Padres Rumors

Heyman On Cliff Lee, Mets, Penny

By Tim Dierkes | November 10, 2010 at 12:06pm CDT

SI's Jon Heyman dishes the latest on the hot stove…

Heyman provides reasons why he sees the Yankees as the favorite to sign Cliff Lee: their revenue, rotation question marks, and lack of a backup plan chief among them. He also talked to Lee's agent Darek Braunecker about the story about Lee's wife being harassed by Yankees fans at a game. Braunecker said, "That story was blown out of proportion. It's not like she's hypersensitive. She's been with him in Philadelphia and all over, been with him from the get-go. It really was that one time, just a couple clowns…probably intoxicated. I don't know if that will have any bearing on (the decision)."
Heyman predicts destinations for 15 of the top free agents; nothing crazy.
Padres GM Jed Hoyer draws praise for being upfront about not being able to sign Adrian Gonzalez.
New Mets GM Sandy Alderson will be paid close to $3MM, while Paul DePodesta will get close to $1MM. With J.P. Ricciardi, Wayne Krivsky, and Omar Minaya also on the ledger, Heyman figures this is baseball's most expensive front office.
Heyman feels that the Mets "would likely avoid" allowing Francisco Rodriguez to finish 55 games in 2011, which would trigger his $17.5MM option for '12. He also notes that the Mets "will wait to see Jose Reyes play a large chunk of this coming season before getting serious about a long-term deal." That approach might work, but from Reyes' point of view if he's having a great year and is months away from free agency he might as well go to the open market.
It's a little early for "best shape of his life" reports, but that's the word on free agent righty Brad Penny. The 32-year-old was limited to nine starts this year due to a lat muscle injury.

Japan Rumors: Nishioka, Kobayashi

By Tim Dierkes | November 10, 2010 at 8:26am CDT

The Chiba Lotte Marines will not decide whether to post shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka until after Saturday's championship game, tweets Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times. Nishioka would prefer to play for the Dodgers if he's posted, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Otherwise, he hopes to land with the Giants, Padres, or Diamondbacks. Of course, Nishioka can't control which team wins the bidding for the right to negotiate with him. The 26-year-old switch-hitter batted .346/.423/.482 this year, and was described as a Chone Figgins/Ryan Theriot type by Patrick Newman of FanGraphs. Hernandez says he'll be represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council if posted.

One Marines player is definitely heading to MLB, tweets Coskrey: free agent reliever Hiroyuki Kobayashi. The 32-year-old righty reliever posted a 2.21 ERA, 7.82 K/9, 2.07 BB/9, and 0.30 HR/9 in 61 innings this year. Kobayashi moved to the bullpen in 2010, reported Newman, so he brings versatility. He will be represented by Octagon, MLBTR has learned.

Padres Seek Backup Catcher

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 9, 2010 at 9:41pm CDT

The Padres expect to ease catcher Nick Hundley into a bigger role in 2011, but they’ll look to complement him with a backup, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times. GM Jed Hoyer said the Padres are not looking for someone to play as much as Yorvit Torrealba did in 2010. Instead, the Padres are looking for a catcher who can "play a fair amount” while Hundley starts 95 games, Hoyer says.

Gerald Laird, Bengie Molina, Miguel Olivo, Matt Treanor, Jason Varitek and Gregg Zaun are among the free agent catchers who could be willing to accept part-time jobs, so they could fit in San Diego if their demands fit the Padres' budget. It’s too early to rule out Henry Blanco and Yorvit Torrealba, the two catchers who shared time with Hundley in 2009-10, but A.J. Pierzynski probably isn't a fit. He said he'd like to catch in San Diego, but other teams figure to offer more playing time and more money.

Hundley hits lefties (.672 career OPS) and righties (.708 career OPS) at about the same rate, so the Padres can consider backstops who bat from either side of the plate. Manager Bud Black says the organization believes in Hundley “as a major league catcher” at this point in his career. The 27-year old batted .249/.308/.418 in 307 plate appearances in 2010 and he threw out a career-best 29% of would-be base stealers.

