When Logan White was passed over after interviewing for the Padres' general manager vacancy this summer, that was the last I thought of him. Today I woke up to a bunch of tweets ensuring he would be on my mind for quite some time. As first reported by CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, White, who until this point was the Dodgers' scouting director, was hired by San Diego; his specific role has yet to be announced. That should be cleared up when the team makes it official, which is expected to happen today.
White has been in the scouting side of baseball since 1988, after his brief career as a minor league pitcher ended. According to his profile on the Dodgers' official site (which I can't imagine will be there much longer), White started with two years as an associate scout for the Mariners, then spent 1990 though '92 with the Orioles organization as an area scout. From there he moved on to his first stint with the Padres, for whom he served as the West Coast Supervisor before heading back to Baltimore as their West Coast Supervisor, albeit with several added responsibilities. After seven years there, White joined the Dodgers in 2002 as their director of amateur scouting, a role he held until his promotion to Assistant GM in 2007. He got another bump up in 2013, when he was named Vice President, Amateur Scouting.
Much of the buzz has centered on the numerous successful draftees and international free agents snagged up under White's watch. The list reads like a who's who of the past ten and next ten years of baseball, peppered with names like Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Yasiel Puig, and Joc Pederson.
The rest of the buzz has been a unanimous stamp of approval from fans and media alike. One of my favorite gauges to use when judging an acquisition, be it a player or an executive, is how fans of his most recent employer react. Dodgers fans and bloggers were all disappointed to see him go, which is both encouraging and deserving of its own post.
As I mentioned offhandedly in the post I did about Logan White earlier today, one of my favorite ways to judge an acquisition right off the bat is to see what the fans of the team he left are saying. In the case of Logan White, Dodgers fans are nearly unanimous: He's extremely good at what he does, and they're bummed out that he's leaving. I took one for the team and waded through the dark world of Dodgertwitter to compile the following roundup.
Logan White is now working for the Padres aka no more scouting Kershaws,Puigs,Or Matt Kemps for us.
There are so, so many more tweets like these from other Dodgers fans lamenting their loss. I could keep embedding them all day long, because I really love reveling in it when the Dodgers lose anything, but I think the point has been made.
This morning, the Arizona Fall League announced the rosters of its annual Fall Stars Game, and Padres prospects led the way, with four young players representing the West, the most of any team in baseball. 2013 first round draft pick Hunter Renfroe is the most notable of the group. Although he's struggled at the plate since his midseason promotion to the AA San Antonio Missions, he's still just 22 years old with plenty of promise. He's joined by another first round pick: Jace Peterson was the 58th overall selection in the 2011 draft. Jace had a few cups of coffee with the big league club this season, but spent the bulk of his time with the El Paso Chihuahuas, where he hit an impressive .306 over 248 at bats.
The other two prospects going to the Fall Stars Game are pitchers Tayron Guerrero and Burch Smith. After a short, rough stint with the Padres in 2013, Smith was sent to AAA midway through spring training, but only tossed 5.1 innings for the Chihuahuas. He spent the rest of the season recovering from a forearm injury. While his stats with the Surprise Saguaros are nothing to write home about, it's nice to see Burch throwing the ball again. Guerrero is the one prospect among the bunch I wasn't familiar with. The 23 year old righty from Colombia was signed in 2009 and can hit triple digits with his fastball. He's still learning to control that power, but showed considerable improvement this year, with an ERA of just 1.45 over nearly 50 innings split between the Fort Wayne Tincaps and the Lake Elsinore Storm.
The Fall Stars Game starts at 5:08 PM this Saturday. It'll be carried by MLB Network and MLB.com, so tune in and cheer on the youngsters.
On Monday, our own Brian Baker made a convincing case for the Red Sox to sign Pablo Sandoval if and when he hits the free agent market. The Giants have reasons of their own to make an effort to keep Sandoval, but is he worth it?
Even before the season began, Pablo Sandoval's offseason fate was a topic of hot discussion—and rightfully so.
As the majors' top hitter with an expiring contract, Sandoval will find himself on several needy teams' wishlists, and the offers should start rolling in as soon as the Giants extend their third baseman the qualifying offer that everyone knows is coming.
No matter how many seasons Sandoval has spent in San Francisco, how many World Series he ends up with or what type of camaraderie he has developed with the Giants, baseball is a business, and teams will be more than willing to cough up millions—perhaps more than the Giants want to spend—to acquire Sandoval's services.
Both sides are still far apart both monetarily and in contract length. General manager Brian Sabean broke off extension talks with his third baseman in early April, weeks after Sandoval's agent, Gustavo Vasquez, told the Chronicle's Henry Schulman that his client wanted a five-year deal worth no less than Hunter Pence's $90 million contract.
After a somewhat productive 2014 campaign (.279/.324/.415), followed by another breakout postseason, Sandoval should earn at least that amount, whether it's with San Francisco or elsewhere. The question, then, is which one it will be. At this point, it's more like to be the latter, but playing devil's advocate, let's look at why the Giants could end up bringing Sandoval back. More importantly, should they even bother?
★★★
Throughout the regular season, it seemed almost foregone that the Giants would extend a qualifying offer to Sandoval and he would simply kiss them goodbye in favor of free agency. Though it appears they'll still go through with the offer, the Giants' World Series run increases their chances of re-signing Sandoval.
Players want to go where they can win, and even if the Giants lose their next two games in Kansas City, Sandoval would likely think twice about leaving a team with three World Series appearances in the last five seasons. As was the case with the Royals and James Shields in rumors earlier this postseason, a deep playoff run also changes the situation financially, even if a good deal of the revenue generated from postseason games goes directly to the players and commissioner's office.
Also not to be overlooked is Sabean's tendency to re-sign his key players. On top of bringing back Pence last offseason, the Giants general manager has extended core players like Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain in recent years. Posey was 26 years old at the time of his extension; Pence was 30 while Cain was 27. Right on par, Sandoval is 28.
Giants president Larry Baer is likely a strong proponent of an extension as well. Losing Sandoval would be a marketing hit for the Giants, and while exact figures aren't readily available, the team's executives would probably prefer to keep "Panda" merchandise on the shelves. Sandoval is so popular in San Francisco that the loss of his merchandise sales could be enough to have a slight impact on the team's decision. (It's a stretch, but Baer is the one who writes the checks, and he stands to benefit from Sandoval's popularity in the team stores.)
Most importantly, however, Sandoval is the Giants' best option at the hot corner going into 2015, and it really isn't close.
In terms of in-house options, rookie Matt Duffy would likely be the best replacement option. After back-to-back seasons of steady production in the minors (.832 and .842 OPS totals in 2013 and 2014, respectively) combined with strong plate discipline that speaks well for his future in the majors, Duffy could fill in reasonably for Sandoval. But even including the postseason, Duffy has just 70 plate appearances of experience in the majors, making it a huge leap of faith to rely on him for a full season.
The Giants could also turn to cheaper options on the free agent market, like Yankees third baseman Chase Headley. But Headley is an undeniable downgrade from Sandoval, especially with his proven inability to hit in pitcher-friendly parks. (The former Padres third baseman is a career .243/.331/.372 hitter at Petco Park.) Given Headley's hefty price tag, the Giants would likely be better off dropping more money for Sandoval instead—if that option proves feasible.
They might not have the payroll to do so, however, otherwise they likely would have given Sandoval a better offer during regular season negotiations.
"It’s gonna be hard for us to compete against an American League team in terms of years," Sabean said earlier this week, via the New York Daily News' Bill Madden. "We’ll just have to wait and see what his offers are."
