I was one of the many who favored us trading Headley in the lastest trade deadline, but now that the dust has cleared I think the Padres should strongly consider keeping Headley past his arbitration years. Phil Mickelson talks about "building" instead of rebuilding and I think Headley should be a part of the process. If we are trading for prospects that could have equal value as Headley one day, what's the point? Will they become potential 20 homeruns, 80 RBIs, 15 stolen base guys at Petco? Who will replace his production next year? How will Gyorko handle the big leagues?

There are more questions than answers here.

I would rather ask questions like what will it take to buy a couple of his free agency years and avoid arbitration. He's making 3.5 million this year and is slated to make around 6.5 next year in arbitration, will he take a hometown discount? He's constantly stated he wants to stay in San Diego because he made his career with one organization and likes the direction the team is heading.

Headley's production has been superb considering the circumstances. When we complain about Headley we talk about his lack of production with runners in scoring position, but not until midway through the year did he have legitimate protection behind him.

He's one of the few guys on our team you consistently pencil in everyday and we tend to forget about this. I know we all want stardom for all our players, but on a young team consistency is pivotal.

I understand he's not the ideal player you build around, but he is a great building block.

There were other things I wanted to write but got lazy...

Yeah, I'm leaning on keeping him. Who really knows if Gyrko is the real deal. They could move him to second? It's a good problem to have. Trade either one and get a shortstop or more pitching. Cant have enough of that given the injury issues.

I would like to see Gyorko and Headley in the same lineup just to see what things could look like. I don't think we should trade Headley unless it's for something like the Latos deal but prospects are just that prospects.

The good thing is we dont have to make a decision yet. Seems Headley heard the criticism and has been producing with runners on.
I think Darnell was a stud as well, but may not ever make it with his shoulder issues.
Teams will be after Headley or Gyorko in the offseason again.

I think Gyorko will be the better player in the end, so i'd like to fill multiple holes by trading Headley. I'd be okay with keeping Headley and trading Gyorko in a package for a star too.

I don't think Gyorko is a long term 2B defensively. Probably not even in the short term.

I don't think Gyorko will be a better player than Chase although he will be good.. I also think if we move the fences in.. Chase will continue to improve instead of worrying about how he was robbed.

I was all for trading Headley as well...but the guy has improved every year...to the point where now we really should keep him. I would really like to see him and Gyorko in the same lineup. Maybe it's time to move Gyorko to second base before his September call up? Now is the time...best to figure it out or at least get a decent sample size before the end of the year.

"Phil Mickelson talks about "building" instead of rebuilding and I think Headley should be a part of the process."

Phil also said that they "have the ability to go get key free agent leaders." Which I interpret to mean that Headley is not as crucial as some think. No, the FA market for next season is not chock full of adequate 3rd baggers...in that sense, maybe they reconsider trading him this off season. After all, they do 'control' him for one more season.

but lets not get caught up in thinking that we have to lock him up this year, because we dont see anything better coming down the road, in two years.

Last I heard, even Headley knows that his days are numbered..he anticipates the team trading him this offseason. And Byrnes has said that it would make more sense to do it in the offseason, if they were gonna do it..and they certainly tried hard to trade him.

I'll miss his glove more than his bat, because I think defense in PETCO is VERY crucial.

Headley is 28 and just entering his baseball prime 28-32. Which raises a question: Are we getting a sample of Headley's peak, or is this his career year? The other question is can we expect Gyorko to come in at Headley's peak level, or would he follow the same growth curve? If one believes that Headley is just entring his prime and that Gyorko is essentially the same player, who will follow the same growth curve, then moving Headley would be a step backwards. If on the other hand one believes that Gyorko is a superior hitter who will out perform Headley's curve, then moving him makes sense. Which is which?

I wouldn't say they tried hard. they set a high bar which teams didn't want to go to.

i think Gyorko will not take as long to hit, as Headley did...period. Bringing Gyorko in and trading Headley will say to me that the rebuilding is not as long term as we may have thought. Yea, young guys have to learn before they can contribute, but they cant be prospects forever. At some point, we have to see what we got.

yeah I agree
They didn't try vey hard at all - they set the bar VERY high and said if you really want him we will let you have him but it will cost you big time... every report that came out said that Byrnes was asking for a haul like he got for Latos...

I don't know if the writing is on the wall - I think they will listen over the winter again - but for the short term I'd just as soon get Gyorko up here at second and see what we have and don't give up Chase until we know what Gyorko will be - he wouldn't be the first to tear up the PCL and not make the transition - I hear the scouts and managers talk about how good he is with the bat but I am not for replacing a known with an unknown unless you are just as prepared for the negative consequences as you are for the positive ones you think you will get...

Headley seems to be coming into his own - he may never be a star but we may not have seen his best yet and IF we move those fences we might see a lot more than we ever thought possible..

"After all, they do 'control' him for one more season."

He's free agent in 2015 so they actually 'control' him for 1 and half years lol

At the trade deadline I was firmly in the camp of trade Headley for a high end right field prospect and bring up Gyorko to play third. Now I am more than questioning that. By moving Chase for a prospect and bringing up Gyorko they will be going into 2013 with question marks in right field and at third base. Why get rid of a home grown player who plays every day, is a top notch defender and is just now coming into his offensive prime? Why take a step back by putting a rookie at third base when they have two more years of Headley? Why is the major league level player automatically the one to be moved, when a player on the farm system is ready for the bigs?

If this is a new era maybe they should start acting like it. Keep Headley and look to extend him for two more years, which would cover his prime years 28-32. Then they can either give Gyorko a shot at second, try to move him to the outfield, or trade him for a right fielder.

That's the plan I endorse

My time of doubt on Headley was last year - while he progressed in some areas the power failure really concerned me - This year he is doing what I had hoped he would do last year and I see a different player emerging

I share your thoughts on this constant move the MLB guy to make room for the MiLB guy
I might be behind the move more if we didn't play in PCL - I didn't see a super star from Gyorko in AA (in a park and league closer to PETCO/NLWest) and suddenly he's the next big thing in Tucson...

They have played him at second - if we have to get him up put him there - maybe having him in the line-up makes Chase even better

This is what I want to see Gyorko and Headley in the lineup at the same time.. I think Byrnes has learned not to make any rash decisions

this team doesn't have a hope in hades for contending for a ws until 2014 or 2015 at best.

2012 is growing pains
2013 is growing pains, but no so bad
2014 is potentially very very good.

that'd be one year of chase wouldn't it? plus with the new cba, i would think that small to lower mid market teams have to take some of that risk in order to keep their farm systems loaded with talent. if you can't afford the talented guys in free agency, then your only hope is to nab 'em in the draft or in a trade somehow before they're too expensive.

i believe in chase even when others don't. i have all the faith in the world that if yo get chase out of petco, he'll mash and we'll miss him, but as much as i like him, i don't have a problem trading him as long as we can stock up with some guys who WILL be good players.

talent is the only currency we can work with cuz monopoly money won't cut it in baseball.

what spot in the lineup does he hit though?

maybin is struggling and i can't imagine putting him high in the order is a good idea
chase belongs in a 2 spot
rf is jst a plain qestion mark and if that's the case...you can't expect much
3,4,5 are hopeflly finally occpied

so who hits lead? can amarista or everth do it? otherwise we'd have a glut of guys who belong on the bottom half of the order. at least right now.

Gyorko will be up when rosters expand. We will definitely get a look at him. Grandal tore up the PCL, and he looks solid at the MLB level.
I feel like Gyorko immediately set a tone to come by hitting from day 1 with the organization. This guy is going to hit. Chase, move him back to LF!