Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Padres Rumors

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/20/16

By | at

Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The Padres have selected the contract of second baseman Jemile Weeks and transferred lefty Buddy Baumann to the 60-day disabled list, per a club announcement. Weeks will step into the roster spot of infielder Cory Spangenberg, who has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a left quad strain. Weeks, 29, is a former first-round pick and the younger brother of veteran infielder Rickie Weeks, who is currently suiting up for the division-rival Diamondbacks. The younger Weeks was a fairly promising prospect with the A’s but hasn’t panned out at the big league level. He’s followed up a promising rookie campaign (.303/.340/.421 in 437 PAs in 2011) with a combined .226/.307/.311 in 574 plate appearances in parts of four seasons since that time.

Earlier Moves

  • Righty Logan Kensing has accepted an assignment to Triple-A with the Tigers after clearing outright waivers, MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports on Twitter. The veteran reliever hasn’t seen much MLB action of late, and only lasted 4 2/3 with Detroit before losing his roster spot. But the 33-year-old obviously feels as if another call-up could be in the future, as he could have elected free agency and looked for another organization. Over parts of nine MLB seasons, Kensing has compiled 181 2/3 innings of 5.70 ERA pitching with 7.8 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9.

NL Notes: Padres, Corbin, Bradley, Strasburg, Cespedes

By | at

The Padres are working hard to develop a set of reliable new rotation options with several key veterans ticketed for the open market in short order — if they aren’t traded first — as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. Hurlers such as Drew Pomeranz, Colin Rea, and Robbie Erlin offer future control that could make them important assets to an organization with a limited budget. Of course, all still need to prove that they can stick in the rotation.

Here’s more out of the National League, featuring a few notable early-season player observations:

  • Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin expanded his pitch count to over 100 on Sunday for the first time since his return from Tommy John surgery, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. The southpaw says he “felt comfortable” in increasing his workload and hopes “it’s something I can do in every start now.” That would certainly be the team’s hope, too, as the bullpen has been worked hard early in the year. It would also offer a chance for the 26-year-old to increase his arbitration earnings in his upcoming second trip through the process; he recorded over 200 frames back in 2013, and a similar showing would set him up for a nice raise. He’s looked good thus far in 2016, working to a 2.75 ERA with 6.4 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 and a 50.0% groundball rate over 19 2/3 frames in three starts.
  • The results haven’t been quite so promising for one-time Diamondbacks top prospect Archie Bradley. As Piecoro reports, there was a silver lining in an otherwise rough season debut yesterday, as Bradley delivered an average fastball of nearly 95 mph and topped out at just over 97. That represented a return to form in the velocity department after he registered lower on the gun in 2015. Of course, Bradley also struggled with control — as he did in his first two Triple-A outings — and notched only two strikeouts. All told, there’s still reason to hope that the 23-year-old can turn into the quality MLB starter he once seemed destined to become, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
  • Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals is showing increased dedication to a slider offering that he’s played around with previously, as Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports. New pitching coach Mike Maddux says that the organization played a role in that usage. “I think he’s had it in his back pocket,” said Maddux. “We kind of encouraged him to give it a whirl. Let’s let the hitters tell if it’s a good pitch.” If Strasburg can harness the pitch, he’d have one more weapon to use in putting away hitters — and to boost his stock in his walk year.
  • Another player facing potential free agency after the season is Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets, who has the chance to opt out of his three-year deal and re-enter the market. While his overall batting line has been strong in the early going, ESPN.com’s Mark Simon observes that the veteran outfielder’s strikeout rate is way up (currently, 35.3%, with a 15.5% swinging strike rate). The issue, in large part, is that Cespedes is chasing breaking balls out of the zone. Needless to say, there’s plenty of time for him to turn that around, and it’s good to see that he’s producing despite the swings and misses — aided by a .400 BABIP driven by loads of hard contact, as well as an improved 7.8% walk rate — but it’s certainly an area for improvement.
  • Both Strasburg and Cespedes featured prominently in the first iteration of next winter’s free agent power rankings by MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes, placing first and third (respectively) on that list.

