Padres Notes: Rizzo, Ludwick, Heisey
On this date 30 years ago, the Padres drafted future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn in the third round of the amateur draft. Gwynn collected 3141 hits and eight batting titles in 20 seasons as a Padre before being enshrined in Cooperstown in 2007. We wish Gwynn all the best in his battle with cancer. Here are today's Padres links…
- Padres first base prospect Anthony Rizzo will be called up and will be starting in Thursday night's lineup against the Nationals, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. Corey Brock profiles the competitive 21-year-old at MLB.com in a piece that’s worth checking out.
- It appears that the Padres would trade Ryan Ludwick to Cincinnati for Reds outfielder Chris Heisey or prospects, according to Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News. Reds left fielders have combined to hit .222/.315/.385 this year, while Ludwick has a .256/.327/.402 line.
- Heisey, 26, has a .281/.345/.438 line in 110 plate appearances this year and has played all three outfield positions.
Super Two Watch: Rizzo, Gordon, Weeks, Phelps
Since the Marlins called Mike Stanton up to the Major Leagues a year ago today, he has hit 35 home runs and posted a .257/.332/.520 line. Stanton was clearly MLB-ready and Florida's timing worked out in another respect, too. The Marlins slugger will have just two years and 118 days of service time after the 2012 season, which hasn’t typically been enough for super two eligibility and an extra year of arbitration.
A year later, another group of prospects is appearing on MLB rosters and, as always, there are service time implications for all involved. Before we get too worried about whether these prospects will qualify for super two status, let’s be clear about a few variables.
It’s too early to know how much service time will be required for super two status three offseasons from now, because the cutoff date changes most years. Plus, baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires after 2011, so there’s no guarantee that the super two will even exist a few years from now (though coming up with an alternative that satisfies baseball’s owners and the players’ association will not be easy). Finally, most players who reach arbitration do get optioned to the minor leagues at some point, so there’s a good chance some of the players below will return to the minors before becoming arbitration eligible.
With that in mind, here are the service time implications for a few recent callups:
- Anthony Rizzo, Padres – If Rizzo debuts tomorrow, as Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports he will (Twitter link), he'll pick up a maximum of 112 days of service time this year and the Padres probably won't have to worry about super two status.
- Dee Gordon, Dodgers – Tom’s son was called up Monday and he has already had his first three-hit game. Gordon can pick up a maximum of 115 days of service time this year. Last year’s cutoff was unusually low at two years and 122 days, so the Dodgers appear safe.
- Jemile Weeks, Athletics and Charlie Blackmon, Rockies – Both players got the call yesterday, which means they can pick up a maximum of 114 days of service time this year. It’s likely not enough for super two status, even if they never see the minors again.
- Cord Phelps, Indians – Phelps, the first member of the Indians’ 2008 draft class to reach the majors, will debut today. He won’t pick up more than 113 days of service time this year, so the Indians probably won’t have to worry about super two status for Phelps, Lonnie Chisenhall or Jason Kipnis.
NL West Notes: Rizzo, Towers, Rockies
Here are a few items of note out of the NL West, where only 7.5 games separated the first- and last-place clubs entering Tuesday's action:
- Padres first baseman Anthony Rizzo may be called up as soon as Wednesday, according to a baseball source, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com. Friars GM Jed Hoyer said that Rizzo is "close to ready," tweets Brock.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers is making all the right moves, writes Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Chiefly, Towers has improved the Snakes' bullpen and bench, cut down on the lineup's strikeouts, and improved the clubhouse, according to Bordow.
- The Rockies stayed true to tradition by selecting a left-handed pitcher in the first round, writes Jack Etkin of Baseball America (subscription needed). The Rox were thought to be on a position player but instead opted for college southpaw Tyler Anderson out of Oregon. Previously, they took Christian Friedrich and Tyler Matzek in the first rounds of the 2008 and '09 Drafts, respectively.
Padres Links: Hawpe, Scouts, First Rounders
On this date in 2002, the Padres used the 13th overall pick in the draft to select Clemson shortstop Khalil Greene. He reached the big leagues in 2003 and hit .248/.304/.427 in parts of six seasons with San Diego before being traded to the Cardinals for a pair of minor league relievers (including Luke Gregerson). Let's recap the latest from San Diego…
- Tim Sullivan of The San Diego Union-Tribune notes that the Padres have asked Brad Hawpe to start taking more fly balls in right field, setting the stage for an Anthony Rizzo promotion. The first baseman is hitting .377/.455/.738 with 16 homers in Triple-A after being acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez trade.
- Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres spoke to GM Jed Hoyer about the clubs's scouting department with the draft coming up. The team had just a dozen full-time amateur scouts when Hoyer took over, the fewest in baseball. They've since added ten more.
- Chris Jenkins of The San Diego Union-Tribune notes that the Padres only have one of their own true first round picks on their 40-man roster. That would be right-hander Tim Stauffer, who went fourth overall in 2003. Click here to see all of San Diego's first round picks.
