The Padres will promote top catching prospect Austin Hedges, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. It’s uncertain how much he’ll play with the Padres, however, since their current starting backstop, Derek Norris, is in the midst of a strong season, and first baseman Yonder Alonso and the Padres’ outfielders have all played well too, so there’s nowhere else to move Norris (who has little big-league experience at any position besides catcher anyway). The team does have a brief series in Seattle next week that could allow Hedges to catch while Norris plays DH. Wil Nieves is the Padres’ current backup catcher, and Lin suggests Nieves could be designated for assignment, with Hedges taking over in a backup role.
Hedges is ranked as the No. 23 prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus, No. 50 by MLB.com, and No. 74 by ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider-only). Hedges’ defensive ability wins widespread acclaim from nearly all prospect analysts. MLB.com praises his receiving, arm, and potential game-calling ability, while Law notes that framing pitches should prove to be a strength as well. Hedges wins less praise for his hitting — he batted a weak .225/.268/.321 at Double-A San Antonio last year. He’s off to a much better start in 2015 for Triple-A El Paso this year, however (.343/.413/.552 in 75 plate appearances), and his strong standing among prospect analysts suggests he might be so valuable defensively that he won’t need to hit much.
If Hedges manages to stick in the big leagues, he’ll likely be in line to become eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player following the 2017 season. He could then become a free agent after 2021.
To ride the pine? The kid needs to play everyday. Maybe they are showcasing him..
Another head scratcher…
Considering what they gave up to get Norris, this move makes no sense. Hedges won’t gain trade value by riding the pine, and Norris needs to play to return value for that trade investment.
Norris has been playing a ton, though. He’s going to wear down if the Padres keep playing him this much.
as bad as Nieves has been, he’s still a decent backup, why not have him play more? Hedges won’t improve on anything as a backup/part time player.
If you watched the game Nieves caught against Houston you might understand the Padres’ thinking. Maybe it was just one bad game, but he looked horrible back there in that game.
sure, I did catch the game on tv. One game, doesn’t everyone have a night/day off? Hedges to me, would be best served one full year in AAA. But, what do I know?
He also has just two hits on the season; he’s hitting worse than a pitcher. He’s allowed 5 steals without a caught stealing. It’s a small sample size but he looks like he might just be done. He is 37 years old, after all.
true
While true, Hedges isn’t a fringe backup catcher prospect. He’s one of their top prospects and is projected for more than a backup role. He still has much to work on at the plate, and likely won’t get the live reps he needs to fix the holes in his swing.
I agree that he needs more time but I also think the Padres are in an unteneble situation; you can’t play Derek Norris every day, Nieves has been absolutely terrible defensively and offensively and San Diego doesn’t have any other catchers in its system that can play in the majors, Until Federowicz comes back, at least.
Will Nieves sucks – 3 passed balls in 4 games
I really don’t understand this decision. Are they really going to carry a top prospect as a split-2nd string catcher? Hope there’s some sound logic behind this that we’re unaware of.
Could Norris be hitting the DL?
Something has to be up. Either Norris is injured, or they are showcasing Hedges. I know Hedges is a blue-chipper, but Norris is performing really well – and he’s only 26, so it’s not like he’s going to the retirement home anytime soon. Hedges could be a valuable piece in a trade.
Either the Pad’s front office can’t control the adrenalin rush they started in the off-season – and pulled the trigger on this kid’s callup too early, or there’s more we don’t know about yet.
A lot is being said about on here about him riding the bench and how it might be a bad decision for Hedges longterm value and development.
I think it’s the value he adds once every 4 days over the likes of someone like Nieves is what really makes this move worth considering. They are setup to win this year with Upton, Benoit and Kennedy a year out from FA. They need all the help they can get to chase the Dodgers this year. Seeing Derek Norris has improved defensively and he’s unlikely to be unseated by Hedges this year or in the next few years while in SD… it’s not like leaving Hedges in the PCL for all of Derek Norris’ arbitration years is really a option. He adds too much value to the team moving forward to sit in AAA while Nieves is imploding games with his terrible defensive and sub .100 avg.
You could be right. Maybe they really are taking this “all-in” thing seriously..
Agree with this. It’s not an ideal situation – Hedges could use more reps at the plate although behind it he’s clearly major-league ready, but the Padres don’t have any other catchers on the 40-man roster except for Federowicz (I know I spelled that wrong), who is injured. The only other triple-A catchers in El Paso are Rocky Gale and Robert Kral, who aren’t really options either. Nieves is clearly done, so this is a move made out of necessity. The only catcher I see on the free-agent list is Ryan Doumit, and that’s not a real option either.
Norris has played in 25 of the Padres’ first 26 games; as we saw with Sal Perez last season, and Yadier Molina almost every season, that kind of workload for a catcher is unsustainable – they wear down badly, especially in the hot summer months. Because his bat has been so good, and he’s throwing out 37% of basestealers, the temptation is to just play Norris, but if Hedges can just give them elite defense 2 days a week the Padres will be better off for it at the end of the season. I really wish teams had bigger rosters and were able to carry three catchers again.
All good points. Hedges could get the “Sunday starts”, or he might find a groove with one pitcher and start on that spot each turn of the rotation. Also, he could see late-inning work or starts in AL parks as Norris DH’s. Time working with MLB pitchers is invaluable. Sitting with Balsley going over pitch sequencing and preparation is huge. I’m liking this move more and more.
I don’t think it hurts his development too much if he plays 2-3 days a week with Norris maybe playing some first, although he’s never played there before Nieves has been terrible and Alonso left a game after being hit by a pitch yesterday. I would assume it’s temporary, but Norris really needs some days off; he’s been hitting well but has played a lot already, and I’m sure the Padres are trying to keep him fresh for later in the season without killing the team on his days off. They don’t really need to “showcase” Hedges in the majors. Any team that has interest in trading for him has scouted him in the minors.
but playing in the Majors is WAY different than minors history.
i think they’re seasoning him, showcasing his talent, and spelling Norris to keep him fresh. good move methinks, as Nieves SUCKED badly – 3/4 passed balls in as many games. terrible
I’d love the White Sox to make some sort of deal for Norris or Hedges. They have nothing at the MLB level or minors.
It would have to be a pretty big deal; I don’t see anything the White Sox have that the Padres would want, except maybe Jose Abreu, and that ain’t happening. Padres are pretty thin at catcher, and I can’t see them trading Norris, who is having a good first month, or Hedges, who is an elite prospect. Surprised the White Sox haven’t inquired on Saltalamacchia
Well, Sox will probably be sellers by July. I’m not sure how the Padres’ shortstops are doing, but if Ramirez turns his season around (he is usually a slow starter), he can be attractive for Hedges.
I am not sure if the Padres would want to trade Hedges for a year and a 1/2 of Ramirez, but the way Preller and Co. have burnt through the Padres farm system, you never know.
There is no way the Padres are moving Norris at this point. He has been playing great at a high value position and has become an instant fan favorite. Hedges is a possible trade candidate though, not sure what value the White Sox can bring in return though.
I trust Preller knows what he’s doing on this one.
This is to get Hedges some time in the bigs until Federowicz is back this summer. When he’s back, unless Hedges is raking, Hedges will go back to AAA. This is also because Nieves has one hit, although the game winning slam against the Giants. Plus Hedges can come in an give Norris a break without any lapse in defense, if we’re up big.