NL West Notes: Reyes, Padres, Norris, Giants

By | at

Here’s the latest from around the NL West…

  • There’s a good chance Jose Reyes has played his last game for the Rockies, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes as part of a reader mailbag piece.  Saunders postulates that the team will wait until Reyes completes his probable suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy and then release him outright.  The suspension will erase some of the $46.25MM still owed to Reyes through the 2017 season (counting the $4MM buyout of his club option for 2018) and Saunders believes the Rockies will simply then eat the rest of the money in order to sever ties with the troubled shortstop.
  • Of the veteran Padres most often cited in trade rumors, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune opines that catcher Derek Norris is the most likely to be dealt.  Following Norris are, in order, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, James Shields and Matt Kemp.  Sanders covers several other Padres topics as part of this online chat with Union-Tribune readers.
  • With Mac Williamson not getting regular at-bats while sitting on the Giants bench, Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks the team could make another roster move this week to recall a shortstop and more directly fill the spot of injured infielder Ehire Adrianza.  The Giants didn’t want to be “hasty” with a 40-man roster spot to address Adrianza’s loss, though if Ian Gardeck is shifted to the 60-man DL, the team could add an experienced shortstop like Hak-Ju Lee and send Williamson back to everyday duty at Triple-A.
  • The Diamondbacks could be in for a few days’ worth of roster shuffles after using nine pitchers in Saturday’s 14-inning loss to the Padres, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes.  “It could be one of those things where this whole week is flip-flopping people.  [We] might have to go down to 12 position players, too, at some point,” manager Chip Hale said.  Shelby Miller had to leave Saturday’s start after just 1 2/3 innings under odd circumstances, as he twice banged his throwing hand against the mound and scraped his knuckles after extending his follow-through on pitches.  The D’Backs entered Sunday’s action with a league-high 47 1/3 bullpen innings, though Patrick Corbin gave the staff some breathing room by tossing 6 2/3 frames in today’s win.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Jays, Nats, Padres, Astros

By | at

While a deep playoff run could improve the Blue Jays’ odds of re-signing one of right fielder Jose Bautista or designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, chances are neither will return to Toronto next season, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (video link). The fact that the Jays are already dedicating a significant chunk of payroll to a pair of over-30 players in catcher Russell Martin and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki could deter them from handing out another massive contract to an aging player. Bautista and Encarnacion are two of the best hitters in the sport, but their respective ages (35 and 33) are working against them. Rosenthal reported last month that the Jays might only be willing to give Bautista a Yoenis Cespedes-esque deal (three years, $75MM), which is a good distance from his desire to land at least a four-year contract worth in the $30MM-per-annum range. As for Encarnacion, extension talks between him and Toronto went dormant in March.

Here’s more from Rosenthal:

  • The Nationals have until June 15 to exercise the two-year option in president of baseball operations/general manager Mike Rizzo’s contract, and signs point toward the team picking it up. The Rizzo-built Nationals haven’t won a championship, but they have ranged from respectable to elite in recent individual seasons. They currently have the majors’ third-best record since 2012, including an 8-1 start this year, and possess one of baseball’s premier farm systems. In the unlikely event Washington doesn’t retain Rizzo, Rosenthal doesn’t think he’d have a difficult time finding another job.
  • Although Padres president Mike Dee gave second-year GM A.J. Preller a vote of confidence last month, Friars ownership expects better from the team than what it has shown during a 3-8 start. If such poor play continues, it could put Preller’s job in jeopardy. However, as Rosenthal notes, the Padres hired Preller because of his eye for young talent, which the club is in position to accrue in droves over the next several months. Preller’s Padres have three of the top 25 picks in June’s draft and are expected to be highly active when the international free agent spending period begins July 2. They could also add more youth by trading certain veterans this summer.
  • With hard-throwing righty Lance McCullers on the shelf because of inflammation in his pitching shoulder, the Astros might have to address the lack of velocity in their rotation at some point, Rosenthal opines. Even though the Astros have the reigning American League Cy Young winner in lefty Dallas Keuchel, he isn’t known for overpowering velocity. Neither are fellow starters Mike Fiers, Doug Fister, Collin McHugh or Scott Feldman. Of course, in addition to McCullers, Houston had another young, in-house flamethrower in Vincent Velasquez, but it traded the early 2016 sensation to the Phillies in a package for reliever Ken Giles during the offseason.