Maybe the Giants would be better off in the long run not re-signing Sandoval. It's one thing to wonder if they have the financial capacity to do so; it's another to consider whether it's a smart move in the first place. Sure, he's consistent. But over the last three years, Sandoval's wRC+ has been as follows: 118, 116, 111. Above average, yes, but numbers that also might not be worth the potential nine-figure deal he'll command.
Sandoval's power outage is also somewhat of a concern. Since the start of 2012, he has just 42 homers in 1,509 at-bats, a number nearly matched by Baltimore's Nelson Cruz (40 homers this year) in 896 fewer at-bats.
It's not really a matter of whether the Giants want Sandoval. Rather, the issue is whether he's actually worth the price tag—which will be dictated by whatever the Giants' competitors see fit to offer. But if Sandoval ends up elsewhere next season, the team could find themselves with a situation similar to the second base and left field woes of 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Either way, in an offseason severely lacking in offensive talent, the Pablo Sandoval saga figures to be the most interesting story to follow.
Unless you're one of those cynical and/or foulweather fans who is convinced that the Padres will never change their ways, the 2014 -2015 offseason looks to be a dynamic one. A.J. Preller is already making his mark as the new GM and there have been some huge personnel changes in the organization. If all the activity we've seen thus far is any indication, we should be looking forward to a Winter full of change for our Friars on the field.
One of the big questions marks on the team is the guy who's been with the franchise longer than anyone else. Tim Stauffer was drafted by the Padres in the first round in 2003 and has since had a bit of a roller coaster career that included going back and forth in the minors, being a part of the starting rotation, moving to the bullpen, making spot starts, and of course (he's a Padre, after all) injuries. But throughout his tenure here, he's been resilient and hard-working as anyone, remained a great teammate to those who have come and gone, and kept himself open to different roles on the team.
Let's take a look at Tim Stauffer's career as a professional baseball player, spanning 11 years in the Padres organization:
Preller and co. have a lot to think about this offseason, and hopefully they can find a way to keep Stauffer on the staff. Of course, it's not only up to them, and if another team can give Stauffer an opportunity as a starter, there's a good chance he would take it. But after watching him grow as a player the last 11 years, it would be particularly painful (for me, at least) to see him in another team's uniform. And Buddy Black shares that sentiment. Via Corey Brock:
San Diego manager Bud Black isn't quite ready to close the door on Stauffer's time with the Padres.
"I've seen Tim grow up in a lot of different ways," Black said. "He showed determination through his time here. It's been great to witness him grow up, a guy who fought through shoulder surgery and become a valuable part of our most successful team in 2010 and be unselfish. A great teammate and always could be counted on to do the right thing.
"I've told Tim that I'm so happy he's healthy and that he's throwing the ball well. So we'll see what happens, but let's hope that it happens for him here."
What do you think? Is it time for Stauffer and the Padres to move on and part ways, or should they try to work out a deal to keep the 33-year-old on the team?
The prospect staff at Fake Teams continues their fantasy prospect rankings and system reviews with an in-depth look at the San Diego Padres,
Just like last year, the prospect staff here at Fake Teams will be taking an in-depth look at each major league organization, including our top 10 fantasy prospects, an overview of the organization's minor league system as a whole and potential opportunities for playing time in 2015. Our goal is to provide you with more information as you prepare for minor league drafts for dynasty and keeper leagues, as well as look at players that could potentially be worth watching during the spring, as they could be in line to potentially help your fantasy team. We will be reviewing two teams per week until we are through all 30 teams, and you can see the schedule of when your favorite team will be reviewed below. if we have already reviewed the team, a link to the post, along with the team's top prospect is noted.
To say that the season did not go in the direction the Padres anticipated might be an understatement. While there weren't necessarily expectations that a playoff run was in the offing, they were coming off a 76-86 campaign in 2013 and improvement was anticipated.
Even with the knowledge that Petco Park will depress offense, the Padres struggled on a level almost unheard of. They scored just 535 runs (3.3/game), hit just .226 as a team, and posted an OPS+ of 85, all at the bottom of the league. The team was led on offense by Seth Smith, who posted a 135 OPS+ with 12 homeruns, and Yasmani Grandal, who hit 15 home runs, but with a .225/.327/.401 slash line. They saw injuries to second-year second baseman Jedd Gyorko, third baseman Chase Headley, and first baseman Yonder Alonso. Everth Cabrera finished the season on a suspension related to a DUI arrest after missing time with injuries of his own. Will Venable turned back into a pumpkin after a strong 2013 season that saw him reach the 20 HR/20 SB plateau, hitting just .224 with eight home runs and 11 steals in 146 games.
The pitching performances were solid, albeit somewhat unexpected. The team acquired Ian Kennedy late in 2013, and he paired with Tyson Ross to give the Padres a solid top of the rotation with nearly 400 innings between them. Free agent signee Josh Johnson did not end up pitching in a single game for the team, but could still return on a very friendly team option for 2015 if the team believes he can stay healthy. We saw glimpses of what made the Padres acquire Andrew Cashner, but he did miss significant time this year with injuries as well. The signing of Odisramer Despaigne, and acquisition last offseason of Jesse Hahn gave the Padres two more back-end options for a rotation that was the strength of the team this year.
This overall performance ended up costing general manager Josh Byrnes his job in late June, and interim general manager Omar Minaya was busy right before the trade deadline. Minaya sent closer Huston Street to the Angels, third baseman (and free agent-to-be) Chase Headley to the Yankees, and outfielder Chris Denorfia to the Mariners, while bringing back a number of interesting prospects to go along with a farm system that was already considered deep at the start of the year.
Unfortunately, the farm system generally took a step backward in 2014. Our top prospect from a year ago, Max Fried, threw just 10 innings over the year due to injuries before needing Tommy John surgery in August, and will have lost two full years of development by the time he returns to the mound in 2016. Casey Kelly was expected to be in the rotation at some point in 2014, but instead ended up throwing just 20 innings himself, and none in the majors. Even while his defense is expected to carry him to the majors, top real-life prospect Austin Hedges struggled at the plate at AA to the point where he isn't even a top 10 fantasy prospect for us, even with guaranteed playing time once he is ready.
There were some bright spots in amongst the prospects though. Rymer Liriano debuted after a strong season between AA and AAA, and could be in line for a shot at playing time in 2015. Top draftee Trea Turner hit .369 with 14 stolen bases in 46 games at Low-A, and could move quickly toward the majors. The deadline trades also brought in a number of interesting prospects, with Taylor Lindsey and Jose Rondon potentially lining up as the middle infield of the future and pitching prospects Jose De Paula and R.J. Alvarez being interesting arms as well.
The most exciting part of the whole season may be the hiring of the new general manager, former Rangers' Assistant General Manager A.J. Preller. So far this offseason, he has been assembling an excellent staff behind him, including Logan White (from the Dodgers), Sam Geaney as the new director of player development, and Don Welke as the head of scouting operations. Early reviews point to Preller building an extremely strong staff that should help him to move the organization down a path of sustained success in both the short and long-term.
2014 Graduates
The following players have surpassed their rookie maximums of 130 AB, 50 IP, or 45 days of service time.
Realistically, with as many players struggling as there were in 2014, you would think that there would be a number of places where the team could clearly upgrade. Unfortunately, it's not necessarily that simple. The team will look for improved performances from existing infielders Jedd Gyorko, Everth Cabrera, and Yonder Alonso, and it's possible we see a position shift for Gyorko again. Third base may be the easiest point to upgrade, although with Gyorko on the team they could move him back to his original position, and install either Taylor Lindsey or Cory Spangenberg as the second baseman in his place. In the outfield, they'll look for Cameron Maybin and Will Venable to return to form, and while Rymer Liriano could see playing time, it's not likely to be early with both Seth Smith and Carlos Quentin under contract as well for the 2015 season.
