San Diego's Big Day

A little late, but the Padres were busy yesterday. I'm lukewarm on the Towers extension (smells like a Ken Macha situation - why extend him when you'll probably fire him anyway, Sandy Alderson?) and Bud Black (I lived through the Joe Kerrigan era... pitching coaches don't work as managers). But they've got those important issues resolved before free agency, which is important.

As for the Barfield trade, I think it's a win-win. Kouzmanoff looks like a pretty good hitter, and a platoon of he and Russ Branyan is the best 3B situation the Padres have had to start a season in some time. I don't know a whole lot about Andrew Brown, but if he's really out of options (check comment #7 here), he better have a lights out spring and pull a Cla Merideth this year to convince San Diego fans that this was a good trade, because they already miss Barfield.

It makes sense for the Indians too, since they're loaded at the corners and needed more production at second. I just feel like the Padres could have gotten more from Barfield after the rookie year he just had at a position that isn't that well represented in free agency (this deal has to lead to a Scott Linebrink-for-Marcus Giles deal, right?). The Indians will be in the playoff race this year*.

* - unless they start the season with guys like Jason Johnson and Paul Byrd playing prominent roles in the rotation