Jed Hoyer faces big challenges, small payroll as Padres GM

New leadership for the Padres.  Old set of problems.

Changing of the guard.  Cannot change issues.

New theories.   Old limitations.

Jed Hoyer has a four-year contract in his pocket as he takes over day-to-day control of the San Diego Padres.

Changes are abundant within the executive offices at Petco Park. The challenges for Hoyer are clear.

Related: Hoyer, Moorad, Black talk one-on-one with 619 Sports

The reality is this:  This is still small-market baseball.  A population base of 3 million remains at 3 million, regardless of the owner or the new leader in the general manager’s office.

Kevin Towers and his baseball people drafted poorly at times, wasted signing bonus money and failed on some veteran acquisitions.  Hoyer will get his chance to be better at player procurement, but the parameters of running the franchise remain the same.

Limited corporate sponsorships, a confined community to draw fans from, fierce competition from a more successful NFL franchise, and limitations in ownership’s checking account, all come into play.  It adds up to a significant challenge for a rookie general manager.

There will be no unlimited American Express credit card accounts if he makes a mistake on a veteran acquisition.  There will be accountability if the $5 million he spends on draft picks does not pan out.  There will be an outcry if he moves what few veterans he has and the young talent coming back in the deal does not work out.

Jed Hoyer has been described to me by execs on two other clubs as a “bright light” — a scout, who uses every statistical tool to evaluate talent.  He’s a fully experienced young front office employee who helped build a power base in Boston by stockpiling Pawtucket, Portland and Trenton with good players. He’s a newcomer who also experienced what it was like to seek out players from the Japanese Leagues and from the talent-rich Caribbean.  CEO Jeff Moorad said he was impressed with the stacks of Padres scouting material he brought with him to his job interview.

Hoyer has done it all in eight years under the guidance of good people in Boston.  Now he must do it and not fail at it in San Diego.

Keeping score at home?  These are the challenges he faces.

Budget: There is no $126 million payroll that they operated with at Fenway Park.  Moorad told SDNN this week that with the current roster he has, and with pay raises included to Adrian Gonzalez and arbitration-eligible Heath Bell, San Diego has committed $35 million toward next year.  The owner says he wants next year’s payroll to be in the mid 40s, which means Hoyer has around $10M to add talent.

There can be no mistakes.

Roster: The arrow is pointing up after a strong finish to what most thought was a miserable season.  However there are too many outfielders and limitations in the five set skills you want of any individual.  There is a need for another power arm, front-end of the rotation pitcher and a need to find more power in the outfield.

Trade Chips: Adrian Gonzalez is very much in play - not necessarily because of his own doing, but because of his affordability.  Who wouldn’t want a 39-home run hitting first baseman with a .290 batting average.  Trading a hometown star is a turnoff, but if the Padres can get three or four quality players, it has to be on the table.  Kevin Kouzmanoff, with some power and Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base, is also affordable, but not nearly as marketable.  One of the extra outfielders, possibly Chase Headley, could bring a mid-level player in return.

Free Agency: No one knows what Nov. 15 will be like on the open market.  John Lackey of the Angels and Matt Holliday of St. Louis may get big contracts, but the price of virtually every other free agent will lead to shorter-term contracts, with fewer guaranteed dollars because of the economy.  The Padres could be a mid-level player in the market for a bat or an arm.  Value via Colorado’s Jason Marquis, Arizona’s Conor Jackson, Colorado’s Yorvit Torrealba or the Yankees’ Xavier Nady might be the addition they need to make. 

Relationships: Hoyer knows Boston inside  and out.  The Red Sox have already announced there will be a winter of transition ahead for them.  Sending Gonzalez to hitter-friendly Fenway Park makes a lot of sense.  Whether the BoSox would ante up young pitchers Clay Bucholz and Daniel Bard, second baseman Josh Riddick and minor league first sacker Lars Anderson is the issue. The asking price for a star player was set by the 4-for-1 Jake Peavy trade with the White Sox.

Petco Park: Sandy Alderson was prepared to change the dimensions of the yard had he remained in place for 2010.  Instead the roster changed, and it appears Moorad wants to continue to add to the talent level to play in the big expanse of Petco Park.  Defensive speed, gap hitters and good gloves are the name of the game.  The current roster fits better than the type of plodding player that was here before.

Front Office: Day one of the Hoyer regime led to the ousting of vice president of scouting Grady Fuson, despite three good drafts in a row.  Day two brought the reassignment of scouting director Bill Gayton.  Look for the new GM to bring in execs with Red Sox ties — those he worked with in Boston, and maybe some from Arizona, who had roots in Fenway Park.  Look too for Fuson and Gayton to potentially follow Towers when he lands his next job.

NL West: This bears watching. The ownership turmoil within the Dodgers ranks could well impact the on-field product. They may have won the West, but they no longer are the same dominant team many thought they would be.  Mannywood hit .256 after his suspension.  A young pitching staff was shaken again in the postseason.  Age and lack of depth on the rest of their starting staff must be worrisome.  The Giants will move an arm to get a power bat.  Colorado expects to move bats to get more arms.  Arizona has been fraught with injuries and no one really knows their health issues yet.

Game plan for Hoyer: Shop Adrian Gonzalez.  Keep him unless the offer is overwhelming.  Keep Kouzmanoff.  Make Headley a super utility man.  Do not deal a veteran unless you firmly believe Kyle Blanks can hit for average as well as continued power.  Spend what remains in the budget to acquire a veteran pitcher who would fit well in the rotation and someone who can provide mid-level power.  Good pitching plus good defense plus speed plus occasional pop makes the Padres a complete team in Petco Park.

Jed Hoyer - first-year GM, first week on the job. You’re not in Boston anymore.  But you’re not in Pittsburgh or Kansas City either.  You won’t need good luck.  You will just need to make good decisions.

Lee Hamilton hosts “Sportswatch” (3-7pm) on XX1090 Radio and a National Baseball talk show on the XM-Home Plarte Channel. He won a San Diego Press Club award for his SDNN columns.

Tags: Hacksaw Hamilton, Jed Hoyer, Jeff Moorad, SDNN, Theo Epstein

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