Most would say that the San Diego Padres' season doesn't end until next week. I say it ended on the final day of July.
That's when the Friars dealt away a large (and I mean really large) part of their heart and soul, sending outfielder Franmil Reyes to the Cleveland Indians as part of a three-team trade that netted San Diego top prospect Taylor Trammell from the Cincinnati Reds. To me, that's the day the music died.
That's all great stuff. You certainly can add Trammell to the "Hot Lava Talent" pool of young Padres, who figure to be a big part of this organization's immediate future. But projecting Trammell for success is the most anybody can do at this point. After all, he hardly had a good regular season at Double-A, hitting just .234 in 436 at-bats.
Reyes, on the other hand, already was established as one of the real leaders of a big-league club that was in first-place early in the season and was without question, still a playoff threat by the time it arrived at the All-Star break with a break-even 45-45 record. But, of course, the Padres stumbled out of the second-half gate, fell seven games below .500, and decided it would be best to play the role of seller at the trade deadline.
Nothing wrong with that. But the guy they traded? Perhaps an irreversible mistake.
Spirit is a major part of the mixture when a championship team is molded together. Guys on great teams, for the most part (and there are exceptions like the 1970's-era title teams in Oakland and New York), have to genuinely be willing to go to battle together on a daily basis. They need to support each other. They need to enjoy their time together in the clubhouse and in the dugout, and they need to laugh.
They are family. (Borrowing, of course, from the famous "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates championship team of 1979, which was led by another larger-than-life figure in Willie Stargell).
Larger-than-life is the perfect description of what Reyes was to the Padres. The Franimal's infectious laugh put a smile on everybody's face, and his over-the-top enthusiasm for the sport led him to greet every player who hit a home run by removing the helmet from their head upon their return to the dugout. Don't think for a half-second that the Friars have not missed all of that stuff since he left.
If you asked most fans, they would tell you that the Padres' team leaders are first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Manny Machado, closer Kirby Yates, and while he was still healthy, rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr. Most fans would be correct. The Padres couldn't expect to succeed next season without any one of those players. Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet, Francisco Mejia, Hunter Renfroe, Franchy Cordero, and several others will have to play major roles as well.
But none will be able to play the all-important role that Reyes played. They simply don't have the personalities to do so. Very few big leaguers do. I remember finishing an interview in the dugout with Reyes one day, and watching with joy as the big fella jumped up, chased playfully after center fielder Manuel Margot and chided him about his brand spanking new haircut. I can still hear the deep-throated and heartfelt laughter from both players.
Since going to Cleveland at the beginning of August, Reyes hasn't exactly been terrorizing the baseball. He has hit seven home runs in 142 at-bats while driving in 28 and batting just .218. Those numbers are nowhere near the 27 home runs and .255 batting average he put up here for the Padres in the season's first 99 games. But he has made a difference in Cleveland. The Tribe's record since he arrived is 26-18, and the club has a solid shot to reach the postseason. The Friars' mark since he left is almost the exact opposite of Cleveland's at 19-26.
Nevertheless, the mark he left in San Diego is indelible. Hundreds of fans traveled up the freeway a couple of weeks ago just to cheer-on Reyes as the Indians played a weekend series in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. Don't be surprised if many of the Friar Faithful put their faith in Cleveland should Reyes' new team survive a three-team race with Oakland and Tampa Bay for a playoff spot.
We all want Franmil to succeed. He wanted the same for us. Guys like him just are not easy to come by.