Padres Rumors

NL West Notes: Padres, Rollins, Ethier

By Mark Polishuk | March 19, 2017 at 9:23pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the NL West…

Service time considerations could play a role in the Padres’ Opening Day roster decisions on Luis Perdomo and Manuel Margot on the Opening Day roster, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. Perdomo, a Rule 5 Draft pick last offseason, clocked a full year of MLB service time in 2016, posting a 5.71 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 2.28 K/BB rate and a whopping 59% grounder rate over 146 2/3 innings. Margot, one of the game’s top prospects, had a 12-day cup of coffee in the bigs last season. Keeping both Perdomo and Margot in the minors for a few weeks to begin 2017 would allow the Padres to gain an extra year of control over both players. In Margot’s case, the extra minor league seasoning could be necessary since Margot has missed the last two weeks of camp with a knee injury.
Jimmy Rollins is off to a slow start in the Giants’ camp, with just three hits in his first 26 at-bats for an ungainly .113 average. Despite the lack of production thus far, the veteran infielder tells Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group that he isn’t yet feeling a crunch to perform given his non-roster status. “I’d love to start driving some balls. But pressure? No, it’s not pressure. You start doing that, then you’re really starting to go the wrong way,” Rollins said. As Baggarly notes, Rollins’ performance is somewhat difficult to evaluate since he appeared in only 41 games last season and none after June 8, so “the Giants must determine whether Rollins’ lack of results is due to diminished skills or whether he’s a veteran who needs a little extra time to regain his stroke.” Rollins gave no hints as to how he would proceed in his career if he didn’t make the Opening Day roster.
Andre Ethier will undergo an MRI on his back on Monday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Ethier has been bothered by lower back stiffness over the last two weeks and, since this is an unfamiliar injury for the veteran outfielder, Roberts said the club will “take it slow” in giving Ethier time to recover. Ethier played just 16 games last season due to a broken leg, and he is entering his last guaranteed year under contract with L.A. He needs at least 550 plate appearances for his $17.5MM option to vest for 2018, and while that much playing time may have been questionable anyway given the crowded Dodgers outfield, a significant back injury would certainly put it out of reach.

Injury Notes: Red Sox, Tigers, A’s, Padres

By Connor Byrne | March 19, 2017 at 4:50pm CDT

The Red Sox’s rotation will already be without left-hander David Price to begin the season, and fellow southpaw Drew Pomeranz could join him on the shelf. Pomeranz left his start Sunday after two innings with tightness in his left triceps, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal was among those to report. Pomeranz doesn’t believe it’s a serious injury, but considering he dealt with forearm stiffness late last season and then had a stem cell injection, Boston “must be wary,” opines Scott Lauber of ESPN.com. Injuries have been the story of Pomeranz’s tenure with the Red Sox, who acquired him from the Padres last July for high-end pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. The Sox then complained that the Padres withheld medical information on Pomeranz, leading Major League Baseball to suspend Friars general manager A.J. Preller for a month. The league also gave Boston a chance to undo the trade, but the team turned down the offer, in part because the trade deadline had already passed.

For the Red Sox, beginning the season without both Price and Pomeranz would force them to slot Kyle Kendrick into their rotation. The 32-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2015, when he started in all 27 of his appearances with the Rockies and posted a 6.32 ERA in 142 1/3 innings. Kendrick joined Boston in January on a minor league deal, which includes opt-outs on June 15 and Aug. 15.

More injury news:

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez went for an MRI on his mid-right foot sprain on Sunday, but the team didn’t release the results. Instead, it sent Martinez to see a foot specialist for a second opinion, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. The Tigers could find out Martinez’s fate as early as Sunday, said manager Brad Ausmus; although Martinez doesn’t have any broken bones, ligament damage is a possibility, notes Fenech. That could be disastrous for both team and player – Martinez is an integral part of Detroit’s lineup, and he’s entering a contract year. Based on potential earning power, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes ranks Martinez as the sixth-best player who’s scheduled to hit the open market next winter.
Hoping to make a quicker-than-expected return from a lat strain, Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray will head to Chicago on Monday to visit Dr. Anthony Romeo, a latissimus dorsi expert, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Gray’s goal is to receive clearance to begin throwing again. The A’s shut down Gray for three weeks on March 9, but if his visit to Chicago yields good news, he could make his season debut in the middle of April instead of at the end, per Slusser.
Padres lefty Christian Friedrich has been dealing with “overall soreness from the shoulder down through the triceps through the elbow” this spring, manager Andy Green told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Consequently, Friedrich could have difficulty making good on his effort to crack the Padres’ rotation. Friedrich led the Padres in starts (23) last year, when he logged a 4.80 ERA, 6.96 K/9, 3.62 BB/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate over 129 1/3 innings.
Outfielder Jaff Decker’s spring bid to win a roster spot with the Athletics could be in jeopardy on account of an oblique strain, writes Slusser. Decker has been competing with Alejandro De Aza to serve as Oakland’s fifth outfielder (if the team carries one), but the former’s attempt might go for naught if the injury keeps him out for more than a few days. “It’s unfortunate: He was having a good camp, he was impressing,” manager Bob Melvin said of Decker, who has hit .304/.407/.408 in 23 spring at-bats. “There’s still a spot to be won out there whatever potentially the 25th spot is, the 12th or 13th spot as far as the position players go.”

