Now we're talking

In Ryan Ludwick, the Padres get more than a .281 hitter with some pop and decent RBI numbers. They get a great signal from the front office.

In organizing this trade that involved Ludwick’s Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians, Jed Hoyer pulled off the first three-team trade that the Padres have been involved in since around 1995, according to the MLB Network. Since Hoyer took over, I’ve been excited by the fact that the Padres seemed to have a plan they were actually sticking to – complementing good pitching with athletic, speedy players to better utilize spacious Petco Park. This Ludwick trade shows that he’s also willing get creative to achieve the plan.

Plus, Ludwick isn’t that expensive at $5.4 million and he is under contract for another year. I’m not saying he’s going to take the Padres to the World Series this year, but a front office with both a plan and creativity is a great start.