End of a Padres Era

Perhaps I’m old fashioned, but I like seeing a player finish his career on the roster of the team with which he played the majority of his years.  From a fan’s perspective, a special kind of identity builds between a player and a team when the one has been associated with the latter over a long period of time, let alone what that relationship means to both parties involved.  It’s a shame when that identity has to be shattered.

That doesn’t mean I’m not sympathetic to certain situations, such as when Ray Bourque requested a trade and was sent from the Bruins to the Avalanche or when Karl Malone signed with the Lakers.  I completely understand an aging star seeking a championship to complete his career wanting to move to a team in contention.  Such deals are rarely about money–sometimes the player even ends up earning less than he would have elsewhere–and all about that last chance at finally winning.

But how the San Diego Padres have broken off talks with all-time career saves leader Trevor Hoffman in what amounts to a fire sale is a crime.  Like all aging players, Hoffman is not nearly as dominant as he once was, at times struggling in key situations, but he still managed 30 saves in 34 chances with a 3.77 ERA in 2008 for an absolutely abysmal Padres squad that lost 99 games this season.   Hoffman may be 41 years old, but last year’s numbers (raising his career total to astonishing 554 saves) are still very respectable considering the poor play of his team.  Couple the quality of his pitching with other moves the Padres are making (i.e. shopping Jake Peavy around), and only one conclusion can be drawn–this move is a salary dump on the part of the Padres.

Don’t get me wrong, I would be equally upset if Hoffman were holding the Padres ransom for some obscene salary.  But ending one’s career for the team with which a player will forever be associated should be a matter of mutual respect on behalf of both parties, not an issue of money, and if said player must go elsewhere, the reason should be for winning.

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