NL West Notes: Thole, Giants Outfield, Padres, Dodgers

By Mark Polishuk | March 18, 2017 at 8:06pm CDT

News and rumblings from around the NL West…

Josh Thole suffered a “significant” hamstring tear that Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo expects will sideline the catcher for the season, Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). Thole is getting a second opinion on the injury and surgery is a possibility. The veteran catcher was in Arizona’s camp on a minor league deal battling for the backup role, though signs pointed to Thole starting the year at Triple-A.
While the Giants have many homegrown stars on their roster, the team has been strangely unsuccessful in their attempts to draft and develop everyday outfielders, Carl Steward of the Bay Area News Group writes. Marvin Benard (a 50th round pick in 1992), was the last Giants draftee to play as a full-time starting outfielder for more than one season. Part of the issue is that San Francisco has acquired so many notable outfielders in free agency and trades, ranging from Barry Bonds to Hunter Pence. “There are things that you do that de-emphasize young players at those outfield positions,” GM Bobby Evans said. “At the same time, I still think you should require opportunity for these guys to break through. It may be an area where we haven’t emphasized it as much because we’ve had other options from other sources. I just think it’s harder to patient sometimes with outfielders because there are so many other alternatives in terms of the free agent market and trades.” Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson are looking to break the “curse” as the two youngsters battle for the left field job this spring.
The Padres have so many prospects in camp after their international spending splurge that some players (including highly-touted Cuban lefty Adrian Morejon) have been used in simulated games since they don’t have enough roster space for proper minor league games, ESPN’s Keith Law writes in his latest subscription-only piece. Law provides an in-person analysis of several Padres and Dodgers prospects, with particularly good reviews given to Morejon, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Dodgers righty Walker Buehler.

Diamondbacks Willing To Listen To Offers For Nick Ahmed

By Steve Adams | March 17, 2017 at 10:00am CDT

10:00am: Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that the Padres have had past interest in Ahmed and points out that San Diego manager Andy Green knows Ahmed well from his time as the Diamondbacks’ third base coach.

9:44am: The Diamondbacks’ offseason infield additions (Ketel Marte and Daniel Descalso) and the spring emergence of Ildemaro Vargas (who is currently on the 40-man roster) have created a willingness to listen to offers on defensive standout Nick Ahmed, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. According to Piecoro, Chris Owings has the inside track on the Opening Day shortstop gig right now, further prompting the team to explore options with its infield depth.

[Related: Arizona Diamondbacks Depth Chart]

The 27-year-old Ahmed does have a pair of minor league options remaining, so there’s no urgency for Arizona to move him prior to the end of Spring Training. Ahmed underwent season-ending hip surgery last August but has looked healthy this spring, per Piecoro. Thus far, Ahmed has appeared in 13 games and is tied for the most at-bats of any player in Diamondbacks camp. He’s hitting just .250/.263/.389 in that small sample, though spring stats are always best taken with a grain of salt, and Ahmed’s value is derived from his glove as opposed to his bat, anyhow.

In parts of three big league campaigns, Ahmed is just a .221/.268/.329 hitter over the life of 842 plate appearances. While that level of offensive output is hardly appetizing, Ahmed also grades out as one of the game’s truly elite defenders, however. Ahmed has logged 1920 innings at shortstop in his Major League career and has posted outstanding totals of +34 Defensive Runs Saved and +20 in Ultimate Zone Rating. That premium glovework could make him appealing as a bench option, at the very least, to other NL clubs that lack the Diamondbacks’ considerable depth at shortstop.

