Padres Rumors

Padres Close To Deal With Chad Qualls

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 13, 2011 at 2:49pm CDT

The Padres are close to a deal with Chad Qualls, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The sides are nearing a one-year deal worth about $2MM that includes a club option for 2012, Morosi reports. Hendricks Sports represents Qualls.

Qualls, who drew interest from at least six teams this offseason, was looking for a one-year deal to rebuild his value, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. He posted a 7.32 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 for the Rays and D'Backs last year. The 32-year-old allowed 85 hits in 59 innings, but his ground ball rate was typically high (55%) and defense independent pitching stats like FIP and xFIP suggest Qualls should have had an ERA closer to 4.00.

When Padres GM Jed Hoyer listed his remaining offseason priorities earlier in the week, he said he had some interest in adding a reliever, a backup catcher and a left-handed hitter. The Padres have traded away many relievers this offseason, so the team's bullpen – a major strength in 2010 – is not as deep as it was a year ago. Adding Qualls would help offset the loss of Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica.

Since the Rays offered Qualls arbitration, they would obtain a supplementary first round pick for losing the Type B free agent. However, it would not cost the Padres anything to sign him.

NL West Notes: Padres, Belt, Sandoval, Rockies

By Mark Polishuk | January 12, 2011 at 10:19pm CDT

Some news about the defending World Series champs and their division rivals…

The Padres "remain open" to the idea of signing another Major League starter, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. This is just pure speculation, but of the five hurlers on Luke Adams' list of pitchers that could benefit from the NL, three (Jeremy Bonderman, Bruce Chen and Kevin Millwood) are still available and would likely be open to the idea of pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
Brandon Belt "has a legitimate chance" to win an everyday job playing first base or left field in San Francisco, writes MLB.com's Chris Haft. Belt, who turns 23 in April, has just one minor league season to his name, but he hit .352/.455/.620 in 595 plate appearances for the Giants' Class A, Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.
Pablo Sandoval has lost 17 pounds training with former Olympic decathlete Dan O'Brien and plans to lose more weight before the start of Spring Training, Rich Aurilia tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Sandoval was threatened with a demotion to the minors by GM Brian Sabean unless the "Kung Fu Panda" improved his conditioning this offseason.
The Rockies' big extensions with Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki put more pressure on the team's minor league system to produce low-cost, quality players, writes Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post.

Padres Could Add Reliever, Catcher, Bat

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 11, 2011 at 10:40am CDT

GM Jed Hoyer told MLB.com's Corey Brock that the Padres may still add a reliever, a backup catcher and a left-handed hitter (Twitter links). Hoyer said last night that his team has a payroll in the mid-$40MM range and some money to work with.

The Padres have traded away Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica, so the team's bullpen – a major strength in 2010 – is not as deep as it was a year ago. Early in the offseason, Hoyer told MLBTR that he would likely do his "damage" later on in the winter and it appears that the time has come to add a bullpen piece.

The Padres lost backstop Yorvit Torrealba to the Rangers and will rely on Nick Hundley to catch regularly. Former Mariners Rob Johnson and Guillermo Quiroz are possibilities to back Hundley up, or the team could add another catcher.

Bengie Molina and Gregg Zaun are the most recognizable free agents remaining, but teams like the Angels and Yankees have considerable depth behind the plate and are potential trading partners (though that's entirely speculative).

Padres, Jason Bartlett Agree To Two-Year Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 10, 2011 at 4:06pm CDT

The Padres avoided arbitration with Jason Bartlett and agreed to sign him to a two-year deal, the team announced. The sides agreed to an $11MM deal, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock and Bernie Wilson of the AP has the details on the LSW Baseball client (Twitter links). Bartlett earns $4MM in 2011, $5.5MM in 2012 and either $5.5MM or a $1.5MM buyout in 2013.

The agreement buys out Bartlett's final season as an arbitration eligible player and one free agent year. The shortstop, who arrived in San Diego in a December trade, earned $4MM last year and was due for a raise in 2011. Orlando Hudson signed in San Diego as a free agent for comparable money; he and Bartlett will man the middle of the Padres infield for the next two seasons.

After a 2009 season in which he made the All-Star team and batted .320/.389/.490, Bartlett slumped to .254/.324/.350 last year. The 31-year-old has stolen ten bases or more for five consecutive seasons and has a .281/.345/.385 line in parts of seven campaigns with the Twins and Rays. Bartlett was originally selected by the Padres in the 13th round of the 2001 Draft and signed by current Padres amateur scout Lane Decker.

