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Jarred Cosart To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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Padres right-hander Jarred Cosart will undergo elbow surgery to “remove loose bodies,” per a team announcement. San Diego acquired Cosart in the summer trade that sent Andrew Cashner to the Marlins.

There is no indication as of yet as to whether the operation will impact his offseason timeline in any appreciable way. But this sort of procedure isn’t all that unusual; prior suggestions were that Cosart was dealing with a bone spur, which is the kind of issue that is frequently addressed at this time of year.

Regardless, there’s uncertainty any time a pitcher goes under the knife. In this case, though, it likely won’t have much of an impact on the Pads’ offseason plans. Cosart wasn’t able to reach three full years of major league service because he was optioned for part of the year, and it doesn’t appear that he’ll qualify for Super Two status after entering the season with two years and twenty days of service already in the bank. Cosart’s 2016 campaign was split roughly evenly between the big leagues and minors.

San Diego likely has already baked plenty of question marks into its assessment of Cosart anyway. The 26-year-old has always been seen as a talented pitcher, and logged excellent results for stretches earlier in his career. Though his strikeout-to-walk ratio has never impressed — it stands at 6.2 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 for his career — Cosart generates quite a few groundballs and has successfully tamped down on home runs when at his best.

Ultimately, there still seems to be quite a lot of work to do for the Padres to get value out of Cosart, though there’s also minimal risk since the organization isn’t expected to contend in 2017 and he’ll seemingly play at the league minimum. His 57 major league frames this year weren’t terribly inspiring, as he walked more batters than he retired via strikeout and allowed an even six earned runs per nine innings. Cosart also sported a career-low 92.3 mph average fastball. On the bright side, he did top his annual best with a 60.9% groundball rate.

Erik Johnson Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Padres right-hander Erik Johnson underwent Tommy John surgery today, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The 26-year-old was acquired by San Diego alongside Fernando Tatis Jr. in the trade that sent James Shields to the White Sox. He’ll miss the entire 2017 season as he recovers from the operation.

Johnson pitched just 19 2/3 innings with the Friars following the trade, surrendering 20 earned runs on 32 hits and and five walks with 10 strikeouts. The 2011 second-round pick once rated as one of the Top 100 prospects in the game according to Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus but has seen his stock dip precipitously over the past three seasons since debuting in 2014. Johnson has a 5.28 earned run average in 117 2/3 innings between the ChiSox and the Padres, and he’s averaged 6.7 K/9 while allowing 4.1 BB/9 and recording a 38.6 percent ground-ball rate.

While Johnson certainly wasn’t going to be penciled into the 2017 rotation in San Diego, news of his Tommy John surgery further depletes a Padres depth chart that is lacking in the way of quality pitching at the upper levels of the minor leagues. Opening Day proved to be the only appearance of the season for Tyson Ross, who is now weighing shoulder surgery. The team’s other internal options for next year’s rotation include Christian Friedrich, Luis Perdomo and Paul Clemens. Right-hander Edwin Jackson and lefty Clayton Richard finished out the season in the Padres’ rotation, but each veteran is eligible for free agency this winter.

Suffice it to say, pitching figures to be a prime target for the Padres’ front office, even if the team doesn’t have an eye on contending next season. Simply adding depth in the form of starters that can take the ball every fifth day will be paramount, and it seems logical to expect the Padres to target pitching help in any trade talks that might arise over the duration of the offseason.

West Notes: Scioscia, Padres, Athletics

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Angels GM Billy Eppler has confirmed today that Mike Scioscia will manage the team in 2017, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The news comes as no surprise, since both Eppler and owner Arte Moreno suggested in August that Scioscia would return. The Angels had a poor 74-88 record in 2016, although that was in large part because of a number of injuries to key starting pitchers. Scioscia still has two years and $12MM remaining on the $50MM deal he signed with the team all the way back in 2009. Here’s more from the West divisions.

