Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Padres Rumors

Heyman On Abreu, Fielder, Hoyer

By | at

The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • Heyman says the Angels and Bobby Abreu are still far apart on a new contract.  Abreu earned $6MM this year.
  • The Brewers will attempt to sign Prince Fielder to a long-term deal this winter.  Fielder, a Scott Boras client, is signed through 2010 and under team control through 2011.  Given the way teams pay for power, Fielder might expect $20MM+ to buy out free agent years.
  • Heyman sees Red Sox senior VP/assistant GM Jed Hoyer as the favorite for the Padres GM job.   

Odds & Ends: Padres, Burrell, Upton, Jays

By | at

Here's a few links to help you relax before starting the grind tomorrow…

  • Dan Hayes of The North County Times says that whoever takes over as GM of the Padres will inherit a favorable situation because the "40-man roster is loaded with affordable, controllable talent" and the team "should have a little spending flexibility this offseason." Plus it's San Diego, which is awesome.
  • Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times says that unless the Rays find someone willing to take on the $9MM left on Pat Burrell's contract, he'll be back next year. He also notes that Tampa would need to be "overwhelmed" to trade B.J. Upton, as you could imagine.
  • The Blue Jays will hire Nationals scouting director Dana Brown as a special assistant to new GM Alex Anthopoulos, according to Bob Elliot of The Toronto Sun. The Nats will interview Braves director of scouting Roy Clark on Monday according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, potentially filling Brown's now vacant position.

Padres Rumors: GM, Cameron, Correia

By | at

FRIDAY, 5:53pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes that the Padres and Diamondbacks could work out a compensation package for Arizona VP of player personnel Jerry DiPoto.  San Diego CEO Jeff Moorad has what he characterized as a "gentleman's agreement" not to raid his former club for candidates, but Morosi says that the stipulation could be waived for the right price.  Moorad is said to have a "very high opinion" of DiPoto.

In addition to labeling Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer as a "strong candidate" (per industry sources), Morosi writes that some in the industry expect Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng to be considered.  Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine has drawn the interest of the Padres, but the team has yet to seek permission to interview him.

WEDNESDAY, 2:02pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock, via Twitter, says Forst has not been interviewed and the Gillick rumor below is untrue.  Furthermore, the A's emailed the AP to say the Padres have not asked permission to interview Forst.  SI's Jon Heyman's sources believe Hoyer is the favorite.

WEDNESDAY, 8:37am: Center says the Padres have two more GM interviews in addition to the three they've already conducted.  He says Hoyer, David Forst, and Pat Gillick "have surfaced in connection with the Padres vacancy."  Meanwhile, Newsday's Ken Davidoff says via Twitter that the Padres have not contacted the Yankees for permission to speak with Eppler.

TUESDAY: Let's discuss the latest buzz around the Padres.

  • MLB.com's Corey Brock says the team's baseball operations department will be run by manager Bud Black, executive VP Paul DePodesta and assistant GM Fred Uhlman Jr. until CEO Jeff Moorad finds Kevin Towers' replacement at GM. 
  • Moorad has interviewed three candidates for GM, with more to come.  He hopes to make the hire within a few weeks.  Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer and Yankees director of pro scouting Billy Eppler have been rumored.
  • Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes about the Padres' offseason needs (they have roughly $10MM to spend).  Center says the team needs a right-handed hitting center fielder, and Mike Cameron's name surfaced.
  • Center suggests that to save money the Padres might have to shop Kevin Kouzmanoff, Heath Bell, or both.  He even wonders if they'd non-tender Kevin Correia and attempt to sign him more cheaply (presumably using his desire to play near home as leverage).
  • On his blog, DePodesta writes about the difficult realities of working within baseball.
  • Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues suggests the Yankees should add Towers to their front office.

Odds & Ends: Henry, Kikuchi, Accardo

By | at

Links for Friday…

  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tells us via Twitter that the Astros released pitchers Chad Paronto and Billy Sadler.
  • The Nationals interviewed longtime Braves scouting director Roy Clark, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Blue Jays fired J.P. Ricciardi advisor Dick Scott, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
  • Interesting note from WEEI's Alex Speier.  Back in 2002, upon purchasing the Red Sox and selling the Marlins, John Henry attempted to have Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett transferred to the Sox.
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman says NPB is lobbying Japan's High School Baseball Federation to have Yusei Kikuchi appear in person for meetings with NPB teams but not MLB clubs.  Newman still likes the Rangers as Kikuchi's top suitor, based on reports.
  • Newman also tells us that pitcher Koji Mitsui, who was posted twice last winter but received no bids, has been released and will attempt to sign with an MLB team.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a plan for the Cubs that includes signing Chone Figgins and avoiding long-term free agent deals.
  • Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains the team's recent roster moves.
  • Via Twitter, ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. passes along info from Miguel Angel Sano's agent Rob Plummer. 
  • In an MLB.com chat, Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo says that his first choice is to stay with Toronto for his entire career, but his second choice is to pitch on the West Coast.

