Xavier

Nady

This clears the way for Phil Nevin to play regularly in right fielder. NL-only leaguers, even those in non-keeper leagues, will want to hang on to Nady until at least the trade deadline. If Rondell White is dealt, Nady should be recalled and get regular playing time.

“I think he could be an every-day center fielder,” said Bochy. “He runs better than you think. And he has good instincts in center.” In a less-expansive ballpark, maybe this would work. We like Nady, but he doesn’t fit the bill here. That doesn’t mean he isn’t worth using in fantasy leagues while the Padres start him, though.

Nady will play right field. If Terrence Long outperforms Nady in spring training, then perhaps he’ll move into the starting lineup. For now, he projects as a fourth outfielder.

''It’s Nady’s job to lose over there if he stays healthy,’' GM Kevin Towers said.

Nady, who hit .381 over the first 12 games of the season, has been sidelined for nearly three weeks.

"(Nady) does have an opportunity to make our club; he’ll be in spring training,” Bochy said. “But with the way it’s shaping up, I’d say, yeah, there’s a good chance he will have to go back down to Triple-A and get his at-bats.” Nady doesn’t seem displeased with the situation, and he’ll likely get another extended chance in the majors before the end of the year. He’s a candidate to be traded if the Padres decide they need more pitching help, and he’d also probably be the top choice to take over as a regular outfielder should any of San Diego’s current starters get hurt.

Nady is actually hitting .319 since play resumed, but it’s been an empty .319. As a result, Mark Sweeney is seeing quite a bit of time at first base.

Half the excuse for getting rid of Phil Nevin was that the Padres wanted to play Nady more. However, Nady has started just one of the last five games and three games this month. Robert Fick made a second straight start at first base tonight.

It was his only hit in six at-bats, so even though this will help his case for playing time, he’s still not swinging the bat especially well. With the win, the Padres are now 5-0 this season against a Braves team they could face in the first round of the postseason.

That can’t be it, unless Dave Littlefield is an even worse GM than we thought. Nady is no more than an average corner outfielder offensively and he’s below average defensively. He’s not at all a building block, and he certainly isn’t worth Perez’s potential. The Mets might now trade for a corner outfielder to share time with Endy Chavez.