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Padres Expect To Be “Pretty Good” Next Year

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When the Padres won the NL West with an 82-80 record four years ago, the division was laughably weak. Now that the Dodgers, Rockies and Giants have improved, the NL West is home to three of the league's five best teams. The Diamondbacks should improve next year, so the division is no longer a joke, but that hasn't deterred Padres GM Kevin Towers.

"I think we might be pretty good next year," Towers told ESPN.com's Buster Olney. "I know that sounds pretty crazy."

Olney suggests the Padres will likely keep Adrian Gonzalez, whose 35 homers would appeal to many teams if the Padres decided to listen to trade offers. The Padres have improved pitching and, now that they're no longer responsible for Jake Peavy's contract, could be minor players in the free agent market. 

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Penny, Harden, Lidge

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Rumor machine Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count Video up at FoxSports.com. Let's dive on in…

  • The outcome of this weekend's games could determine which team the recently released Brad Penny signs with. The Giants and Marlins are the two teams pursuing him the most, but the Giants are in a better position in the NL Wildcard standings.
  • The Yankees, Twins, and A's are also expressing interest in the righthander, but "what pitcher in his right mind would want to stay in the American League?"
  • The A's and Padres have even "floated the idea" of signing Penny beyond the rest of this season, but Penny's best bet might be to go to a team like the Giants and reestablish himself in a pennant race, then go back into the free agent pool this winter on a high note.
  • The Cubs are more open to dealing Rich Harden to the Twins than you might think. The Cubs could receive two high draft picks if they offer Harden arbitration after the season and he signs elsewhere, but that's a risky strategy. Given his injury history, the club might not want to take a $10MM or so hit if he accepts, even for only one year.
  • The bigger question with Harden may be how aggressive the Twins will be in trying to deal for him. Remember that stars Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan have said the team needs more to contend, with Morneau mentioning that the team needs to impress Joe Mauer since he's due to become a free agent after next season.
  • Yes, the Yankees were messing with the Red Sox when they claimed Chris Carter off waivers, but Boston's 40-man roster only has 38 players on it at the moment. Daisuke Matsuzaka will assume one of those spots when he comes off the 60-day DL, and the other is reserved for Paul Byrd.
  • People might need to relax when it comes to Brad Lidge's struggles. His recent blown save against the Pirates might be the result of overuse, as Lidge was pitching for the fourth straight day. He had done it twice before this season, but he entered game three of that stretch with a four-run lead. Manager Charlie Manuel may need to be more careful with how he uses his closer down the stretch.

Odds And Ends: Oswalt, Cubs, Chapman, Padres

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More links as we get ready for the final weekend of August baseball…

  • Jermore Solomon of the Houston Chronicle wouldn't be surprised if Roy Oswalt wants out of Houston.
  • Tony Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Rich Harden and Aaron Heilman aren't the only Cubs to have been claimed on waivers. 
  • Aroldis Chapman continues to practice in Spain and is close to establishing residency in another country, according to Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com. The Cuban pitcher is considered one of the best amateur talents in the world.
  • Arangure Jr. reports that the Padres are close to signing Fabel Filpo for a six-figure deal.

Odds And Ends: Oliver, Wolf, Penny

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Links for Thursday morning…

Heyman On Rockies, Wagner, Gonzalez

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Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Rockies are in contention because GM Dan O'Dowd has made more worthwhile moves than anyone in the last year. He acquired Huston Street and Carlos Gonzalez for Matt Holliday, turned Luis Vizcaino into Jason Marquis and acquired Rafael Betancourt. Here are Heyman's latest rumors:

  • O'Dowd's contract expires after the season, when Giants GM Brian Sabean and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti can also become free agents. One rival GM would be shocked if the Rockies didn't offer O'Dowd an extension.
  • Heyman imagines the exact same scenario that Buster Olney brought up earlier today. The Red Sox could keep Billy Wagner to close next year while Daniel Bard sets up. This would enable the Red Sox to trade Jonathan Papelbon, who would bring in a nice return. Heyman says it's "mostly speculation" and reminds us that it's "far-fetched."
  • The D'Backs put Chad Qualls on waivers. He's expected to be claimed, but the D'Backs aren't expected to move him.
  • Some expect the Padres to listen to offers for Adrian Gonzalez after the season,

Padres Extend David Eckstein Through 2010

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9:23pm: Brock adds the deal does not include any performance bonuses.

7:03pm: Brock says the deal will pay Eckstein $1MM next year.

6:15pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock hears that the Padres "will officially extend 2B David Eckstein today, through 2010." Eckstein is hitting .255-.317-.325 in 416 plate appearances this year, also spending some time on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

Odds & Ends: Padres, Rockies, Second Basemen

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Some links to peruse this morning:

  • Joel Sherman at the New York Post asked seven top team executives who they'd rather have manning second base over the next five years: Dustin Pedroia or Robinson Cano? Click over for the results.
  • Bill Center at the San Diego Union-Tribune hears that the the Padres are interested in keeping impending free agent backstop Henry Blanco.
  • The Rockies' newly-signed lefty phenom Tyler Matzek said a "gut feeling" led him to ink his $3.9MM deal with the team with only 10 minutes left till deadline, forgoing his career at the University of Oregon, according to the Associated Press. My gut says that $3.9MM is kind of a lot of money, but that could be just me.

Odds And Ends: Padres, Jays, Pineiro

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More links for Friday…

  • Padres beat writer Tom Krasovic hears that the Padres agreed to sign Fabel Filpo, a 16-year-old Dominican outfielder, for $450k.
  • Padres GM Kevin Towers says the Padres have now spent over $10MM on amateur talent this year.
  • Commissioner Bud Selig tells Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press that he'd like to see Paul Beeston stay on as the Blue Jays' CEO on a long-term basis (via the Toronto Sun).
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if anyone will offer Joel Pineiro a four-year deal as a free agent. He's in the midst of a career-year, but will teams believe in it?
  • Here's a look at the upcoming class of free agent pitchers. Other than John Lackey and Brandon Webb (who may not hit free agency) Pineiro figures to be among the most coveted starters out there.

Odds & Ends: Padilla, Riggleman, Cabrera, Twins

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Some links to wrap up your Thursday night…

Padres Take Cash For Gaudin

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Corey Brock at MLB.com reports that the Padres will receive cash in return for pitcher Chad Gaudin, who was traded to the Yankees August 7. The sum the Padres will receive is "believed to be" $100,000, according to Brock.

The deal was initially reported to be for a player to be named later. As it turns out, the Padres had until September 1 to decide between a PTBNL and cash considerations.

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