Mr. Kingston gave the class an inside look at the Padres’ 25-man and 40-man rosters, explaining the processes that occur when a player is optioned, outrighted, recalled, or designated for assignment. The bulk of Mr. Kingston’s lecture, however, was focused on the contract arbitration process, using an example of the team’s valuation of a current Padres player as an example of how the team would prepare for arbitration proceedings. Kingston explained how the team compared the player’s season and career statistics to those of similar players and used the contracts these players signed to arrive at a figure that the team is willing to pay the player. He spoke about the roles of team executives, arbiter, player, and player’s representative during the arbitration process and explained how each individual interacts throughout the proceedings.

San Diego State University is thankful to both Mr. Kingston for taking the time to speak with students about his position with the San Diego Padres and to Katie Pothier for her efforts in arranging this opportunity.