The pitching staff is locked in with their top three starters as Kennedy, Ross and Cashner in some order, with the back end of the rotation stocked with some combination of veteran Eric Stults, Cuban signee Odisramer Despaigne, the potentially returning Josh Johnson, and a mixture of young arms in Jesse Hahn, Casey Kelly, Joe Wieland, and potentially Cory Luebke. Who exactly comes out of that mixture at this point remains to be seen, but most of them should be at least somewhat fantasy relevant as streaming options depending on their opponent and location. The back end of the bullpen is led by Joaquin Benoit, who could be a trade candidate at midseason if the team is floundering. Kevin Quackenbush saw time as the closer as well, and overall the bullpen is relatively well set with a number of potentially interchangeable arms available should one or two struggle during the season.
Top 10 Fantasy Prospects by Brian Creagh
Our top 10 fantasy prospect rankings are based upon standard 5x5 fantasy baseball leagues, with a balancing of ceiling and present value. While we are having discussions regarding these lists as a collective group, the top 10 fantasy prospect rankings are finalized by the writer listed above. Players are no longer considered prospects once they exceed either 130 at bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days of service time in the Majors
In a system loaded with pitching talent, it's a slugging OF who tops the list of this year's fantasy prospects. Hunter Renfroe was selected 13th overall in the 2013 draft out of Mississippi State, and despite some initial concerns about his athleticism, he's fit the mold of a slugging right-field prospect to a tee. His 2014 season was split evenly between High-A and AA, and Renfroe struggled a bit with the jump to the Texas League. He feasted on High-A pitching with a .295/.370/.565 triple slash line, but AA pitching proved to be a bit too advanced as he hit only .232/.307/.353.
At the plate, Renfroe looks capable of putting up the big power numbers that can be tough to identify early in fantasy prospects. He has big raw power and easily translates it into the game with a short, easy swing. However, he has had some issues with strikeouts as evidenced by his 134 K's in only 129 games this year. On a positive note, the strikeout rate did decrease in his jump to AA, so he seems to be making adjustments.
Renfroe's future is likely in RF thanks to his big arm and surprising athleticism. He should be able to cover enough ground and keep runners honest in RF. 2015 should see Renfroe repeat AA to begin with a promotion to AAA possible if he starts well. I think we could see Renfroe up in San Diego at the end of 2016, or early 2017. There's a sneaky chance Renfroe continues to develop his approach and turns into more than just a power hitter. He's the type of guy I would target in dynasty leagues who could come cheaper than other prolific power prospects.
Wisler emerged as the clear #1 pitching prospect in the system after last year I had rated Max Fried slightly ahead of Wisler due to perceived upside. Not much has changed in the last year in terms of Wisler's ceiling, he's still a great #3 starter, it speaks more to Fried's injury and the uncertainty it brings. Matt Wisler spent almost all of 2014 in AAA and did not put up the numbers I would've expected. Part of this is explained by the offensive-friendly PCL, but the HR/9 (1.47) and the FIP (5.14) give a few reasons to be worried.
Wisler was just 21 years old while in AAA, which is very very young for the league. He still looks to be well on his way to becoming a mid-rotation starter and a usable fantasy asset in San Diego, but he may need another full year before breaking into the big leagues. Wisler doesn't project to put up many strikeouts, and his strikeout numbers have decreased as he has moved through the system. Last year he finished with a 7.8 K/9 and a 2.8 BB/9 and that might be his upside at the MLB level unless he is able to develop a put-away pitch.
Wisler's mix of pitches is what will drive any success he has in the big leagues, because he does not have a single plus-plus pitch at his disposal. He's a smart pitcher who can sequence appropriately and keep hitters off balance, but he won't get away with mistakes as often as others might. His fastball sits 93-95 and he features a four-seam and two-seam variety. The changeup is still developing, but could become an average pitch. His curveball and slider are not nasty, but he commands each of them well. The underwhelming stuff limits his upside to a #3 starter with a more likely scenario being that of a #4 or #5 guy. For fantasy purposes, there is still value there so long as he pitches half of his games in Petco. I'm not reaching for Wisler anywhere, but he's very close to the MLB and should be usable in most formats.
3. Max Fried (LHP)
Photo Credit: Denis Poroy
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
W
SV
ERA
WHIP
K
0
0
5.06
1.875
10
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
IP
HR/9
GO/AO
BB%
K%
10.2
0.80
2.33
10.00%
20.00%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE
Bats
Throws
2014 Levels
20
L
L
A-Rk
Roster Status: Protect After 2015 Season
ETA to Majors: Late 2017
In what amounted to a lost year for Max Fried, the left-handed pitcher managed only 10 innings before ultimately being shut down and opting for Tommy John surgery. Heading into the season, Fried was a high-upside pitching prospect and the surgery doesn't change that, but it does make what was likely to be a long developmental path even longer. Fried was taken 7th overall in the 2012 draft out of high school and due to spotty fastball command, he seemed destined for a slow ascent through the minors.
Fried is a big kid at 6'4", but he controls his body well and has a smooth, repeatable delivery. He doesn't have the explosive fastball you typically see in the elite prep arms - his fastball sits in the low 90's and he doesn't have much command on it. What sets Fried apart is the monster potential of both his curveball and changeup. Both are legit out pitches and advanced beyond his years for a 20 year old.
With the success we have been seeing out of Tommy John patients, I'm finding it difficult to knock Fried too far down the rankings. His ETA is anyone's guess, but for those in established dynasty leagues, this could be your chance to buy low on this guy. It's a long-term investment to be sure, but 6'4" lefties with two plus-plus off-speed offerings don't come around very often. The ceiling hasn't dropped at all, but the floor is non-existent at this point.
An aggressive assignment to Low-A to start the season backfired for the Padres as Franchy Cordero struggled mightily in his full season debut. After 22 games, he was moved back to Rookie ball where Cordero showed off the tools that put him on many fantasy radars after 2013. A 6'3" 175 lb rail thin shortstop prospect, Franchy Cordero hit .279/.329/.458 with 9 HRs and 13 SBs in 61 rookie league games last year. He's an electric talent and a potential stud for fantasy owners. The combination of size, present skill, and youth is drool-inducing and Cordero could easily develop into a Top 50 prospect in a year or two.
Some scouts think Cordero will outgrow the position, but if he does, the power projection likely grows with it and his bat can handle a move to 3B or elsewhere on the diamond. Don't give up on Cordero after a poor season, there is likely a human element involved as it was also Cordero's stateside debut, and his first time playing in a cold weather environment. He appears to have handled the adversity well and regrouped in extended spring training, which is a positive sign for his overall development. He could be a sneaky buy-low candidate for those in deep dynasty league.
5. Trea Turner (SS)
Photo Credit: Bruce Thorson - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG
R
HR
RBI
SB
0.323
45
5
24
23
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA
OBP%
SLG%
BB%
K%
321
0.406
0.448
10.90%
20.87%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE
Bats
Throws
2014 Levels
21
R
R
A-A-
Roster Status: Protect After 2017 Season
ETA to Majors: 2016
The Padres #1 pick this year in the MLB draft, Turner is a shortstop prospect from North Carolina State University. He's a dynamic, leadoff hitter who has the range and glove to stick at SS, but he's a bit of a question mark at the plate and that's why he falls down to 5th on this list despite the high pedigree. Turner tore up the Midwest League in his professional debut, to the tune of .369/.447/.529 with 4 HRs and 14 SBs. Two caveats to that line that are worth pointing out: a college bat in the Midwest League is commonly going to find success, and scouts did note some serious contact issues despite the gaudy numbers. He's playing mostly with teenagers who haven't faced nearly the same quality pitching as he has at the collegiate level, so while his numbers are still impressive for a college player, they should be taken with a grain salt.
What we can count on from Turner is a bonafide SS prospect with some serious wheels. That should buoy his fantasy value for a long time, and there's a chance for even more if he can resolve the contact issues. Power doesn't ever figure to be much of a factor in Turner's game, but at SS that shouldn't matter too much. Turner has the feel of a guy who I'll always be skeptical of until I see him succeed for an extended period at the AA level. I'd be much more willing to invest in the younger, more power-centric profile of Franchy Cordero.
6. Rymer Liriano (OF)
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG
R
HR
RBI
SB
0.277
82
15
72
24
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA
OBP%
SLG%
BB%
K%
607
0.348
0.432
8.57%
25.54%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE
Bats
Throws
2014 Levels
23
R
R
AA-AAA-MLB
Roster Status: On 40 Man Roster (Out of Options)
ETA to Majors: 2015
We saw flashes of what Liriano could be at the major league level this year, which is always enticing for fantasy owners, but he continues to put it all together in a package that produces on a consistent basis. In a 121 PA call-up, Liriano struggled with a .220/.289/.266 line with 1 HR and 4 steals. In the minors, however; he dominated both AA and AAA putting up crazy numbers. It could just be a matter of confidence and Liriano requiring the time at the highest level to figure pitchers out, because the tools and the talent are all there for him to be an impact player.
He's more power than AVG for fantasy purposes, and he still looks raw at times on the plate, but the 20-20 potential is still there for Rymer Liriano. The hit tool will likely limit the power upside and he could even turn into an AVG anchor for roto owners if he gets enough PA's, but there's still that chance that everything goes right and Liriano is an impact guy in any format.
Jace Peterson is intriguing prospect, and his value will be tightly tied to the position he ultimately ends up playing for San Diego. A shortstop coming up through the minors, Peterson moved around a bit last year and saw time at SS, 3B, and 2B between the majors and minor leagues. Where he settles in for San Diego long term is still up in the air as Jedd Gyorko, Yangervis Solarte, and Everth Cabrera are all under contract next year and are the incumbents at the infield positions. Peterson will likely end up playing a utility role until an injury or trade opens up an opportunity.
The power projection for Peterson is lackluster, but he still profiles as a top-of-the-order guy thanks to excellent on-base skills and a plus hit tool. The profile looks great at a middle infield position, but he's probably just a fringe starter in standard formats if he plays strictly 3B. While he has the ability to play SS making the Padres more likely to keep him there, Solarte, in my opinion, is the weakest of the three options and will probably be the first guy removed to make room for Peterson. There is also some speed in his game, but his success rate dropped considerably once hitting AA, so I'd temper the expectations a bit after his 132 SBs in 3 seasons in the lower minors.
8. Dustin Peterson (3B)
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG
R
HR
RBI
SB
0.233
64
10
79
1
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA
OBP%
SLG%
BB%
K%
563
0.274
0.361
4.44%
24.33%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE
Bats
Throws
2014 Levels
19
R
R
A
Roster Status: Protect After 2017 Season
ETA to Majors: 2017
Dustin Peterson is my "guy" in this system. I was high on him last year, putting him at #4 in the system and despite putting up rough numbers in Low-A this year, my faith in him as a future fantasy weapon has only grown. The younger brother of Seattle Mariners first round pick D.J. Peterson, Dustin is an offensive-minded player without a definitive position. 3B looks to be the short-term answer, but some think a shift to 1B is likely and that will certainly put a lot of pressure on the bat. Personally, I think Peterson can stick at 3B as I've seen enough reports from scouts this season that think he has just enough arm and agility to make it work.
Peterson's offensive game isn't as polished as many thought when coming out of high school but that doesn't mean his upside has changed much. He has shown a propensity for squaring up pitches but he is having some strike zone issues as evidenced by the 137 K's in 126 games. He is willing to use the whole field, and his short, compact swing doesn't sell out for power. What intrigues me most about Peterson is the power potential his frame hints at. At 6'2" 185 lbs, he should fill out his frame and add some muscle and when combined with his solid hit tool, there's potential for a dynamic offensive weapon. I wouldn't be surprised if Peterson repeats Low-A due to his age, but hopefully we can see some big adjustments from him.
9. Joe Ross (RHP)
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
W
SV
ERA
WHIP
K
10
0
3.92
1.26
106
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
IP
HR/9
GO/AO
BB%
K%
121.2
0.60
1.59
5.58%
20.38%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE
Bats
Throws
2014 Levels
21
R
R
A+-AA
Roster Status: Protect After 2015 Season
ETA to Majors: 2016
A solid, but unspectacular year for Joe Ross in 2014 as he found his way to the AA level after succeeding in Hi-A. Ross threw 101.2 innings with a 3.98 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 2.8 BB/9 in Hi-A and then received a brief 20 IP appearance in AA to conclude the season, before hitting the disabled list. Ross projects to be a #4/#5 type of guy, but there's still a chance for more after the step forward he took this year.
Ross features a plus fastball in the low 90's with heavy life, a slider that projects as above average, and a changeup that is still mostly a show-me pitch. The big knock on Ross was that his stuff wasn't electric enough to miss bats at the higher levels. He's done well to calm some of those fears this season, but a larger sample at AA in 2015 will be very telling. Of similar players with back-end of the rotation projections, Ross is the guy worth taking the chance on because his build, and big fastball hint at something more.
10. Taylor Lindsey (2B)
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG
R
HR
RBI
SB
0.238
69
10
48
7
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA
OBP%
SLG%
BB%
K%
501
0.306
0.372
8.18%
11.78%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE
Bats
Throws
2014 Levels
22
L
R
AAA-Rk
Roster Status: Must Protect This Offseason
ETA to Majors: 2015
Traded to San Diego from Los Angeles in the Huston Street deal, Taylor Lindsey went from the #1 prospect in the Angels system to #10 here on our list. It speaks more to the varying qualities of each team's farm system, but I also think Lindsey's future fantasy value took a tumble with the trade. He went to being one of the next guys to be called up to fill an infield need, to a guy with a few options ahead of him in both the short term (Jace Peterson) and long term (Franchy Cordero). Not to mention the incumbent, Jedd Gyorko doesn't figure to be going anywhere soon, except maybe back to 3B.
Lindsey doesn't have a standout tool, and his scouting report is full of 50 grades, which means he's going to be a starter in the MLB, but you aren't drafting him for any particular skillset. Lindsey did struggle this year at AAA in both the LAA and SD systems, and he will likely repeat the level to start off 2015. As mentioned before, Jace Peterson is probably the first one to get a call up, but Lindsey should be next on the list if he can make adjustments and find some footing next year. I don't know that Lindsey is ever rosterable in a standard format, but the floor is higher than the names below him, and he should stick up the middle.
Other Interesting Prospects
by Brian Creagh
Austin Hedges - The analysis on Hedges is simple. The glove will get him to the big leagues and continue to garner him PA's, but he's shown very little ability to do much with those appearances, and from a fantasy perspective that's the stuff we care about. I don't know if the certainty of a lineup spot is enough to mask the holes in his offensive game and make me care about Austin Hedges as a fantasy prospect. If you own him, sell him for what his brand name can return.
Casey Kelly - We are now two years removed from Kelly's 29 inning cup of coffee in San Diego. Casey Kelly has sort of been a forgotten man in fantasy circles. He started a brief recovery from Tommy John but after feeling soreness in his elbow he's been put on the shelf again. His upside is still that of a mid-rotation piece, but given the Padres SP depth and his battle with injuries, they will make Kelly earn his way back up the ladder. He's a name to keep an eye on at this point, but probably not worth a roster spot.
Jose Rondon - The second piece of the Huston Street deal was Jose Rondon, a shortstop prospect with the tools to be a serviceable player at the highest level. He grades out at average to above-average in every tool except for power, which means he's likely to stick at SS and is a good bet to make it to the MLB despite playing only one season beyond rookie ball to this point. Rondon has a knack for hard contact, and runs well enough to swipe a few bags. There is a lot of talent in front of him in the San Diego organization, and while he can't match the upside of Jace Peterson, Franchy Cordero , and Dustin Peterson, he has one of the highest floors of the group. Don't be surprised if Rondon ends up being a utility type player with multiple positions of eligibility and some decent fantasy value if he can find himself hitting on top of a big league lineup.
About the Authors
Jason Hunt is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in the minor leagues and prospects. Follow him on Twitter @jasonsbaseball
Brian Creagh is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues. Follow him on Twitter @BrianCreagh
David Spracale is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues. Follow him on Twitter @dspracale
You might find this terrifying, but this is actually good news because if you remember from Stephen King's novel "It", Pennywise, the evil shape-shifting clown, was [SPOILER ALERT] eventually defeated by a group of kids from the fictional town of Derry named The Losers' Club. In San Diego we've got a loser club too (77-85) and it's named the San Diego Padres. I don't like the Wasco Clown's chances against this club.
With Delgado all out of options, the D-backs needed him to pitch well enough to remain on the roster. What does the SnakePit think of our young right-hander?
How this works
Every other day, from now through to Christmas, we'll open up discussion on a particular player who made a meaningful contribution to the 2014 Diamondbacks. [I've drawn the line at 125 PA or 20 innings] There will be two sections. Firstly, a poll where you rate them from 5 ("Highly satisfied") down to 1 ("Very dissatisfied"): it's entirely up to you what criteria you use for the number. Secondly, the comments below, where you can talk about the reasons for your vote, etc. Things to discuss include, but are not limited to:
Pre-season expectations
2014 performance: strengths and weaknesses, etc.
Health and other mitigating factors
How they'll help the team in 2015, their role, etc.
Three days down the line, we'll collate the votes, calculate a final average score, and write up the consensus of SnakePit thought into an appraisal. Here is a quick overview of today's candidate for your consideration.
Additional bonus! Going forward. we'll also have a "Comment of the Thread" for the appraisal, so please rec the comments you find insightful, funny, or whatever.
2014 performance: 47 games (4 starts), 77.2 IP, 4.87 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 86 K, 35 BB, 4-4 record
2014 value: -0.5 bWAR, 0.7 fWAR.
Delgado was in the conversation for 5th starter going into Spring Training, and ultimately won the position after Patrick Corbin went down with injury. But after two disastrous starts to begin the year, the team decided the bullpen was the best place for him going forward. After that, he was only used when his team was either tied or behind, with 44 of his 47 appearances used in that fashion. His best performance of the year was actually a spot start in September against the Padres, when he pitched 5 shutout innings and ended up getting the victory. With Randall Delgado being a key piece in the Justin Upton trade, what exactly do the D-backs have in Randall Delgado?
For the second season in a row, the return to the roster of injured Friars forces some roster decisions.
At all times a major league baseball team has to have a valid 40 man roster. During the season, the team can place injured players on a 60 day DL and open up a spot on that roster. Once the season is over, the 60 day DL goes away. All those players either need spots on the roster or have to be let go. Most years the team also has a number of free agents that vacate roster spots at the same time. The Padres do not have this luxury this offseason.
The team only has one true free agent: Tim Stauffer. They could add one more if they decline Josh Johnson's $4M 2015 option (a player who also happens to be on the 60 day DL). Not including Johnson there are 5 players on the 60 day DL: Casey Kelly, Cory Luebke, Yonder Alonso, Ryan Jackson and Carlos Quentin. Some simple math (40 - 2 + 5) shows that the roster crunch comes down to at least an extra 3 players. But who could they be?
I can eliminate a number of what I think the org would deem essential players or prospects from consideration: Alvarez, Benoit, Cashner, Despaigne, Erlin, Hahn, Kennedy, Quackenbush, Ross, Thayer, Torres, Vincent, Wieland, Grandal, Rivera, Amarista, Cabrera, Gyorko, Medica, Peterson, Solarte, Spangenberg, Almonte, Liriano, Maybin, Seth Smith and Venable. While not every one of those players is guaranteed to be a part of the 2015 team, all mean more to the org than to dump them at this point. The next tier, if you will, are a number of players that are less established as either prospects or major leaguers or are part of the walking wounded, but also seem unlikely to get the boot at this time: Alonso, Boyer, Campos, Garces, Kelly, Luebke, Roach, Burch Smith, Asencio, Fuentes, Goebbert. A couple of those I am more sure about than others. So that should leave us with a list of bubble guys.
That list is: Juan Pablo Oramas, Keyvius Sampson, Eric Stults, Adam Moore, Ryan Jackson and Carlos Quentin. Oramas is a Tommy John survivor who struggled in AAA last year. He wouldn't be my first choice to cut, but I can't rule him out. Keyvius Sampson was once a promising prospect, but two bad trials in AAA leave him far removed from the last time he showed he belongs. Eric Stults is a non-tender candidate due to increasing salary and an increasing standard of production for the starting rotation, but the team could cut him early and free up a roster spot. Adam Moore was a late season roster add to increase catcher depth and at 30 years old he seems like an easy cut. Ryan Jackson was the return in the Jesus Guzman trade and was supposed to back up Cabrera at SS before missing the entire season with injury. A weak bat, a year off and an org that hasn't seen much of him makes him vulnerable. Everyone who follows the Padres knows that Quentin's career has nosedived and it's a matter of when, not if, the team decides to cut ties with him.
Prediction: Sampson, Moore and Jackson get the cuts. Quentin gets a small reprieve. Stults decision gets pushed. Oramas becomes the next man out should the Padres need another spot.
Corey Brock dropped (are the cool kids still saying 'dropped'?) a new article over at the Padres' official site this morning about the club's newest front-office hire, Logan White, and how he's settling in to his new surroundings. It's a good, informative read which touches on his background and also details what his new job as special advisor to the GM and director of pro scouting will entail. What I found most fascinating is what led him to choose to leave his employer of the past 13 years, the Dodgers.
A few days ago when I was doing my digging for Dodgers fans' reactions to the Padres hiring White, I came across some speculation that he was edged out in the wake of Andrew Friedman taking the organization's reins. Brock's article snuffs those rumors, stating that not only was White's job secure, he was also looking forward to working with his new boss. Leaving was not even a consideration until one thing happened: A.J. Preller called.
"I couldn't pass it up," White said on Wednesday. "Andrew was such a class act through all of this. As I told him, with the timing, in a different time and a different place, I think that we would have worked great together. And I have so much respect for [Dodgers president and CEO] Stan Kasten. I would not have left the Dodgers for any other job.
"I would not have left the Dodgers for any other job." I really enjoyed reading that. The article goes on to explain why this particular opportunity was the one for him. I'm not going to completely break it down here, because that would disincentivize you from reading Mr. Brock's work, but the presence of A.J. Preller and Don Welke plays into it.
It's very encouraging to me that the Padres are becoming something that people actually want to be a part of. The dream-team front office seems like just a start; I can already imagine reading about this hire next November in the first chapter of a hastily published book about the newest World Series champions.
A sport full of stats cannot help but achieve some player milestones at season's end. Take a trip through the numbers looking at the Padres who hit round numbers, career bests and made franchise history.
If you do not want to hear about Padres stats from the 2014 season, then this article is not for you. If you have been reading Gaslamp Ball for a while, then you have an idea what stats I'm talking about. Back in March, I wrote about the Padres 2014 Potential Milestones. A yearly post that I have been doingforawhile. So, once more into the breach of looking at the year's stats gone by.
We get to start the post with a farewell to Chase Headley. I've been doing this long enough that I have had to say goodbye to Jake Peavy, Brian Giles and Adrian Gonzalez this way as well. Chase was around a long time and while his stat tallies aren't as high as we would like them to be, they are still littered throughout the Padres' record books' top 10s.
Round Numbers:
Headley failed big time here. I had him pegged for 1 possible round number (100 HRs) and one likely one (200 2Bs). He fell short in both, the latter requiring his lowest 2Bs output since his partial season in 2008. He also failed to reach 4000 PAs and 3500 ABs. It was a dismal year even when his Yankees stats are included
Franchise Leaderboards:
Headley did make some impact here.
He is 5th in franchise history now in total WAR accumulated (the WAR baseball-reference reports). He passed Gene Richards to get there. A slightly better season would have seen him finish 4th (ahead of Gene Tenace) or 3rd (passing Adrian Gonzalez), but that was not meant to be.
With a .266 batting average as a Padre he cemented himself in 24th place. Just ahead of Benito Santiago and behind Luis Salazar. Back in 2012 he was "battling" Quilvio Veras for 22nd with a .270 batting average, but since then the baseball gods were not kind in this stat category.
With a .346 OBP, Headley sits at 16th place. Just ahead of Mark Kotsay's .343 and a decent amount behind Gene Richards' and Dave Winfield's .357.
A .410 SLG is 19th all time among Friars. Ollie Brown was better with a .413 number and Garvey was a little worse at .409.
Headley has played in the 6th most number of games as a Padre. He passed Brian Giles, Terry Kennedy, Nate Colbert and Trevor Hoffman this season and sits 31 games behind Gene Richards. Similarly, he leaves 5th in at bats and plate appearances.
Headley needed just 53 runs this season to get into the top 10 in runs scored, but instead wound up in 11th place, 25 runs behind 10th place Steve Finley.
He did smack just enough hits to make it to fifth place in that category with 873, 1 ahead of 6th place Brian Giles.
I already mentioned that doubles were a disappointment for Chase this season and that shows up in the franchise record books. He seemed poised to finish 2nd to Gwynn in that category, but instead he sits in 4th with 186. That's 3 behind Brian Giles and 9 behind Garry Templeton.
However, he did max out his franchise placement in HRs this season. His 7 was just enough to get to 8th place. That put him 2 ahead of Santiago and an unreachable-in-2014 34 behind Ken Caminiti's 7th place 121.
He was also able to just crack the top 10 in RBI with 401 where he did pass Caminiti's 396, but finished short of Giles' 9th place 415.
Chase knew how to draw a walk and finishes 7th in that category with 377.
He also found plenty of ways to strike out. Early in the 2014 he passed Nate Colbert to become the franchise's strikeout king. He finished with 844. That's 71 ahead of Colbert.
Headley also became the co-King of another stat. He got hit by pitches 36 times as a Friar, which tied the record Kevin Kouzmanoff had set.
Goodbye Chase, I'm sure your name will come in these kind of posts for years to come as others try to assault the impact you made on the franchise and its record books.
Also passed 2500 Plate Appearances and finished with 2,737.
Franchise Leaderboards:
His 0.9 WAR in 2014 helped him pass Roberto Alomar's 17th 12.1 WAR and catch Kevin McReynolds and Bip Roberts' 14th place tie at 12.4.
47 runs scored this season saw him go past Steve Garvey, Khalil Greene, Terry Kennedy and Benito Santiago to crack the franchise top 15 in that category with 336 runs.
91 hits moved him into the top 20 there passing Carmelo Martinez, Ken Caminiti, Greene and Luis Salazar for 18th place with 621.
Another top 20 attained was in doubles where 13 two-baggers jumped him past Mark Loretta, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Cito Gaston, Mark Kotsay, Bip Roberts, Johnny Grubb and Wally Joyner for 18th place with 104.
One of Venable's biggest marks on the franchise record books is in the triples category. But only 2 in 2014 only allowed him to tie Garry Templeton in 4th place with 36 of them.
33 RBI was Will's lowest total since his rookie season, but it did allow him to pop into the top 20 in that category. With 274 total he passed Kouzmanoff, Gene Richards, Fred McGriff, McReynolds and Joyner to get to 18th place.
649 strikeouts puts Venable in 5th place in that notorious category.
Venable didn't pass anyone in stolen bases this season since he only swiped 11, but he is still in 9th place in franchise history.
Maybin moved into the top 20 in triples on the back of the 4 he hit in 2014. He now has 17 and is tied for 16th place with Kevin McReynolds.
Cameron swiped a measly 4 bags in 2014, but it was enough to move him up. He passed Dave Roberts and held of Chase Headley to finish the season with 74 as a Padre (remember, he was a Marlin and Tiger before 2011), good enough for 17th place.
Got to double digits in HRs. He hit 3 and now has 12 for his career.
Franchise Leaderboards:
His 1 3B in 2014 broke a tie for 14th place with Ozzie Smith. He now has sole possession of the spot with 20 three-baggers.
18 SBs for the season moved him to 6th place in franchise history. He passed Enzo Hernandez (129) and Dave Winfield (133) to get there with 136 bags swiped.
Denorfia's 2014 was less than stellar, but since his Padres career is done for now it seemed like a good time to see where he stood in various categories.
Franchise Leaderboards:
21st in WAR with 9.7. Tied with Carmelo Martinez. Just ahead of Fred McGriff's 9.4 and behind Garry Templeton's 9.9.
17th in Batting Average at .275. Tied with Steve Garvey. Just ahead of Terry Kennedy and just behind Steve Finley.
24th in OBP at .332. Just ahead of Nate Colbert and Chris Gomez at .331 and a couple points behind Finley's .334.
26th in SLG at .399.
28th in games played at 573. That's tied with Gene Tenace.
32nd in hits with 456.
28th in doubles with 78. That's tied with Roberto Alomar and Gomez.
18th in triples with 15. That's tied with Mike Cameron and Santiago.
Reached 250 saves for his career (got the 16 he needed while still with the Padres) and finished the season with 275.
Franchise Leaderboards:
His 24 saves this season was 25th best in franchise history as a single season total.
5th in franchise history with 80 saves. He passed Craig Lefferts (64) and Mark Davis (78) to get there and just missed catching Goose Gossage's 4th place total of 83.
Dropped his career ERA below 4.00. After a 3.63 ERA in 2014 for the Padres he now has a career mark of 3.93.
Has now pitched in and started over 150 games. He has 176 games pitched and 174 games started.
Struck out over 200 batters in a single season (207) for the first time in his career.
Franchise Leaderboards:
Those 207 strikeouts were the 6th most ever fanned by a Padres pitcher in a single season. It was also only the 6th time that 200 strikeout mark was reached by a Padres pitcher. The others were Kevin Brown in 1998 (257), Jake Peavy in 2007 (240), Clay Kirby in 1971 (231), Jake Peavy in 2005 (216) and Jake Peavy in 2006 (215).
His 195 strikeouts in 2014 was the 7th highest tally of whiffed batters for a single season in Padres history. Sterling Hitchcock's 194 in 1999 was the previous high for a sub-200 K single season total.
His 2.81 ERA was the 26th lowest single season average for a Padres pitcher who pitched enough innings to qualify.
His 2.55 ERA was the 12th lowest single season average for a Padres pitcher who pitched enough innings to qualify. Dennis Rasmussen in 1988 also had a 2.55 ERA so it is actually a tie for 12th.
His 1.127 WHIP was the 23 lowest single season rate for a Padres pitcher who pitched enough innings to qualify.
Like Headley, Street and Denorfia, Tim Stauffer seems to be on his way out. Unlike the other two, he has not already moved on so hope remains, but since I may never get another chances I will wrap up some of where he stands in franchise history. It is worth mentioning that jodes0405 gave Stauffer's career a thorough once-over as well with an awesome infographic.
39th in WAR with 3.8. That's tied with Huston Street and is just behind Luke Gregerson and ahead of Tim Worrell.
20th in ERA with 3.87. Pitchers need 500 IP or 50 GS to qualify here. He has the highest sub 4.00 ERA of any qualifier. 21st is Bob Owchinko at 4.00. 19th is Andy Hawkins with 3.84.
26th in Wins with 32. That's tied with Steve Arlin and is just behind a Gaylord Perry-Chris Young tie and just ahead of Dave Freisleben.
14th in WHIP at 1.308. This is another stats with the aforementioned qualifier. He's behind Eric Show's 1.283 and ahead of Brian Lawrence's 1.322.
30th in Games Pitched with 183. That's ahead of Bill Grief and Clay Kirby at 177 and behind Luis DeLeon at 185.
26th in Innings Pitched with 575.0. Dan Spillner is 5 behind him and Clayton Richard is 61.2 ahead.
21st in Strikeouts with 435. He's 8 behind Steve Arlin and 3 ahead of Bob Shirley.
The Padresannounced today that they declined Josh Johnson's $4 million team option. You may recall that the option was a provision written in by former general manager Josh Byrnes which stipulated that the club could bring him back in 2015 for $4 million if he started fewer than seven games. You may also recall that he started zero, following an injury in spring training that led to his second Tommy John surgery.
About two weeks ago, when Johnson threw for the first time since surgery, there was a lot of discussion regarding his option. One possibility that was bandied about was that the club could decline the option and sign him at a more reasonable and realistic number. In the comments of the most recently linked post, Wonko spelled out the logic of such a move.
$4M would be fine if you were getting a full season out of JJ. But he just started throwing. We’ve seen setbacks in this process before and even in the best case scenario he’d be ready to begin pitching competitively (with limits) in April. Since JJ likes SD so much it seems reasonable something else could be worked out where maybe the money isn’t fully guaranteed.
This makes perfect sense, and it seems to be what is in the works. Earlier today, Corey Brock mentioned that it was a possibility, then reiterated it on Twitter after the official announcement was made.
#Padres decline $4 million option on RHP Josh Johnson. My understanding is they'll try to work out a lesser deal. He'd like to return.
I'd love to see him return and have another chance to work for Bud Black, as he was so excited to do. As we've seen every single season ever, you can never have too many pitchers. And if you do wind up with too many, that's just about the best problem you can have.
The first day of the offseason is in the books, and many teams were quick with their decisions on who to bring back for 2015.
One player whose throwing arm has been blown to smithereens had his 2015 option exercised on Thursday while another will have to settle for much less money than he would've made had his option not been declined.
Meanwhile, the Padresdeclined to payJosh Johnson $4 million to presumably sit on the disabled list next season and will instead attempt to work out a lesser deal. Johnson missed the entire 2014 season, and of his nine years in the big leagues, he has eclipsed 100 innings in only four. That said, Johnson is nothing less than solid when healthy; the 30-year-old right-hander owns a career 124 ERA+ and has struck out 8.3 batters per nine innings.
Koji Uehara is about to be one of the best-paid 40-year-old dudes who only works 64 days a year in the world. Boston's closer received a two-year, $18 million contract on Thursday to keep him off the open market. Uehara's not getting any younger, but that's not stopping him from being a dominant reliever; the Japanese right-hander doesn't walk anybody and has whiffed 10 or more batters per nine innings in each of his five seasons since being shifted into a bullpen role.
Denard Span was one of the more underrated players in the league in 2014, so it makes sense that the Nationals decided keep him around in 2015 for $9 million on Thursday. Span hit .302/.355/.416 while playing well above-average defense for the NL East champions.
The team also decided to make Ryan Zimmerman its first baseman, pretty much, by declining Adam LaRoche's option. LaRoche, 34, hit 26 home runs and ended the season with a 124 OPS+, but he was due $15 million in 2015 had the Nationals picked up the option. Rafael Soriano also had his optioned declined after posting a 3.19 ERA with 32 saves. Soriano fell 14 games short of the 120 that he was required to finish in 2013 and 2014 for his $14 million option to be automatically exercised. Matt Williams is a shrewd accountant.
The Padres have decided to decline Josh Johnson's club option, but they will try to bring him back on a cheaper deal.
The Padres announced that they have decided to decline their $4 million club option on right-hander Josh Johnson, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com. Brock also notes that both Johnson and the Padres are interested in a reunion at a cheaper price, but Johnson's agent, Matt Sosnick, told our Chris Cotillo that the team has yet to make an offer to the right-hander. Johnson is unlikely to sign with San Diego during their exclusive negotiating window, and will listen to offers from other clubs before making a decision, according to Cotillo.
Johnson made $8 million in 2014, without pitching a single game for San Diego. In late April, it was announced that Johnson would undergo his second Tommy John surgery, with the first being in 2007. The recovery time from Tommy John surgery is usually around 12 months, so Johnson is questionable to be ready for Opening Day.
Johnson signed with San Diego after appearing in just 16 games with Toronto in 2013. Injury issues aside, Johnson has been one of the game's top performers when healthy. From 2006-2010, Johnson posted a 3.09 ERA over 103 starts. For his career, Johnson has a 3.40 ERA, along with a 3.32 FIP over 9 seasons. Johnson began his career with the Marlins (2005-2012), before one year stints with the Blue Jays in 2013 and the Padres in 2014.
I have a handful of Fernando Valenzuela cards from his late-career stay in San Diego, but this his 1997 Pinnacle card is my favorite. It has a good shot of Fernando in his windup, with his mullet peeking out of his hat, but the real good stuff, as it often is, is in the details.
The mid-'90s was when the card industry turned into an arms race to see who could cram the most gimmicks on to one card. Pinnacle managed to remain fairly restrained for their '97 set, restricting all of their obtrusive graphics to the bottom quarter of the card. At first glance it looks like just an unnecessary wall of foil, but a closer look redeems it.
That's a really nice touch. Various attractions and locations unique to San Diego are embossed into the foil. I have the Tony Gwynn and a couple other Padres cards from this set which feature the same print, but only one non-Padres card to compare them to.
The themes of the fine print on the Padres and Mariners cards are strikingly different. Valenzuela's card is loaded with landmarks and the like, while Cora's is nearly completely reliant on sports, even (nick)name-dropping two of his teammates.