Ryan Ludwick, Heath Bell, Tim Stauffer, Mike Adams and Chase Headley are the Padres' remaining arbitration eligible players, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows.

Discussion: Will Padres Give Bell A Multiyear Deal?

By Zachary Links | January 9, 2011 at 7:15pm CDT

Earlier this week, Padres closer Heath Bell told Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he hopes to remain with the club well beyond 2011. Bell, who earned $4MM in 2010 after avoiding arbitration, even went so far as to say that a new multiyear deal in San Diego would be his "dream". However, GM Jed Hoyer was non-committal when asked about Bell's future with the team.

"I'm sure a discussion of a multiyear contract for Heath will come up," Hoyer said. "[Bell's agent] and I have a good working relationship. We've touched on the subject although it's early."

Despite a great deal of speculation to the contrary, the Friars chose not to deal the 33-year-old after sending Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox. The Padres are willing to fork over between $6-7MM in arbitration to Bell this winter but Center writes that a three-year deal would easily top $20MM. It's hard to argue that the right-hander isn't worth the money after turning in a 1.93 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 67 games.

Right now the club is more or less done making moves for 2011 and their payroll sits at just over $40MM. A multiyear deal for Bell would swallow up a significant portion of their budget. Does it make sense for the Padres to give Bell that sort of contract when considering their limited funds?

Padres Notes: Cantu, Glaus, Catching

By Mark Polishuk | January 7, 2011 at 7:29pm CDT

You stay classy, San Diego! Here are some items about the Friars…

The Padres were known to be looking for a platoon partner for the newly-acquired Brad Hawpe at first base, and SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Jorge Cantu and Troy Glaus are candidates, though either is a "remote possibility." Heyman reported last month that the Padres were looking at Cantu and Glaus for their first base opening, and both still make sense given that Hawpe has only played nine games at first in his career.
In an MLB.com mailbag, Corey Brock writes that San Diego wanted to pick up another veteran catcher this winter, but John Buck's three-year, $18MM deal with Florida raised the price on the entire catching market. For instance, the Padres thought they had a good chance to sign free agent Rod Barajas, who ended up signing a surprisingly high $3.25MM deal with the Dodgers.
From that same mailbag, Brock says San Diego is looking to add a left-handed bat to come off the bench.

Padres’, Pirates’ Notable Non-Roster Invitees

By Dan Mennella | January 6, 2011 at 9:51pm CDT

The Padres and Pirates have announced their Spring Training non-roster invitees, write MLB.com's Corey Brock and Jenifer Langosch, respectively.

Among San Diego's 20 NRIs is a small handful of players with big-league experience and a decent chance of making the 25-man roster at the end of Spring Training. Here's a quick look at some of those guys:

Kevin Frandsen has spent parts of five seasons with the Giants and Angels, and he has a "good shot" of catching on with the Padres as a utility man, according to Brock. The 28-year-old plays multiple positions and would earn a salary of $575,000.
Guillermo Quiroz could challenge Rob Johnson for the backup catching job, notes Brock. Quiroz, 29, has played for four teams (Rangers, Blue Jays, Mariners and Orioles) in parts of seven seasons.
Gregorio Petit spent parts of two seasons with the A's as a utility infielder in 2008-09. The 26-year-old spent the entirety of 2010 with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.
Bullpen hopefuls Luis Perdomo and Scott Munter each have Major League experience. Perdomo made 35 appearances with San Diego in 2009 but only one last season, and Munter was with the Giants for parts of three seasons.

The Pirates, meanwhile, have a slightly more interesting cast of notable names:

Garrett Atkins, Jeff Clement, Josh Fields and Andy Marte form a quartet of one-time blue-chip prospects. Atkins, in particular, was an above-average player for the Rockies in 2006-07, but he declined quickly in the following years. Clement, a former catcher, was a No. 3 overall pick of the Mariners in 2005, and Fields and Marte were raw-power corner-infield prospects coming up with the White Sox and Braves/Indians, respectively.
On the pitching side, Tyler Yates has a 8.1 K/9 for his career but did not pitch in the bigs in 2010. Donald Veal, selected by the Bucs from the Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft prior to the 2009 season, is a hard-throwing but wild lefty. Brian Burres has started 54 games in his five-year career with the Orioles, Blue Jays and Pirates. Sean Gallagher was dealt from the Cubs to the A's in the deal that sent Rich Harden to Chicago, and has appeared in 91 games. Fernando Nieve has appeared in 99 games (19 starts) with the Astros and Mets in parts of four seasons.

