Padres Rumors

Blue Jays, Marlins Pursuing Heath Bell

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | December 1, 2011 at 12:55pm CDT

12:55pm: The Blue Jays are pursuing Bell, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Marlins and one other club are also involved. One executive of a team interested in Bell told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Blue Jays seem to be the favorites for the closer, whose heart may remain in San Diego (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 11:00am: The Marlins are making a serious run at Bell, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. They have strong interest in the right-hander, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). Two other teams are in on Bell, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 11:55pm: Bell wrote on his personal Twitter account that there's nothing going on: "The most exciting thing that happened today..put up my Christmas lights. No news people."

11:34pm: Bell told MLB.com's Corey Brock that he hasn't heard from his agent about a deal (Twitter link).

11:07pm: Heath Bell is nearing a deal with an unknown team, according to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com (Twitter link). It will not cost a draft pick to sign Bell, a Type A free agent, even though the Padres offered him arbitration last week. San Diego would obtain two top 2012 draft picks if Bell signs elsewhere.

Bell posted a 2.44 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 62 2/3 innings this past season. The Angels and Red Sox are interested in the 34-year-old ACES client, who would prefer to remain on the West Coast. The Blue Jays, Mets, Reds and Marlins may also sign closers this offseason. The Padres offered Bell a two-year deal, but don't appear to be optimistic about their chances of retaining him. CloserNews.com has the latest fantasy baseball-related updates on relief pitchers.

Mets Interested In Rauch, Lidge, Bailey

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 30, 2011 at 10:30pm CDT

Mets GM Sandy Alderson is searching for a closer, but that’s by no means his team's lone offseason need. Here’s the latest, as the Mets work to build their first playoff team since 2006…

Free agent relievers Jon Rauch and Brad Lidge are “strong” on the Mets’ radar, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter).
The Mets inquired on Andrew Bailey, but they don’t seem to be willing to meet Oakland’s asking price, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter). The Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners and Reds are also interested in the former AL Rookie of the Year.
Though previous Mets administrations liked Orlando Hudson and he’s now “very available,” the Mets aren’t currently interested, according to Sherman (Twitter link). The Padres owe Hudson $5.5MM in 2012 and the team has an $8MM option for 2013 ($2MM buyout).

Rockies Notes: Prado, Millwood, Hudson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 30, 2011 at 7:15pm CDT

The Rockies have been busy this evening. They traded Chris Iannetta to the Angels for Tyler Chatwood and agreed to terms with Ramon Hernandez on a two-year deal. Here are the rest of the day’s notes on the Rockies:

The Rockies remain hopeful of obtaining Martin Prado from the Braves, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes.
There’s a decent chance Kevin Millwood re-signs with the Rockies this offseason, according to Renck (on Twitter).
The Rockies have offered Seth Smith to the Braves, but they don’t have interest in packaging him with Tim Wheeler or Charlie Blackmon.
The Rockies and Padres haven’t made any progress on a possible deal for Orlando Hudson.
Rival teams say the Rockies would like a Double-A or Triple-A pitcher for Ian Stewart.

13 Teams Eligible For First Competitive Balance Lottery

By Tim Dierkes | November 30, 2011 at 11:27am CDT

The new collective bargaining agreement calls for a competitive balance draft pick lottery beginning in 2013, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has details. 13 teams will be eligible for the first lottery based on their market size and revenue: the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Royals, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers, and Cardinals. The lottery gives each of these teams the chance to win one of six extra picks in the 2013 draft, which will come after the compensation picks for free agents. The odds of winning a pick will be based on each team's winning percentage in the previous season.

There will be another group of six picks after the draft's second round. The teams in the mix for these will be the ones that did not win a pick in the first lottery, as well as any other team that receives revenue sharing.

Mayo says lottery picks can be traded, but only once by a team and only during the regular season. The picks cannot be sold for cash.

A third lottery will be held for picks forfeited by teams that exceeded their bonus pools. Teams that did not exceed their pools will be eligible, with odds based on a formula of revenue and winning percentage. Got all that? There will be a quiz tomorrow.

Quick Hits: Jaso, Orioles, Byrnes, Rivera

By Zachary Links | November 27, 2011 at 10:36pm CDT

Sunday evening linkage..

Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner takes a look at the newest member of the Mariners, John Jaso. The M's traded pitcher Josh Lueke to the Rays for Jaso earlier this evening, and Cameron likes the move for Seattle.
The Orioles have hired Gary Rajsich of the Blue Jays to be the club's new amateur scouting director, an industry source told Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Rajsich, 57, has been with the Blue Jays since 2009 but spent most of his scouting career with Boston, where he worked with O's GM Dan Duquette.
Don Norcross of the San Diego Union-Tribune spent some time with Josh Byrnes and found that the recently-appointed Padres GM is extremely optimistic about the club's future. When speaking to Norcross in his Petco Park office, Byrnes had one of his computer screens locked to MLBTradeRumors.
Yankees skipper Joe Girardi says that he isn't so sure that this will be Mariano Rivera's final season, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. The closer will celebrate his 42nd birthday on Tuesday.
Bud Selig, the same commissioner who canceled the World Series in 1994 in order to crush the union, deserves props for seeing the error of his ways and dramatically changing them, writes Ken Davidoff of Newsday. However, Davidoff isn't a fan of the limits on amateur spending and doesn't see the point of HGH testing.
On the other hand, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald argues that the newly-implemented HGH testing is a striking example of how far the sport has come in recognizing its issues with performance-enhancing drugs.
Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer likes that MLB will be adding an additional wild card team in each league. The new system, he writes, puts an emphasis on winning the division, which only brings integrity to the 162-game season.

Quick Hits: Davis, CBA, Smith, Darvish

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 25, 2011 at 11:17pm CDT

On this date in 2005, the Marlins sent Carlos Delgado and $7MM to the Mets for Mike Jacobs and prospects Yusmeiro Petit and Grant Psomas. It doesn't appear that any blockbusters will take place today, but we do have some links to go along with those leftovers…

The Athletics have hired Chili Davis to be their new hitting coach, reports Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Maureen Mullen reported the news first (on Twitter).
John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle says baseball’s new labor deal is a win for the players.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out that the high turnover in MLB front offices could lead to increased player movement this offseason. Some general managers become attached to players they’ve obtained, but it’s easier for new GMs to deal players acquired by a previous leadership group.
Randy Smith told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that he’d like to become a general manager again. Smith became the youngest GM in baseball history when the Padres hired him as a 29-year-old in 1993. He went on to become the Tigers' GM before returning to the Padres, where he's now the international scouting and player development director.
Yu Darvish is still likely to be posted this offseason, though we won’t know officially for a couple of weeks, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). A source close to Darvish told Morosi that it's "more likely than not" that the 25-year-old will pitch in the Major Leagues next year.

Padres Notes: Quentin, Bell, Baker, Scouting

By Mark Polishuk | November 24, 2011 at 6:47pm CDT

The Padres have Carlos Quentin "on their list of possibilities" for an offseason trade, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It seems like a good match, given that the White Sox are thought to have Quentin on the market and the Padres are looking for a corner outfielder. Center mentions elsewhere in his chat with readers that given the Padres' difficulty in luring free agent hitters to Petco Park, a trade would be the club's best chance to add that desired corner outfield help.

Quentin has posted a .257/.352/.505 line over the last four seasons in Chicago, though it remains to be seen how his bat and his glove (a career UZR/150 of -9.3, though this metric also shows Quentin was an above-average defensive right fielder in 2011) would play in spacious Petco Park. If Quentin was acquired, he and Cameron Maybin would play every day, with Center including Chris Denorfia, Jesus Guzman, Kyle Blanks, Mark Kotsay and Will Venable all in the mix at the other corner outfield spot.

Some other news about the Friars…

Also from Center, GM Josh Byrnes is "actively talking trade with a number of clubs." Center lists Maybin, Nick Hundley, Mat Latos and Anthony Rizzo as "the only players who I believe are close to untouchable."
Former Padres GM Jed Hoyer tells Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres that the new collective bargaining agreement played a big role in the club's decision to keep Heath Bell at last summer's trade deadline. "We checked with MLB several times to make sure the compensation system wouldn't be eliminated after the 2011 season," Hoyer said. "The value of the picks was the crux of our decision not to trade him in July or August. In our minds (and many people were involved in the decision), we never were offered anything all that close to the value of the draft picks in return." If Bell turns down San Diego's offer of arbitration and signs elsewhere, Bell's modified Type A status means that the Padres would receive a first-round pick in a slot directly ahead of Bell's new team, plus a supplementary round pick.
Writing for Fangraphs, Mike Axisa thinks the Padres got the better end of the recent John Baker-for-Wade LeBlanc trade.
The Padres' willingness to spend on their international scouting and development system is paying dividends, writes Dan Hayes of the North County Times.

National League Free Agent Arbitration Offers

By Tim Dierkes | November 23, 2011 at 10:48pm CDT

10 National League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make today, and we'll update them in this post in advance of the 11pm central time deadline. For a fantastic customizable chart with all 57 Type A/B free agents and their teams' decisions in real-time, click here.

