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Padres Avoid Arbitration With Clayton Richard

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The Padres have avoided arbitration with Clayton Richard by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.24MM, according to a team announcement. The signing of the SFX client marks the final arbitration-eligible player to sign with a team as well as the first year there were no arbitration hearings since the process was instituted in 1974.

Richard submitted an arbitration figure of $5.55MM as compared to the Padres' offer of $4.905MM. The agreed upon number of $5.24MM gives Richard a slight victory as his salary will be just slightly above the midpoint. The left-hander posted a 3.99 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 218 2/3 innings during the 2012 season. 

The veteran will be eligible for arbitration for the final time in 2014 before becoming a free agent for the first time one year later.

Quick Hits: Bourn, Richard, Padres, Manuel

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It took Michael Bourn a long time to find his new team this winter, but the center fielder isn't complaining, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  At the same time, several executives charge that agent Scott Boras overreached and initially asked for much more than a four year deal.  "Boras clearly felt he’d get significant length, definitely five years, possibly six or seven," one exec told Rosenthal.  Here's more Saturday linkage..

  • Clayton Richard is now the lone remaining arbitration case with Homer Bailey agreeing to a one-year deal this afternoon, but it seems likely that he'll be headed to the table with the Padres, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is entering the final season of his two-year contract extension, but the skipper says that he is focused on winning and not his next deal, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.  Manuel is adamant that he won't worry about his job security if the team struggles early on in the season and pointed out that managers like Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa have been in similar situations.
  • While Rafael Soriano won't miss ceding the ninth inning to Mariano Rivera in New York, he will miss having the legendary closer as a teammate, writes Harvey Araton of the New York Times.  Meanwhile, he's happy to be with the Nationals where he knows for certain that he will enter as the closer.

Byrnes: Padres Could Add Starter

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San Diego general manager Josh Byrnes remains very much open to the possibility of looking outside of the organization to round out the Padres’ rotation, MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports.  Byrnes suggested that San Diego could still be in the market for another starter:

"There is a chance we can solve [the rotation] with our own guys.  The thing about the offseason [is] … we haven't pursued guys just to add bodies. But if we feel there's an upgrade, someone with upside or a long-term guy, then OK.  But we're comfortable with seeing how our guys look. There might be a need [to add a pitcher] but there might not be."

As Brock further explains in his article, the Padres already have a substantial number of starting options competing for spots at the back end of the rotation.  With Clayton Richard, Edinson Volquez, and the re-signed Jason Marquis seemingly good bets to begin the season in starting roles, the Padres figure to look at internal options like Anthony Bass, Tyson Ross, and Eric Stults, along with non-roster invitees Freddy Garcia, Robbie Erlin, and Tim Stauffer.

Byrnes' statement suggests that, should the Padres look to acquire another starter, it would be someone with “upside” or “long-term” potential.  Turning to MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker, it appears that few pitchers who meet that description remain available.  Kyle Lohse, of course, stands out atop the remaining starting pitching options.  While the Padres were apparently willing to make a substantial, multi-year commitment to Edwin Jackson this offseason, Lohse’s asking price may be too high for San Diego.  Alternatively, the Padres could consider Roy Oswalt or one of several other available veterans, including Dallas Braden and Chris Young.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Valdez, De La Rosa

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We'll keep track of players who have been outrighted to Triple-A today here…

  • Padres infielder Jeudy Valdez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link). The 23-year-old can handle shortstop and he possesses both power and speed, though he hit just .225/.273/.364 at Double-A last season. Valdez was DFA'ed last week to make room for Fautino De Los Santos. He'll be in camp as a non-roster invite, according to Brock.
  • Dane De La Rosa has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). He was designated for assignment last week to clear roster space for Luke Scott. The 29-year-old has a career 3.00 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 at the Triple-A level. He has also been invited to Major League camp, according to Topkin.

Quick Hits: Hernandez, MacDougal, Headley

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Links from around MLB on a day that many are still buzzing about Felix Hernandez’s seven-year, $175MM contract extension with the Mariners…

  • The Hernandez extension may seem like an overpay, but the alternative — trading him for prospects and reallocating millions toward free agency — might be less appealing than it initially seems. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that there’s a considerable cost for teams that attempt to rebuild regularly.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com explains how the Mariners could be viewed as both winners and losers following their deal with Hernandez. There's no ambiguity about the significance of the deal for Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and David Price, however; those three pitchers could be positioned for $200MM contracts, as Olney notes.
  • Verlander exclaimed "Holy cow!" after hearing the news of Hernandez's deal with the Mariners, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Verlander will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season, and Nightengale notes that Verlander could be "baseball's first $200 million pitcher."
  • Mike MacDougal will throw a bullpen for interested teams in Tempe this coming Tuesday, MLBTR has learned. The 35-year-old right-hander appeared in just seven games with Dodgers in 2012, but he posted a 2.05 ERA in 69 appearances with Los Angeles in 2011.
  • The Padres should "seriously think" about trading Chase Headley before the start of the regular season, ESPN.com's Jim Bowden writes (subscription-only). Bowden notes that Headley is a free agent after 2014, and that he and the Padres haven't found common ground on a contract extension. Bowden lists the Reds, Mariners, Pirates, Blue Jays, Angels, Yankees and Tigers as possible trade destinations for Headley.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports lists the Blue Jays, Reds, Nationals and Braves as winners this offseason, while placing the Rangers, Brewers and Yankees among the losers. The Blue Jays top the list of winners after trading for Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey.
  • Last night Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts and I discussed the Hernandez deal and the most improved teams in the league on the latest edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast. 

