Padres Notes: Gonzalez, Bell, Tejada, Coaches
Earlier tonight we learned that the Padres will not pick up Chris Young's $8.5MM option for 2011 and that GM Jed Hoyer will meet with Adrian Gonzalez's agent in the coming weeks, but MLB.com's Corey Brock brings us some more rumors. Let's dive in…
- Hoyer confirmed that the team will exercise Gonzalez's $6.2MM option for next season when the time comes. There was never a doubt about this one. He also mentioned that they will listen to trade offers for their star player during the winter.
- They will also listen to offers for closer Heath Bell, who figures to earn a nice raise after pulling down $4MM in 2010. "I haven't made any definitive decisions, but we are a better team with [Gonzalez and Bell] than without them," Hoyer said. "I'm sort of in the never-say-never category. In this business, the job is to make the team and the organization as good as it can be."
- Hoyer indicated that he would be open to bringing Miguel Tejada back, but not at the $6MM salary he earned in 2010. The 36-year-old hit .268/.317/.413 with eight homers in 253 plate appearances after being acquired at the deadline, and he even moved back to his natural position of shortstop for all but four games.
- Bench coach Ted Simmons will not return next season as he looks for a managerial job. First base coach Rick Renteria could replace him, but he is expected to interview for some manager jobs himself. Hitting coach Randy Ready is in the same boat as Renteria.
Padres Will Not Pick Up Young’s Option, Hoyer To Meet With Gonzalez’s Agent In Coming Weeks
Despite a heartbreaking end, the 2010 season should be considering nothing but a smashing success for the Padres. They sat atop the NL West for the majority of the season and were in contention for a playoff spot until Game 162 even though almost everyone considered them to be one of the worst teams in the league coming out of Spring Training. They did all that with a payroll approaching just $38MM (according to Cot's), less than the Yankees pay the left side of their infield.
That said, the team can not afford to spend $8.5MM on an injury prone Chris Young next season, and Dan Hayes of The North County Times reports that the team will decline his 2011 option (Twitter links). The Padres are open to bringing him back, but it would have to be at a lesser price. Young has thrown just 198.1 innings (4.13 ERA) over the last three seasons due to back and shoulder issues, not to mention facial fractures suffered when he was hit by a line drive.
With that out of the way, the focus will inevitably turn to homegrown megastar Adrian Gonzalez, who will become a free agent 12 months from now once the team picks up his $6.2MM no-brainer option for 2011. It's been assumed for two years now that Gonzalez would be traded at some point, simply because the team is unlikely to be able to afford him in the future and they could certainly fetch more value than two draft picks on the trade market.
GM Jed Hoyer told MLB.com's Corey Brock that he obviously wants to keep Gonzalez on the team going into next season, but he would not guarantee that it will happen (Twitter link). Hoyer also said that he will meet with Gonzalez's agent John Boggs at some point in the coming weeks, and indicated that payroll will increase an undisclosed amount next season (Hayes Twitter link). Unless they're expanding the payroll considerably, it's tough to imagine a new contract with Gonzalez being hammered out.
Amazingly, the Padres only have $1.1MM in salary obligation for next season, and that's broken down into a $600K buyout of Jon Garland's $6.75MM option and a $500K buyout of Yorvit Torrealba's $3.5MM option. Everyone else on the roster is either due to become a free agent in a few weeks or is still in their pre-arbitration or arbitration-eligible seasons when contracts are not guaranteed. There's certainly no albatross contracts hanging over their heads that are preventing them from signing Gonzalez.
During the summer we heard rumors that Adrian could seek an eight-year deal when he hits free agency, likely meaning that he's looking for Mark Teixeira money. The 28-year-old has hit .288/.374/.514 with an average of just over 32 homers per season in his five years as a Padre, but outside of Petco Park those numbers jump to .303/.376/.568. He's also considered to be one of the game's best defenders, so the Teixeira comparisons are appropriate. About the only thing Gonzalez doesn't do is switch hit.
