While Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder will be the main competitors for the second base spot at Spring Training, the Yankees have also recently signed Cole Figueroa and Nick Noonan to compete for a spot in the infield.

The Yankees appear to be heading to spring training with Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela set to duke it out for the starting spot at second base.  They seem to have no interest in Stephen Drew or Asdrubal Cabrera, and, of course, already traded away Martin Prado to Miami.  However, they have signed a couple other infielders to minor league deals that should take part in this infield competition: Cole Figueroa and Nick Noonan.

Figueroa is a 27-year-old second baseman who has spent time in both the Padres and the Rays systems.  He has seen quite a bit of action in Triple-A over the past three seasons, and he finally broke through in 2014 and found his way to The Show.  However, in 23 games for Tampa Bay, he wasn't particularly impressive, hitting just .233/.286/.326 with a 74 wRC+ in 49 plate appearances.  In Triple-A last season, Figueroa did flash the best bat of his career to that point, hitting .282/.371/.389 for a 114 wRC+.  He's never been a big power hitter, but he's managed to be a slightly above average bat at a middle infield position for most of his minor league career.

The most notable aspect of Figueroa's offensive game is his plate discipline.  Simply put, Figueroa draws a lot of walks and doesn't strike out much.  He's managed more walks than strikeouts in each season dating back to 2010.  While he probably won't set MLB on fire with his bat, he might give Pirela and Refsnyder a run for their money in spring training, and could turn into a useful bench cog for the Yankees.

The Yankees also signed former Giant Nick Noonan to a minor league deal this offseason.  Noonan has been pretty consistently terrible at the plate over his minor league career, hitting just .237/.282/.302 with a 51 wRC+ but he does bring some good glove work to the middle of the field.  Still, the Yankees already have a glove-first backup in Brendan Ryan, so there's little upside to Noonan.  He seems like nothing more than Triple-A depth for now.

If either of these players exit spring training as the starting second baseman, that will be a major red flag for both Pirela and Refsnyder.  Neither Figueroa nor Noonan profile to be average major leaguers, and while the Yankees may be signaling that these two will be involved in the second base competition this spring, that's probably more for competition's sake than for anyone actually hoping these two become key pieces on the major league squad.  Everything is shaping up for Refsnyder or Pirela, or perhaps both, to get a real shot in 2015, and with a little luck, maybe one will become the dependable Yankee second baseman of the future.

Astros news and notes from the past week.

Good morning, boys and girls. Did you have a good holiday? Did you get any good Astros gifts? Here are the links for this week.

The Astros Are Ready for 2015 Already | Houston Press
It's fast approaching time to kiss 2014 goodbye. And I for one am eagerly awaiting for a new start in...

How dimunitive Astros star Jose Altuve became MLB's unlikely batting champ - MLB - SI.com
Despite standing just 5-foot-6, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve showed that size doesn't matter by claiming the American League batting title in a breakout 2014 season.

Pleskoff's picks: Top 10 prospects | astros.com
It is always difficult to rank prospects. Why is pitcher X better than hitter X in the rankings?

Local sports briefs: Astros complete Triple-A Fresno staff; Bellator card for Fresno finalized | Sports | FresnoBee.com
Astros announce rest of Triple-A Fresno staff

Former Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane has divided loyalties in Cotton Bowl | MLive.com
McLane earned an undergraduate degree from Baylor and an MBA from Michigan State

Is preserving spring training in Palm Beach County worth the price? | The Opinion Zone
Palm Beach County commissioners have already dug deep into county coffers to promise $113 million in tourist tax dollars to help build a spring training stadium here for the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals.

MLB Free Agency: Would Max Scherzer Seriously Sign With The Astros?
Of all the teams that could potentially sign free agent starting pitcher Max Scherzer this winter, the Houston Astros are among the most intriguing.

Revisiting the 12-player trade between the Padres and Astros 20 years later - Gaslamp Ball
Today marks 20 years since the monumental 12-player trade between the Padres and the Astros took place. The sheer quantity of players involved would still be noteworthy, but the fact that 11 of the...

Remembering a busy Christmas Eve in 2005 for the Hinch family - Ultimate Astros
Merry Christmas, A.J. Hinch. This time, you’re not on call.

