The Padres' victory last night gave them a 71-91 record for the 2011 season and, as small consolation, the seventh overall pick in next year's amateur draft. There won't be daily Adrian Gonzalez rumors out of San Diego this winter, but it will be an interesting offseason nonetheless for the Friars. Here's the latest…
- The Padres won't pick up Chad Qualls' $6MM option for next season, a source tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). San Diego will instead pay the $1.05MM to buy Qualls out but the club is still interested in bringing back the veteran right-hander.
- Also from Hayes, no decision has been made yet about Aaron Harang. The Padres and Harang share a $5MM mutual option for 2012; Harang would get a $500K buyout if the option isn't exercised.
- "My gut feeling is that I will be here [in 2012],” Heath Bell tells Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "They have my number. They know I want to stay. I think they’re going to take advantage of that."
- Randy Ready will not be returning as San Diego's hitting coach next season, according to a team press release. The rest of the club's coaching staff will remain intact.
- Dan Hayes hears from a source that Sean Berry and Phil Plantier are being considered for the hitting coaches' job next year (Twitter link). Both men could end up being hired as GM Jed Hoyer said the Padres will have two hitting coaches next season, tweets Tom Krasovic of the Inside The Padres blog.
- The Padres will focus on run prevention this winter and look to add starting pitching, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock. The club will also look to acquire some depth for the bench and, as always, some hitting.
- Owner Jeff Moorad said the Padres lost $1.6MM in 2011, tweets Hayes. Moorad also said he hopes to have a new TV contract for the team finalized by New Year's Day.
Two batting coaches? Smells like a sitcom to me!
Bring in better players. Modify the fences (in Petco) like they are going to do in NY.
Any ideas if Harang would be a an A or a B free agent? Would think with his numbers he would be in the conversation as an A, but not sure anyone would give up a draft pick to sign him.
Type B. If Harang refuses to sign the option, the Padres would be a supplemental round pick as a B free agent. If he accepts the option and the Padres refuse, no draft pick. 5m option with a I believe a 500K buy out. Might want to double check the buyout.
No chance Harang refuses that, he is at home with his kids every night and gets 5 million……good pull as always, thanks for the info.
Anytime man. Should be an active off season. Maybe more so than some believe. Looking forward to it!
sd does NOT want sean berry. he did next to nothing in houston. stay away.
we need a guy like Rudy Jaramillo!
Every time we hire a hitting coach I hear a faint whisper in the wind, “Dead man walking . . .”
6 Mil for Qualls??
No thanks!
Offseason improvement plans:
1) For years we’ve been hearing that the rotten TV contract is why the team is always short of money. No more of that excuse.
2) Definitely move the fences in, PETCO is a joke. A good pitching team might give up a few more runs, but a light hitting team will probably more than offset that if the fences are moved in.
3) Uh, hitting? All this talk about run prevention is like bandaging up a bleeding wound but not fixing the gun shot wound that caused the bleeding in the first palce. Yes, bring back Harang, Moseley, Bell, etc. and let Qualls go, but please do something about the offense. Hint, the hitting coach(es) isn’t the problem.
4) See if Guzman can play 3B, and go with Rizzo at 1B. Yes he struggled, but there isn’t anything more for him to prove in AAA.
5) A team carry one no-power corner OF, but not 2, especially when no one else on the team can hit 10 HRs. Bring Matt Clark up from Tucson (23 HRs last year) and see what he can do. I mean this club should sell it’s grandmother for a guy who can hit .280 with 20 HRs.
6) Upgrade at backup C. “hitting” .192 doesn’t cut it. There are always catchers who hit a little available, no reason to short change ourselves.
7) I know we’re in the throes of a youth movement, but veteran players make a difference in attitudes. Torrealba, Eckstein and Hairston weren’t all that great, but they played hard and set an example for the others. That seemed to be lacking this year. A catcher like Varitek or Posada, and an OF like Damon would come on a short term deal, for not much money and would inject some fire into the clubhouse. Not that it has to be those players specifically, but you get the ideas – 9 WS rings (I think) between them.
Varitek and/or Posada would have “zero” interest in playing in SD. Varitek is useless now anyway. Posada will probably retire as a Yankee. I doubt he would want to continue his career on a small market team, 3000 miles away from home, with no hope of winning anything. I agree with the thought, having a veteran back up C would be good for the bench and the clubhouse.
Hire “Mr. Padre” (Tony Gwynn) as the new hitting coach.
Hire “Mr. Padre” Tony Gwynn as the new hitting coach.