Padres Rumors

NL West Notes: Theriot, Padres, Diamondbacks

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 23, 2012 at 7:57am CDT

Jamie Moyer pitched four perfect innings against the Giants last night, and the 49-year-old's teammates were impressed with his approach, even if the opposition wasn't intimidated by his 80mph offerings. "To be able to move and get on the field, much less compete, is amazing,'' Michael Cuddyer told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Here are some more notes from the NL West…

Ryan Theriot’s $1.25MM contract becomes guaranteed if the Giants don’t remove him from the roster by March 29th, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. If they cut the infielder within the week, they’ll only owe him $312.5K, but the decision’s about more than the bottom line. Freddy Sanchez may start the season on the disabled list, and the Giants may want to bench Brandon Crawford against tough lefties. In other words, having Theriot on the roster could prove useful.
Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres offers a Q&A about the Padres' leadership in light of Jeff Moorad's decision to step down as the club's CEO. Krasovic hears that the Padres "are headed to another owner" than Moorad or current owner John Moores.
Yahoo's Tim Brown makes the case that the next Dodgers owner would do well to keep manager Don Mattingly in place.
Manager Kirk Gibson says the Diamondbacks are "underdogs" entering the season, Mike Bauman of MLB.com writes. "That's just the kind of attitude you've got to take. You can't anything for granted," Gibson said. The Diamondbacks won the NL West with 94 regular season wins in 2011 and seem poised for another strong season.
Rockies third base prospect Nolan Arenado should be at the Major League level before long, even though he probably won't be on the Opening Day roster Heyman tweets.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Padres, D’Backs, Montero

By Zachary Links | March 22, 2012 at 7:47pm CDT

Earlier this evening, Jeff Moorad stepped down as the CEO of the Padres. Here's more on the situation in San Diego and other notes from the National League West..

Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire spoke to Doug Miller of MLB.com about Hideo Nomo and his impact on how Japanese players were received by MLB.
Multiple owners indicated they would not support Jeff Moorad’s attempt to purchase the Padres, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi opines that the world of MLB ownership is highly political.
It's hard not to speculate that the losing Dodgers bidders might look into purchasing the Padres, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. One longtime MLB executive agrees with that assessment, according to Morosi (via Twitter).
Steve Gilbert of MLB.com isn't overly optimistic about the Diamondbacks getting a new deal done with catcher Miguel Montero. Some believe that Yadier Molina's contract could jack Montero's price up to about $12MM annually.
The Dodgers DFA'd Ramon Troncoso earlier this evening to make room for Ronald Belisario and Dave Cameron of Fangraphs (via Twitter) likes the reliever as a low-cost pickup. Troncoso was once a staple of the Dodgers' bullpen but saw limited time in the majors in 2011.

Heyman On Lannan, Rangers, Pirates, Padres

By Zachary Links | March 22, 2012 at 6:05pm CDT

Here’s a look at the latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..

The Tigers are still showing interest in Nationals left-hander John Lannan, Heyman writes. Tigers people believe that they can find a solid fifth starter from the young pitchers that are competing for the spot, but owner Mike Ilitch’s win-now attitude could lead the team to deal for the Nats hurler. Washington might be less eager to deal Lannan in the wake of Chien-Ming Wang’s hamstring injury but they could move Lannan and plug Ross Detwiler in the No. 5 slot.
The Rangers are in the market for a righty hitting outfielder, Heyman tweets. Texas has plenty of pitching depth to dangle in front of teams but might prefer to hold on to their surplus.
The Pirates would like to shore up their catching situation and also add a lefty reliever to the mix, according to Heyman (via Twitter).
Padres’ CEO Jeff Moorad stepped down from his role because he realized that he wouldn’t have enough votes to back him, tweets Heyman. Padres president and COO Tom Garfinkel is now set to assume CEO duties on an interim basis.

Jeff Moorad Steps Down As Padres CEO

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 22, 2012 at 4:07pm CDT

Jeff Moorad has stepped down as the Padres' CEO, the team announced. President and COO Tom Garfinkel will assume CEO duties on an interim basis, while Moorad will stay on as vice chairman and oversee the Padres' relationship with FOX Sports San Diego.

Moorad recently dropped his application to become the controlling partner of the Padres. He had two years remaining to complete his purchase of the team, but he appeared to be having trouble winning over MLB owners and obtaining their support. In the meantime, John Moores still owns the club.

One club source told Dan Hayes of the North County Times (via Twitter) that Garfinkel has been running club all along and the move doesn't hurt the club in terms of stability or strength.

Quick Hits: Forbes, Padres, Felix, Athletics

By Mark Polishuk | March 21, 2012 at 11:10pm CDT

Forbes Magazine calculates the Yankees (unsurprisingly) as the most valuable franchise in baseball, worth an estimated $1.85 billion. The second-place team on the list are (somewhat surprisingly) the Dodgers at $1.4 billion, up nearly 75% in value from last year as Forbes predicts the team's forthcoming sale and new TV contract will return it to top-tier status. The Forbes list also reveals which teams lost value from last year and which didn't turn a profit in 2011, as well as looking at how cable TV deals are changing the economics of the game.

Some other news from around the majors…

Yasmani Grandal is happy that Padres teammate and fellow catcher Nick Hundley received a contract extension but isn't worried that Hundley's deal impacts his own future with the club, reports Dan Hayes of the North County Times. "It doesn't matter if somebody got a deal or not. You never know what could happen," Grandal said. "They could get traded or you could get traded. I'm not only playing for one organization. I'm playing for the 29 others that are out there. That's one way I see it, and if it's not meant to be it's not meant to be. If I don't make it to the big leagues with this club I can make it with any other team."
Hundley's reasonable contract could make him a strong trade candidate, opines Dave Cameron of Fangraphs, who the Padres could deal this summer if Grandal has a strong first half at Triple-A.
Felix Hernandez says he is asked about his future with the Mariners in almost every interview, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, and joked he might hang a banner reading "I'm not going anywhere" over his locker.
The Athletics are thus far very pleased with the four prospects (Tom Milone, Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole and Derek Norris) they received from the Nationals in the Gio Gonzalez trade, reports Jeff Fletcher for the Washington Times.
Matthew Eddy of Baseball America recaps the week's minor league transactions.
Vernon Wells thinks the Blue Jays could make "exceptions" to their policy of not offering contracts longer than five years, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Ironically, Wells' seven-year, $126MM deal with Toronto in 2006 is no doubt a major reason why the current Jays management team has adopted this policy.
Some newly-hired bench bosses make FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal's annual list of managers on the hot seat, including Ozzie Guillen and Bobby Valentine.

Padres Extend Nick Hundley

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 20, 2012 at 3:58pm CDT

The Padres and catcher Nick Hundley agreed to terms on a three-year extension, the team announced. The deal covers the 2012-14 seasons and includes a club option for 2015. Athletes First represents Hundley, who drew praise from his new GM.

“Nick has developed into one of our club’s core players,” Josh Byrnes said. “He impacts the game on both offense and defense and has evolved into a leader on the field and in the clubhouse.”

Hundley had agreed to a one-year, $2MM salary via arbitration this offseason and was on track for free agency following the 2014 season. This means San Diego extends its control of Hundley by up to one season with today's agreement. Hundley will earn $2MM in 2012, $3MM in 2013 and $4MM in 2014, MLB.com's Corey Brock reports (Twitter links). The club option is worth $5MM and doesn't include a buyout, so it's a three-year, $9MM deal.

Hundley has a .255/.314/.420 career line in four MLB seasons, including a .288/.347/.477 line last year. 72% of stolen base attempts against the 28-year-old have been successful to this point in his career.

As Mike Axisa pointed out when talks heated up over the weekend, catchers such as Kurt Suzuki (four years, $16.25MM), Yadier Molina (four years, $15.5MM), Carlos Ruiz (three years, $8.85MM) and Chris Iannetta (three years, $8.3MM) signed extensions when they had between three and four years of service time. Iannetta and Ruiz were likely comparables for Hundley's deal.

Corey Brock of MLB.com first reported the deal. Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Quick Hits: Padres, Nishioka, Giants, DeWitt

By Mark Polishuk | March 19, 2012 at 11:29pm CDT

Here's a wrap-up of news from around baseball as we head into Tuesday….

A number of teams have asked the Padres about their bench players, but the Friars are "inclined" to keep them, reports Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link). Everth Cabrera is one of the players who has been asked about, and Hayes presumes Jesus Guzman is another.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka's demotion to Triple-A has Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities radio pointing the finger at both Nishioka and at Twins management for signing the Japanese shortstop and letting J.J. Hardy leave.
The Giants' rise to prominence has been fueled by their homegrown stars, writes Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle, and the team could be a couple of years away from having almost an entire roster comprised of players drafted and developed internally.
Gregor Blanco is a virtual "stone-cold lock" to make the Giants' Opening Day roster, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Signed to a minor league deal in November, Blanco has had a huge Spring Training and seemingly has a backup outfield spot sewn up.
Cubs utilityman Blake DeWitt's name "has come up in recent trade rumors," according to Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago. DeWitt has played mostly second and third in his career, though he appeared in 23 games in left field for the Cubs last season. DeWitt could be a possibility for teams looing for infield depth like the Phillies, Athletics or Twins.
With the Madoff trustee lawsuit now settled, Andrew Keh of the New York Times wonders if the Mets might now be able to explore keeping David Wright with the team long-term and notes that such a move would help sooth the team's disillusioned fanbase.