If the D-backs are to find a taker in a trade for Ahmed, a bench role on another club seems the likeliest outcome for him, from my vantage point. That, however, has more to do with the fact that there simply aren’t many teams looking for starting shortstops than it does with Ahmed’s overall ability. The Padres are known to be looking for shortstop help and have reportedly inquired on both Jose Iglesias and Zack Cozart this winter, making them one speculative club that could look to Ahmed as a candidate for more regular playing time. Of course, there’s also the matter of dealing with a division rival, which can often complicate matters. San Diego currently has Luis Sardinas and non-roster invitee Erick Aybar as its top two shortstop options in camp, so there’s certainly room for Ahmed to join the fray and compete for playing time.

Ahmed has not yet reached arbitration eligibility in his still-young career, so he’d be eminently affordable for the upcoming 2017 campaign. He’ll be a virtual lock for arbitration next offseason so long as he spends at least 86 days in the Majors in 2017, though his limited offensive contributions should keep his price tag down even if he does reach arb. Ahmed can be controlled through at least the 2020 season, so he could be a cost-effective depth option for any club looking to bolster its infield defense in both the short and long term. Given his defensive prowess at short, it stands to reason that Ahmed would be well-equipped to handle both second base and third base as well.

NL West Notes: Kazmir, Arroyo, Rockies, Blash

By Steve Adams | March 16, 2017 at 7:07pm CDT

Dodgers left-hander Scott Kazmir threw a five-inning simulated game today and told reporters after the outing that he felt better (Twitter links via Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times). However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed concern over Kazmir’s velocity to the L.A. media, noting that the southpaw’s fastball was sitting between 82 and 84 mph. Roberts adds that Kazmir is healthy (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick) but now needs to build up sufficient arm strength to restore his velocity. The 33-year-old Kazmir has been slowed this spring by hip tightness that has limited his mobility and hindered his mechanics. He’s vying for a spot at the back of the Dodgers’ rotation and is owed a combined $32MM over the final two seasons of a three-year, $48MM contract (although some of that money is deferred).

Heyman’s Latest: Quintana, Pagan, Cozart, Padres, Bautista, Giants

By Steve Adams | March 16, 2017 at 5:09pm CDT

In his latest notes column, FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that while teams such as the Astros, Pirates, Rangers and Yankees were all linked to Jose Quintana in trade rumors this offseason, the best offer the White Sox received came from an unnamed club that is currently perceived as more of a rebuilding team. That could mean any number of teams — the Braves, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Brewers and Padres are all in the midst of retooling their organizations — and further context is seemingly unknown at this time. A trade of Quintana, at this point, seems far likelier to occur this summer than during the final days of Spring Training, though Heyman’s note is a reminder that Quintana would appeal to virtually any club in baseball. With four years and $36.85MM remaining on his contract, Quintana’s affordable level of excellence can help clubs looking to win now or those looking to contend more in 2018-19.

A few more highlights…

The Braves have made “multiple” attempts to sign free-agent outfielder Angel Pagan, but the veteran has been holding out for a big league deal worth around $5MM. Heyman notes that Pagan has received some guaranteed offers, but they’ve come with very low base salaries. Atlanta has also been tied to another reunion with infielder Kelly Johnson, but Heyman notes that Johnson, too, is seeking a Major League contract.
Zack Cozart is still available in trade talks, but the Reds haven’t gotten much in the way of appealing offers due to the fact that few clubs are looking for a shortstop right now. The Padres have talked to Cincinnati about Cozart, but Heyman notes that they’re not keen on giving up top-tier talent for a player with only one year of club control remaining before free agency. Heyman notes that San Diego is still on the lookout for a shortstop upgrade.
The Rangers would want a Major League ready starting pitcher in any trade involving Jurickson Profar, Heyman notes. The Padres like Profar but wouldn’t be willing to surrender right-hander Luis Perdomo in order to obtain him, he adds. That may raise an eyebrow for some fans, but I’d point out that Perdomo has five years of control remaining (to Profar’s three) and posted a 4.47 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 61.4 percent ground-ball rate across his final 110 2/3 innings in 2016 after a dismal start in the bullpen. In that time, he posted a 3.84 xFIP and 3.88 SIERA. Profar hit .239/.321/.338 in 307 plate appearances last season.
Right-hander Jered Weaver tells Heyman that he considered retirement this offseason following a career-worst year in 2016. However, Weaver began to feel stronger after a month of rest, ultimately landing with the Padres on a one-year, $3MM deal. Weaver says that he’s “10 steps above last year” in terms of how he feels physically at this point.
The Indians made an offer to Jose Bautista that was for roughly the same $18.5MM guarantee he received with the Blue Jays, Heyman reports, and they weren’t entirely closed off to a multi-year deal. However, Bautista’s preference was to head back to Toronto.
The Pirates sought right-hander Derek Law (among other pieces) in trade talks centering around Mark Melancon with the Giants at last year’s trade deadline, per Heyman. It seems that the Pirates were focused on adding an MLB-ready replacement arm for the bullpen in Melancon talks, which they received in the form of left-hander Felipe Rivero. San Francisco, of course, signed Melancon to a four-year deal this winter.

