Each year, MLBTR looks ahead to the contract issues facing the 30 MLB teams. We’ll lead off with the Padres this year:
Eligible For Free Agency (3)
- Mark Kotsay – Kotsay signed a $1.25MM contract with the Padres this past offseason and has eight hits and a homer in a limited role so far in 2012. He'll turn 37 this December, but the Padres figure to have interest in retaining him on a minor league deal if he continues hitting.
- Jeff Suppan - One start into the season it's too early to say whether the right-hander will have a role on next year's team. Perhaps another minor league deal will work for both sides.
- Jeremy Hermida - Like Kotsay, Hermida's an extra outfielder who won't necessarily have a place on the 2013 Padres. At 28, he's the younger of the two.
Contract Options (3)
- Huston Street: $9MM mutual option which the club can decline for $500K. Dan Mennella recently discussed the Padres' choices, reminding us that a midsummer trade is possible.
- Jason Bartlett: $5.5MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout. Though the option can vest during the season, Bartlett doesn't appear to figure in to the Padres' long-term plans.
- Orlando Hudson: $8MM club option with a $2MM buyout. Again, it seems unlikely that the Padres will commit a significant part of their payroll to an aging middle infielder whose offensive production has dropped off.
Arbitration Eligible (13)
- First time: Kyle Blanks, Everth Cabrera
- Second time: Clayton Richard, Luke Gregerson, Will Venable, John Baker, Joe Thatcher
- Third time: Chase Headley, Tim Stauffer, Edinson Volquez, Dustin Moseley, Chris Denorfia, Micah Owings
Headley leads a large Padres arbitration class that could theoretically cost $30MM in 2013. It's unlikely that they'll all be tendered contracts, however, and Moseley and Owings might already be considered non-tender candidates. Padres director of baseball operations Josh Stein will still have enough arb cases on his hands to keep busy next winter.
2013 Payroll Obligation
The Padres have a 2013 payroll commitment of just $11.475MM, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. GM Josh Byrnes figures to have some payroll flexibility once arbitration raises are accounted for even if the team's payroll remains relatively low.
Blanks will probably be cut loose
I really liked this article too, but I think it would be really cool (if it isn’t too much trouble) to include the players teams have money committed to in addition to the total amount. This is mainly because I can’t think of what player(s) on the Pads that have any sort of commitment to after this season.
Maybin, Luebke and Hundley all signed deals this winter for 5, 4 and 3 years respectively with options for extra years at significantly more money. The Padres don’t really have any contract issues because Bartlett and Hudson will be cut this year and Kotsay will probably retire. With the extra money from their TV deal, if it ever gets signed, and the new owners deep pockets, hopefully, the Padres might be able to make a bit of a splash next off season.
Oh yeah, thank you for reminding me. And you are so right, the only “issue” with contracts the Padres could have is cheap ownership and a tiny payroll, but that shouldn’t be the case any more.
I know the Padres aren’t playing like world beaters now and I’m probably counting my chickens before they hatch, but this is a good time to be a Padre fan.
It’s remarkable that Orlando Hudson’s meager two-year deal represents the biggest free agent expedinture by the club. That’s not including guys who were already Padres and ended up re-signing as free agents (i.e. Giles).
I’m not expecting that to change. If they give out a deal worth more then 20m my money is on someone like Headley or Volquez. If they go crazy it’d probably be by way of trade, and even then hard to imagine them taking on a guy owed some serious money (think Markakis – 3/44m after ’12).
Since when have Mosely and Owings been non-tender candidates? They were both quite productive pitchers last year and Owings has been very good to start the year as well.
Cabrera will have to be called up to accrue service time. That would mean Hudson or Bartlett or both are gone.
Baker, Moseley and Owings will not be back. Thatcher may not be back.
Kotsay, Suppan and Hermida will likely not be back.
Venable’s promising start has turned into his typical burst of brilliance followed by long stretches of mediocrity or worse as his BA has plummeted and his defense has been far below average (5 errors).
Unless Street can return quickly from his injury he will not be available to be traded this season. Either way he is likely not coming back in 2013.
Carlos Quentin will also be eligible for free agency.
I laughed when reading the contract option candidates. See ya Blow-Dog and Bartlett