Would Jeff Moorad's purchase of the Padres come soon enough to salvage the 2009 season?
With embattled team owner John Moores tightening purse strings during the club's pending sale stemming from a messy divorce from wife Becky, the Padres' player budget for 2009 had been slashed by nearly $30 million to the neighborhood of $40 million for 2009. Due to the budgetary limitations, the Padres have been trying to trade 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, have already traded away shortstop Khalil Greene (to St. Louis) and were at a contract impasse with all-time saves leader and fan favorite Trevor Hoffman.
Would any of that change now that Moorad has emerged as a potential buyer?
And where does Moorad's potential ownership leave CEO Sandy Alderson and general manager Kevin Towers? Alderson has overseen the Padres' budget-cutting efforts, while Moorad interviewed Towers three years ago as a possible GM for the Diamondbacks.
Moorad announced Jan. 2 that he has "an agreement in principle" to purchase the Padres. Moorad's announcement came shortly after he resigned as general partner of the Diamondbacks, a club he helped purchase in 2004.
Moorad said only "finer points" remain to be resolved in the purchase of the Padres and said he hopes the purchase will be finalized within months.
But will "months" be too late for 2009? Or does he have some type of pre-sale agreement with Moores to loosen the purse strings?
Towers has been struggling to fill a lineup and field a team given the budget restraints he has been working with.
In addition to the Peavy and Hoffman questions, Towers entered 2009 needing to find two more pitchers for the rotation and either a shortstop or a second baseman -- and possibly both.
Moorad's announcement came hours after it was hinted that the Chicago Cubs might be interested in revisiting a trade for Peavy, who will make $11 million this season.