There are just over three days remaining in 2014 but that is still an awfully long time to hold one's breath--so don't, as Takashi Toritani will likely not be making his decision on where to play in 2015 until after the calendars flip into January, according to a Yakyubaka report brought to us via Andrew Stoeten.  He is a free agent, but the Hanshin Tigers, his former team, would prefer if Toritani makes his decision by mid-January so they can make plans to fill their shortstop position if he chooses to leave Japan for Major League Baseball.

Right now, it appears that the Toronto Blue Jays and the San Diego Padres are the two clubs the 33-year-old Toritani is deciding between, according to the report from Brendan Kennedy. Both the Blue Jays and the Padres have made offers to Toritani; however there were reports from before Christmas that the negotiations between Toronto and Toritani's agent Scott Boras were not going terribly smoothly.

Although most Japanese professional baseball stadiums have artificial turf infields with dirt cutouts around the bases like Toronto's Rogers Centre, the Hanshin Tigers play in the legendary Koshien Stadium, which has an all-dirt infield and a natural grass outfield. Balls play slower on dirt than turf, but one would expect that Toritani to have had sufficient experience from road games--whether he likes it enough to choose to play in Toronto is another story. However, the Padres' Petco Park's outfield dimensions are significantly larger than both Rogers Centre and Koshien Stadium and that might be of concern to Toritani's offensive side.

Perhaps location is of less importance to Toritani than contract length, according to a Sanspo report helpfully translated by @Daisy_Child ("they" meaning the Blue Jays and Toritani).

According to an "MLB insider", the years of the contract is one of the issues they cannot come to agreement. http://t.co/QAVq3CKYMV

— C.A. Daisy (@Daisy_child) December 23, 2014

The contract term concern is somewhat surprising as it is expected that Toritani would be looking for a shorter-term deal to prove himself at the major league level before signing a longer contract at age 34 or 35 to finish his career. It is unlikely that either the Padres or the Blue Jays would offer him anything long term that has big dollars. The unknown here is the deal that the Hanshin Tigers are offering to keep him around.

Putting the TOR in Toronto

Should Takashi TORitani decide to sign in Toronto he would become just the ninth player in Blue Jays franchise history that has the letters "TOR" appear consecutively in his name.

1. VicTOR Cruz
2. HecTORTORres
3. Paul MoliTOR
4. John FrascaTORe
5. HecTOR Luna
6. VicTOR Zambrano
7. Yorvit TORrealba
8. Mickey STORey

Koshien Stadium

The home of the Hanshin Tigers is located between Osaka and Kobe was built in 1924 (making it the oldest stadium in Nippon Professional Baseball) and has been the home of Japan's annual national high school baseball championships since it opened and was the site of various exhibition games that involved visiting American baseball stars in the days between the World Wars.

Koshien Stadium--as well as the tremendous drive to get to Koshien--was featured in the Taiwanese film Kano, which talks about how a rag-tag high school team from Taiwan (then a Japanese possession) reached the high school championships in 1931 despite the fact that it had never won a single game before that season. Sounds like Disney, but the movie was based on a true story.

Kano wasn't the best film I saw this year and the storytelling got incredibly slow at points, but it is worth a watch especially if you are also into the history of Japanese colonialism and race relations in East Asia (although you will probably have to look hard for it).

99 Days

We have finally broken into two-digit territory: there are just 99 days left until the Blue Jays and the Yankees play each other in the 2015 season opener and just 65 days until the first game of spring training. New Year's Day will be the halfway point between the last day of the 2014 season and the first day of the 2015 season. Keep it together, folks.

According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, the club is seeking a fourth outfielder heading into Spring Training. Plus links on Dan Haren and the Marlins' 2014 campaign.

-Below surface, positives in Marlins' 2014 season | marlins.com

From the first day of Spring Training, when seemingly no one else believed, the Marlins did. A quiet confidence filtered down from upper management into the clubhouse that 2014 was going to be an eventful season for a team coming off 100 losses. President of baseball operations Michael Hill, general manager Dan Jennings and manager Mike Redmond implemented a new clubhouse culture in which everybody would be accountable and pull together.

-Marlins looking to fill bench roles marlins.com

Barring anything unforeseen, the Marlins' everyday lineup is pretty much set after a series of offseason moves that brought in three new regulars. When it comes to the bench, however, it's a different story.