Padres Notes: Rizzo, Adams, Gregerson
The Padres are last in the National League in runs per game, but first base prospect Anthony Rizzo may help solve San Diego's offensive woes before long. Here's the latest on Rizzo and the Padres:
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer has said there are legitimate developmental concerns for keeping Rizzo in the minor leagues, such as the prospect's offensive approach against left-handed pitching. But service time may also be a consideration for clubs wishing to avoid going to arbitration an extra time. As Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, the Padres "are dragging their feet for long-term financial reasons at the presumed cost of being more competitive right now."
- MLB executive VP of labor relations Rob Manfred told Sullivan that "there’s nothing illegal, immoral or fattening about it" because cutoffs such as the one for super two status are always subject to strategy.
- The Padres will listen to offers for any of their relievers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The inquiries have already started on Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson and others, according to Morosi.
NL West Notes: Rizzo, De La Rosa, D’Backs
Giants catcher Buster Posey appeared to suffer a serious leg injury while blocking the plate in extra innings last night. Posey's agent, Jeff Berry, says he's going to call Joe Torre about changing rules for plays at the plate to make collisions safer for catchers, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. "It's brutal," Berry said. "It's borderline shocking. It just stinks for baseball." Here are some other notes from the NL West:
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Bill Center of of the San Diego Union-Tribune that top first base prospect Anthony Rizzo is "not yet" ready for the Major Leagues. The Padres want Rizzo to stay in the Majors once he arrives, so "the timing and situation has to be right."
- Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told Dave Krieger of the Denver Post that he has the financial freedom to make a trade. "I have some flexibility that we saved for opportunities that may come up," O'Dowd said. "It would be hard to do multiple things, so we're probably going to have to prioritize what that is if something should come available." Though the Rockies aren't about to make a sudden move, they'll keep talking to teams about possible deals.
- The Rockies will call on internal options to replace Jorge de la Rosa, who will miss the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Rockies owner Dick Monfort says the team didn't have insurance on the left-hander's contract.
- The D'Backs continue to eye other teams' arms as they look to bolster their Triple-A pitching depth, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Tomase’s Latest: Felix, Hawpe, Rays
John Tomase from the Boston Herald has some notes about several Major League topics in his latest article:
- Tomase reminds us that at the 2009 deadline, the Red Sox reportedly offered the Mariners any five of the following prospects in exchange for Felix Hernandez: Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Josh Reddick, Yamaico Navarro, Nick Hagadone, Felix Doubront, and Justin Masterson. While a Boston official disputed the specific names, Tomase says the reports were in the ballpark.
- Regarding a trade though, Tomase quotes King Felix himself as saying that he wants to stay in Seattle: "I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m not trying to think about it. I’d love to stay here (with the Mariners). I’m part of Seattle now and I’d like to be in Seattle."
- San Diego's Anthony Rizzo, acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, is off to a blazing start at Triple-A. Rizzo has posted a monstrous line of .400/.471/.744 with seven homers, eight doubles, and a triple through 102 PAs, but despite that production the Padres aren't giving up on Brad Hawpe yet. Manager Bud Black cites Hawpe's career success, but it'll be hard to ignore his .149/.194/.194 line much longer.
- Manny Ramirez's abrupt retirement had many questioning a Rays' lineup that was struggling to score runs, but as Tomase points out, the Rays have gone 14-5 since Manny called it quits. The Rays were 0-6 with Manny on board.
Tomase's article also features several more quotes from Felix on his appreciation for Seattle as well and is a good read all-around.
Olney’s Latest: Marlins, Padres, Cardinals, ChiSox
ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about the Marlins' revamped bullpen in today's blog post (Insider req'd), noting that they now have a pair of left-handers (Randy Choate and Mike Dunn) to go after the middle of Philadelphia's lineup. They lacked those options early last year. Florida also brought in right-handed relievers Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica in this winter's Cameron Maybin trade.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Padres officials met with prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes recently to stress that they don't want them to put too much pressure on themselves after the trade that brought them to San Diego. The trio was acquired in the Adrian Gonzalez swap.
- The Cardinals are going to watch their pitchers over the next few weeks in the wake of Adam Wainwright's injury, then see if they "need to change course."
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Olney's colleague Gene Wojciechowski "I know what I want for next year right now. I have an idea. But if we're going to have dreams of maintaining where we are payroll-wise or taking it even a step higher, yeah, a lot of it depends on what happens this year." Williams said he would have liked to have done more this offseason, but is thrilled with the payroll owner Jerry Reinsdorf gave him.
Red Sox Acquire Adrian Gonzalez
After being the subject of trade rumors for close to two years, Adrian Gonzalez is finally on his way out of San Diego. The Padres will send their star slugger to the Red Sox in exchange for Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo, Reymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later. The Red Sox and Padres officially announced the deal this morning. While no extension is in place, GM Theo Epstein told reporters he's very confident they'll work something out. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is hearing a seven-year, $154MM ceiling.