Padres Sign Cuban Lefty Osvaldo Hernandez

By Steve Adams | March 16, 2017 at 12:18pm CDT

THURSDAY: San Diego has announced the deal.

MONDAY: The Padres are in agreement on a deal with Cuban left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (via Twitter). The 18-year-old southpaw, who was declared a free agent last month, will receive a $2.5MM signing bonus. Because the Padres have shattered their league-issues international spending allotment already, Hernandez will come with a 100 percent luxury tax, meaning he’ll effectively cost the Friars a total of $5MM.

Hernandez hasn’t been included on lists of top international prospects from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB.com, etc., making information on him somewhat scarce. BA’s Ben Badler wrote up a couple of paragraphs of scouting info on Hernandez following today’s deal, writing that Hernandez has an 89-94 mph fastball to go along with a tight-spinning curve that could eventually be a plus offering and a slider that could eventually be above-average as well. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reported when Hernandez was declared a free agent that in addition to the Padres, the Reds, Astros, Mets, Braves, Rangers and Red Sox had varying levels of interest in the young southpaw.

The Padres have been baseball’s most active team on the international front during the current signing period, and Monday’s agreement serves as a reminder that the team could continue to add further international talent in the three months between now and the current signing period’s June 15 closing date. Among the Padres’ top international commitments this winter have been Cuban left-hander Adrian Morejon ($11MM), Cuban outfielder Jorge Ona ($7MM), Dominican shortstop Luis Almanzar ($4MM) and Cuban right-hander Michel Baez ($3MM). San Diego opened the international signing period on July 2 with fireworks, agreeing to terms with 10 highly touted prospects that day alone (headlined by Almanzar). Since that time general manager A.J. Preller and his staff have continued to aggressively supplement the team’s minor league system on the international market.

The Padres entered the current signing period with a bonus pool of $3.347MM, but they’ve exceeded that mark by well north of $30MM at this point and, subsequently, been taxed at a 100 percent rate for every dollar over that allotment. By my count, from the bonuses we’ve tracked at MLBTR, the Padres have exceeded their pool by at least $34.833MM, though the size some of their smaller-scale signings (which could be worth a few hundred thousand dollars) went unreported. Those numbers, though incomplete, put the Friars at just over $73MM worth of total expenditures on the international front, though the true number could very well exceed $75MM and approach $80MM in total.

Alex Dickerson Diagnosed With Disc Protrusion

By Jeff Todd | March 16, 2017 at 12:09pm CDT

Padres outfielder Alex Dickerson has been diagnosed with a “disc protrusion” in his back, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter links). Fortunately, surgery won’t be required at this time, though a timeline for a return is uncertain. According to Lin, Dickerson will sit for about three or four weeks before being evaluated again by the team’s medical staff.

The news makes it all but certain that Dickerson won’t command an Opening Day roster spot for the Friars, who have numerous competitors vying for outfield roles in camp. The 26-year-old, who hits from the left side, had made a strong case for a MLB job with his .257/.333/.455 showing in 285 plate appearances in 2016. But with just one game of spring action under his belt to this point, it seems reasonable to anticipate that the organization will give Dickerson time to work back to full health before considering him for the major league roster once more.

Even with Dickerson sidelined to start the year, the Padres will still face some interesting questions in determining the outfield mix. Up the middle, the team will likely decide whether to open the year with prospect Manuel Margot in the majors; otherwise, Travis Jankowski would figure to take that job. Cory Spangenberg, who also plays the infield, is another 40-man player with a lefty bat who could factor in the corner mix, Lin notes on Twitter, while minor-league free agents Rafael Ortega and Nick Buss are also in camp. Another southpaw-swinging non-roster option, Brett Wallace, seems to face an uphill battle to claim a role as a bench bat.