The front office still has some unfinished business when it comes to finding a fourth outfielder and a left-handed hitter who can play a corner-infield spot. There are several internal candidates, but chances are the team will make another move or two before Spring Training to strengthen the overall roster.

- Broward College coach thinks Mat Latos can win Cy Young

Broward College baseball coach Bob Deutschman, who coached recent Miami Marlins acquisition Mat Latos

before he entered the majors, doesn’t take any credit for the pitcher Latos has become.

-Prospect Profile: Luis Castillo

Sure, the name is very familiar with Marlins fans, but no, the team did not re-acquire the one-time second baseman of the Florida Marlins. No, THIS Luis Castillo was the second player minor league prospect involved in the recent trade between the Miami Marlins and the San Francisco Giants, that sent National League Comeback Player of the Year, Casey McGehee to the Bay Area, so recently acquired Martin Prado could slide in to the third base spot for the Fish.

-Does a C.J. Wilson for Dan Haren Trade Make Sense? - Marlin Maniac - A Miami Marlins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

It’s obvious that Dan Haren has zero interest in pitching in Miami in 2015. Reportedly, he is holding out hope for the Marlins to send him back to the West Coast, preferably to either to the Padres or Angels.

-How has this offseason compared with 2012? - Marlin Maniac - A Miami Marlins Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

In December 2011, the Miami Marlins set out to make a splash. After unveiling a new logo, new uniforms and a shiny new ballpark the month before, a new era of baseball in Miami was promised by owner Jeffrey Loria. At the Winter Meetings that offseason, the team made that splash and a flurry of signings and trades soon followed in what turned out to be a significant reshaping of the roster.

Around The League

-Phillies reportedly sign Wandy to Minors deal | MLB.com

The Phillies and veteran left-hander Wandy Rodriguez agreed to a Minor League contract on Saturday, according to CSNPhilly.com. The reported deal is pending a physical, and the Phillies have not commented.

-Mind over matter: Bauer goes high-tech in offseason regimen | MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- Trevor Bauer craves information. He enjoys diving head first into data, reading scientific articles and searching for technological advancements that might help him further his own research into enhancing his pitching mechanics, velocity and production. This offseason, Bauer embarked on his annual information-gathering tour armed with nearly a full sample of Major League innings to analyze. The young right-hander spent nearly the entire 2014 season in Cleveland's rotation, experiencing enough ups and downs to provide him with a platform from which to build. Bauer did not want to waste any time in getting started.

-Banner season for baseball in the Beltways | MLB.com

Sure, Baltimore is a great baseball town. Been one seemingly forever. Love them Birds, hon. It's a place where the franchise's legends are identified by their first names or maybe their nicknames.

-West is best: California teams primed to shine | MLB.com

Baseball in the Golden State of California never has been so, well, golden. Coming off a 2014 season that seemingly couldn't get any better -- with four of the state's five teams making the postseason and the amazing Giants winning another World Series -- promise of an even more fascinating 2015 is in the cards. The Padres no longer are the overlooked fifth wheel down by the border. They are most assuredly relevant, thanks to a stunning series of moves by new general manager A.J. Preller surrounding the industry's blockbuster Winter Meetings staged in their glorious city.

At Fish Stripes

-Marlins sign Vinny Rottino to minor league deal - Fish Stripes

The 34-year old outfielder played in Korea and Japan the last teo seasons. Plus links on Preston Claiborne and the Marlins' bench.

-The Marlins' issue if they are forced to trade Dan Haren - Fish Stripes

Dan Haren may not be a great starting pitcher, but the Miami Marlins' depleted depth at the position means that the fifth rotation spot may be a blank spot for the first half of 2015 if he refuses to play in Miami.

-Home Run Sculpture was used Monday - Fish Stripes

The sculpture was used for the Miami Beach Bowl last Monday afternoon.

-Updating the Marlins' payroll situation - Fish Stripes

The Miami Marlins had a target payroll budget, but they have seemingly gone way past it. Or have they? Let's delve into their books again.

Ray continues his AL East Sleeper series, profiling Rays young starter Jake Odorizzi. He increased his K/9 in 2014, can the ERA follow in 2015?

