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Daisuke Matuszaka Interested In Pitching For Padres

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The walls are coming in at spacious Petco Park this offseason, but that hasn't stopped one reclamation project pitcher from wanting to play there. Daisuke Matsuzaka has interest in pitching for the Padres next season according to Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune, and money is not the biggest factor for the right-hander.

Matsuzaka, 32, pitched to an 8.28 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 45 2/3 innings this season after returning from Tommy John surgery. Center says the former Red Sox hurler seemed to enjoy both San Diego and Petco Park while playing there in the World Baseball Classic. The Padres reportedly have a list of starting pitchers they're targeting this offseason, but it's unclear if Dice-K is on it.

Padres Notes: Haren, Marcum, Trades

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Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune shares a few Padres hot stove items in his weekly chat with readers…

  • The Padres are interested in Dan Haren, though "it's going to be a wait and see game" if Haren is available in San Diego's price range.  We've heard that teams are hesitant to offer Haren more than two years due to lingering questions about Haren's health, so the Padres could get an edge by offering Haren two years (or even two years with an option).  Haren is from southern California and has "an excellent working relationship" with Padres GM Josh Byrnes from their time together with the Diamondbacks.
  • Shaun Marcum is the Padres' secondary pitching target after Haren, Center reports.
  • Center thinks the Padres are more likely to acquire a starting pitcher in a trade rather than in free agency, which fits with what Byrnes told MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith earlier this month at the General Managers' meetings.  Center thinks if the Padres traded for a lower-tier, "classic risk-reward acquisition" pitcher like Ubaldo Jimenez, the club could have more payroll space left to sign the likes of a Haren.
  • The Padres aren't likely to pick up a major bat this winter, Center believes.
  • Center also shoots down the likelihood of the Padres trading for Giancarlo Stanton, Jeremy Hellickson and Ricky Nolasco, with the first two carrying too great a cost in prospects while Nolasco is too expensive and only under contract through 2013.

Padres Designate Cory Burns For Assignment

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The Padres have designated right-hander Cory Burns for assignment, according to a club press release.  In corresponding moves, the Friars purchased the contracts of outfielder Yeison Asencio, outfielder Jaff Decker and right-hander Adys Portillo.

Originally an eighth-round pick of the Indians in the 2009 amateur draft, Burns joined the Padres last December in the trade that sent Aaron Cunningham Cleveland.  Burns made his Major League debut in 2012, posting a 5.50 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 18 relief innings for San Diego.  Burns has been impressive in the minors, with a career 2.36 ERA, 5.12 K/BB ratio and an 11.2 K/9 rate in 184 minor league games, all out of the bullpen.

Padres Exercise Bud Black’s 2014-15 Options

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The Padres have exercised the 2014 and 2015 club options they hold on manager Bud Black, the team announced via Twitter.

Since taking over for former manager (and now division rival) Bruce Bochy prior to the 2007 season, Black has managed the team to a 464-509 record. That six-year run includes a surprising near-playoff berth in 2010 when the Padres, who many had projected to finish in last place, finished with a 90-72 record. That surprising playoff push was enough to earn Black NL Manager of the Year honors in 2010.

In a press release issued by the team, GM Josh Byrnes offers high praise for Black:

“Buddy has a keen insight into team dynamics and creates a great environment for the players and coaching staff,” said Byrnes.  “He is a gifted leader with a terrific mind for the game and a genuine interest and curiosity related to all areas of our organization.”

The Padres finished up the season going 49-37, and that .570 winning percentage under Black's leadership was the fifth best in all of Major League Baseball from June 28 on.

Padres, Blanks Avoid Arbitration

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The Padres avoided arbitration with Kyle Blanks, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). The Sosnick/Cobbe client will earn $605K in 2013.

Blanks, 26, appeared in just four games this past season, undergoing season-ending labrum surgery in April. The right-handed hitter has a career batting line of .219/.316/.421 with 20 home runs in 488 career plate appearances. Matt Swartz's projections for MLBTR had Blanks at $600K, so the agreed upon salary doesn't come as a surprise.

Padres Acquire Ross For Parrino, Werner

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The Padres announced that they acquired right-hander Tyson Ross and infielder A.J. Kirby-Jones from the A's for infielder Andy Parrino and left-hander Andrew Werner. None of the four players have enough service time to be arbitration eligible.

Ross started 13 games and made five relief appearances for the Athletics this past season. The 25-year-old posted a 6.50 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 73 1/3 innings. The 2012 campaign was Ross' third at the MLB level. Ross is the older brother of Joe Ross, the right-hander selected by the Padres in the first round of the 2011 draft.

