“What’s the fish today?” he asks. Call him Joel. We’re in the dining car, south of San Luis Obispo.
The Padres fired their GM, Josh Byrnes, a few weeks ago. The new owners inherited Byrnes from the old owners, who never actually owned the team. Ergo, adios.
“Tilapia,” says the attendant. Joel orders the steak, as does his wife.
The team hasn’t found a new GM yet. That hasn’t stopped anyone from cleaning house.
“Ti-LA-pia!” Joel chews the word, spits it on the table, like Lasorda saying “Be-VA-cqua!”
All-Star closer Huston Street got shipped north to Anaheim for four of the worst farm system’s best prospects. One or two might pan out in an Alexi Amarista/Dale Thayer kind of way.
People spit the word “PA-dres” in similar disgust, and who can blame them? Losing tastes awful. So does the directionless dismantling of a team stuck in free fall since notching 90 wins four years ago.
Chase Headley, the franchise leader in games played at third base, went to the Yankees for Quad-A infielder Yangervis Solarte and hard-throwing Class-A right-hander Rafael DePaula.
Tearing stuff apart is easy, even without a GM. Putting it back together is hard.
I’m sure the Padres got what they could for the remaining two months of Headley’s contract. I’m also sure that paying the largest-of-large-market Yankees $1 million to take him off their hands isn’t how it’s supposed to work.
The owners will find someone to do the job of rebuilding this franchise, because someone is always looking for work. But will it be done well? And how long will it take?
The stupid part is that Solarte has outhit Headley this year. Worse, Headley led the Padres with 32 RBI. The Rockies have seven players with more. So do the Indians, Tigers, Royals, and Brewers.
Joel’s wife flags down our attendant. She doesn’t like her steak.
“What seems to be the problem?”
“Everything!”
Everything? There’s no solution to that. Next time get the fish.