SCOUT'S HONOR

The precision of data has in some cases edged out the expertise of scouts as teams strive for maximum effectiveness—and maximum cost-efficiency

- JOSH NORRIS

One of the biggest trade wins in recent memory plays shortstop in San Diego.

Almost from his first day in the Padres organization, Fernando Tatis Jr. had the makings of a star. He crushed every level of the minor leagues, then made the big leagues out of spring training in 2019 and finished third in National League Rookie of the Year balloting.

At the time he was traded in 2016, Tatis had yet to play an official game for his signing franchise. The White Sox had inked him out of the Dominican Republic in a 2015 international signing class that also included Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto.

The process the Padres went through to acquire Tatis as the second piece—along with lefthander Erik Johnson—in the deal that sent James Shields to Chicago was extensive. Four of the team’s scouts with decades of combined experience saw Tatis on the backfields in Arizona before recommending that he be included in the trade.

The Padres have one of the most robust professional scouting staffs in baseball, with 15 scouts tasked to cover the major and minor leagues. That’s tied with the Rays, Pirates and Marlins and ranks behind just the Yankees (19), D-backs (17) and Mets (16).

These teams’ scouting staffs stand in contrast with current trends. More and more teams have opted to downsize their scouting departments across all levels.