Kirby-Jones, 24, played at Class A this past season. The first baseman has a .248/.384/.448 batting line over the course of his three-year minor league career.

Parrino appeared in 55 games for the Padres in 2012, playing shortstop, second base, third base and right field. The 27-year-old switch hitter posted a .207/.316/.276 batting line in 138 plate appearances.

Werner debuted with the Padres this past season, starting eight games at the MLB level. The 25-year-old posted a 5.58 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 40 1/3 innings with San Diego. He signed with the Padres as an amateur free agent two years ago.

 

West Notes: Headley, Gregerson, Dodgers, Iwakuma

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Today we celebrate Veterans Day, a day to recognize every person who serves our nation valiantly in the defense of our freedom and liberty whether it be in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, or National Guard. Thank you kindly to all who have served and are currently serving at home and overseas. John Schlegel of MLB.com explains how the national pastime is forever linked with the nation's armed forces and uses, as an example, the statue of Jerry Coleman erected by the Padres this past September. The pose wasn't inspired by Coleman's playing days or by his Hall of Fame broadcasting career, but of his tour of duty as a Marine pilot during World War II. Here's the latest news on the Padres and the other NL and AL West division teams:

Byrnes On Free Agency, Padres

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At this point in the offseason, when the free agent market features impact players capable of improving any club, it’s easy to forget that some teams can’t rely on free agency — especially not in early November, when asking prices are high and bargains have yet to emerge. Padres general manager Josh Byrnes is considering free agents, but at this point he ranks free agency third in importance behind trades and developing internally.

“Is it going to happen through trade or free agency or patience? Probably a little bit of all, but probably not as much in free agency as some people think,” Byrnes told MLBTR at the GM Meetings in Indian Wells. 

Six of the Padres’ starting pitchers — Cory Luebke, Andrew Cashner, Anthony Bass, Casey Kelly, Joe Wieland and Robbie Erlin — recently dealt with injuries, which makes it difficult to project the 2013 rotation (Wieland and Luebke are recovering from Tommy John surgery). The Padres could look to obtain some certainty by supplementing their rotation with free agents. If they do pursue players on the open market, they might choose to do so relatively late in the offseason. Often team-friendly deals emerge in January or even February.

“That’s certainly recent history,” Byrnes said. “When I was in Arizona we signed guys like [Adam] LaRoche or [Jon] Garland late in the offseason. The early offseason is usually the heavyweights financially but we have to stay active and know what’s out there and, as I said, be patient and disciplined.”

Byrnes said the Padres will remain flexible in case the unexpected occurs and it becomes advantageous to change plans. For now it doesn’t sound as though those plans are oriented around the free agent market.

Padres Rumors: Headley, Grandal, Int’l Signings

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Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes says that he doesn't expect Chase Headley to be traded this winter, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Padres like their offense and want to keep it in tact, but will look to bolster their pitching this offseason.  Here's more out of San Diego..

  • Speaking of Headley, a baseball source tells Corey Brock of MLB.com that no discussions about a multi-year have taken place yet between him and the club.  Earlier this week, it was reported that the third baseman had some extension talks with Byrnes & Co.  Headley is set to hit the open market after the 2014 season.
  • Byrnes indicated to Morosi (via Twitter) that he's unlikely to look for a starting catcher after the suspension of Yasmani Grandal.  Instead, the Padres will work with Nick Hundley and John Baker during Grandal's 50-game suspension.
  • The Padres have signed four amateur prospects from Latin America, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Dominican outfielder Euri Minaya, a 6-foot-4, 200 pound power hitter, was the biggest signing of the bunch at $700K.

White Sox Acquire Blake Tekotte

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5:28pm: The Padres will receive right-hander Brandon Kloess as the player to be named later in the deal, according to Sosnick Cobbe Sports (via Twitter).  Kloess, 28 in December, split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season in the White Sox's system.  In total, Kloess posted a 2.69 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in three starts and 34 relief appearances.

3:37pm: The White Sox have acquired Blake Tekotte from the Padres for a player to be named later, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). San Diego designated the speedy outfielder for assignment last week.

Tekotte, 25, has hit .163/.226/.224 in 55 plate appearances for the Padres over the last two years. He's a .269/.355/.445 career hitter at the minor league level. Baseball America ranked Tekotte as San Diego's 15th best prospect before the season in their Prospect Handbook, saying he "makes enough contact against lefties and fields well enough to remain relevant as a potential center-field regular"

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