If Boston waits until after Opening Day to officially ink Gonzalez to a new contract, the deal will not impact the 2011 payroll, saving them money on the luxury tax. Several high-priced members of the Red Sox come off of the books after 2011, including David Ortiz, J.D. Drew, Marco Scutaro, and Mike Cameron.
The 28-year-old Gonzalez is one of the game's premier power-hitters, with no fewer than 30 home runs in each of the last four years despite playing half his games in spacious Petco Park. The Red Sox made the best offer, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that both Chicago teams were serious bidders. The trade all but guarantees that Adrian Beltre will not be returning to Boston, reducing his leverage on the open market. The Red Sox are expected to put Gonzalez at first base and slide Kevin Youkilis over to third.
Kelly, 21, is the headliner for San Diego. He was the 30th overall pick in the 2008 draft and owns a 3.69 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 190 career innings split evenly between Single and Double-A. After dabbling at shortstop earlier in his career, Kelly is a full-time pitcher now. Despite the less than stellar statistics, Callis said the Red Sox still "[envisioned] him becoming a frontline starter with three possible plus pitches and above-average command," and he expects Kelly to rank in the 30-50 range of the publication's upcoming Top 100 Prospects list (Twitter link).
Rizzo, also 21, was a sixth round pick in 2007 and has broken out since missing most of the 2008 season to get treatment for Limited Stage Classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He's hit .279/.349/.476 over the last two years, mostly at the Single-A level. Callis writes that he "generates plus power with strength and leverage" and "should hit for a solid average and draw some walks." Rizzo was also voted the best defensive first baseman in the Double-A Eastern League by managers this season.
Fuentes, 20 in February, is a center fielder like his cousin Carlos Beltran, and hit .270/.328/.377 in 2010, his first full season after being the 28th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Although he "may need four or five seasons in the minors," Callis says he has similar tools to Jacoby Ellsbury but projects to be better with both the bat and glove down the road.
ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes and Dan Hayes of the North County Times first reported that the two sides were closing in on a trade, with Jon Heyman of SI.com eventually tweeting that the deal had been finalized. In between, a slew of writers added details to the proceedings. For the full timeline of events, check out our posts leading up to the agreement.
MLBTR's Mike Axisa, Luke Adams, and Zach Links contributed to this post.
Red Sox, Padres Agree On Adrian Gonzalez Trade
11:33am: Hayes tweets that the two sides have had the deal in place since Thursday night, which is what prompted the flight to Boston.
11:23am: Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reports (via Twitter) that Gonzalez has already taken his physical and his surgically repaired shoulder "should be fine." Some minor tests still need to be completed.
11:13am: MLB.com's Peter Gammons tweets that the player to be named later is not a "prime guy." The two teams determine who exactly it will be later.
10:52am: Morosi tweets that Gonzalez is seeking a Ryan Howard-like contract. Howard signed a five-year contract extension worth $125MM earlier this year.
10:13am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Padres will also receive a player to be named, so it's a 4-for-1 swap. The 40-man roster freeze is in effect until next week's Rule 5 Draft, so it's possible the player is a minor leaguer not on the 40-man that's eligible for the Rule 5.
10:04am: Heyman tweets that there is still work to be done as far as a contract extension for Gonzalez, and that it could take a day or two. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports confirms with a source that the trade is "not completely done." (Twitter link)
9:14am: Hayes tweets that the package includes Kelly, Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes. ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes says (via Twitter) that Theo Epstein flew from San Diego to Boston with Gonzalez, and MLB.com's Corey Brock says that Jed Hoyer implored his scouts to scour the lower level of the minors in 2010 (Twitter link). The second and third player in the deal are key.
9:01am: SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that negotiations about a contract extension will begin shortly, and that Kelly is in fact in the deal. WEEI.com's Alex Speier adds that multiple Red Sox prospects rumored to be in the deal have yet to hear anything from the team about a trade (Twitter link).
7:39am: Olney tweets that the Red Sox flew Gonzalez into Boston to help move the process along, and he is there now.
6:30am: Adrian Gonzalez is expected in Boston today for a physical, reports Nick Cafardo of the Globe. Gonzalez had shoulder surgery to clean up his right labrum in October and has a four or five month recovery timeline. Cafardo says talks have centered around Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo, and the deal "would likely involve three or four players from the Sox, including one who is major league-ready." ESPN's Buster Olney says that all players have been agreed to and the Red Sox are now trying to work out an extension with Gonzalez. MLB has approved a negotiating window.
SATURDAY, 12:01am: The Red Sox are very close to acquiring Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. Hayes says the trade would just involve Gonzalez and not Heath Bell, whose name has come up in other rumors. Hayes adds that the deal will only involve minor leaguers – not players such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard, or Jed Lowrie. Top Red Sox prospect Casey Kelly would definitely be involved.