Red Sox Notes: Vazquez, Sandoval, Contracts

By | at

The Red Sox, who optioned outfielder Rusney Castillo to Triple-A Pawtucket following last night’s win over the Orioles, will recall catcher Christian Vazquez from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket tonight, reports the Boston Herald’s Evan Drellich (Twitter link). Everyday catcher Blake Swihart hasn’t hit much and, perhaps more troublesomely, has demonstrated a few defensive hiccups, including missed pop-ups and some difficulty keeping the ball in front of him. (Swihart has allowed three passed balls on the young season.) The Red Sox, for the time being, seem poised to carry three catchers on the roster with Vazquez, Swihart and Ryan Hanigan, though it’s hard to envision that as a long-term arrangement. The 25-year-old Vazquez is recovering from Tommy John surgery that was performed on him last spring and played in five games at Triple-A prior to his promotion.

Here’s more on the Red Sox…

  • Yahoo’s Jeff Passan writes that the Red Sox could quickly look for a way to cut ties with Pablo Sandoval, who was placed on the DL with a somewhat dubious shoulder strain. As Passan notes, the Red Sox opted not to even bother performing an MRI on Sandoval — a test that would be standard in evaluating anything other than a catastrophic injury. Sources tell Passan that Sandoval only wants to remain in Boston if he’s able to play every day, but there’s no way the Sox will run him out there on a daily basis at this point given his struggles at the plate (in 2015 and in Spring Training), his rapidly deteriorating defensive skills and questions about his conditioning. Despite persistent speculation about a Sandoval-for-James Shields swap (which frankly makes no sense for San Diego), the Padres have cooled on Sandoval since pursuing him as a free agent in the 2014-15 offseason, Passan hears. The only way the Sox would give Sandoval regular time, Passan writes, would be if he loses weight and others in their lineup struggle. However, he can’t reestablish even a modicum of trade value without playing, creating something of a catch-22 in Boston.
  • The Red Sox continue to be haunted by a series of deals from the second half of 2014, writes the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who looks back at a series of now-ill-fated moves that began with the July 31 trades of Jon Lester for Yoenis Cespedes and John Lackey for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly. Less than a month later, the Sox signed Castillo to a seven-year, $72.5MM deal, and in late November they announced the signings of Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez on the same day. Speier writes that the series of transactions helps to create a two-fold legacy for departed GM Ben Cherington, who helped the club to a 2013 World Series but has seen poor returns on nearly all transactions made from that point forth. However, Cherington’s unwillingness to deal prospects and moves to acquire young talent also left the club with a base of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Brock Holt, Swihart, Vazquez, Eduardo Rodriguez and others. And, that strong base makes it possible for the club to survive some of the more high-profile missteps (Sandoval, Castillo, etc.).

Offseason In Review: San Diego Padres

By | at

This is part of MLBTR’s series of posts breaking down the offseasons of every team in baseball. You can find all the others at this link.

After one of the most hyper-aggressive offseasons in recent history, the Padres pumped the brakes at the 2015 trade deadline and did so again with a more reserved winter.

Major League Signings

Notable Minor League Signings

Trades and Claims

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

Needs Addressed

Looking at the list of trades made by general manager A.J. Preller and his staff this winter, perhaps “reserved” wasn’t an optimal word selection for the introductory sentence to this review. The Padres were hardly dormant this offseason, but the club’s direction unequivocally changed: while the 2014-15 offseason was about acquiring Major League talent with an eye towards immediate improvement, the 2015-16 offseason instead focused on long-term value and short-term additions that didn’t compromise that long-term outlook.

Chief among those forward-looking moves was the decision to trade one of the game’s best closers, Craig Kimbrel, less than nine months after acquiring him. In terms of prospect capital, the Padres received more than they gave up in order to acquire Kimbrel in the first place, although part of the reason they were able to acquire Kimbrel at a lesser price in terms of young talent was their willingness to absorb Melvin Upton’s contract. The addition of Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen was a huge boost to a floundering Padres farm system, but the club still rates among the worst overall minor league systems in baseball, per Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law. Be that as it may, the Kimbrel trade could reap Major League benefits in the very near term, as Margot is close enough to the big league level that he could be in center field for the Friars as soon as this summer. Asuaje, too, could emerge on the big league scene relatively quickly.