Quick Hits: Keppinger, Pettitte, Bell, Molina

By Dan Mennella | January 6, 2011 at 8:45pm CDT

Here are some items of note on this Thursday, a day on which the Reds and Rangers each settled with one of their arbitration-eligible players. Remember to refer to our handy Arbitration Tracker, as those cases will continue to pop up in the coming weeks …

The Astros were thought to be mulling the idea of trading Jeff Keppinger this offseason, but the utility infielder is scheduled to undergo left foot surgery next week and will likely miss the start of the regular season, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. This offseason, Houston acquired Bill Hall to play second base and Clint Barmes to man shortstop, so Keppinger has become expendable, but the injury should put a significant dent in the likelihood of him being dealt before the season. Keppinger enjoyed a career year in 2010, hitting .288/.351/.391 in 575 plate appearances. The Astros and Yankees briefly discussed a swap for Keppinger, but those talks went nowhere.
The Yankees are willing to offer $12MM or $13MM to Andy Pettitte and are awaiting a decision from the lefty, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com. As Heyman notes, either of those figures would represent a modest raise for Pettitte, who earned $11.75MM in 2010, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Pettitte, who has been playing on one-year deals in each of the past four seasons, will probably either re-sign with the Yankees or retire.
Padres closer Heath Bell hopes to remain in San Diego with a multiyear contract, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Bell is in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and, having turned 33 in September, wants to garner long-term security, notes Center. Padres GM Jed Hoyer didn't offer much, saying that he and Bell's agent have "touched on it."
After splitting 2010 between the Giants and Rangers, free-agent catcher Bengie Molina is seeking the "right fit," and one scenario that interests him is backing up his brother Yadier with the Cardinals, tweets Heyman. However, St. Louis already has a solid backup backstop in Gerald Laird, who signed a one-year deal with the Cards in December, so that seems unlikely.

Minor Deals: Iribarren, Yankees, Zavada, Hernandez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 5, 2011 at 6:30pm CDT

The latest minor league deals, with fresh updates up top:

The Rockies have signed utilityman Hernan Iribarren to a minor league contract, reports MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Iribarren, 26, last played in the majors with Milwaukee in 2009, and spent last season playing with Texas' Triple-A affiliate. Harding says Iribarren's deal includes an invitation to Colorado's Major League Spring Training camp.
The Yankees claimed righty Brian Schlitter from the Cubs, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). Schlitter, 25, appeared in seven games for the Cubs last year. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a 3.15 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 45 2/3 innings.
The D'Backs re-signed lefty Clay Zavada. The 26-year-old thrived in 49 relief appearances in 2009, posting 9.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9. He spent part of the 2010 season at Triple-A Reno, but appeared in just five games before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The Royals re-signed right-hander Gaby Hernandez. Hernandez started 22 games for Kansas City's Triple-A affiliate in 2010, posting a 4.91 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 144 2/3 innings. The Mets selected Hernandez in the third round of the 2004 draft and he has also spent time in the Marlins and Mariners organizations.
The Padres added some catching depth, signing Guillermo Quiroz. The 29-year-old, who has big league experisnce with the Mariners, Blue Jays, Rangers and Orioles, spent last year in Seattle's minor league system. The backstop hit .286/.347/.431 in 361 minor league plate appearances. The Mariners have added two former Padres catchers this winter: Miguel Olivo and Josh Bard (a player I thought could have fit well on the 2011 Padres). San Diego already has former Mariner Rob Johnson, and the Padres continue to look for catching depth.

Padres Release Radhames Liz

By Mark Polishuk | January 5, 2011 at 5:24pm CDT

The Padres have released right-hander Radhames Liz, according to the club's official transactions page. Liz was claimed off waivers from Baltimore last winter, and posted a 4.83 ERA in 25 games (22 of them starts) for San Diego's Triple-A affiliate in Portland in 2010.

Liz, 27, was touted by Baseball America as the second-best prospect in the Orioles' system (behind Matt Wieters) before the 2008 season and ranked as the 69th-best prospect in the game overall. He has yet to live up to that potential in his limited Major League experience; Liz has a 7.50 career ERA, accumulated in 28 appearances with the Orioles from 2007 to 2009.

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