Salazar: Time to cut struggling Giles loose

It's time for Tony Gwynn, Jr., left to take the right-field torch from Brian Giles. (AP photo)

Nine million dollars.   Let me write that in numeric form:  $9,000,000 — that’s a lot of zeros.   It turns out a lot of zeros is the return the Padres are receiving this season from their $9 million investment of Brian Giles.

On Tuesday, the Padres placed Giles on the 15-day disabled list because of a right-knee contusion.  Tony Gwynn, Jr. started in right field.  This DL move should officially signal a changing of the guard at that position.

Sixty-nine games into the 2009 season, Giles has posted offensive numbers that stir horrible memories of Jim Edmonds.  It only took the Padres 26 games in 2008 to rid themselves of Edmunds’ dead weight (90 AB, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .178 avg.) in the lineup.

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Giles was placed on the DL with a .191 avg. in 225 AB with 2 HR, 23 RBI and 1 SB.  That’s a pathetic return for the salary.   I call it robbery.

Now 15 games out of first place in the NL West, it’s time for the Padres to build for the future — a future without Brian Giles.

If he is to return to the lineup on a full-time basis, it will be a disservice to Padres fans who are buying into the rebuilding philosophy coming from the team’s front office.

Giles’ best years are far behind him.  The power he displayed while playing for Cleveland and Pittsburgh quickly dissipated at Petco Park.

There is no speed on the base path.  His career-high of stolen bases was 15 set in 2002.  He had two stolen bases last season.  Granted, he remains an above-average fielder, but it won’t be long until balls headed for the right field gap fall for hits instead of in his glove.

I’m not a psychologist, but I don’t think his off-season legal problems have carried over into his on-field performance this season.  He’s 38, an age when the hands don’t turn as quickly as they once did on a major league fastball.

Brian Giles is not an ego-case or a clubhouse cancer.  He’s the team cut-up and his absence in the locker room will be sorely missed.  The El Cajon native is also an active member of the community, lending his support to various charitable causes.

But the bottom line when you are being paid $9 million a year is performance.  Kevin Towers, Bud Black and Jeff Moorad — be honest:  Brian Giles isn’t performing.  It’s time to eat that huge contract and move on.

Vic Salazar is a veteran San Diego journalist and an SDNN sports columnist.

Tags: Giles, Gwynn, Padres, Salazar, SDNN, Tony

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 at 9:12 pm and is filed under Padres . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.