Padres To Non-Tender Bard
According to MLB.com’s Corey Brock, the Padres plan to non-tender catcher Josh Bard this winter. They’ll use Nick Hundley as the starting catcher in ’09, and may add a veteran backup like Brad Ausmus.
Bard is out for the year with a strained triceps. He hit .202/.279/.270 in 198 plate appearances, also dealing with an ankle injury. The Padres would’ve had to pay him at least $1.79MM in ’09. It’s not a bad situation for Bard, though – he’ll reach free agency without putting in six years of service. He’ll be 30 in March as will join a weak free agent market for catchers. Small sample size, but in his last healthy season (2007) Bard hit .330/.386/.456 away from PETCO.
With Bard out of the picture, the Padres have $42.4MM committed for ’09 plus arbitration raises to Jody Gerut, Scott Hairston, Heath Bell, and Clay Hensley. It seems possible the Padres could exercise Brian Giles‘ option and re-sign Trevor Hoffman without going too far past a $50MM payroll. Giles is included in the $42.4MM figure.
Odds and Ends: LaRoche, Bradley, Burnett
Digging into today’s random links…
- Joel Sherman looks at what went wrong for the Yankees this year. Did they fall too in love with their farm system?
- At least six teams have called the Pirates about third baseman Andy LaRoche in recent weeks. If LaRoche pans out and Pedro Alvarez comes aboard, the Bucs could have a surplus at some point.
- Craig Harris examines the rise of D’Backs GM Josh Byrnes.
- Eddie Bajek updated the Elias rankings for the AL 1B/OF/DH category. They’re fluctuating wildly. Eddie also did catchers for both leagues; Ivan Rodriguez is headed into Type B territory. Gregg Zaun lost Type B status.
- Mike Hindman conducted a roundtable asking what kind of contract the Rangers should offer Milton Bradley.
- 29 teams passed on Rays reliever Grant Balfour last spring. Now he has a 1.62 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 50 innings. Balfour’s been through a lot.
- Joe McDonald and Sean McAdam don’t see the Red Sox signing A.J. Burnett (or any big-name free agent starter).
- Padres CEO Sandy Alderson scoffed at the idea of a $40MM payroll for ’09. I never heard that figure tossed around; Buster Olney suggested the $50MM range.
- Maury Brown heard a rumor that Thomas Ricketts won the bid for the Cubs.
Odds and Ends: Ellis, Patterson, Sweeney
Rounding up today’s links…
- Willie Bloomquist may have played his last game with the Mariners.
- The Rays feel they can be consistent contenders with a new stadium, as they could raise their payroll to the $80MM range.
- Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire takes a look at the free agent market.
- Athletics Nation notes the price on second baseman Mark Ellis has dropped.
- MLB.com’s Mark Bowman explains the Braves’ working agreement with the Hanshin Tigers. The Tigers don’t have any of the big name free agents, but Frank Wren could still consider adding Koji Uehara or Kenshin Kawakami to his rotation.
- The Padres added pitcher Scott Patterson, formerly of the Yankees. Paul DePodesta weighs in on Patterson and Charlie Haeger.
- Mike Sweeney hopes to sign with another club for the final few weeks of the season.
- Andrew Baggarly would be surprised to see the Giants trade Randy Winn this winter.
- Mike Hindman on Michael Young‘s huge contract extension, which kicks in next year. Click here to see the reaction from MLBTR readers at the time of the signing.
Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Pavano, Penny, Burnett
Random links to start the morning…
- Ben Shpigel says Billy Wagner‘s $10.5MM for ’09 is not covered by insurance, making the Mets unlikely suitors for K-Rod (hat tip to MetsBlog).
- The Padres claimed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger. You have to like the move; he’s only 24.
- Ken Davidoff writes about Nationals pitcher Tim Redding, who dreams about returning to the Yankees one day.
- Davidoff also says that contrary to popular belief, C.C. Sabathia did not buy a home in Southern California.
- In another post, Davidoff lists the worst trades of ’08.
- Nats GM Jim Bowden will probably bring in a veteran first baseman next year due to health concerns with Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young.
- Not much cooking on the Pedro Alvarez front…Bud Selig testified yesterday, and the next part of the hearing isn’t until September 23rd.
- Andrew Baggarly explains Bengie Molina‘s contentious relationship with the Giants.
- From Saturday: Carl Pavano‘s side of the story. Can Pavano be a useful pitcher next year?
- Larry Borowsky would like to see the Cardinals enterain an extension for Todd Wellemeyer. He’s eligible for free agency after the ’09 season.
- Joel Sherman isn’t sure the Yankees will invite Andy Pettitte back next year.
- Brad Penny says he pitched through a shoulder injury because of uncertainty around his ’09 option.
- Interesting fact…A.J. Burnett is second in MLB with 3286 pitches thrown (Sabathia jumped into the lead last night). Many of the ’07 leaders in pitches thrown came down with injuries this year.
- Michael O’Keefe sits down with agent Scott Boras.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney notes that the Blue Jays will pursue a shortstop this winter.
- All you ever wanted to know about Dr. James Andrews.
- Jed Hoyer explains where Curt Schilling learned his negotiating tactics.
Padres Meet With Hoffman
MLB.com’s Barry Bloom spoke to Padres closer Trevor Hoffman yesterday. Hoffman revealed that he met with GM Kevin Towers on Saturday, and came away with positive feelings about re-signing for ’09. First, however, the Padres need to determine their payroll for next year.