Today, I continue the series where I profile some fantasy baseball sleepers that could help you win your leagues in 2015. Every year, fantasy owners are looking for that late round hitter/pitcher who could help them deal with underperformance from an early round pick, or with an unexpected injury. Some will be busts, some will help you along the way.

I like to define a sleeper as a player who is one of the lower ranked players in standard leagues who could come out of nowhere to outperform their preseason ranking/value. Last season, we saw plenty of players come out of nowhere to help fantasy teams including Charlie Blackmon, Dee Gordon, Steve Pearce, Carlos Carrasco, among many others.

I will begin with the American League East division teams, in order of the 2014 standings, and proceed with the AL Central, AL West and so on.

You can find links to my other sleepers below:

2015 Sleeper Series: Jonathan Schoop

2015 Sleeper Series: Yankees Starter Michael Pineda

2015 Sleeper Series: Blue Jays Outfielder Michael Saunders

Jake Odorizzi

Some of us might forget that Jake Odorizzi was involved in the James Shields for Wil Myers trade, but he was. You have to wonder how Andrew Friedman was able to get both Myers and Odorizzi in the deal for Shields, Wade Davis and a couple minor leaguers. Looking back, the Royals did well in the deal since they made the World Series with Shields and Davis last season, and it appears the Rays grew sour on Myers ever becoming a great player after dealing him to the Padres a few weeks ago.

In his first full season in the big leagues last season, Odorizzi made 31 starts, going 11-13 with a 4.13 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 3.90 xFIP, a 1.28 WHIP, and a 9.32 K/9 in 168 innings of work. He walked more than three batters per nine innings last season, but there is room for improvement there. The issue I have with Odorizzi is he isn't a ground ball pitcher, and gives up a ton of fly balls. In fact, if it wasn't for Chris Young, Odorizzi would have led all qualified starters in fly ball % allowed last season.

Odorizzi relied on his fast ball quite a bit last season, and it was his most effective pitch according to FanGraphs pitch values, which is a bit surprising since his fastball averaged just 90.3 mph last season. If he can improve the effectiveness of his secondary offerings, we could see an increase in his ground ball rate and a drop in his HR/FB rate and a corresponding drop in his ERA.

Heading into 2015, Steamer projects Odorizzi to win 11 games with a 3.93 ERA and a slightly lower strikeouts per nine. I think Odorizzi can take another step up in 2015, and could see him winning 12-13 games with an ERA around 3.50. He also has a chance to reach 200 strikeouts, or approach 200 strikeouts, so he has a little more value in 5 x 5 leagues, due to the whiff potential.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy baseball rankings, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown, your one stop on the internet for all things fantasy.

The Yankees have avoided spending a lot of money this Winter and instead have opted to make trades in order to upgrade the team and manage the payroll. They have acquired Didi Gregorius for Shane Greene and Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Jones for David Phelps and Martin Prado, and while their biggest additions are cheap and cost controlled, other trades for more expensive players can't be overlooked. The Phillies might be ready to start selling off their veteran roster after dealing Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers. If Phillie is indeed ready for a fire sale, Brian Cashman needs to at least look into Cole Hamels, who recently declared he would accept a trade to the Yankees.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Hamels, 31, said he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yankees or Rangers in the AL and seven other teams from the NL, including his hometown San Diego Padres. While most of the teams remain unknown, it's not easy to guess that they're all teams that are in better shape than the Phillies are currently. With their flurry of moves this offseason, the Padres might be in a better place to acquire the lefty, though the Yankees might be up there compared to a team like the Rangers.

Hamels won't exactly come cheap with a guaranteed $94 million coming to him over the next four years and a vesting option for an additional $20 million for his age-35 season. It's a lot of money, a contract the 2015 Yankees are unlikely to take on, but at the very least, the deal doesn't extend into his late 30s. If we use the $1 million the Phillies threw in for the $11 million Rollins is owed in 2015 as a guideline, Philadelphia might only be willing to offer up 10% of their ace's contract. That would end up being around $9-10 million, leaving the Yankees holding the remaining $84 million bill. That's all just conjecture obviously, but keep in mind that if the Ruben Amaro is looking for a big return, the more money he takes on, the better package of prospects he will get.

Someone like Cole Hamels, who pitched to a 2.46 ERA and 3.07 FIP in 2014 while completing his fifth consecutive season of 200+ innings, would instantly become the surest thing in the Yankees rotation. He could be installed as the No. 1 or No. 2, putting less pressure on Masahiro Tanaka, lowering expectations for Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi, and pushing CC Sabathia to fifth starter and Chris Capuano to the bullpen.