Odds & Ends: Beltre, Crawford, Mets, Konerko

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 9, 2010 at 5:36pm CDT

Links for Tuesday night, as free agents Adam Dunn and Dave Bush celebrate birthdays…

Adrian Gonzalez said on XX 1090 in San Diego that he had surgery in October and may not swing a bat until late March, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter). The Padres have said they’re willing to listen to offers on Gonzalez, but the surgery could limit the number of offers GM Jed Hoyer gets.
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch explains why the Pirates might have some interest in Adrian Beltre and why the third baseman isn't likely to end up in Pittsburgh.
Free agent outfielder Carl Crawford says he's "just kind of sitting back waiting" to hear from interested teams, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.
Dennis Sarfate, Scott Moore, Joel Guzman, Chris George and Mike Hinckley became minor league free agents over the weekend, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.
ESPN.com's Mark Simon explains that we aren't necessarily going to see "a strict adherence to baseball analytics and a formulaic, stats-over-scouts approach" from the Mets, who now have Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta and J.P. Ricciardi in their revamped front office.
The friendship between free agent first baseman Paul Konerko and White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf likely means Chicago will have the chance to match any offers Konerko receives from other teams, according to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com.
Patrick Newman of FanGraphs says Tsuyoshi Nishioka is a pretty good player who can hit well from both sides of the plate and handle second base. The Chiba Lotte Marines may post the Pacific League batting champion and make him available to MLB teams.

Mets Hire Paul DePodesta

By Tim Dierkes | November 8, 2010 at 1:37pm CDT

The Mets hired Paul DePodesta as their new vice president of player development and amateur scouting, tweets SNY's Brad Como. DePodesta had been working for the Padres since '06. Before that he was the GM of the Dodgers and assistant GM of the Athletics. DePodesta worked under new Mets GM Sandy Alderson in San Diego and under his protege Billy Beane in Oakland. With J.P. Ricciardi already on board, the new Mets front office has a Moneyball feel to it.

Odds & Ends: Renteria, Huff, Takahashi

By Tim Dierkes | November 8, 2010 at 12:25pm CDT

Four years ago today, the Padres traded Josh Barfield to the Indians for Andrew Brown and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Only Kouzmanoff panned out to any extent; he was sent to the A's with Eric Sogard in January for Aaron Cunningham and Scott Hairston. With Kouzmanoff and Hairston non-tender candidates, Sogard and Cunningham could be the remaining threads of the deal. Links for Monday…

Do you have experience in online ad sales, ideally for sports websites? MLBTR is looking to bring someone aboard to sell ad inventory on commission. Email mlbtradrep@gmail.com and explain your qualifications if you're interested.
Edgar Renteria would prefer to return to the Giants, he told Claudia Aguilar Ramirez of El Tiempo. Thanks to Nick Collias for the translation.
Aubrey Huff hired Ed Hayes as his agent, reported Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports last night.
The Tigers re-signed catcher Max St. Pierre to a minor league deal, reports Morosi.
Sanspo has the Angels in the mix for Hisanori Takahashi, tweets Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. It seems likely that the Halos will add a left-handed reliever this winter; I went with Pedro Feliciano in my Top 50 list.
Carlos Torres, released by the White Sox last month to pursue a job in Japan, has landed with the Yomiuri Giants according to this Newman tweet.
Kevin Goldstein's top 11 Pirates prospect list is free to all over at Baseball Prospectus. BP is definitely worth subscribing to for Goldstein's work and much more. We also recommend ESPN Insider, which you'll need to read Keith Law's new starting pitcher buyer's guide.
Speaking of the Pirates, SI's Jon Heyman says they seem active in early free agent calls and "are believed to be showing interest in some surprising free agent prizes such as [Adrian] Beltre."
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs believes the Padres should trade Adrian Gonzalez now rather than in July.

Odds & Ends: Hale, Pirates, O’s, Free Agents

By Luke Adams 2 | November 7, 2010 at 6:24pm CDT

With the free agency period officially upon us, many of today's links focus on either the top players available or which of those players particular teams will pursue. Let's round 'em up….