Rosenthal’s Full Count: Beltre, Scioscia, Crawford, Lopez
Ken Rosenthal has his Saturday Full Count Video up over at FOX Sports. Let's check out the highlights:
- The Red Sox would love to keep Adrian Beltre around, but at the right price. The alternative is still attractive: shift Kevin Youkilis to third base, find a first baseman for a season, and then pursue one of the big-name free agents such as Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, or Prince Fielder. My own speculation here, but the Red Sox could of course look to trade for Fielder this offseason and then extend him.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia's ten-year contract extension with the Angels that he signed in 2009 is worth a whopping $50MM. Rosenthal had the dollar amount confirmed by two different sources. Scioscia can opt out after 2015, and each of the last three seasons is worth $6MM. That's one pricey manager.
- If Carlos Lee's move to first base becomes permanent, the Astros will have an opening in left field for Houston native Carl Crawford. As Rosenthal points out though, it's pretty hard to envision the Astros outbidding other suitors like the Angels and Red Sox.
- The Cardinals felt it was so important to get Felipe Lopez out of the clubhouse, that they forfeited the chance to acquire a supplemental round pick for him and simply released the infielder. The Red Sox reaped the benefits of that decision when they signed him for around $50K.
Rosenthal’s Full Count: Mets, Gonzalez, Tigers, A’s, Mazzaro
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has his latest Full Count video up, so let's dive in:
- Mets assistant general manager John Ricco won't replace Omar Minaya as general manager if Minaya is removed from the position. The Mets feel that Ricco is not yet ready for that role.
- Padres owner Jeff Moorad told Rosenthal concretely that the Padres will not trade Adrian Gonzalez this winter. He could, of course, still be moved during the season if things don't go well for San Diego.
- The Pads would be willing to give Gonzalez a three-year deal beyond 2011, but the slugger can certainly do better than that on the free agent market. The Padres won't be able to stay in talks if Gonzalez pursues a deal similar to Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180MM deal.
- The Tigers will have the money to pursue one or more of the market's top free agents, such as Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn, and Jayson Werth. They can also afford to take on a great deal of salary in trades should they choose to go down that road.
- The A's still don't know if they'll end up in San Jose, which makes their financial future difficult to predict.
- Oakland's difficulty in luring free agent position players leads Rosenthal to suggest a trade of Vin Mazzaro in order to acquire the talent they're seeking.
Stark On Rasmus, Jeter, Gonzalez, Morgan
If the Cardinals put Colby Rasmus on the trade market, they would “only get 60 or 70 cents on the dollar,” according to one MLB executive who spoke to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Here’s a detailed look at potential suitors for Rasmus, and here are the rest of Stark’s rumors:
- Derek Jeter and agent Casey Close understand that the Yankees aren’t going to offer an embarrassingly low contract this winter. As Stark points out, the Yankees offered Jorge Posada a four-year deal heading into the season in which he turned 37. Posada was coming off of an MVP-caliber season, so the comparison only works to a point, but as many reporters have pointed out this week, Jeter is going nowhere and the Yankees aren’t going to low-ball him.
- Adrian Gonzalez probably won’t be on the trade market this winter, according to clubs that have spoken to the Padres. They’ll try to contend in 2011 and consider trading Gonzalez if they aren’t in contention next summer.
- Two scouts who cover the Nationals say they expect the team to shop Nyjer Morgan this winter. One of the scouts said there’s a “non-existent” chance that Washington keeps him.
Padres Rumors: Gonzalez, Bell, Byrnes, Hinch
The All-Star Game mattered more than usual to the Padres this year, and not just because they're in contention and may benefit from the NL's win. Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse has the details:
- The cost of Adrian Gonzalez’s option for 2011 has risen from $5.5MM to $6.2MM since the first baseman reached many incentives. Gonzalez boosted the cost of the Padres’ option by making three All-Star teams and winning a pair of Gold Gloves.
- Padres closer Heath Bell will be "ticked off" if he doesn’t get a bonus for making this year’s All-Star team, but Padres CEO Jeff Moorad forbids player bonuses (he wasn't the one who negotiated Gonzalez's incentives).
- Two recently-fired members of the D’Backs organization could join Moorad in San Diego. Krasovic continues hearing that Josh Byrnes and A.J. Hinch are “tight” with Moorad, who was a D'Backs executive until last year.
- Spending cuts are looming in Arizona, according to Krasovic.
