Odds & Ends: Padres, Baldelli, Hillenbrand

Some linkage for your Sunday afternoon reading pleasure…

• Buster Olney takes a look at the dark time that’s ahead for the Padres, likening it to the state the franchise was in when John Moores took over back in 1994.
• Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal talked to Rocco Baldelli about his amazing comeback this season, and the next step in his career.
• We already saw the main portion of this article from Nick Cafardo talked about today, but it’s worth highlighting that Cafardo sat down to talk with Shea Hillenbrand, who would like to make a comeback and feels he can still play. Hillenbrand says he’s learned a lot and hit .340 playing Independent Ball in 2008. He could be an interesting low-risk, high-reward player for a team in need of a DH or corner infielder. Cafardo also points out that for all of the talk about needing closers, George Sherrill is quietly available.