Transaction Analysis

Padres re-sign Tony Gwynn for 1 year, $2 million

This move had to be made, and deep down, we all knew it would be.  Tony Gwynn, regardless of how much he plays, it worth two million dollars a year to a team like the Padres.  If he makes more from his incentives, then he will most likely be worth that as well, since most of his incentives are based on plate appearances.  The only way that this can backfire on the Padres is if Gwynn misses a significant chunk of the 2001 season or if his performance when he is in the line-up is affected by injury.  Whatever happens, though, San Diego has kept a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in town for his entire career, which is definitely worth something.

TripleSteal rating: Triple

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TripleSteal Rating Scale:
Grand Slam - A can't miss move; automatically makes the team considerably better.
Home Run - A great move; will help the team now and down the road.
Triple - A good move; plugs a temporary hole or will help in the future.
Double - An average move; team will get what they paid for.
Single - A head-scratcher; could help, but we definitely don't see how.
Out - A panic move; tells fans "hey, we're trying..."
Double Play - A disaster; will make fans angry just thinking about it.