Cafardo On Gonzalez, Oswalt, Lilly, Ramos
Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will eventually end up with another club, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The reality of a seven- or eight-year deal at more than $20MM per season in a market as small as San Diego remains a long shot. If Gonzalez, who is under contract through 2011, reaches free agency, he'll be preferred over fellow slugger Prince Fielder, who is also in that free agent class. Let's see what else Cafardo has for us..
- Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton's right-handed bat and versatility make him attractive to the Yankees, Reds, Rays, and Angels. Wigginton likes playing in Baltimore but wouldn't mind being in a playoff race.
- A major league source wonders if Roy Oswalt will get too picky about to which teams he would approve a trade. We've already heard that Oswalt won't approve a trade to the White Sox or Tigers. One talent evaluator says that Oswalt can succeed in the American League.
- That same talent evaluator told Cafardo that Ted Lilly will encounter problems with a move to the American League. Therefore, he would make more sense for a team like the Mets, who are said to have interest.
- Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been playing through a few undisclosed injuries, in part because he feels the need to live up to his enormous contact. The club has been dangling catcher Wilson Ramos in a trade for a prime pitcher but they're now less inclined to deal him due to concerns about their franchise player.
- The Red Sox watched Mark Prior throw in Arizona, but a team source says that they won't sign him.
Padres Have Not Had Contract Talks With Gonzalez
The Padres are perhaps the biggest surprise contender in baseball this season, sporting the best run differential and second best overall record in the National League coming out of the break. That doesn't mean they're any closer to locking up franchise cornerstone Adrian Gonzalez though, as Dan Hayes of The North County Times tweets that the two sides have yet to discuss a contract extension.
Earlier this week we heard that Gonzalez was seeking an eight-year contract, which suggests that he and his agent might be using Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180MM contract as a guideline for his next deal. Unsurprisingly, many teams are still interested in trading for Gonzalez, but San Diego has him under contract through next season for slightly more than $7.5MM. They don't have any motivation to move him at this point.
In fact, the Padres are looking to add offense right now, not subtract it. Gonzalez is the only legitimate power threat on the team, and while he may be looking for a Teixeira kind of contract, the team would be looking for a Teixeira kind of return if they were to trade him, referring of course to the haul Texas received when they sent the current Yankee first baseman to Atlanta.
Padres Rumors: Westbrook, Guthrie, Gonzalez
The Padres are looking at at least one short-term option for their rotation, and their first baseman may be thinking much longer-term. Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse has the details:
- The Padres, who are looking to add a starter, but would prefer to avoid rental players, have discussed Jake Westbrook (a free agent after 2010) and Jeremy Guthrie (a free agent after 2012), among others. Guthrie would like to play for the Padres.
- Krasovic hears that Adrian Gonzalez will seek an eight-year deal when he becomes a free agent after the 2011 season. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not surprising. After all, Mark Teixeira signed an eight-year $180MM deal, so Gonzalez’s representatives could easily use that deal as a starting point.
Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Red Sox, Fielder, Phillies
Links for Thursday, as the second half begins…
- The Mariners released former MLB reliever Mark Worrell, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page. They signed the right-hander earlier in the month and assigned him to the minor leagues.
- Adrian Gonzalez and Yahoo's Jeff Passan discuss the changed atmosphere in San Diego. GM Jed Hoyer told Passan that the Padres will talk about Adrian Gonzalez's future with the team in the offseason.
- Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears that the Red Sox aren't willing to spend significant amounts of money this July, since they want to avoid the luxury tax.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs continues ranking the MLB players with the most trade value and Carlos Santana just misses the top 20.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney wonders how the Rays would look if they obtained Prince Fielder for a package built around Wade Davis.
- As Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains, Hal Steinbrenner is driven to win championships like his father, but he's more analytical and less of a yeller than George.
- Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues that the Phillies need to improve before the trade deadline, especially since the Braves acquired Alex Gonzalez.
- Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor tells Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that he would like another shot at managing in the majors.
- The White Sox will fly several of their pro scouts to Chicago at the end of July to evaluate the organization's strengths and areas of need, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Detroit Free Press points out that National League All-Stars made, on average, $2.8MM less than American League All-Stars.