Even though Joey Cora is my favorite player ever, I have to admit that Fernando Valenzuela got a cooler card in the 1997 Pinnacle set. Cora's card name-checks a terrible movie, overrated coffee, and one of the worst television shows of all time; Valenzuela's includes the word "Gaslamp".
The team is looking to bring the third baseman with solid defense back to the Bronx.
The Yankees have begun negotiations on a new contract with free agent third baseman Chase Headley, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman also says that Headley, who was traded to the Yankees in July, reportedly likes being in New York more than some expected.
Headley, 30, may not be the same player that put up .875 OPS and league-leading 115 RBI's in 2012 but he still plays an elite third base defense. Also, he hit better in Bronx - 119 OPS+ in 58 games as opposed to 90 OPS+ in 77 games for the Padres. His lack of power may be disappointing but if he can produce similar offensive attributes as he did with the Yankees while playing great defense, he will keep the team happy.
Contrary to Pablo Sandoval, the other big-name third baseman in free agency, Headley is unlikely to cost around $100 million to lock up. Per Heyman's article, New York likes Sandoval but "they are also quite comfortable with Headley." Headley seems like a way to go for the team if they also want to target big name starters like Max Scherzer, Jon Lester or James Shields.
Awards season is already upon us, and this year SB Nation has a fun alternative to knock-offs of conventional awards and the inevitable, tiresome "What does valuable even mean?" and "WAR vs. intangibles" debates that those spark. Of course these award categories are apt to open up both discussion and debate, but it'll be the kind you actually have to put thought into instead of just throwing down a series of caps-locked talking points. It should be fun.
There are six awards to be determined, and all of us have a say in each step of the process. On the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the next two weeks, we here at Gaslamp Ball (and each of the other team sites) will put up a post with team-specific nominees for the award du jour, which you can then vote on.
Here's the schedule:
Monday, November 3: Funniest moment
Wednesday, November 5: Most regrettable moment
Friday, November 7: Defensive play of the year
Monday, November 10: Most important hit
Wednesday, November 12: Pitching appearance
Friday, November 14: Team of the year (I'm supposed to note that we cannot nominate the Padres, but that's clearly a non-issue this year)
Then, on Monday, November 17, we'll announce our winners for each category. Our winners will then be reviewed by a crack panel of experts, which will select four or five nominees for each category out of submissions from all 30 team sites. Final voting to determine the overall, league-wide winners will open at sbnation.com/mlb that very same day.
Since we're all involved with this from top to bottom, your participation begins now with naming nominees for each category. Links, gifs, and the like are not necessary, but they might be helpful for jogging the memories of others if you feel like including them. I have a few ideas for each category, but I'll save them for the comments section if nobody else mentions them.
Fresh off of his impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League's annual Fall Stars game, in which he mashed a head-turning home run, Hunter Renfroe didn't miss a beat as he returned to regular AFL play. The 2013 first-round pick of the Padres accumulated 10 total bases in four at-bats, driving in five runs and scoring four, as his Surprise Saguaros steamrolled the Glendale Desert Dogs by the score of Tony Gwynn to Steve Garvey.
The Saguaros were already on the board by the time Renfroe came to the plate in the first, thanks to the efforts of two fellow members of the Padres organization. Mallex Smith led off the game with a walk, and of course stole second base; he was then doubled in by Jace Peterson, who saw time with the big-league Padres this year. After Patrick Kivlehan was hit by a pitch and Mike Miller struck out looking, Renfroe mashed a ball to deep center. It stayed in the park, but Renfroe was able to round the bases without even bothering to slide for his first homer of the day.
Renfroe flied out in the fourth inning against lefty Michael Strong, the only time he was retired in the game. With the score tied in the seventh inning, Renfroe put the Saguaros back on top for good with a one-run double to make the score 5-4. Surprise went on to plate 11 more runs in that inning; Renfroe scored two of the runs, the second coming after a two-out walk.
With the score 16-4 after eight innings, Renfroe led off the ninth and added insult to injury with another home run; this one cleared the fence. His teammates added a pair of runs, as did the Desert Dogs in the bottom of the inning, for the final 13-run margin. Renfroe finished the day 3-5 with a walk and 10 total bases on a double and two home runs. He drove in five runs and scored all four times he reached base. His big day boosted his slash line over 68 AFL at-bats to .279/ .372/ .574 (.945 OPS) while doubling his home run output. He also now has six doubles, 12 runs scored, and 13 RBI to his name, and his 39 total bases leads the club.
I think many knew that Stults' time was coming. While he's been an innings eater for a couple of seasons, he is in the later part of his arbitration years and is getting a bit pricey when compared to the other younger, better, cheaper arms the Padres have.
Donn Roach was already a surprise this year. He was a surprise addition to the opening day roster. When Josh Johnson got hurt and Robbie Erlin was pushed into the rotation, Roach got a spot in the bullpen as a long man. Injuries hurt his 2014 campaign after that, but one would think he still has some promise. The moves came in lieu of designating unproven guys like Keyvius Sampson and Juan Pablo Oramas. Both of which made sense to me because they have success in AAA despite some attempts and have injury histories to boot. This may just be a reprieve for them however, because by November 20 the team will need to make some moves to put players on the 40 man roster that they want to protect from the Rule 5 draft (like possibly Taylor Lindsey, Stephen Kohlscheen, Jonathan Galvez, Rico Noel, Chris Rearick, Cody Decker, James Needy and/or Alex Dickerson). And then obviously they will need more roster space if they want to sign any free agents.
As of now both Stults and Roach are in a state of limbo. Roach will likely go through waivers and if no one claims him, then I expect the Padres will assign him to a minor league team. Stults will likely be released and become a free agent at some point so that he can pursue opportunities with other teams.
LOS ANGELES -- The first player added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster by new president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is minor league infielder Ryan Jackson, who was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers from the Padres on Monday.
Jackson, who will be 27 in May, played only 11 games in the minors in 2014, hitting .200 (7-for-35) with five walks between Triple-A El Paso and rookie level Arizona League, missing four months with a right wrist injury that required surgery.
In six minor league seasons Jackson has a 9.4-percent walk rate and hit .268/.338/.363 with 104 doubles and 27 home runs in 576 games. He has played mostly shortstop in his career — with 508 of his 573 games in the field at the position — but has also seen time at second base and third base.
Jackson was drafted by the Cardinals in the fifth round in 2009 out of the University of Miami and played in 20 major league games with St. Louis in 2012 and 2013, going 2-for-24 (.083) with a walk and five strikeouts. He was claimed off waivers by the Astros last November, then traded to the Padres for Jesus Guzman in December.
Jackson, who has 118 days of major league service time, has one option year remaining, having been optioned in 2013 by St. Louis and in 2014 by San Diego. Jackson was also optioned in 2012 but only for six days so - because he was optioned for a total of less than 20 days during the season - it didn't count as an option used.
He was named the best defensive infielder in the Cardinals' system in 2011 and 2012 by Baseball America.
"He's got a solid defensive reputation, featuring decent range and arm strength, excellent instincts, and outstanding reliability," John Sickels at Minor League Ball wrote of the then-prospect Jackson in January 2013. "Although he doesn't have super-amazing range, he makes the plays he needs to make and there's no doubt about his ability to play shortstop regularly from a defensive perspective."
With Jackson, the Dodgers' 40-man roster now has 36 players.
★★★
In a pair of transactions involving old friends also on Monday, the Padres designated pitcher Eric Stults for assignment and the Rays did the same with outfielder Jerry Sands.