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Padres Designate Jeudy Valdez For Assignment

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The Padres have designated infielder Jeudy Valdez for assignment, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (on Twitter).  The move will allow the club to make room for Fautino De Los Santos, who was claimed off of waivers earlier today.

Valdez, 23, was promoted last season to Double-A San Antonio where he hit .225/.273/.364 in 507 plate appearances.  The youngster has seen a good deal of time at second base in the Padres' farm system but has spent the last two years at shortstop.

Padres Claim Fautino De Los Santos

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The Padres claimed right-hander Fautino De Los Santos off of waivers from Milwaukee, according to the Brewers. The Brewers officially announced the signing of Alex Gonzalez in a related move.

De Los Santos appeared in six games for the Athletics in 2012, pitching out of the bullpen. The A's traded the 26-year-old to Milwaukee last July in the deal that sent George Kottaras to Oakland. De Los Santos posted a 5.80 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings of relief work at Triple-A in 2012.

Minor Moves: Buschini, Burres, Pineiro

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We'll track the day's minor moves here…

  • The Padres signed second baseman Adam Buschini to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. The 25-year-old Buschini was a fourth-round pick of the Phillies in 2009 but hasn't appeared in affiliated ball since 2010. He spent this past season in the Australian Baseball League where he won the Triple Crown by hitting .363 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs.
  • Left-hander Brian Burres has agreed to sign with Taiwan's Lamigo Monkeys, agent Marc Kligman tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The 31-year-old Burres has a 5.75 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 358 1/3 innings between the Orioles, Blue Jays and Pirates. 
  • The Orioles agreed to sign right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). The 34-year-old last-pitched at the MLB level with the 2011 Angels. Pineiro, who pitched in the Orioles' minor league system in 2012, had surgery to repair a SLAP tear in his right shoulder last July.
  • The Orioles also completed a minor league deal with left-hander Mark Hendrickson, Connolly reports. Hendrickson, the former NBA player who pitched with Baltimore from 2009-11, recently threw bullpen sessions for Orioles personnel. The 38-year-old is now pitching sidearm as he attempts to return to the MLB level for the first time since 2011. 
  • The Indians have agreed to sign Jeremy Hermida to a minor league contract, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). Hermida played for the Padres in 2012, appearing in 13 games. The 29-year-old was regarded as a top prospect early in his professional career and he hit 18 home runs for the 2007 Marlins, but he hasn't produced on offense in the past three seasons. Hermida, a first round pick in 2002, bats from the left side.

Chase Headley Discusses Extension Talks

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Chase Headley avoided arbitration with the Padres by agreeing to a one-year, $8.575MM contract for 2013, and it has been widely assumed that the club would also explore a multiyear extension with its third baseman.  San Diego GM Josh Byrnes said that the two sides had tabled extension talks for now, and Headley confirmed that there was a significant gap between his demands and what the Padres were willing to offer.

“We talked about a long-term contract briefly at the start of these negotiations,” Headley told Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It was a quick discussion. We weren’t on the same page right from the start. This close to free agency, it has to be a good deal for us. You can’t sacrifice what’s fair.

“If we can do something that makes sense, I’d love to stay a Padre.”

Headley, 28, has one remaining arb-eligible year and is set to become a free agent following the 2014 season.  Over 70.1% of voters in a recent MLBTR Poll said that the Padres would be wise to lock Headley up to a long-term contract, and while the team has had trouble keeping its top stars over the years, the Padres' new ownership group is known to want to reverse this trend, beginning with Headley.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested earlier this offseason that Headley could command a four-year deal worth between $41-$50MM.

Quick Hits: Headley, Wells, Lowe, A-Rod, Mariners

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Earlier tonight, the Padres avoided arbitration with Chase Headley by agreeing to a one-year, $8.575MM deal.  The third baseman is under team control through 2015 and General Manager Josh Byrnes started dialogue with Headley's representatives about a contract extension earlier this winter, writes MLB.com's Corey Brock.  However, those talks have been tabled for now.  "We couldn't frame it up where it made sense for both sides," Byrnes said.  In today's poll, nearly 70% of MLBTR readers said that it would make sense to lock Headley up long-term.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Dodgers, Blue Jays, Angels, Tigers, Orioles, Brewers, and Athletics were in Peoria, Arizona today to watch Kip Wells, Mark Lowe, and Ryan Rowland-Smith throw, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  Wells, 35, made seven starts for the Padres last season and posted a 4.58 ERA with 20 walks and 19 strikeouts.
  • The Yankees can dream about getting out from under Alex Rodriguez's contract, but there is very little chance of it happening, writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.  Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the Yankees could pay just 15% of the $114MM owed to A-Rod if his hip injury is diagnosed as career-ending and he misses the entire season.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (video link) has a gut feeling that aces Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez, and Justin Verlander will work out new contracts with their respective clubs before they get the chance to hit the open market.
  • The Mariners need to add a dependable starting pitcher, opines Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  Baker suggests that the M's should try and swing a trade for the Dodgers' Chris Capuano by sending Franklin Gutierrez back to the club where he started his pro baseball career.
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