While many thought the trade of Kimbrel and the subsequent trade of Joaquin Benoit signaled that the Padres would embark on an offseason fire sale, the team didn’t move enticing veterans like Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner or Derek Norris. Rather, the Padres dealt from the fringes of their Major League and 40-man rosters and, in doing so, were able to pare down the payroll a bit while simultaneously bringing in additional near-term pieces. The new regime clearly wasn’t as high on Jedd Gyorko as the former front office, and shedding his salary for a more substantial up-front cost (the final year of Jon Jay’s contract) created some roster flexibility down the line. Christian Bethancourt and Jose Pirela give the Friars a pair of young players that can step directly onto the roster.

Feb 26, 2016; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz poses for a portrait during photo day at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego also moved a year of Marc Rzepczynski and two years of Yonder Alonso for three years of Drew Pomeranz and an intriguing Rule 5 pick in Jabari Blash (plus minor league lefty Jose Torres). From my vantage point, it was hard not to like the deal for the Padres, who gained more control over Pomeranz than they had over either Alonso or Rzepczynski. Pomeranz might not have lived up to his potential yet, but he posted solid numbers in both seasons he spent with the A’s and is nearly two years younger than Alonso, whose ceiling is pretty limited at this point.

In Rodney, Villanueva, Baumann and Vargas, the Padres made a series of low-cost bullpen signings to help replace some of the depth they surrendered in other trades, and while none of the group will replicate the production of Kimbrel, there’s reason enough to believe that Rodney or Villanueva could easily justify the modest salaries that each was guaranteed.

The Padres’ only other free-agent expenditure was a similarly small commitment to Alexei Ramirez, and he’ll serve as a short-term patch over a long-term problem. I’ll talk a bit more about the deal later in the review.

Keep reading for more analysis after the break …

Read more

Padres Return Rule 5 Pick Josh Martin To Indians

By | at

The Indians announced that they have received righty Josh Martin back from the Padres. The Rule 5 pick had been designated for assignment, with some suggestion that San Diego may attempt to find a way to hold onto him.

Cleveland will slot Martin in at the Triple-A level, where he can continue to develop and serve as pen depth without occupying a 40-man spot. Martin worked to a 3.07 ERA with 10.7 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 67 1/3 innings last year at Double-A.

That showing wasn’t enough to get the Indians to commit a roster spot, but proved tantalizing enough for the Pads to give him a shot to stick. But Martin struggled this spring, allowing 13 earned runs in his 11 frames in camp. While he struck out 12 opposing batters in that span, he also surrendered 16 hits and seven walks.

Latest On Rangers’ Catching Situation

By | at

The Rangers could be without catcher Robinson Chirinos for nearly three months, but while there’s been some talk about searching outside the organization for an upgrade, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick hears that Texas is more likely to stay in house than make a splashy acquisition (Twitter link).  That would mean entrusting catching duties to recently acquired Bryan Holaday and rookie Brett Nicholas, though Crasnick does note that the Rangers could make a minor trade to acquire some depth at the position.

Though Crasnick downplays the possibility of a significant trade taking place, it’s still worth noting that his colleague, Buster Olney, reported this morning that the Rangers did at least engage in talks for a significant trade this winter (Twitter link).  Per Olney, the Rangers spoke to the Padres about a trade involving Derek Norris, Andrew Cashner and Jurickson Profar, though clearly nothing ever came to fruition.  Texas was connected to Norris right up through the end of Spring Training, with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News calling him a likelier trade candidate than the Brewers’ Jonathan Lucroy (to whom the Rangers were also frequently linked).

Holaday was naturally able to be acquired for a much lower return than it would’ve cost Texas to land either Lucroy or Norris this offseason, and the price tags on those two bigger-name catchers may have gotten even larger given how the Rangers now have an even more pressing need behind the plate.  It’s also somewhat rare to see significant trades for catching take place during the season, as most teams prefer to give their backstops and pitchers time to learn to work with each other.

Cashner and Norris have been mentioned in trade rumors for much of the winter, as there was speculation the Padres could unload some of their top trade chips to rebuild after their disappointing 2015 season.  While notables like Craig Kimbrel, Yonder Alonso and Jedd Gyorko were dealt, San Diego stopped short of a full-fledged fire sale.  Profar has also been cited as a trade candidate, as the former top-ranked prospect in all of baseball has missed almost all of the last two seasons with shoulder injuries and doesn’t have a place in the Rangers’ middle infield with Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor in starting roles.  Padres GM A.J. Preller, of course, was formerly a longtime assistant general manager in the Rangers organization.