Updated team decisions:

The Giants won't offer arbitration to Pat Burrell (B) or Cody Ross (B) according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Carlos Beltran (A) contractually cannot be offered arbitration.
The Dodgers declined to offer Hiroki Kuroda (B) arbitration, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). Rod Barajas (B) already signed with the Pirates.
The Pirates offered arbitration to Derrek Lee (B) while declining to offer Ryan Ludwick (B) and Chris Snyder (B) arbitration. Ryan Doumit (B) already signed with the Twins.
The Phillies did not offer Roy Oswalt (A) or Brad Lidge (B) arbitration, according to the AP (via ESPN). The team announced that it offered arbitration to Raul Ibanez (B), Ryan Madson (A, will not cost signing team a draft pick), and Jimmy Rollins (A), according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (via Twitter).
The Cubs offered arbitration to Carlos Pena (B) and Aramis Ramirez (B) but not to Kerry Wood (B), according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
The Cardinals offered Edwin Jackson (B) and Albert Pujols (A) arbitration, but declined to make offers to Rafael Furcal (B) and Arthur Rhodes (B), according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). That leaves Octavio Dotel (modified B, no arbitration offer necessary).
The Mets offered Jose Reyes (A) arbitration, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (on Twitter).
The Padres will offer arbitration to Heath Bell (A, will not cost signing team a draft pick) and Aaron Harang (B), tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
The Brewers offered Prince Fielder (A) and Francisco Rodriguez (A, will not cost signing team a draft pick) arbitration. They declined to offer Yuniesky Betancourt (B) arbitration. Takashi Saito (A), contractually cannot be offered arbitration.
The Braves did not offer arbitration to Alex Gonzalez (B), according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Teams with automatic decisions only:

Reds: Francisco Cordero (modified B, no arbitration offer necessary), Ramon Hernandez (modified B, no arbitration offer necessary)
Astros: Clint Barmes (B, already signed with Pirates)
Rockies: Mark Ellis (B, already signed with Dodgers)

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Sizemore, Padres, Chen

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 23, 2011 at 10:00pm CDT

Links for Wednesday night as we await arbitration decisions from the National and American Leagues…

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com surveyed this offseason's stronger-than-usual relief market with the help of many Major League GMs. The Red Sox aren’t desperate for a closer, because Daniel Bard and Bobby Jenks are already in their ‘pen, but GM Ben Cherington figures to explore the market for closers after losing Jonathan Papelbon to the Phillies.
The Phillies, Rockies and Cubs had more interest in Grady Sizemore than any teams except the Indians, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter links). Hoynes has the details on Sizemore’s incentives: the outfielder obtains $1MM if he reaches 500 plate appearances and $500K for every 25 plate appearances until he reaches 650.
The Padres aren’t likely to sign any free agent pitchers to Major League deals this offseason, according to MLB.com’s Corey Brock (on Twitter). Padres GM Josh Byrnes sent starter Wade LeBlanc to Miami yesterday.
The Rockies had mild interest in Bruce Chen before he re-signed in Kansas City, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
The Twins and Cubs were Chen’s primary suitors other than the Royals, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

Marlins, Padres Swap John Baker For Wade LeBlanc

By Mike Axisa | November 22, 2011 at 5:33pm CDT

The Marlins have traded catcher John Baker to the Padres for left-hander Wade LeBlanc, according to a press release from the Padres.

Baker, 31 in January, was mentioned as a non-tender candidate by Tim Dierkes last week. Our projections have the backstop earning $800K as a first time arbitration-eligible player in 2012. Baker had just two singles and two walks in 16 plate appearances this past season after recovering from Tommy John surgery, but the lefty swinger hit .273/.358/.406 with 14 homers in 744 plate appearances from 2008-2010. He's thrown out just 34 of 175 attempted base stealers as a big leaguer (19.4%).

The 27-year-old LeBlanc has made 52 starts (and two relief appearances) for the Padres over the last four seasons, pitching to a 4.54 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. He's an extreme fly ball pitcher, getting a ground ball just 34.7% of the time in his career. That works well in Petco Park, but it remains to be seen how the Marlins' new stadium will play. He owns a 4.64 ERA in 376 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.

Nick Hundley has battled injuries over the last three seasons, so Baker gives San Diego some depth behind the plate as well as a potential platoon partner. The Marlins were looking to add a lefty pitcher to their staff, reportedly inquiring on Gio Gonzalez, but LeBlanc also fits the bill. MLB.com's Corey Brock confirms that LeBlanc has minor league options remaining (Twitter link).

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Padres Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect