This off-season has been puzzling and strange.
Why is Oakland and Atlanta conducting massive fire sales?
Why is San Diego of all clubs, an aggressive buyer?
The whirlwind of
transactions for the Padres under new hyper-aggressive GM A.J.
Preller. Te Padres made their acquisition of Matt Kemp official (after review of troublesome medicals), and they’re slated to do the same with a three-team trade that will net them power hitter Wil Myers and catcher Ryan Hanigan from the Rays. The Padres have also struck deals to acquire catcher Derek Norris from the A’s and Justin Upton from the Braves. But won’t be hanging onto Hanigan; he’s reportedly headed to the Red Sox in a swap that will bring third baseman and former hot prospect gone cold, Will Middlebrooks to San Diego.
Oakland's Billy Beane went "all in" last season to trade for veteran pitchers to win it all, and he failed. So he is backing up his truck and re-tooling his small market club.
Atlanta got rid of its old GM and the older executives seem to be content on cutting salary costs and rebuild for a playoff run in 2017, when the Braves get their new, fancy, taxpayer paid new suburban stadium.
The Padres have always been a small market club with not a strong attendance fan base. Even in the tough NL West with power money teams like the Giants and Dodgers, San Diego seems to have taken an Oakland "win now" pill.
It is interesting to note that second tier clubs have been the most aggressive in the trade market.