Hoffman mentioned a desire for a multiyear deal, which could complicate the situation. The Padres surely want him back, but would they lock the 41 year-old in for two years? Perhaps one year with a vesting option would satisfy both parties. Hoffman will only explore the open market if the Padres don’t want him back.
Padres Were “Livid” When Giles Nixed Trade
San Diego Union Tribune’s Bill Center talked to Padres manager Bud Black about Brian Giles, who could be a free agent after the season.
And do you pick up Giles $9 million option for 2009 or let him walk into free agency with a $3 million buyout?
“Brian still gets it done,” Padres manager Bud Black said last night after the Brewers snapped a four-game losing streak and inched to within four games of the plummeting Chicago Cubs in the National League Central race.
“Brian is a mainstay player.”
While Black thinks Giles is a mainstay, the Padres front office obviously feels differently. Buster Olney says he heard that "the Padres were livid when Giles vetoed the trade that they pursued with the Red Sox in August."
Will San Diego buy out Giles after this season? If you believe the rumors that the franchise is looking to cut payroll, then it makes sense that they would.
Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com. You can reach him here.
Heyman’s Latest: Padres, Lowe, Manny, Minaya
Let’s take a look at what SI.com’s Jon Heyman has for us today.
- The Padres might be looking to slash their already-low payroll. With Kevin Towers, Paul DePodesta, and Sandy Alderson on staff, they might be able to do it. The question is of how competitive they’ll be in ’09. For more on the topic, check out our Padres Offseason Outlook.
- Towers thinks that when it comes to free agents, no one does it better than Pat Gillick.
- Will the Dodgers retain Manny Ramirez? Tough to say. Owner Frank McCourt might not want to spend the dough. Then again, with Manny’s jersey going for over $300 at Dodger Stadium — no, that’s not a typo — he might keep him on as an attraction. If only they weren’t so committed to Juan Pierre.
- It doesn’t appear likely Derek Lowe will don Dodger blue next season. He’s had a few rough starts this season, but is still pitching to a 3.69 ERA, and his walks are low. He’ll get a nice contract somewhere, and won’t cost a draft pick.
- The Mets want to extend Omar Minaya’s contract, which expires after the 2009 season.
Padres To Talk To Hoffman Soon
MLB.com’s Corey Brock talked to Padres GM Kevin Towers, who said he plans to talk to closer Trevor Hoffman about a contract for next year before season’s end. The interest is mutual.
If the Padres decline Brian Giles‘ option and trim payroll to $50MM, they’ll have about $7MM left to spend on Hoffman and other free agents.
Offseason Outlook: San Diego Padres
Your 2009 San Diego Padres:
C – Josh Bard – $2.2375MM+
C – Nick Hundley – $400K
1B – Adrian Gonzalez – $3MM
2B – Matt Antonelli – $400K
SS – Khalil Greene – $6.5MM
3B – Kevin Kouzmanoff – $410K
IF – Edgar Gonzalez – $400K
IF – Brian Myrow – $400K
LF – Chase Headley – $400K
CF – Jody Gerut – $700K+
RF – Brian Giles – $9MM or $3MM buyout
OF – Scott Hairston – $406K+
OF – Will Venable – $400K
SP – Jake Peavy – $11MM
SP – Chris Young – $4.5MM
SP – Cha Seung Baek – $400K
SP – Josh Banks – $400K
SP – Wade LeBlanc – $400K
RP – Heath Bell – $420K+
RP – Cla Meredith – $415K
RP – Clay Hensley – $410K+
RP – Justin Hampson – $403K
RP – Joe Thatcher – $400K
RP – Mike Adams – $400K
RP – Kevin Cameron – $400K
That’s $44.2MM committed, plus arbitration raises for Bard, Gerut, Hairston, and Hensley. Maybe that’ll bring commitments to around $49MM. This estimate includes them retaining Giles at $9MM.
ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Padres want to be in the $50MM payroll range for ’09, and Giles’ option will probably be declined. The Padres could exercise his option and try to trade him, but Giles has 10-and-5 rights.
Olney also says the Padres will talk to Trevor Hoffman soon about a contract for ’09. They might agree on $5MM or so, but then the Padres wouldn’t have room in the budget for Giles.
It’ll be a shame if the Padres slash payroll next year. They were at $73.7MM in ’08; $20MM could buy a quality free agent or two for the rotation or infield. 2009 provides a nice window to field a competitive team in a weak division. The salaries of Gonzalez, Kouzmanoff, Gerut, Peavy, Young, and Bell jump another $12MM or so in 2010.
If the Padres are so cost-conscious that they must discard an effective hitter like Giles, it may make sense to go all-in and sell off the young veterans too. Gonzalez and Peavy are currently at peak value given their salaries, age, and performance. Kouzmanoff and Young also have good trade value, though Greene is at a low point.
Note: two changes were made from the original post – information about Giles’ no-trade rights was added and Peavy’s ’09 salary was corrected.
Padres Release Tomko And Iguchi
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the Padres released Brett Tomko and Tadahito Iguchi following today’s game. The move was made to make room on the 40-man roster for prospects Matt Antonelli and Wade LeBlanc.
Tomko was 2-7 with a 6.30 ERA in 22 appearances (10 starts) this season. Iguchi was hitting .231/.292/.304 in 81 games this season. Tomko signed a 1-year deal prior to the season that paid him $3MM. Iguchi was given a 1-year extension that paid him $3.85MM this season.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.