Odds & Ends: Henry, Kikuchi, Accardo

By | at

Links for Friday…

  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tells us via Twitter that the Astros released pitchers Chad Paronto and Billy Sadler.
  • The Nationals interviewed longtime Braves scouting director Roy Clark, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Blue Jays fired J.P. Ricciardi advisor Dick Scott, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
  • Interesting note from WEEI's Alex Speier.  Back in 2002, upon purchasing the Red Sox and selling the Marlins, John Henry attempted to have Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett transferred to the Sox.
  • NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman says NPB is lobbying Japan's High School Baseball Federation to have Yusei Kikuchi appear in person for meetings with NPB teams but not MLB clubs.  Newman still likes the Rangers as Kikuchi's top suitor, based on reports.
  • Newman also tells us that pitcher Koji Mitsui, who was posted twice last winter but received no bids, has been released and will attempt to sign with an MLB team.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a plan for the Cubs that includes signing Chone Figgins and avoiding long-term free agent deals.
  • Padres exec Paul DePodesta explains the team's recent roster moves.
  • Via Twitter, ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. passes along info from Miguel Angel Sano's agent Rob Plummer. 
  • In an MLB.com chat, Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Accardo says that his first choice is to stay with Toronto for his entire career, but his second choice is to pitch on the West Coast.

Cubs, Rays Talking Milton Bradley

By | at

FRIDAY: ESPN's Buster Olney says "it's very much a longshot that this deal gets worked out."

THURSDAY: The Cubs are focused on one particular trading partner, as they look to move Milton Bradley. Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times hears that the Cubs are pushing the Rays to make a quick deal.

De Luca suggests the Rays could send Pat Burrell to the Cubs for Bradley. Burrell has $7MM remaining on his contract and Bradley has $21MM remaining on his, so the Rays would likely want the Cubs to cover a considerable amount of Bradley's contract in any deal.

The Blue Jays and Padres are possible destinations for Bradley, but the Blue Jays have a new GM (Alex Anthopoulos) and the Padres haven't yet named a permanent GM. As De Luca points out, it's doubtful that either club would want to acquire Bradley to kick off a new regime given the outfielder's volatility.

Padres Release Cliff Floyd, Shawn Hill

By | at

The San Diego Padres have parted ways with outfielder Cliff Floyd and pitcher Shawn Hill, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. They are the second and third players the Padres waived today, after the team also released righty Cha Seung Baek. Like Baek, Hill had been identified as a non-tender candidate by Tim.

Neither player was a major contributor in San Diego this season. Hill started three games for the club, posting a 1-1 record and a 5.25 ERA. Floyd made 17 plate appearances in 10 games, recording just two singles and a walk.

Odds & Ends: Mauer, Towers, Joba

By | at

Some links to peruse in between innings of the Cards/Dodgers game….

  • Barry M. Bloom at MLB.com writes that Twins catcher Joe Mauer is concerned with "winning, not fame." Mauer's willingness to fly under the radar might be good news for Minnesota fans worried that the batting champ will eventually leave town for a larger market. Of course, I'm sure knocking off the Yankees would help too.
  • No one thinks former Padres' GM Kevin Towers will be out of work for long. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Towers should be the first choice for any team seeking a general manager. The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch adds that he expects Towers to join the Mets' front office, since Omar Minaya's tenuous grasp on his job could result in an eventual promotion for Towers.
  • Joel Pineiro tells MLB.com's Tom Singer that developing a sinker was the key to his 2009 success. Singer points out that Pineiro leads all free agent starters in a handful of categories this year, including baserunners allowed. The 31-year-old righty will get a chance to prove his effectiveness on a bigger stage this weekend against the Dodgers.
  • Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe speculates on Joba Chamberlain's 2010 role, wondering if "the pitcher Red Sox fans love to hate may be no better than a set-up man after all."
  • Baseball America's Aaron Fitt views the settlement between the NCAA and Andy Oliver as a "return to status quo" for the draft's "no agent" rule, but doesn't anticipate it lasting long.
  • We've heard some rumblings that Oakland's David Forst might be in the mix for the Padres' vacant GM spot. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wonders, if it's true, why the Padres wouldn't just hire the ex-A's assistant GM they already have: Paul DePodesta.

Odds & Ends: Blue Jays, Braves, Indians, Jenks

By | at

Some more links for the afternoon…

  • You heard all about one big trade that the Blue Jays didn't make, but Rob Bradford of WEEI.com hears the Jays were talking about another blockbuster. The Blue Jays made a play for Victor Martinez before the trade deadline this year, with an eye to contention in 2010.
  • Rival GMs expect the Braves to pursue a right-handed hitter to play a corner infield or outfield position, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
  • The Indians are considering "eight to 10" possible managers, according to the AP (via ESPN). GM Mark Shapiro says he hasn't asked permission to speak with candidates in other organizations. He says MLB experience is "helpful, but not a necessity."
  • ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says Bobby Jenks will be tough to trade this offseason. In fact, Jenks is as much a non-tender candidate as he is a trade candidate.
  • The Boston Globe reports that the Padres will consider Red Sox execs Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington "very seriously" for the team's GM vacancy.
  • Bill Shaikin of the LA Times wonders if John Lackey might see offers worth $100MM if he pitches well in October.
  • Lynn Henning of the Detroit News wonders if the Tigers will consider moving Curtis Granderson this offseason.

Padres Release Cha Seung Baek

By | at

MLBTR has learned that the Padres released righty Cha Seung Baek. The Korean hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008, when he split time between the Mariners and Padres. Baek, who turns 30 in May, allowed 118 hits and 30 walks in 111 innings of work last year, striking out 77.

Tim had identified him as a non-tender candidate, so his release isn't a huge surprise. We heard in August that Baek may require a second Tommy John operation (via MLB.com's Corey Brock), but his numbers suggest he can pitch if healthy.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top