  • Wil Myers and Yangervis Solarte are the only Padres guaranteed starting spots in 2017, manager Andy Green tells MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. The Padres have had other position players who did well in 2016, such as second baseman Ryan Schimpf and outfielder Travis Jankowski, but it appears they’ll all have to fight, at least to some degree, for starting spots. “I can’t look at another position on the field and say, ’That guy’s going to start at second base,’ or, ’That guy’s going to start at shortstop,’ or, ’That guy’s going to start in center field,'” says Green. “Some guys have made some strong cases — Schimpf has, Jankowski has. But we’ll let it play out in Spring Training.” Cassavell suggests the team could look outside the organization for rotation, relief and shortstop help this winter.
  • Athletics exec Billy Beane is happy about the team’s young pitching depth, but he could still look outside the organization for a veteran starter, Comcast SportsNet California’s Joe Stiglich tweets. The team figures to have a healthy Sonny Gray leading its rotation in 2017, and Sean Manaea and Kendall Graveman took steps this season to establish themselves as reliable big-league starters. Jharel Cotton also got good results down the stretch. There are any number of other options on the Athletics’ 40-man roster, but injuries and performance issues cloud the picture. The team’s success last season with Rich Hill last season could perhaps also help convince them to add a veteran as a low-risk, high-reward proposition. The Athletics signed Hill for just $6MM, and he (along with Josh Reddick) ultimately landed them Cotton, plus low-level prospect Grant Holmes and the hard-throwing Frankie Montas (who missed most of the season with a rib issue but could become a 2017 rotation option if he’s healthy).

Rob Manfred On A.J. Preller’s Suspension: “I Know Where A.J. Is”

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Major League Baseball has had to deal with a number of situations recently in which it’s had to punish teams or front offices, rather than players. Those include the Padres’ failure to disclose some medical information in trades, which led to the suspension of GM A.J. Preller; the Red Sox’ manipulation of international signing practices; and hacking of the Astros’ database by a Cardinals front office employee. Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald explores those issues an excellent article that includes new tidbits from commissioner Rob Manfred. (We also highlighted some of Manfred’s other thoughts on the Preller matter yesterday.)

Some throughout the game have wondered whether Preller’s 30-day suspension is enforceable. He would, surely, only need his phone and computer to continue to influence over the Padres’ decision-making. Manfred, though, says that the league has mechanisms in place to ensure Preller stays away.

“I know where A.J. is,” Manfred says. “We’ve also told the Padres that we will be making investigatory undertakings to verify that there has been no contact. They’re very, very explicit rules about what he can and can’t do. I think given the circumstances, I am comfortable we can enforce the penalty.”

The Red Sox, of course, were victims of Preller’s handling of medical information, having been deprived of relevant records in the Drew Pomeranz / Anderson Espinoza swap. The Sox could have rescinded the deal in either July or August, Drellich reports. When the Red Sox learned that the Padres had withheld information, they informed the league, but took the position that they wanted to keep Pomeranz, even after receiving the results of an MRI that increased their frustration with the situation. (The exact results of the MRI are not publicly known, although Pomeranz is currently struggling with left forearm soreness.)

“For a very, very long time, there has been a rule in baseball that if something happens in terms of lack of complete information or disclosure with respect to the trade that the remedy is to rescind the trade, and you saw that baseball rule operate,” Manfred says, referring to the partially-rescinded trade between the Padres and Marlins involving now-injured Colin Rea. (Rea originally headed from the Padres to the Marlins with Andrew Cashner and Tayron Guerrero for Carter Capps, Jarred Cosart, Josh Naylor and Luis Castillo, then headed back to the Padres for Castillo alone.) “Once that happens the rule in baseball has always been that we do not reconfigure trades. Figuring out exactly what happened when is extraordinarily difficult if not impossible. And even if we can figure that out, we are not institutionally capable of deciding who would have traded what for what.”

Manfred On CBA, Red Sox-Padres Trade, Preller, Ortiz

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Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in December, but commissioner Rob Manfred said Sunday that he expects a new CBA in place by the end of the postseason, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). “Both parties still have significant issues on the table,” added Manfred, but he doesn’t believe those concerns are enough for either side to rip up the agreement and start negotiations from scratch (via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, on Twitter).

Manfred, who’s in Boston on Sunday for Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz’s final regular-season game, also addressed several other important topics:

  • After acquiring left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the Padres for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza in July, questions arose in August over whether San Diego was completely honest about Pomeranz’s medical information. It turned out the Padres didn’t reveal that Pomeranz was taking anti-inflammatory medication for his elbow at the time of the deal. Then, when MLB handed Padres general manager A.J. Preller a 30-day suspension in September, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner expressed displeasure with the commissioner’s office, saying, “We felt that some wrong was committed and that it’s important to have a level playing field. The Padres didn’t play on it.” Interestingly, the league gave the Red Sox the opportunity to undo the trade in early August, Manfred revealed, but the non-waiver deadline had already passed by then. Moreover, there was no way for the league to compensate the Red Sox, the commissioner stated. As a result, Boston turned down the offer and kept Pomeranz (Twitter links via MacPherson and Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). The 27-year-old has scuffled since the trade and is currently dealing with left forearm soreness.
  • Whether the Padres fire Preller for his questionable practices is up to them, not the league, according to Manfred (via Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune). “I felt that that Mr. Preller behaved inappropriately in the situation. He behaved inappropriately to the detriment of two clubs,” said Manfred. “And I thought that a publicly announced suspension of 30 days, which is the longest suspension of a front-office person in 70 years, was a firm statement of our view on how he had behaved or, in this case, misbehaved.” As of Sept. 17, the Padres’ front office was reportedly split on Preller, who, in addition to crossing the Red Sox, didn’t disclose all available medical information in a July trade with the Marlins. As a result, the Preller-led Padres reversed part of what was a large transaction that centered on Andrew Cashner. Ultimately, the Padres re-acquired right-hander Colin Rea from Miami and sent pitching prospect Luis Castillo back to the Marlins. That came after Rea left his sole Marlins start with an elbow injury. Rea is now attempting to stave off Tommy John surgery.
  • Ortiz was among 104 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003, but Manfred downplayed that. The list didn’t distinguish therapeutic use exemptions from PEDs, per Manfred, who called it “unfair” and “wrong” that the positive test might negatively affect Ortiz’s legacy (Twitter links via MacPherson and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe).

Padres, Clayton Richard Interested In New Deal

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Shortly after the Cubs designated left-hander Clayton Richard for assignment July 26, the 33-year-old rejoined the Padres, with whom he spent parts of five seasons from 2009-13. Richard fared respectably in his second stint in San Diego, which began Aug. 6, and he and manager Andy Green confirmed Saturday that there’s mutual interest in a new deal for the impending free agent, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).

In a disastrous final start of the season on Saturday, Richard allowed seven runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-5 loss to Arizona. But that outing wasn’t enough to sully the run-prevention numbers Richard posted with the Padres in just under two months. Overall, Richard threw 53 2/3 innings with the Friars and recorded a terrific 2.52 ERA, though he struck out only 34 hitters and issued 24 walks. Richard also logged below-average strikeout numbers in his first go-around with the Padres, yet he helped his cause with a 50.3 percent ground-ball rate and managed a usable 4.16 ERA across 636 2/3 innings. Richard’s trend of inducing grounders has continued since, as he registered a career-best 65.1 percent rate in 67 2/3 frames with the Cubs and Padres this season.

If the Padres do re-sign Richard, who made $2MM this year, he’ll likely factor into their rotation plans again in 2017. Richard was almost exclusively a reliever as a member of the Cubs, with whom he came out of the bullpen in 45 of 48 appearances, but has otherwise worked mostly as a starter since debuting with the White Sox in 2008. Notably, the rebuilding Padres aren’t exactly loaded with quality rotation options going into next year, and their best starter, Tyson Ross, could face surgery after missing nearly all of this season with shoulder issues. Christian Friedrich and Luis Perdomo look likely to take rotation spots in 2017 after combining for 43 starts this year, while Jarred Cosart and Paul Clemens represent a pair of other possibilities under team control.

Aside from a healthy version of Ross – something no one has seen since 2015 – that group inspires little confidence, which explains why the Padres’ rotation is among the league’s worst this year. That instability could lead the Padres to bring back Richard on a cheap deal to take the ball every fifth day and, if he continues producing decent results, perhaps turn into a trade chip around next summer’s deadline.

Padres Mulling Role Change For Christian Bethancourt

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The Padres are exploring the idea of turning catcher Christian Bethancourt into a multi-position player, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Bethancourt has thrown two bullpen sessions and could become a pitcher/catcher/outfielder hybrid, per Lin, who notes that the Padres recently shifted ex-catcher prospect Jorge Ruiz to the mound (Twitter links).

Bethancourt’s best asset is likely his arm, which some scouts have graded an 80 on the 20-80 scale, and the right-hander did see some time as a pitcher this year before suffering a season-ending intercostal strain at the end of August. The 25-year-old Bethancourt made two appearances on the mound and totaled 1 2/3 innings with three hits, a walk and a strikeout. Interestingly, Bethancourt’s pitches ranged from 54 mph to 96 mph during that limited sample size, with Mike Petriello of MLB.com noting (via Twitter) that he complemented his fastball with a changeup and knuckleball.