On the right-handed side of the equation, Hunter Renfroe could well be slated for a full showcase in the majors. But with Dickerson’s absence, there may now also be room for hot-hitting slugger Jabari Blash. He has swatted five home runs and drawn six walks while slashing .308/.441/.885 thus far, continuing a strong Triple-A showing in 2016. Jack-of-all-trades Christian Bethancourt functions as a wild card, with MiLB free agent signee Collin Cowgill also perhaps a factor, though he has struggled in his limited game action thus far. Lin notes that infielder Allen Cordoba, a Rule 5 pick, might also see some time on the grass.

Regardless of who cracks the roster to start the season, the Padres figure to retain plenty of flexibility as it unfolds. All of the 40-man members listed above (excluding Bethancourt) have options remaining. In Dickerson’s case, though, he’s entering his final option year, so he’ll need to work his way back to the majors and earn an opportunity to establish his place in San Diego’s future plans.

Quick Hits: Royals, Rebuilds, Quentin, Payrolls

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2017 at 11:35pm CDT

The Royals are pushing to contend in 2017 but if the team is out of the race in July, GM Dayton Moore has told outside executives that impending free agents Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar will all be available, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Moore stopped short of completely confirming this report, though he did tell Sherman that “we would have to consider it [a fire sale] if things do not go right.” 2017 has long been seen as the last year of the Royals’ run of contention with this core group, though the team is considering pursuing a reunion with at least one or two of the quartet this winter once they hit free agency. As the Yankees did with Aroldis Chapman last season, K.C. could deal several of their free agents to reload on prospects or MLB-ready talent and then try to re-sign one or more of the traded players back onto the roster. Sherman figures the Mets will keep tabs on Cain and/or Moustakas given their uncertainty in center field and third base.

Here’s some more from around baseball…

There’s no set timetable for when a rebuilding team should start trying to compete again, as C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer hears from several general managers who have either led their teams through rebuilds or are currently within the process of building for the future. The Cubs’ blueprint for rebuilding seems to have worked perfectly, though GM Jed Hoyer noted that the team’s decision to spend on veteran talent following an 89-loss season in 2014 was made in part because too much losing would’ve been detrimental. “We were very concerned about a losing culture and bringing up our young players. If you bring your players up in a culture that accepts losing, at some point it’s going to have a negative impact on those guys,” Hoyer said.
Now that he is finally healthy, Carlos Quentin felt he owed it to himself to give baseball one more shot, the veteran outfielder tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. “I didn’t want to look back five years from now and say, ’I should have just picked up the phone and made a call and swallowed my ego and pride and done it the right way,’ ” Quentin said. The Red Sox signed Quentin to a minor league deal this winter, and at age 34 and having not appeared in a big league game since July 26, 2014, Quentin is comfortable with the fact that he faces a long road to crack Boston’s deep roster.
The Dodgers have the more “dead money” on their payroll than any other team in baseball, Fangraphs’ Craig Edwards observes. Los Angeles has $47.4MM committed to players who are not on their 40-man roster (whether they’ve been traded, released or are still in the organization but just not on the 40-man) this season. The Padres ($35.1MM), Yankees ($26.5MM), Angels ($22.4MM) and Red Sox ($22.3MM) round out the top five, though San Diego is by far the leader in terms of dead money as a percentage of overall payroll. A whopping 54.8% of the Padres’ 2017 payroll is going towards players who are no longer on the team’s 40-man roster — Melvin Upton Jr., James Shields, Hector Olivera and Jedd Gyorko.

NL Notes: Reds, Padres, Cardinals

By Connor Byrne | March 12, 2017 at 10:57am CDT

The Reds had been optimistic that right-hander Anthony DeSclafani’s tender elbow wouldn’t keep him out for any regular-season action, but he’s now likely to begin the year on the disabled list after suffering a setback Friday, reports Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. DeSclafani will undergo an MRI, which is certainly an unsettling development for him and a Cincinnati team that could lose its top starter for an undetermined amount of time. The Reds went the first two months of last season without DeSclafani, who was on the DL with an oblique injury. He then returned to deliver 123 1/3 innings and record a 3.28 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate. If the 26-year-old’s elbow issue is serious, the Reds could move reliever Michael Lorenzen to the rotation, per Buchanan, who notes that manager Bryan Price is against the idea of transitioning Raisel Iglesias back to a starting role.

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