12:09pm: A source familiar with the negotiations tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter) that Ross has not yet agreed to a deal with the Padres.
10:56am: Free agent catcher David Ross has agreed to terms with the Padres, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Ross is represented by Sports One Athlete Management.
The addition of Ross is just the latest in a whirlwind of transactions for the Padres under new hyper-aggressive GM A.J. Preller. Last night, the Padres made their acquisition of Matt Kemp official, and they’re slated to do the same with a three-team trade that will net them Wil Myers and Ryan Hanigan from the Rays today. The Padres have also struck deals to acquire Derek Norris from the A’s and Justin Upton from the Braves, and they won’t be hanging onto Hanigan; he’s reportedly headed to the Red Sox in a swap that will bring Will Middlebrooks to San Diego.
The veteran Ross hit .184/.260/.368 for the Red Sox last season but is well-regarded for his veteran presence, his 37 percent career caught-stealing rate, his pitch-framing skills and his work with pitchers. The addition of Ross likely squeezes Tim Federowicz out of some playing time and could lead to him being packaged in a trade as well, with Norris and Ross making up manager Bud Black’s primary backstop tandem.