DeMarlo Hale will interview for the Mets managerial opening, reports Maureen Mullen of Comcast SportsNet. Hale was a finalist for the Blue Jays' job before Toronto hired John Farrell.
Jon Heyman hears that the Pirates are going after players aggressively in the early stages of free agency (Twitter link).
The Orioles have hired Mark Connor as their pitching coach, according to the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly. A former Twins' minor leaguer, Connor was Buck Showalter's pitching coach with the Yankees, D'Backs, and Rangers as well.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe breaks down the top free agents by position and lists some possible destinations.
In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Keith Law breaks down his top 50 free agents, with Cliff Lee topping the list. Meanwhile, there's no Insider account required for Newsday's Ken Davidoff's top 30 free agents and accompanying predictions.
The baseball writers at FOX Sports predict the landing spots for some of the best available players, in slideshow form.
MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan names ten free agents he thinks the Rangers will consider signing.
Mark Simon of ESPNNewYork proposes some realistic free agent targets for the Mets.
In his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, Buster Olney identifies a few players who may be hurt by their Type A status this winter.
There are a few "hot stove myths" to keep in mind as you follow rumors and signings this offseason, writes J.C. Bradbury at Sabernomics.
Jorge de la Rosa's agent, Bobby Barad, tells Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he has already received multiple calls from teams expressing a "sincere interest" in his client.
The Padres are rebuilding once again, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Olney’s Latest: Gonzalez, Lee, Crawford, Jeter

By Mike Axisa | November 6, 2010 at 9:46am CDT

Two days ago we learned that Padres GM Jed Hoyer is willing to listen to trade offers for Adrian Gonzalez (and Heath Bell), unsurprising since the first baseman is reportedly seeking close to $22MM annually when he becomes a free agent next offseason. In today's blog post (Insider req'd), ESPN's Buster Olney lists a few reasons why the Pads are more likely to wait until the trade deadline to move their franchise player…

Ticket sales. After surprising success in 2010, the team doesn't want to lose the trust of the fans by dealing their best player before the season.
The Padres have a chance to compete in 2011 with Gonzalez in the middle of their lineup, but without him it'll be close to impossible.
Other clubs wanting to acquire Gonzalez might be more desperate during the summer, which could result in a better package for San Diego.
Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe points out that Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod worked for the Red Sox before joining the Padres, so they have strong first-hand knowledge of Boston's prospects.

Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford, and Jayson Werth will dominate the headlines when free agency begins at 12:01am ET Sunday morning, but Olney lists ten more interesting free agents, led by Joaquin Benoit, Pedro Feliciano, and Orlando Hudson.
The Yankees could place their first bid on Lee very soon, perhaps within 72 hours. Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News hears something similar.
Crawford is in a unique situation because he's an elite player that could have six or more teams bidding for his services. Usually players of that caliber only have three or so teams after them.
The Yankees operate with the knowledge that no matter how popular the individual player is, the team and its fan base will move on. This of course refers to Derek Jeter.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Webb, Galarraga, Ring, Rasner

By Mike Axisa | November 5, 2010 at 9:23pm CDT

Some links to check out on the 11th anniversary of the Indians signing Danys Baez to the largest amateur signing bonus in team history…

Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets that Terry Collins' name has popped up in connection with the Mets' managerial search. Collins spent the 2010 season as minor league field coordinator with the organization.
The Rockies have not expressed interest in Brandon Webb, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Armando Galarraga qualified as a Super Two, which puts him in a unique spot according to MLB.com's Jason Beck.
Anthony McCarron of The New York Daily News reports that Royce Ring has elected free agency after being outrighted off the 40-man roster by the Yankees (Twitter link).
Former Yankee right-hander Darrell Rasner has signed a one-year deal with an option for 2012 with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, reports Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Rasner has played in Japan since 2008.
Heyman spoke to Adrian Gonzalez's agent, who mentioned Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, and Ryan Howard are contract comparables (Twitter link). It's pretty clear that they're seeking upwards of $22MM annually.
Meanwhile, Padres GM Jed Hoyer has spoken to Jerry Hairston Jr.'s agent about bringing the utility player back to San Diego next season according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. Hairston has indicated that he'd like to return to the team.
Ken Davidoff of Newsday tweets that a competing executive sees the Nationals signing Carlos Pena. The team is emphasizing defense, which Pena excels at, and GM Mike Rizzo has a strong relationship with his agent Scott Boras.
Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post hears from a source close to the team that the Nats will in fact pursue Brandon Webb this offseason. We heard rumblings about potential mutual interest between the two sides last month.
Boras indicated that he's received "a lot of early calls" about Magglio Ordonez according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. If the outfielder is going to return to Detroit, it won't happen quickly; he and Boras are going to see what the market has to offer.

Amateur Signing Bonuses: Padres

By Mike Axisa | November 5, 2010 at 8:30pm CDT

Let's take our amateur signing bonus series to California's second largest city…

Donavan Tate, $6.25MM (2009)
Matt Bush, $3.15MM (2004)
Mark Phillips, $2.2MM (2000)
Sean Burroughs, $2.1MM (1998)
Adys Portillo, $2MM (2008)

The Padres are certainly a small market team, but in recent years they've made an effort to go out and spend the money required to sign premium young talent. They were unable to get 2010 first round pick Karsten Whitson (ninth overall) under contract, but they'll have two top 25 picks next year as a result.

San Diego made a statement in 2009 by taking the supremely talented (and Scott Boras client) Tate with the third overall pick and signing him to what was then the largest bonus ever given to a player as part of a minor league contract. Tate's career has been marred by injuries so far, as he's dealt with a broken jaw (suffered in an ATV accident), a sports hernia, a shoulder sprain, and a concussion (suffered when he was hit in the head by a pitch). In 107 professional plate appearances, he's a .222/.336/.344 hitter.

I think we all know the Matt Bush story. The Padres took him first overall in 2004 because they didn't want to spend the money needed to sign Stephen Drew or Jered Weaver, the top consensus talents in the draft class. Bush signed less than two weeks after the draft, and about a week after signing he was arrested for his role in a fight outside an Arizona nightclub. He never really hit in the minors, putting together a .219/.294/.276 batting line in 812 plate appearances before the team shifted him to the mound in 2007. Bush had Tommy John surgery not long after the conversion, costing him the entire 2008 season, and the Padres eventually designated him for assignment in February 2009 after he was allegedly involved in an assault on a high school campus. Although he's still trying to make it work as a pitcher, Bush is one of just three first overall picks to not reach the big leagues (joining Steve Chilcott and Brien Taylor).

San Diego drafted Phillips with the ninth overall pick in 2000, but his career was over seemingly before it even started. He performed well through 2001, but career started to deteriorate in 2002, when he walked 94 in 148.1 innings. The Padres traded him and Bubba Trammell to the Yankees in March 2003 for Rondell White, and Phillips walked more batters than he struck out (50 K, 51 BB) in his only season in New York's minor league season. Aside from a brief comeback attempt with an independent league team in 2007, he's been out of baseball since 2004.

Burroughs, yet another ninth overall pick, was one of the game's very best prospects around the turn of the century thanks to his absurd hitting ability. He reached Triple-A at just 20 years old, and hit .332/.397/.459 in the minors before starting the 2002 season as the Padres' third baseman. Burroughs was just okay as a rookie (.271/.317/.323) but he improved the next year (.286/.352/.402). Ultimately it never worked out in San Diego, as Burroughs hit .282/.340/.360 in four years with the team before being dealt to Tampa Bay after the 2005 season for Dewon Brazelton, an exchange of high draft picks (Brazelton was selected third overall in 2001) in need of a change of scenery.

Portillo signed for what was then the largest bonus ever given to a Venezuelan born player, and he's currently working his way up the minor league ladder. In 116.2 innings, he's pitched to a 4.94 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9.

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