The Padres will be declining the $6MM options for Chad Qualls and Brad Hawpe for next season. GM Jed Hoyer broke the news during a radio appearance on XX1090's The Darren Smith Show (Twitter link from producer Marty Caswell). Hoyer also said the team was still mulling over whether or not to pick up its side of Aaron Harang's $5MM mutual option for next season.
Qualls will receive a $1.05MM buyout from the Padres but still could be back in San Diego next year, as we've heard the team has an interest in re-signing him at a lower price. After a disastrous 2010 campaign that saw him lose the closer's job in Arizona and get dealt to Tampa Bay, Qualls rebounded in 2011 to deliver a 3.51 ERA and 2.15 K/BB ratio in 77 games for the Padres. Qualls had some pretty severe home/away splits (a 2.09 ERA at Petco Park and a 5.05 ERA on the road), so there's a decent chance he'll choose to remain in San Diego.
It was no surprise that the Padres parted ways with Hawpe after the veteran missed most of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Hawpe only hit .231/.301/.344 in 216 plate appearances for San Diego. Hawpe had a $6MM mutual option for 2012 that the Padres will pay $1MM to buy out.
Harang, like Qualls, underwent a bit of a career revival pitching at Petco Park — a 3.05 ERA in 17 home starts and a 4.70 ERA in 11 road starts for an overall 3.64 ERA for the season. Harang will turn 34 next year so this could be his last chance at a multiyear deal if another team chooses to ignore his home/away splits. Harang could decline his half of the mutual option and test the market, though if he doesn't find a multiyear contract, he could lose his chance at coming back to San Diego since the Friars will have their pick of veterans looking for a Petco Park boost.
Hoyer also addressed recent rumors connecting manager Bud Black to the vacant general manager's job with the Angels, saying that the Halos hadn't asked the Padres for permission to interview Black and that Black is happy in San Diego. Hoyer also said that the club has made offers to Heath Bell, but didn't confirm Jon Heyman's recent report that the Padres offered their closer a two-year, $14MM contract. (Both links are to Caswell's Twitter feed.)
Yeah I agree, Harang did a great job this yr, considering the padres couldn’t hit worth a lick!
Pick it up Hoyer!
If they pick up the option they’re losing out on something great. Jon Garland had a pretty good year for us last year, but fast forward a year and we got more production from someone else while having the opportunities to draft talent like Michael Kelly and Jace Peterson.
They’d have to be really enamored with Harang to forfeit the pick. Aaron Harang is in a similar position to Heath Bell, both want to stay in SD, might settle for 1-year in order to do so. Unlike Bell, Harang gets the shot first as it’s his call to accept his side of the option before the team makes the same decision. For Bell they have to take the risk first (offer arb) in order to get a shot at comp picks. The stakes are higher. If Bell declines arbtration it seems more likely that he’d sign with one of the 14 clubs with the worst records. We wouldn’t get a teams 1st round pick, but we woud get the a supplemental round one as well said teams 2nd round pick, likely around pick 50-65.
They’ll have to pay for it, but if they’re will to take talent like Kelly & Hedges in those picks, it’s understandable why they’d offer Bell arbitration even if they’re hesitant to pay him 10-12m next year. Harang is similar, you hope like hell he declines his side of the option and you get the opportunity to get your beak wet. If you don’t think the team can find Harang’s equal I think either he’s being over-estimated, or the teams ability to draw pitchers isn’t be given proper credit.
Moorad is doing something that should make the most skeptical fans pause, he’s ponying up for talent in the drafts. The Padres are no longer a team that is going to limit their signings to slot for the most part, and removing a lot of talented prospects from the equation in the process. Three of the four largest bonuses have been given out since Moorad took over, were talking since the ’09 draft. Those picks are worth a ton, so, long story short, Harang is worth more to us if he leaves.
Rather then being enamored with Garland or Harang, the goal should be finding the next guy looking for a fresh start with a likely chance of being a ranked free agent the following year. If comp picks go away then the system would be altered, but until then, carry on.
One would think that $5M for Harang is fair, the question is, in a thin SP market, does Harang go out looking for a multi-year deal?
If they don’t pick Harang’s option they must really be having trouble financially.
yeah it has nothing to do with the fact that they have 5 starters on the staff with more upside than harang…
This is one of those dilemmas that really isn’t all bad. Keep Harang for a reasonable price and get a veteran middle of the rotation pitcher for another year, or let him go and have their choice of several FA pitchers or in house candidates like Bass. I lean towards keeping him since his price still represents value and it is always good to have pitching depth.
I’m conflicted why Jed gave a middle reliever and a reclamation project 6 mil options each. Better safe han sorry, I guess.
I was shocked that it took 2.5m to sign Qualls. I thought he’d get about half that, or what he made excluding the stupid options buyout. Guys like Dotel & Rauch didn’t get much more and there seemed to be a sizeable gap in their favor, qualty wise.
Bell/Lidge/NathanGregersonFrieriBrachSpence
BassThatcher
Would be the pen I’d expect come April. Moseley could find himself in the pen when Richard is ready. Evan Scribner will be waiting in the wings for another shot even though he’s nothing more then a 6-inning type. The more interesting possibilities will come from some of the starters in AA. Casey Kelly could impress enough in spring for the team to decide to have him skip Tucson while preventing a three-peat at AA, giving him the long-man role. Simon Castro would be vying for that same opportunity with the team being in the same position. Jorge Reyes looks like a guy they could flop in the pen and get production from day one.
I definitely don’t want to see that kind of money spent on a reclamation project that was Qualls circa 2010. The agent won that negotation. I think the minor league depth will help prevent Hoyer from making that same mistake, or so one hopes.
The numbers weren’t on par but Thatcher’s stuff looked similar to pre-surgery. I’ll be dumbfounded if they’re not willing to gamble 700 or 800k on him next year. His pre-surgery numbers were insane. Opponents hit similarly off him as they did Adams, with Thatcher striking out a higher percentage of guys.
I was shocked that it took 2.5m to sign Qualls. I thought he’d get about half that, or what he made excluding the stupid options buyout. Guys like Dotel & Rauch didn’t get much more and there seemed to be a sizeable gap in their favor, qualty wise.
Bell/Lidge/NathanGregersonFrieriBrachSpence
BassThatcher
Would be the pen I’d expect come April. Moseley could find himself in the pen when Richard is ready. Evan Scribner will be waiting in the wings for another shot even though he’s nothing more then a 6-inning type. The more interesting possibilities will come from some of the starters in AA. Casey Kelly could impress enough in spring for the team to decide to have him skip Tucson while preventing a three-peat at AA, giving him the long-man role. Simon Castro would be vying for that same opportunity with the team being in the same position. Jorge Reyes looks like a guy they could flop in the pen and get production from day one.
I definitely don’t want to see that kind of money spent on a reclamation project that was Qualls circa 2010. The agent won that negotation. I think the minor league depth will help prevent Hoyer from making that same mistake, or so one hopes.
The numbers weren’t on par but Thatcher’s stuff looked similar to pre-surgery. I’ll be dumbfounded if they’re not willing to gamble 700 or 800k on him next year. His pre-surgery numbers were insane. Opponents hit similarly off him as they did Adams, with Thatcher striking out a higher percentage of guys.
My fantasy baseball hobby has made me very familiar with the padres pitching staff. I follow them and their moves as much as possible.