Quick Hits: Mariners, Beras, Rockies, Padres, Peavy

By Mike Axisa | March 17, 2012 at 10:08pm CDT

Here are some links from the around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…

The Mariners could probably afford to trade one of their third base prospects, muses Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Seattle has Kyle Seager, Alex Liddi, Francisco Martinez, and Vinnie Catricala at the hot corner.
MLB is still investigating the signing of Dominican outfielder Jairo Beras by the Rangers, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. Beras agreed to a $4.5MM deal last month, but there are questions about his age and eligibility to sign.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote about the unique construction of the Rockies' roster. The team added high-character positions players to a largely unproven group of young starters this offseason.
Dan Hayes of The North County Times reports (on Twitter) that the Padres still expect to have their new television deal with FOX Sports San Diego finalized within the "next few weeks or sooner."
"If I can't stay healthy for 200 innings, if somebody says something about closing or being a reliever, I can do that, I can be a reliever," said White Sox starter Jake Peavy to MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom. "If it comes down to that, I'll do it because I love this game."
“I know that I want to make the right decision,” said Yankees closer Mariano Rivera to reporters (including Chad Jennings of The Journal News) today following Andy Pettitte's return. “That’s what I want to do. When I make the right decision, I don’t want to come back or say, ‘I should have done it’ or ‘I should have stayed.’ I want to be 1000% sure that it’s the right decision."Rivera hinted at retirement last month.

Poll: Best Trade Package For A Young Pitcher

By Mike Axisa | March 17, 2012 at 8:37pm CDT

When the offseason started, we figured it would be headlined by a pair of MVP caliber bats (Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder) and a Japanese import (Yu Darvish). While those three certainly garnered their fair share of attention, the winter was mostly dominated by trades involving young, high-upside pitchers with multiple years of team control remaining.

The Doug Fister trade seemed to get it all started. The Mariners sent him and David Pauley to the Tigers for Francisco Martinez, Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush, and Chance Ruffin at the trade deadline. Four similar young, high-upside starters with multiple years of contractual control remaining were traded this offseason. Here are those deals, presented chronologically…

Athletics trade Trevor Cahill (and Craig Breslow) to the Diamondbacks for Jarrod Parker, Collin Cowgill, and Ryan Cook.
Padres trade Mat Latos to the Reds for Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso, and Brad Boxberger.
Athletics trade Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals for Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole, Tom Milone, and Derek Norris.
Mariners trade Michael Pineda (and Jose Campos) to the Yankees for Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi.

Each trade involved multiple young players going the other way, including at least one top 100 prospect according to Baseball America. Which team got the best return for their young hurler?

Which team received the best return for their young pitcher?

Padres for Latos 43.84% (8,892 votes)

Mariners for Pineda 29.81% (6,046 votes)

Athletics for Gonzalez 20.16% (4,090 votes)

Athletics for Cahill 6.19% (1,255 votes)

Total Votes: 20,283

Trade Candidates: Tim Stauffer & Dustin Moseley

By Mike Axisa | March 17, 2012 at 6:56pm CDT

The Padres won 90 games in 2010, but they fell back into the NL West cellar in 2011. They changed GMs this offseason and traded ace Mat Latos to the Reds for a package of three young players and Edinson Volquez. New GM Josh Byrnes also bought low on Carlos Quentin and Huston Street, but a lot will have to go right for San Diego to return to contention this season.

ESPN.com and Baseball Prospectus agree that the Padres have the best farm system in baseball, and they're going to have a prospect-heavy Triple-A rotation led by three of their ten best minor leaguers: Casey Kelly, Robbie Erlin, and Joe Wieland. Kelly came over in the Adrian Gonzalez trade while both Erlin and Wieland came from the Rangers in the Mike Adams deal. With that kind of talent waiting in Triple-A, Byrnes figures to be able to shop a starter or two for more young players at midseason.

The 29-year-old Tim Stauffer (pictured) was San Diego's Opening Day starter last season. He finally made it through his first full season as a big league starter in 2011, eight years after being the fourth overall pick in the draft. He pitched to a 3.73 ERA in 185 2/3 innings spread across 31 starts, relying on ground balls (51.8%) and control (2.57 BB/9) rather than strikeouts (6.20 K/9). Stauffer did appear to hit a bit of wall in mid-August and finished the season on the shelf with arm stiffness, but he's healthy now and ready to go.

Dustin Moseley, 30, was enjoying a bit of a breakout year in 2011 before dislocating his left (non-throwing) shoulder swinging a bat in late-July, which ended his season. Before the injury he'd pitched to a 3.30 ERA in 20 starts (120 IP). Like Stauffer, he's a ground ball (49.5%) and control (2.70 BB/9) guy, not a strikeout guy (4.80 K/9). Also like Stauffer, Moseley is healthy now and will begin the season on time and in the rotation.

Stauffer and Moseley aren't the biggest of names, but they'll have plenty of trade value if they carry their 2011 performance over into 2012. The former will earn $3.2MM this year and the latter just $2.0125MM, plus both guys will remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible players in 2013. With expensive hurlers like Joe Blanton ($8.5MM) and John Lannan ($5MM) highlighting the current pitching trade market, Stauffer and Moseley could look very attractive at their salaries come June and July.

The Padres have plenty of young pitching on the way, so they should be able to replace a starter if they make any trades this year. They can always count on Petco Park to help their pitchers perform a little better than they probably should as well. Both Stauffer and Moseley are unspectacular but effective when healthy, and we've seen similar pitchers like Jake Westbrook and Ted Lilly fetch nice returns at the deadline in recent years. The San Diego duo is both younger and cheaper, and new ten-team playoff system could mean more clubs will be in contention and looking for rotation help this summer.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

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