http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/build-from-within-trade-for-quality/


by Geoff Young
April 10, 2007


Chances are, a small-market team isn't going to make a big splash in the
free-agent market. Sure, they might fill a hole here and there with
lower-profile guys (Mark Loretta) or aging veterans (Doug Brocail, Greg
Maddux, Rudy Seanez, David Wells), but for the most part, they're not going
to be major players. More often than not, for folks operating on a tight
budget, the cost simply doesn't justify the risk. This isn't the fault of the
players or their agents; it's just a fact of the market.

Fortunately, an organization can look to alternative sources for stockpiling
talent. Two of the best ways are through drafting and developing young
players, and through making trades. We know that Kevin Towers has a terrific
record in the latter, but the Padres have plenty of room for improvement when
it comes to the former. With the addition of Grady Fuson and Sandy Alderson
to the front office, efforts to improve their facility in the Dominican
Republic, and a surplus of draft picks thanks to free agents signing
elsewhere in the winter of 2006-2007, they appear to be headed in the right
direction.

Before we go there, though, we need to ask ourselves why drafting and player
development is so important. In fact, this is an easy question to answer.
When a player first reaches the major leagues, his salary is comparatively
low and he has no leverage in terms of arbitration eligibility, impending
free agency, etc. Draft and develop guys who can contribute immediately on
arriving in the big leagues, and you'll find yourself with a good, cheap, and
relatively sustainable labor pool.

To use a real example from 2006, the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman might not be
quite as good as the Cubs' Aramis Ramirez, but the difference between the two
in terms of production is nowhere near the difference in cost. Washington
gains a huge competitive advantage by employing an inexpensive yet very
effective player at third base. By identifying and developing their own
talent, they have narrowed the gap created by a free agent market that
largely caters to teams that conduct business in huge media centers like New
York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Ramirez vs Zimmerman, 2006   BA OBP SLG OPS+ WS Salary
Ramirez .291 .352 .561 126 23 $10,700,000
Zimmerman .287 .351 .471 111 25 $327,000

The A's and Twins have been masters at drafting and developing players over
the years. For the Twins, this includes names like Jacque Jones, Michael
Cuddyer, J.C. Romero, Matt LeCroy, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Jesse Crain,
and Pat Neshek. Extend it a bit further and you can add Johan Santana (Rule 5
pick from the Astros) as well as Francisco Liriano (acquired as a minor
leaguer in a trade with the Giants).

For the A's, we're talking about Eric Chavez, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Eric
Byrnes, Jon Adkins, Barry Zito, Rich Harden, Bobby Crosby, Jeremy Bonderman,
Neal Cotts, Nick Swisher, Joe Blanton, Mark Teahen, Andre Ethier, and Huston
Street. Some of these guys (Bonderman, Cotts, Teahen, Ethier) were traded
before they ever reached Oakland, but there is value in having chips with
which to bargain. Either way, this is an embarrassment of riches and provides
a great demonstration of how a team with limited resources can help close the
gap between itself and the big spenders.

This approach requires an investment in the drafting and development process.
A team must be willing to spend not only on its draftees but also on its
scouts and minor league coaches to maximize its returns. In the case of the
A's, the man largely responsible for stockpiling their farm system, Grady
Fuson, now works for the Padres. Acknowledging that past success is no
guarantee of future success, I'll take my chances on a guy with Fuson's track
record calling the shots.

The other tricky aspect to developing from within is what to do with these
players when they become too expensive. If an organization is doing its job
properly, it should face this problem on a regular basis. The A's, for
example, have lost Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Hudson, Mulder, and most
recently Zito over the years. They don't use this as an excuse, though;
instead, they get back to work in identifying and developing players to take
their place on the big-league roster.

Fan attachment can be a problem, but I imagine that a culture of winning will
make most folks more forgiving. For example, Josh Barfield is a kid I've
watched since he played at Lake Elsinore in the California League. I love the
way he plays the game and it's been fun tracking his progress over the years.
Barfield provided one of the biggest highlights of the 2006 season and
appeared to be a part of the Padres' future for years to come. But conditions
change, and he ended up getting traded in the offseason. Personally, as
someone who has been following Barfield's career for a long time, I was
crushed—seriously crushed. But when I stepped back and took a look at the
bigger picture, I understood what the Padres were trying to accomplish here.

Maybe the club hasn't done enough yet to earn the benefit of our doubt, but
over the past three seasons, it has made huge strides in that direction. Some
organizations wander around aimlessly without a plan, or with a plan that
stinks. The Padres are starting to build a culture of winning that should buy
them a little more credibility when they defend moves such as the Barfield
trade, or letting the popular-but-aging and increasingly expensive Dave
Roberts walk as a free agent.

Granted, the farm system isn't stocked the way Oakland's was when all of its
star players left for greener pastures. Honestly, it's not even close. But
since the Matt Bush debacle, measures have been implemented to ensure a
better draft process. The Padres have extra picks in the 2007 draft and a man
in Fuson who has demonstrated knowledge of how to use those to his advantage.
The organization still has a ways to go, but the folks in charge have put
themselves in terrific position to get there.

As for a guy like Roberts, is it better to let him sign elsewhere or to lock
him up long-term despite the fact that he's past his prime? Sure, he could go
Steve Finley on us, but he also could follow the paths of, say, Kevin Jarvis,
Ryan Klesko, Phil Nevin, or Bubba Trammell. The fact that the Padres were
willing to let Roberts go indicates to me that they've learned a valuable
lesson, and I'm glad that they risked fan backlash in the name of making the
right baseball move. We'll also all have fond memories of Roberts instead of
resenting the guy for tying up resources at the end of his contract.