Javelina Begin Planning for 2010

There is no sugar-coating it, the Javelina had an awful season in 2009. Nothing seemed to pan out for the defending eMLB Champions. We could list some examples of moves and decisions that did not work out as expected, but the list is so long and cumbersome that it's hard to keep track of.

"The fact is, the entire organization - from the front office to the players - had a terrible season," opined GM Jamie Hoyle. "We missed on some moves in the offseason, we had some real bad luck during the season, several players underperformed, and we just weren't able to recover. I take full blame."

So, with that in mind, Hoyle and his staff have already begun preparing for 2010 in earnest. Recognizing that, despite poor performance, the team was still blessed with some very valuable commodities; Hoyle has begun shipping off several pieces which did not figure into the team's plans for next season. In return, he has managed to add a pair of highly regarded young players under contract through at least next season.

The first deal, which was culminated late last week after weeks of planning and negotiating, sent Edwin Jackson, Roy Oswalt, Marco Scutaro, Orlando Hudson, Casey Blake, and Phil Hughes to North Texas in exchange for Yovani Gallardo, Michael Young, Jordan Zimmerman, Garrett Jones, Gerardo Parra and Ben Sheets.

"When we started examining our team, we recognized we lacked starting pitchers with swing and miss stuff," said Hoyle. "We feel Gallardo adds another dimension to our staff for next season, as well as a guy with the ability to become a true ace. Needless to say, we're excited to have him."

Then, earlier this afternoon, the team agreed to a trade with the Olivet Killer Eagles. This time, the Javelina sent Mark DeRosa, Michael Young, and JA Happ to Olivet in exchange for Stephen Drew, Freddie Sanchez and Jose Contreras.

"Obviously, this deal was about Drew for us," explained Hoyle. "There just aren't that many 20-something short stops with the ability to be dynamic offensive players, and we think Drew fits that description. Most importantly, he's under contract for two more years and is just entering his prime."

It is believed the deal with Olivet satisfied three major goals for the Javelina. First, as Hoyle explained, Drew is only 26 and has shown an ability to be a run producer. Second, it means 3/5 of the team's starting infield is locked up through at least next season and will be 28 or younger entering the 2010 draft. Third, it alleviates the need to extend an infielder, which opens up their loan extension for Adam Lind.

"Yeah, I'd say it's pretty unlikely," proclaimed Hoyle when asked if the team would consider trading Adam Lind. "We've already begun talking about an extension, and I'd expect that to get done sooner than later."

When asked if he thought the team was done dealing, Hoyle merely said, "It wouldn't do us any good to shut ourselves off from potential offers, so we'll see how it plays out."

Lottery Complete, Expect Javelina to be Busy During Meetings

With the 2009 Draft Lottery complete and the actual draft looming, we know two things for certain. First, we know the Javelina won't be drafting anywhere near the top of the order. Second, GM Jamie Hoyle will be extremely busy trying to improve both his roster and his draft position during the upcoming Winter Meetings.

Assuming the team remains in the 16th spot in the first round, there are several directions they could take in upgrading the team. Logic would dictate they would follow the plan they used in the 2008 draft and select the best available hitter. If they were to follow that approach, it's likely Hoyle could be left to choose between players like Carl Crawford, Dan Uggla and Curtis Granderson. There is also the possibility they could find strong value in a starting pitcher at the bottom of the first round.

All that said, team sources have indicated that Hoyle is actively pursuing trade-up options that would place him in the middle portion of the round. Without naming names, these sources have suggested the GM is hot on the trail of a handful of what he considers to be "dynamic" offensive performers. Who those performers are remains to be seen.

There have been whispers around the team's training facilities that Hoyle has already agreed to at least one trade for a starting pitcher, and may be seeking to make one more. It was once thought the team may want to unload Ichiro Suzuki's contract prior to the draft; and while that may still be true, it is thought the offers Hoyle has received have not exactly knocked his socks off.