The Padres aren’t the first team to consider a position change for Bethancourt. His previous organization, the Braves, also mulled converting him into a pitcher, according to Lin. Ultimately, Atlanta traded the former top 100 prospect to the Padres last December.

Bethancourt hit an unpalatable .228/.265/.368 in 204 plate appearances with the Friars this season, which was actually a significant improvement over the .200/.225/.290 line he recorded in 160 PAs as a Brave in 2015. But such subpar production won’t suffice either behind the plate, where the Padres already have a potential long-term solution in Austin Hedges, or in the outfield. Bethancourt did garner some experience in the grass this season, though, as he picked up limited action in both corners. Now the Padres are deciding whether to have Bethancourt divvy up his time among the outfield, the mound and behind the plate going forward.

NL Notes: Flores, Phillies, Jackson

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Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will be out the rest of the season, Mike Puma of the New York Post writes. Flores injured his wrist in a home-plate collision three weeks ago. “I’ve been trying for a few weeks, but the bottom line is I can’t swing,” Flores said. “I’m frustrated. I can’t go out there like that.” Even if the Mets were to advance as far as the World Series, they would probably be reluctant to use Flores after so much time away from game action. Flores has hit .267/.319/.469 this season, including a terrific .340/.383/.710 against lefties. He’s played all four infield positions this season. In particular, he gave the Mets a strong option at first base against left-handed pitching, as Puma notes. Both the Mets’ current first basemen, Lucas Duda and James Loney, are left-handed. Here’s more from the NL.

  • Manager Pete Mackanin met with various members of the Phillies’ front office Friday to discuss the team’s plans for the offseason, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes. Afterwards, Mackanin reiterated his desire for the organization to acquire a veteran bat or two, although he sounded realistic about how far the rebuilding Phils might be willing to go to find additional hitting talent. “I would like to get a good solid proven hitter somewhere on the field,” Mackanin said. “Where that is right now will be determined by who is available and what kind of a deal, if any, they could make. And if not we’ll try to find something from within that we think can help us or somebody could make a great impression in the spring. There’s so many ways to do that.” As Zolecki points out, the Phillies are likely more than one or two players away from being contenders, and so, as previous reporting has indicated, the Phillies might not want to spend heavily on moves designed to improve the 2017 team.
  • Veteran righty Edwin Jackson is set for free agency at the end of the season, but he’s interested in returning to the Padres, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes. “It’s definitely a place I’d like to come back to,” says Jackson. “A lot of positives and a lot of upside to the future of the organization. It’d be fun to be a part of it toward the end of my career.” Whether the Padres would have interest in Jackson is unclear, but he’s unlikely to be a sought-after free agent this winter after posting a 5.89 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 84 innings with San Diego and Miami.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/30/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves…

  • The Padres have outrighted infielder Nick Noonan off the 40-man roster following his DFA last week, as was first noted on the team’s transactions page. Noonan, 27, appeared in seven games for San Diego and collected three hits in 18 at-bats (20 plate appearances). That marked his third season with some degree of Major League experience, though the longtime Giants farmhand hasn’t hit enough at the big league level to stick for very long. In 155 plate appearances, Noonan is a .193/.239/.234 hitter. Once considered one of San Francisco’s top prospects, Noonan is a .274/.322/.372 hitter in nearly 1900 Triple-A plate appearances. The former No. 32 overall pick can elect free agency this winter and look for a new organization if he chooses.

Reds Claim Patrick Kivlehan

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The Reds have claimed utilityman Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the Padres, the Cincinnati organization announced. Kivlehan had been designated for assignment by San Diego.

Entering the year, the 26-year-old had spent his entire professional career in the Mariners organization, moving steadily up the ladder but never having earned a big league promotion. That all changed with a wild 2016 campaign for the former fourth-round draft pick.

Kivlehan is now on to his fourth team of the year with today’s claim. In between his time in Seattle and his forthcoming stint with Cinci, he saw action in the Rangers and Padres organizations. The latter of those afforded him his first big league opportunity, with Kivlehan logging four hits (including one home run) in his first 19 plate appearances.

For most of this year, Kivlehan has played at Triple-A with his various teams. In 397 total plate appearances, he owns a .254/.302/.416 batting line with 12 home runs. Since beginning his pro career as a third baseman, Kivlehan has increasingly spent time also in the corner outfield as well as at first base.

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