“Note to the @padres: I'd rather have you blow it up now, then take a step back in 2012. #seasonticketholder”

That was my tweet from Thursday afternoon, after a month of watching the Padres' front office stand around like a twelve year-old at a middle school dance while everyone else is shaking their groove thing.

After a quick splash with the Cameron Maybin acquisition, the Padres have watched the Rockies, Dodgers, and Giants retain stars and bring in veterans to fix holes.  It is obvious that the Padres are trying to navigate this off-season like walking a tight rope with no net --  making an effort to show fans they're serious about winning (gotta' sell every last season ticket package), while still trying to put together a serviceable roster on a shoestring budget.

The Padres have parted ways with veterans that fans identified with throughout the 2010 season:

• Miguel Tejada
• Jon Garland
• Yorvit Torrealba
• Chris Young
• Kevin Correia
• Jerry Hairston Jr.
• David Eckstein
• Scott Hairston
• Tony Gywnn Jr.

As a lifelong Padres fan and season ticket holder, you have my support to blow this thing up!  The last thing I want to see is a 2011 Padres team scratch and claw all year, trying to repeat 2010... not developing their younger players, renting veterans that may or may not be the best fit, falling short and then watching Bell and Gonzalez walk away for compensation picks.

And next October we'll be hearing the backlash from fans that complain:

• Why didn’t the Padres trade these players when they could get maximum value?

• Why are the Padres so cheap, they should pay these two players to stay here.

Both are valid arguments, but there's a long-term dilemma as well -- my concern is what the 2012 Padres will look like if Jed doesn’t try and move these two All-Stars.  With the signing of Adam Dunn to the White Sox today, you can scratch another team out of the Adrian Gonzalez mix, which also means one less team to to shop from in terms of trade talk.

I realize the Padres will not be able to retain Adrian Gonzalez past 2011; with that said, Jed lost leverage today.  In a limited market for Gonzo, Hoyer has to get a huge return for the best hitter San Diego has seen since Tony Gwynn Sr.

Heath Bell has said he wants to stay in San Diego, but wants a three-year deal.  A 33-year old closer with a first pitch fastball wants a three-year deal from a small market team?   Bell has been nothing short of exceptional, but I think he is asking a lot.  A two-year deal with the San Diego discount is reasonable; otherwise Bell is out of the Padres' reach.

The point here is simply to let Jed and the Padres' front office know that, speaking on behalf of plenty of Padres fans, I trust you.  We know you're dealing with limitations, understand why you were not able to retain some players from the 2010 roster, and we are behind you moving forward…so blow this thing up!

This is not a dreaded fire sale; this is having long-term vision and building towards the future.  We'll even make you this promise -- any sales lost from a few grumpy season ticket holders will easily be made up from Friarhood events anyway (representing the most die-hard, savvy Padres fans).  So get realistic, be creative with budget and ballpark parameters and work with the team and farm system's strengths... move Ludwick, Bell and Gonzalez in order to build San Diego a stable of young studs that we can look forward to rooting for and getting attached to for the next half decade.

After all, it is about what is on the front of the jersey, not the back.