2:40pm: Kotsay's extension is worth $1.3MM, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
10:33am: The Padres announced via press release that they have agreed to terms on a contract extension with Kotsay. “Mark provides versatility and a very good late-game at-bat,” General Manager Josh Byrnes said. “He brings invaluable leadership to our club and has become one of the key members of our team.”
9:20am: The Padres are set to extend veteran Mark Kotsay through the 2013 season today, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter). San Diego has been impressed by the veteran's clubhouse presence and his bat off of the bench, according to Brock.
Kotsay, 36, has a .275/.333/.363 slash line with one home run in 111 plate appearances. The outfielder/first baseman made just $1.25MM this season and earned trade interest from multiple clubs in July, including the Reds. Kotsay owns a .278/.334/.409 batting line across his 16-year career.
crisis averted
Best to do this now, before all of the aging, light-hitting pinch hitters with sub 700 OPSs are all gone.
Let’s see. 36 yrs. old .250 hitter 1 HR. Well o.k. 2yrs. for 5M.
Crazy – nice gig
I think this is a “I’m good buddies with the GM type move”
In Petco, his .696 OPS is good for a 98 OPS+. In other words, he has been a league average hitter. For $1.3MM, that’s a good deal.
Mark Kotsay is a wizard.
Yup.
Definitely a wizard.
The 2013 team calendar is shaping up.
Checklist of long term survival as a major league bench player:
-liked by your team mates
-play multiple positions
-have a couple of good years with over 300 AB
-Able to play well in your sporadic starts
-willing to accept reasonable salary
-show flashes of your former self from time to time
-get a couple of clutch hits, even if they wouldn’t matter at the end of the season
You forgot “grit”
Unusual
I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, and they send him to the cubs while picking up his entire salary.
I love this move. Always liked Mark, and the leadership that he provides for a young team. That is what is most important here having a veteran leader in the clubhouse. After the Orlando Hudson debacle this just makes sense
Hmmm looks like pinch hitting was the first thing new owners wanted to address?
Kinda weird.
He’s a very good fit for SD. Capable of playing the outfield when a lot of these guys are limited to 1b. Just be thankful Tower isn’t here or else he might have gotten a 2-year commitment (Blum).
You find a bench player you like, it’s not a bad move to get him inked before other teams start entering the picture.
“He brings invaluable leadership to our club and has become one of the key members of our team.”
If Kotsay is a key member of your team, your team has serious issues.
All set, injury prone closer, injury prone outfielder, and 5th outfielder, all locked up for the near future.
Yes, before people jump down my throat I am just kidding. Street and Quentin are useful players, and the Padres shouldn’t be forced to pack it in and let everyone walk because of a losing season. Kostay really isn’t bad as a backup outfielder.
how does a team that has a farm system like the padres not have a light hitting average fielding OF/1st basemen in their system who costs less than 1.3 mill….seriously 1.3 mill for a 5th outfielder backup 1stbasemen who sort of hits and sort of has a glove, thats about 900K too much
veteran presence….
I think the Padres have plans for Kotsay after he finishes his playing career next season.
Spring Training 2014 will see Kotsay in a SD uniform on the field as an instructor/coach of some sort. His baseball instincts are excellent. He will teach the young and show them a few of the tricks he has up his sleeve from from the experience he has gained in 17 years in MLB.
By then San Diego will be well weaponed up..and the weapons will be loaded.
Padres Priority List for rebuilding:
1. Sign injury-prone closer to long-term deal.
2. Sign fragile outfielder with no defensive value, and no DH spot to put him.
3. Secure a veteran pinch hitter.
4. Unload that pesky franchise third baseman who has proven he can handle Petco. Those are a dime a dozen *Sarcasm*.
Padres definitely deserve someone better then Byrnes, and all the talented FO officials are jumping ship. I wish it were otherwise, but the Padres are in a for a long half decade with Byrnes running things.
I forgot that Mark Kotsay was still playing. But at any rate, the leadership intangibles make him a key part of that clubhouse. As for trade-deadline interest, I’m not surprised at all, as he is left-handed. At next season’s trade deadline, I see Kotsay as a rental option again.