Padres Rumors

Top Trade Chips: NL West

By Mike Axisa | April 9, 2010 at 7:10pm CDT

Let's take stock of each team's top trade chips, starting today with the NL West…

Diamondbacks: Arizona moved two of its best trade chips this winter in Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth, and there's obviously no way Justin Upton will be moved. The cupboard is a little bare right now, but Stephen Drew could be available for the right price. He has two more years of team control left after 2010. Conor Jackson, who won't be a free agent until after 2011, could be attractive as well. Top prospect Jarrod Parker is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Dodgers: Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw are deal breakers, but Chad Billingsley could be dangled after popping up in rumors during the offseason. The 25-year-old posted a 5.21 ERA in his final 19 appearances last year, though his peripheral stats were in line with what they had been in previous seasons. He won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.
Giants: Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval aren't going anywhere and Matt Cain just signed a new extension, so Brian Sabean's best trade chip is lefty Jonathan Sanchez. The 27-year-old owns a career 9.3 K/9 and won't be eligible for arbitration until after the 2012 season. Madison Bumgarner's stock is down while he battles with Missing Velocity Disease, and Buster Posey isn't going anywhere.
Padres: Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell aren't just San Diego's two best trade chips, they're among the best in the game. Gonzalez is one of the baseball's premier power hitters at age 27, and will make just $4.75MM in 2010 with a $5.5MM club option for 2011. Bell has emerged as one of the league's most dominant closers, and won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season.
Rockies: Everyone wants to get their hands on Troy Tulowitzki, but it's just not happening. Brad Hawpe is the player most likely to be moved, and there should be interest given his annual .890 OPS's and 25+ homers. He has a $10MM option for the 2011 season with a cheap $500K buyout, and Colorado has a glut of young and productive outfielders to replace him.

Odds & Ends: Embree, Rizzo, Votto, Rollins, Huffman

By Tim Dierkes | April 8, 2010 at 9:58pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

If you're viewing MLBTR on your cell phone, try mlbtraderumors.mobi!
Alan Embree expects to exercise the opt out clause in his contract if he's not added to the Red Sox's big league roster by April 15th, reports WEEI.com's Ethan Landy.
MASNSports.com about how a Major League trade comes together. Check it out, very interesting stuff.
C. Trent Rosecrans of CNATI.com learned from Reds GM Walt Jocketty last night that the team has yet to have contract extension discussions with first baseman Joey Votto. Yesterday we speculated on what it might take to lock Votto up long-term.
An interesting Rays-centric back-and-forth continues, with Jeff Passan filing a reubttal on Jonah Keri's site.
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy looks at the recent instances of teams signing home-grown pitchers to extensions.
Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins was on the Dan Patrick Show talking about the surprise he and Jayson Werth felt when Cliff Lee was dealt. Rollins said the Yankees would've kept Lee and Roy Halladay and made a run with the pair of aces.
Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains that while it was painful to lose Chad Huffman to a waiver claim, there's a silver lining in the organization's improved depth.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has the details on Josh Beckett's new contract with the Red Sox, which totals $68,520,403.
Many lesser-known players have been released in recent days; Baseball America's Matt Eddy has the details.

Yankees Claim Chad Huffman

By Steve Adams | April 7, 2010 at 1:28pm CDT

WEDNESDAY, 1:28pm: The Yankees claimed Huffman off waivers from the Padres, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Huffman will head to Triple A. Baseball America ranked Huffman 21st among Padres prospects, noting his strong batting eye and good power but various limitations. Their bottom line quote: "He looks like a future regular on his best days and a part-timer on his worst." Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues and MLBTR has a hunch Kevin Towers' fingerprints are all over this pickup.

SUNDAY, 3:09pm: The Padres designated outfielder Chad Huffman for assignment in order to clear a space on the 40-man roster for veteran slugger Matt Stairs, according to a team press release.

Huffman, 25 later this month, was a second-round pick for the Friars back in 2006. He hit .269/.361/.469 for the Padres Triple-A affiliate in Portland last season, but managed just one hit in 23 spring at-bats. For his career in the minors, Huffman owns a respectable .289/.385/.474 line over four seasons and 1885 plate appearances.

Odds & Ends: Rays, Indians, Padres

By Zachary Links | April 6, 2010 at 10:11pm CDT

Tuesday night links..

