It shrinks?
Like a frightened turtle!
The
Padres reportedly have reached agreement with
Brad Hawpe on a one-year contract, which figures to impact the
Orioles.
Hawpe will platoon at first base in San Diego despite extremely limited experience at the position. He's appeared in only nine games there, all of them in 2010. By comparison, he's played 748 games in right field over seven seasons.
Derrek Lee wants to play for a contender, Well, the Padres no longer need him. The same with
Adam LaRoche. These aren't platoon guys - and that's especially true in this instance with the left-handed hitting LaRoche.
How many teams still need a first baseman besides the non-contending Orioles and
Nationals?
I know fans here are beyond frustrated, but just imagine for a moment how it feels in San Diego to know that
Adrian Gonzalez has been replaced by Brad Hawpe.