Heyman On Padres, Fuentes, Blanton, Greinke
The offseason has been full of surprises and, as Jon Heyman of SI.com points out, we know a relatively small amount about the top remaining free agents. It appears that the A’s, Angels and Rangers have some interest in Adrian Beltre, but that's about all we know about him and it's more than we know about Rafael Soriano. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:
- The Padres are not likely to pursue Derrek Lee now that they've agreed to sign Orlando Hudson and seem close to acquiring Jason Bartlett (Twitter link). Jorge Cantu, Brad Hawpe and Troy Glaus are on the team's list of potential first basemen.
- Lee appears to be the Nationals' top target, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link).
- Brian Fuentes has drawn interest from the Orioles and others. The Red Sox and Rockies have been linked to the left-hander, but Boston is not currently focused on him, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- It's only a matter of time before the Phillies deal Joe Blanton, Heyman says.
- One GM told Heyman that the Royals are "asking for a lot more" than Travis Snider and Kyle Drabek for Zack Greinke. The Blue Jays don't intend to offer that pair up regardless.
- Felix Hernandez has the ten biggest markets on his no-trade list, apparently to give him maximum leverage, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
Padres Nearing Deal With Orlando Hudson
Orlando Hudson said on MLB Network Radio that he will "probably" sign with the Padres (all Twitter links). The second baseman said five teams expressed interest in him and that there could be an announcement from the Padres later today.
Padres Acquire Eric Patterson
The Padres acquired Eric Patterson from the Red Sox, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). He is the player to be named in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter). The Red Sox acquired Patterson from the A's for Fabian Williamson this summer.
Patterson, 27, has played second base, left field and center field in his four-year major league career. Given the Padres' outfield depth and need for a second baseman, it seems likely that they've acquiRed Patterson for infield depth. In 204 plate appearances for the A's and Red Sox last year, Patterson hit .214/.272/.406 with 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
Bartlett Trade Holdup Nearly Resolved
THURSDAY, 1:30pm: The issue that slowed the trade down is "nearly resolved," according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 6:23pm: Ramos told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that he's healthy and only on the DL to create roster space (Twitter links). The Padres contacted him yesterday to make sure that he was healthy.
MONDAY, 9:25pm: Ramos, who is now playing in the Mexican League, is on the disabled list, according to MiLB.com. His health may have slowed down trade talks.
FRIDAY, 6:12pm: The Rays are looking to get a second opinion on either Russell or Ramos after the pitchers went through their physicals, says Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "The problem is not believed to be serious, but there are no guarantees the deal will go through as originally agreed upon," Center writes.
WEDNESDAY, 10:20pm: The deal is done, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
6:43pm: The Rays say they have nothing to announce and that reports of a deal are premature, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (Twitter link).
5:45pm: The Padres have acquired Jason Bartlett from the Rays for relievers Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos.
The Padres drafted Bartlett in 2001 and traded him to Minnesota just over one year later for Brian Buchanan. Five years after that, the Twins shipped Bartlett to Tampa Bay with Matt Garza for Delmon Young, so the Padres' new shortstop is no stranger to being dealt.
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 Rays can now ease Reid Brignac into an everyday role. The 24-year-old batted .256/.307/.385 in 326 plate appearances in his first extended taste of the major leagues.
With seemingly every Rays reliever on the free agent market, and limited spending power, Rays president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had to get creative to find relief help. Russell, a 27-year-old right-hander, pitched 15 2/3 innings for the Padres in 2010, posting 10.3 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 4.02 ERA. He also appeared in 50 Triple-A games, posting a 4.88 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9. It marks the second time in two years that he's been traded; the Padres acquired him in the 2009 Jake Peavy deal.
Ramos, 26, pitched briefly for the 2010 Padres, but spent much of the season at Triple-A Portland, where he posted a 3.28 ERA as a swingman. He has never struck out an overwhelming number of hitters (5.9 K/9 in 2010) and his walk rate rose to 4.0 BB/9 this year. The lefty turned down the chance to sign with Tampa Bay when they drafted him in the 6th round of the 2002 draft. Three years later, he signed with the Padres after they selected him 35th overall.
The Padres had a vacancy at short since Miguel Tejada signed with the division rival Giants. GM Jed Hoyer met that need with Bartlett, but further depletes a 'pen that saw two relievers head to Florida's other team in the Cameron Maybin deal.
MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter) first reported that the deal was official, Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported that the Rays would make a trade (Twitter links), Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link), Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (Twitter link) and Bill Center of the San Diego Union Tribune also reported on the story as it broke.
Nats, O’s, Padres Pursuing Lee & LaRoche
The Nationals, Orioles and Padres are pursuing both Derrek Lee and Adam LaRoche, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Padres have less money to spend than the Nationals and Orioles, so they seem less likely to sign one of the first basemen.
LaRoche may command a multiyear deal, but Lee is telling teams he’s open to a one-year contract, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman also reports (on Twitter) that the Nationals are very much in on Lee. Six teams reportedly have interest in the longtime Cub.
The Diamondbacks, however, are likely “out” on Lee after agreeing to terms with Xavier Nady, according to Rosenthal and Morosi.
Padres Notes: First Base, Bartlett, Cabrera
Padres GM Jed Hoyer appeared on XX1090 sports radio in San Diego recently, touching on a variety of topics. Let's round it up…
- XX1090 producer/reporter Marty Caswell tweets that Hoyer said the team's first base solution will likely be a free agent signing, not a trade. It would also be a one-year solution. Hoyer joked that he won't shave until they have a new first baseman.
- "It’s something I can hope can get resolved quickly," said Hoyer with regards to the Jason Bartlett non-trade (via Caswell's Twitter). "There are several different issues we're working on." SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the deal is "better than 50-50" to get done.
- Hoyer said he wouldn't mind having shortstop Everth Cabrera start the season in the minors to build confidence and let him accrue at-bats, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. A Bartlett would trade would certainly help make Hoyer's wish come true.
Padres Notes: Eckstein, Hairston Jr.
So far this offseason, the Padres have swapped Adrian Gonzalez for prospects, signed Aaron Harang, agreed to a deal with Dustin Moseley, traded for Cameron Maybin and discussed a trade that would send Jason Bartlett to San Diego. Jed Hoyer's second offseason as GM has been a busy one and more moves are on the horizon for the Friars. Here's the latest:
- Jerry Hairston Jr. told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that four to five teams are pursuing him and the chase is "heating up" (Twitter link). Hayes reports that the Padres still have interest in Hairston and we know the Yankees would consider bringing the utilityman back to the Bronx.
- David Eckstein told MLB.com's Corey Brock that he has not been in contact with the Padres (Twitter link). Brock suggests it's an "extreme long shot" that Eckstein returns.
Padres Reach Agreement With Dustin Moseley
The Padres reached an agreement with swingman Dustin Moseley, the team announced today. On Wednesday, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the deal guarantees $900K.
Moseley, 29 later this month, posted a 4.96 ERA, 4.5 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.8 HR/9, and 49.1% groundball rate this year before being non-tendered by the Yankees. He also tossed 72 2/3 innings across 12 starts in Triple-A. The Padres' rotation lost Jon Garland and Kevin Correia this offseason, but they've added Aaron Harang and could use Moseley as a starter as well. Since Moseley has fewer than four years of big league service time, the Padres have the opportunity to control him through 2013.
Odds & Ends: Bartlett, Bengie Molina, Bill Hall
A year ago today, John Buck signed with the Blue Jays, Bruce Chen with the Royals, and Scott Olsen with the Nationals. Currently only Chen remains on the market. Today's links:
- There's a "strange silence" coming from the Padres and Rays regarding the reported Jason Bartlett trade, writes Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Looks like a brotherly catching tandem won't happen in St. Louis, as Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch tweets that the Cardinals are not optimistic about signing Bengie Molina and are ready to move on.
- Bill Hall's agent told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart he's had "some conversations with Houston, but nothing substantial at this point" (Twitter link). Hall has a chance to be the Dodgers' primary left fielder, if their discussions are fruitful.
Six Teams Interested In Derrek Lee
The Orioles, Athletics, Blue Jays, Padres, Nationals, and Diamondbacks have all expressed interest in free agent first baseman Derrek Lee according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). We've heard that Lee wouldn't mind playing for Arizona, and the interest from the O's and A's is nothing new. Heyman reiterated the D'Backs interest in Xavier Nady as well.
Lee, 35, had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb after the season. He's expressed a desire to join a playoff club for 2011, but calling any of those six teams a contender would be generous. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers was the Padres GM when Lee broke in with the team in 1997, and the running theme of the offseason has been Towers bringing some of his former players to Arizona. Nady obviously fits the bill as well.
I examined Lee's free agent stock back in October.