Jason Bartlett comes back to San Diego

One of the most important positions in the sport of baseball is the shortstop position. It is most often the case that if a team does not have a good shortstop, the team is not very strong defensively. The shortstop is known as the quarterback of the baseball field, in other words, he is the player (along with the catcher) that is involved in every defensive call that is made by the manager and gets the most balls hit to him. When a team has an above average shortstop, it benefits them a lot defensively. But with that being said, the shortstop position is historically a defensive position. When major league scouts are scouting shortstop prospects, they tend to look away from what they do offensively because shortstops have to play good defensive. It is a lot different from scouting for first or third base. When scouting for first or third base, scouts look at the offensive productivity and look away from their defensive play. At the shortstop position, it is very crucial that you have someone who is fast, has good reactions, and someone who can be dependable to lead the team defensively.

            This was a major problem for the San Diego Padres last year because it was not until July 29^th that they got a shortstop in an attempt to make their playoff run. At the start of the season, manager Bud Black selected the very young Everth Cabrera to be his starting shortstop. Cabrera has been one of the Padres top prospects in the Padres system for the last two years and there was hope that he would emerge as a great shortstop with his speed and good defense. But as is the case with many shortstops, the only question going into the regular season was his ability to be a consistent hitter. Unfortunately Cabrera got injured early in the season and he quickly lost the start shortstop job. After Cabrera’s injury, Bud Black needed a good defensive shortstop that he could rely on and he knew he could rely on the ultimate utility man, Jerry Hairston Jr.. Hairston Jr. did an exceptional job as the starting shortstop but as the July 31^st trade deadline was approaching and the Padres were still in contention for the division championship. A change was needed at shortstop. Padre’s General Manager Jed Hoyer made a call to the Baltimore Orioles in regards to their third basemen, Miguel Tejada. Even though Tejada was playing third base for the Orioles, his natural and preferred position has always been shortstop. As a shortstop he won the American League MVP with the Oakland A’s. On July 29^th, the Padres sent a minor leaguer to the Orioles for Tejada and he was in the starting lineup the next day. Tejada was a big reason as to why the Padres won 90 games where were only one game away from winning the NL West division. But unfortunately at the end of the season, the Padres did not make the playoffs and Tejada signed a one year contract with the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.

            After Tejada decided to take his talents to the bay area, the Padres where once again in the market for a shortstop. After a season that saw a lot of success, Jed Hoyer knew that he needed to bring some players in who have had success in the pass and have been on winning teams. Jason Bartlett is someone who fit that criteria perfectly. He has had success both defensively and offensively with a batting average of .281 which is above the norm for shortstop. When the Tampa Bay Rays went to the World Series in 2008 he was voted as the team MVP and was a big reason why the team was so successful. With this trade, it also gives Bartlett the chance to play for the team that drafted him into the major leagues. Bartlett was the Padres 13^th round pick in the 2001 draft but the team traded him to the Twins in 2002. Bartlett should play very well into the Padres system as he is someone who can contribute both offensively and defensively. He is also a player that has had experience winning and being on a championship team which is something that the Padres desperately need.