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A legends home run derby? A LEGENDS HOME RUN DERBY! (Maybe). We also have call-ups, a call for the Padres to sell, and the call is coming from inside the (AL East) house. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
If the boys wanna fight, you better let ‘em
“Oh holy crap, yes.”
Those are the words I muttered to myself while reading Jayson Stark tell us in great detail about how a tiny bit of hubris from Ken Griffey Jr. might just lead to a Legends Home Run Derby during next year’s All-Star festivities.
So far, it appears that Griffey, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Jim Thome would be willing to participate. With those four already on board, surely filling out the rest of the roster should be a breeze, right?
As Stark notes — the current format (“swing as many times as possible in two minutes”) wouldn’t work for the old-timers, but they could use the original format: Everything that isn’t a home run is an out, and they play nine “innings.” In that case: two teams of four, two “innings” each, then each team could pick their hottest hitter to represent them in the ninth?
Think about the possibilities. It’s being held in Texas — could Adrián Beltré make a cameo? If not, Rafael Palmeiro was playing indie ball as recently as a few years ago; surely he’d be game. Alex Rodriguez is still just 47 … and that immediately leads me to this thought:
Barry Bonds reconciliation tour??
What sport thrives more on nostalgia than baseball? Can you imagine a ninth inning featuring Griffey vs. Bonds? McGwire vs. Sosa? Hometown hero Beltré looking for 2011 World Series revenge vs. Pujols?
Please. Please. I need this in my life. Tomorrow, if not sooner.
Ken’s Notebook: Padres teardown, take 2?
In my column Friday, I was hesitant to include the Padres as a team on the trade-deadline bubble. It seemed doubtful their relentlessly optimistic owner, Peter Seidler, would be on board with a step backward, particularly when the team’s average home attendance is more than 41,000 per game.
Well, things change quickly this time of year.
The Padres, after losing three out of four over the weekend in Philadelphia, are now 10 games out in the NL West. They also are eight games back in the wild-card race, where they are tied with the Cubs and just a half-game ahead of the Mets, two teams likely to sell.
Lest anyone forget, general manager A.J. Preller dismantled his team once before, during a period from Nov. 2015 to July 2016. In that time, he parted with Craig Kimbrel, B.J. Upton, Matt Kemp, Drew Pomeranz and James Shields in trades, and allowed Justin Upton to depart as a free agent. Most of the trades were clunkers, though one, the Shields deal, brought back Fernando Tatis Jr.
Whether a GM should get a second chance at a teardown, particularly when his initial buildup cost his franchise Max Fried, Trea Turner, Zach Eflin and others, is a topic for another day. The Padres, considering where they stand, would be engaging in organizational malpractice if they failed to entertain a selloff. And unlike the Mets, whose potential free agents, with the exception of closer David Robertson, are unlikely to yield a significant return, the Padres could dominate a seller’s market.
Left-hander Blake Snell would be one of the top starting pitchers available. Lefty Josh Hader would be the top closer. And if the Padres were willing to move left fielder Juan Soto, who is under club control only through 2024, they would boast the top hitter on the market, too.
The Padres would not get back for Soto the equivalent of what they sent the Nationals for him and Josh Bell, not when Soto is a year closer to free agency and continuing to decline defensively. But they are unlikely to sign Soto, a Scott Boras client, to a long-term extension — or, at least, they shouldn’t, seeing as how he is trending toward becoming a DH.
Four series remain for the Padres through July 30 — on the road in Toronto and Detroit, home against Pittsburgh and Texas. Maybe Seidler still wants to wait for the turnaround he has been predicting all season. Or maybe it’s time for the Padres to face reality, once and for all.
Once I get my head above the cloudy skies
With the All-Star break behind us, it’s high time to call up some prospects for the second half.
• In Cincinnati, Christian Encarnacion-Strand will not only be the longest name in MLB history, but he’ll also be the latest Cincinnati youngster to join names like Spencer Steer, Andrew Abbott, Matt McClain, Elly De La Cruz, Alexis Díaz and 2021’s rookie of the year Jonathan India on the…
Read More: Put Barry Bonds in a Legends Home Run Derby, please