MLB announced today that the number of foreign-born players on Opening Day rosters has dipped to its lowest level in four years, according to Reuters. Just 27.7% of players in 2010 were born outside of the United States compared to the league's all-time high of 29.2% in 2005.
Rays owner Stu Sternberg believes that his club is built for the long haul, writes MLB.com's Bill Chastain. It will be interesting to see what happens with Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, who are in the final year of their contracts.
Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer writes that the Indians' farm system is chock full of solid prospects. Hoynes breaks down the players to watch, from Triple-A to Single-A.
Padres prospect Logan Forsythe will be shifting from third base to second base when Double-A San Antonio opens the season, wrote Tom Krasovic a few days ago. The 23-year-old, who is considered to be one of San Diego's top prospects, is being moved to ease a glut of third basemen in the Padres' system.

Offseason Questions For The NL West

By Tim Dierkes | April 6, 2010 at 1:43pm CDT

The Offseason In Review series is complete, and now the NL West steps up to the plate for a series of questions.

Did the Diamondbacks upgrade in going from Max Scherzer to the more expensive Edwin Jackson? Will Brandon Webb supply five strong months and justify his $6.5MM net option price?
Was it necessary for the Rockies to sign Rafael Betancourt and Huston Street to multiyear deals, since they controlled both for 2009 already? Are the Rockies sending mixed messages at the catcher position, signing Miguel Olivo weeks after extending Chris Iannetta?
Was the risk of the Dodgers offering Randy Wolf arbitration worth the possible reward of the #36 and #65 picks in the 2010 draft? Can Vicente Padilla fill Wolf's shoes? Did Jamey Carroll's two-year deal represent the best use of $3.85MM?
Could the Padres have added offense and made a legitimate run at a 2010 pennant? On the flip side, would seriously shopping Adrian Gonzalez during the offseason have maximized the return?
Did the signings of Mark DeRosa, Freddy Sanchez, Bengie Molina, Juan Uribe, and Aubrey Huff for $34.75MM improve the Giants' offense?

Odds & Ends: Giants, Beckett, DePaula, Aubrey

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | April 5, 2010 at 8:30pm CDT

Some links on what promises to be one of the best days of the year…

Chris Haft of MLB.com writes that the Giants' bench is lacking in right-handed bats, though he doesn't suggest they'll look to make a trade.
The Red Sox have expressed reluctance in the past to sign pitchers to long-term contracts, but MLB.com's Ian Browne notes that Josh Beckett's extension means the club has four important starters under team control through 2014.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Beckett extension was directly motivated by the Red Sox' rivalry with the Yankees.
Beckett told reporters that he focuses on the security that comes with his extension, not the money he could potentially have obtained on the open market, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
The San Francisco Chronicle had some nice things to say about MLBTR in its business report. Check it out.
The Mariners remain the favorites to sign Dominican pitcher Rafael DePaula, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Michael Aubrey cleared waivers and was outrighted to the minors, according to an Orioles press release. The team designated Aubrey for assignment last week.
Check out this two-sport star: the White Sox hired former Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause to oversee the team's scouting in the Dominican Republic, according to ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out that the Pirates will have the lowest Opening Day payroll in baseball and asks when the future starts for the Pirates. His answer? Once Pedro Alvarez takes over third base at PNC Park. If all goes well for Pittsburgh, that could happen before midseason.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times has the Mariners' payroll at about $89MM, a little higher than USA Today's $86.5MM figure.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels tells Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that speculation that the Rangers are looking for reasons to fire manager Ron Washington is "silly."
As Jeff Powalisz of the Boston Globe points out, Boston's free agent acquisitions are already contributing.
Matt Stairs will become the first modern-day position player to suit up for 12 different teams when he takes the field for the Padres, as MLB.com's Corey Brock points out.

Odds & Ends: Brewers, Marlins, Red Sox, Calero

By Zachary Links | April 4, 2010 at 10:49pm CDT

Sunday night links..