NL Injury Notes: Winkler, Gonzales, Solarte, Edgin

By | at

Braves righty Daniel Winkler, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and missed most of last season, left the club’s game Sunday in agony with a fractured elbow, Mark Saxon of ESPN.com was among those to report (on Twitter). Winkler, whom Atlanta took from Colorado during the offseason’s Rule 5 draft, was off to a hot start as a member of the Braves’ bullpen. Prior to the injury, he had gone 2 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run, adding four strikeouts against one walk. It’s currently unknown how much time Winkler will miss, but given the significance of the injury, the rest of the season seems like a strong possibility for the 26-year-old.

Here’s more injury news from around the National League:

  • Cardinals lefty Marco Gonzales is deciding whether to undergo elbow surgery after consulting with doctors, including renowned orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache, tweets Saxon. It’s unknown what type of surgery Gonzales is considering, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. If the 24-year-old undergoes Tommy John surgery, he’d face a 12- to 18-month recovery, Langosch notes. Prior to notifying the Cardinals’ medical staff of elbow discomfort during the final week of Spring Training, Gonzales was expected to serve as rotation depth for the club this season. Gonzales, who dealt with shoulder issues last season, has logged a 4.82 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9 in 37 1/3 MLB innings.
  • Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte is headed to the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring injury, paving the way for the call-up of utility man Alexi Amarista, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Solarte slashed an eye-popping .375/.474/.563 over his first 19 plate appearances this year. Amarista fared well in a minuscule sample size for Triple-A El Paso to start the year, but he recorded a weak .204/.257/.287 in 357 PAs for the Padres last season and hasn’t exactly been stellar in his 1,575 big league PAs (.227/.274/.325). He does, however, offer versatility, having spent time at six different positions in the infield and outfield during his career.
  • Another past Tommy John recipient, Mets reliever Josh Edgin, began a rehab assignment Sunday with 2/3 of an inning at Class-A St. Lucie and is on track for an early May return, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The southpaw last saw action in 2014, when he served as a shutdown option for the Mets in compiling a 9.22 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 to accompany a stingy 1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.

Padres Notes: Ross, Trades, Fowler

By and | at

The Padres have placed righty Tyson Ross on the 15-day DL (retroactive to April 5) with right shoulder inflammation, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell tweets. Via the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Dennis Lin (on Twitter), Ross noticed his shoulder felt unusual during his first bullpen session after starting on Opening Day. Ross is optimistic he’ll return after missing the minimum amount of time. Clearly, the loss of Ross (who produced a 3.26 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 as one of the few bright spots in a rough Padres season in 2015) would be a blow to the Padres, particularly given that Ross is eligible for free agency after 2017 and could be traded at some point. Right now, however, there’s no indication the injury is serious. Manager Andy Green characterized the move as precautionary (tweet).

Here’s more from San Diego:

  • The Padres may have missed their window to cash in on most of their trade assets, Keith Law tells Buster Olney on the Baseball Tonight podcast (33:30 minute mark). While Law praised top prospect Manuel Margot for his solid tools and excellent baseball IQ, the rest of the farm system is rather bleak. Law believes Ross may be the only player on the major league roster who could fetch a franchise changing prospect. Derek Norris could return some value, but his shaky defense hurts his trade value. Similarly, other trade candidates aren’t likely to bring much in return. Of course, the podcast was recorded prior to Ross being placed on the disabled list. Law highlighted the long injury histories of Ross and Andrew Cashner which could come back to bite the Padres at any time.
  • Executive Ron Fowler has a difficult job on his hands convincing local fans that the front office has a plan, writes Bill Shaiken of the LA Times. After a disappointing 2015, the club seemingly went backwards over the winter with Justin Upton gone and Craig Kimbrel traded to Boston. The team appears to be feigning contention while planning a rebuild. This just one year after they spent a bushel of prospects and dollars in an attempt to compete in the NL West. Fowler admits the club was caught a little flat footed when the Dodgers started spending money like the Yankees on steroids. Their big spending rivals have the Friars looking for other ways to sneak into contention.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top