley Jr. I'd say the free agents (Porcello, Granderson, Anderson, etc) outperform the scale guys for the first two months, but most will eventually be traded.
You've clearly added to your farm since taking over. What is your plan moving forward with that farm system?
I added guys like Bradley Zimmer, Hunter Renfroe, Devon Travis, Colin Moran, Andrew Susac, and JP Crawford. I need to work on adding pitching to a minor league system that doesn't have anybody who is at that caliber as a pitcher. I'll flip some of my free agents and draft well to improve it.
You have a lot of depth at positions like catcher and second base. How do you plan on juggling all of those players, especially when you only have 25 spots on the roster?
Out of spring training, I'll take the 2 that are projected to have the most at bats at each position, and hold onto them on the 25-man roster. If I see one of the guys left off getting more time or hitting better, I'll call them up.
Are you going for it in 2015? If not, what's your direction moving forward?
I dealt my draft pick so that it doesn't hurt me to win. I don't have the firepower to win the division this season, but hopefully after another year of work, I'll have enough to compete. I want to win as much as possible this year, but my farm system is my first priority.
Does L.J. Hoes get teased as much in the clubhouse as he does on Twitter?
There was a reason I didn't sign Coco Crisp.
Ichiro and Masahiro Tanaka are awesome. This isn't a question, just a statement.
Asian Invasion. I see Tanaka on the move sooner than later. Hoping for a top pitching prospect or two.
Better record in 2015: ODC Padres or MLB Padres?
MLB Padres. ODC Padres are headed towards .420-.430 depending on how many guys I deal away.
Final thoughts:
My 2016 payroll could be in the negative by opening day. Watch for me to make a major play for an IFA or two. I want all the trendy nationalities... Cuban, Japanese, Korean.
Thanks again to Noah, and good luck to the Padres in 2015 and beyond.
What was your initial impression of the Padres when you took the job as GM?
"What the hell?" The Padres didn't have much besides Syndergaard. I decided to go into a rebuild.
You've signed a lot of free agents this offseason. What is your reasoning behind that strategy?
Well. It's the Oren strategy. Sign guys. Pay them off before May 1st. Flip them for prospects. Guys like Porcello and Anderson are young enough to keep around if I like them, while guys like Curtis Granderson and Pat Neshek I just saw bargains that I could afford.
In addition to all the free agents, you also have a lot of young, low-profile scale players. Which do you think will be big contributors to your team in 2015?
Look for Caleb Joseph and Roenis Elias to contribute from the scale guys. Maybe Kris Negron. Maybe Yonder Alonso or Radhames Liz. Maybe Shane Greene or Jackie Bradley Jr. I'd say the free agents (Porcello, Granderson, Anderson, etc) outperform the scale guys for the first two months, but most will eventually be traded.
You've clearly added to your farm since taking over. What is your plan moving forward with that farm system?
I added guys like Bradley Zimmer, Hunter Renfroe, Devon Travis, Colin Moran, Andrew Susac, and JP Crawford. I need to work on adding pitching to a minor league system that doesn't have anybody who is at that caliber as a pitcher. I'll flip some of my free agents and draft well to improve it.
You have a lot of depth at positions like catcher and second base. How do you plan on juggling all of those players, especially when you only have 25 spots on the roster?
Out of spring training, I'll take the 2 that are projected to have the most at bats at each position, and hold onto them on the 25-man roster. If I see one of the guys left off getting more time or hitting better, I'll call them up.
Are you going for it in 2015? If not, what's your direction moving forward?
I dealt my draft pick so that it doesn't hurt me to win. I don't have the firepower to win the division this season, but hopefully after another year of work, I'll have enough to compete. I want to win as much as possible this year, but my farm system is my first priority.
Does L.J. Hoes get teased as much in the clubhouse as he does on Twitter?
There was a reason I didn't sign Coco Crisp.
Ichiro and Masahiro Tanaka are awesome. This isn't a question, just a statement.
Asian Invasion. I see Tanaka on the move sooner than later. Hoping for a top pitching prospect or two.
Better record in 2015: ODC Padres or MLB Padres?
MLB Padres. ODC Padres are headed towards .420-.430 depending on how many guys I deal away.
Final thoughts:
My 2016 payroll could be in the negative by opening day. Watch for me to make a major play for an IFA or two. I want all the trendy nationalities... Cuban, Japanese, Korean.
Thanks again to Noah, and good luck to the Padres in 2015 and beyond.