While other clubs did some last minute tinkering today, Brewers GM Doug Melvin decided to stand pat with his lineup, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
For the first time in three years, the Marlins won't have the lowest payroll in baseball on Opening Day, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Florida's payroll of $46MM ranks ahead of the Padres and Pirates.
Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter) didn't expect Scott Schoeneweis to make the BoSox roster after being released by the Brewers. Edes adds that he expects Alan Embree to make his way to the big league squad after he puts in more work in the minors.
The Mets have demoted reliever Kiko Calero to their Triple-A affiliate, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Calero's deal – which he signed in early March – does not allow Calero to opt-out upon being assigned to the minors.
Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun write that O's outfielder Nolan Reimold took ground balls at first base yesterday. Orioles GM Andy MacPhail told the Sun not to read too much into it, as they were only seeking to increase the 26-year-old's versatility. However, an item on ESPN's rumor page wonders aloud if the fielding practice could be about the club's future plans at the position without Luke Scott and Garrett Atkins.
A major league insider told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com that the extension given to Adam Lind is a good deal for both parties. The Blue Jays signed Lind to a four-year, $18MM pact yesterday morning.
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com points out that Carlos Monasterios is just the fourth Rule 5 draftee to make a Dodgers Opening Day roster.

Third Team Pursuing Rafael DePaula

By Mike Axisa | April 4, 2010 at 12:08pm CDT

A third team has joined the Yankees and Mariners in pursuit of 17-year-old Dominican righty Rafael DePaula according to MLBTR contributor Blake Bentley. He reports that DePaula is scheduled to pitch in front of Padres' scouts and senior executives next week.

DePaula worked in the 92-93 mph range during a workout a few weeks ago, and reportedly has an offer from the Mariners in hand. Standing 6-foot-3, he is considered the equivalent of a first round draft pick and is in line for a seven-figure deal.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Hendry, Lugo, Towers

By Mike Axisa | April 2, 2010 at 10:00am CDT

On this day back in 2003, the Tigers became the first team in baseball history to have four pitchers make their Major League debut in the same game. The starter was 20-year-old Jeremy Bonderman, who gave way to 22-year-old Wil Ledezma, 25-year-old Chris Spurling, and 23-year-old Matt Roney before "veteran" closer Matt Anderson entered the game. Anderson was just 25-years-old at the time, but the first overall pick of the 1997 draft already had 210 big league appearances to his name.

The Tigers went on the finish the season 43-119, and were rewarded by selecting Justin Verlander with the second overall pick the following season. Here's this week's set of links from around the web…

A Cubbies Consilience throws some kudos Jim Hendry's way for his offseason.
Camden Crazies calls the O's trade for Julio Lugo an okay one.
The Kept Faith finds some players Kevin Towers passed on while he was the Padres' GM.
1 Blue Jays Way remembers Roy Halladay's time in Toronto.
Meanwhile, Around The BasePath looks at some expectations for Halladay's first year in Philadelphia.
Drunk Jays Fans wonders why Lyle Overbay was named the team's every day first baseman when he can't hit lefties.
Lookout Landing compares Eric Byrnes and Ryan Langerhans with regards to the Mariners' spare outfielder's job.
Bronx Bombers Beat examines the Yankees' plan for Phil Hughes.
More Hardball lists the players who will begin the season on the disabled list.
Capitol Avenue Club rounds out the Braves' roster.
Crashburn Alley looks at the Phillies' winners and losers from Spring Training.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Paxton, Darvish, D’Backs

By Tim Dierkes | April 1, 2010 at 1:57pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

Rays infielder Elliot Johnson is the latest out of options player to hit the waiver wire, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
Lefty James Paxton signed with the American Association's Grand Prairie AirHogs in advance of re-entering the draft, reports Baseball America's J.J. Cooper. Cooper says the AirHogs' schedule should allow for three weeks of playing time for Paxton before the draft. The Blue Jays drafted the Scott Boras client 37th overall as an A.J. Burnett compensation pick, but were not able to sign him. Paxton was involved in some drama with the NCAA and eventually decided to withdraw from the University of Kentucky.
Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a clarification from Yu Darvish, who says his recent comments did not refer to moving to MLB.
Forced to make a pick, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes the White Sox as his World Series champions.
Rosenthal says that with Brandon Webb's return date uncertain, the Diamondbacks are trying to trade for a starter.
Aaron Gleeman suggests the Twins' new stat guy might have a hard time having his voice heard.
WEEI's Alex Speier notes that a Josh Beckett extension would give the Red Sox four pitchers with contracts of at least four years, more than any other team. Still, Jon Lester's contract is quite team-friendly.
The Red Sox are positioned as long-term contenders, writes Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe.
Baseball Prospectus' Jeff Euston looks at the concept of contract renewals for zero-to-three players. Tom Tango responds, saying "the inequity in the front-end helps to drive the salaries on the back-end in free agency."
Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press feels that Ben Revere would be the most expendable Twins' prospect if they are to go after Padres closer Heath Bell.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that the Brewers released outfielder Tike Redman.

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