Despite the amount of prospects he would surely require, Hamels would end up being cheaper than Max Scherzer on a purely monetary basis. This year the Yankees don't seem to be against making trades and if they have no intention of adding any longterm contracts, Hamels could be their answer to improving the team and saving face. I would personally be willing to give up anyone to get Cole Hamels to the Yankees. You obviously want to try to avoid giving up Luis Severino or Aaron Judge, but in my mind, Gary Sanchez is very tradable. Hamels would be a big get for a team trying to revitalize their roster. How do you feel?

While GM A.J. Preller continues to construct his 2015 roster, the Padres remain pretty weak at the shortstop position even after their acquisition of Clint Barmes. That leaves Alexi Amarista as the probable starter if the season were to start tomorrow.

There are rumors however that the Padres are interested in Japanese shortstop Takashi Toritani.  The Toronto Star suggests that the Padres have made him an offer that would allow him to play SS and hit lead-off while the Blue Jays would want to move him to second.

Blue Jays await Takashi Toritani decision | Toronto Star

Toritani, who hired notorious baseball agent Scott Boras to guide his transition to the big leagues, is currently mulling offers from the Jays and San Diego Padres, according to Japanese news reports.

The San Diego Union-Tribune however has a source within the Padres that says that no offer has been made yet.

Toritani would fill two needs for Padres. | UTSanDiego.com

One possibility is Japanese infielder Takashi Toritani, although a source told U-T San Diego early Monday morning that the Padres do not have a current offer on the table for the 33-year-old shortstop.

Either way, the Padres desperately need an upgrade at short.

The bullpen's getting another shakeup as the strikeout artist Kelley is headed west.

The San Diego Padres have certainly had a busy first off-season under new GM A.J. Preller, and they have just added another piece to their team, courtesy of the Yankees. The Bronx Bombers have reportedly agreed to trade righty reliever Shawn Kelley to San Diego in exchange for relief prospect Johnny Barbato. This news comes from newcomer Robert Murray, who first gained attention this off-season with his news of the Billy Butler signing, so I'm inclined to believe it. YES Network analyst Jack Curry tweeted out the news while citing Murray, so that adds more credence. Here's the scoop:

There is some buzz that the #Yankees just acquired RHP Johnny Barbato from the #Padres.

— Robert Murray (@RobertMurrayDR) December 29, 2014

Source: RHP Shawn Kelley traded to the #Padres in Barbato deal. #Yankees

— Robert Murray (@RobertMurrayDR) December 29, 2014

It's definitely an interesting trade, and a huge signal that the Yankees are either planning something else for their bullpen or have a lot of faith in young relief arms like Jacob Lindgren, Tyler Webb, Nick Rumbelow, and company. Kelley wasn't a bad reliever by any stretch of the imagination, but he was hardly irreplaceable. In his two seasons with the Yankees, he was a strikeout machine with 138 whiffs in 105 innings, a superb 11.8 K/9. However, his control wasn't the greatest at 3.7 BB/9 and he had a shaky 4.46 ERA (89 ERA+) despite a good FIP. He was also due a raise in arbitration this year. I don't blame the Yankees for seeing what they could get for him, and it doesn't seem like Barbato is a bad pickup. Plus he's a mobster who is known as "Johnny Sausage!" [citation needed]

The 22-year-old righty was a sixth round pick in the 2010 draft, and last year in Double-A San Antoni, he recorded a 2.87 ERA, 3.31 FIP, and a 1.149 WHIP in 27 games (31 1/3 innings). He struck out 9.5 batters per nine innings while notching 2.9 BB/9, a fine strikeout-to-walk ratio. Curry said that he might need Tommy John surgery, but even if that's the case, it's not like surrendering Kelley will doom the team. Baseball America Vince Lara-Cinisomo had some positive things to say about him as well:

LT Barbato, a righthander, saved 16 games at Double-A. Sits 94 while dialing up to 97 with explosive life.

— Vince Lara-Cinisomo (@vincelara) December 29, 2014

Looks like the Yankees made a nice addition to their likely Triple-A Scranton bullpen, someone who could also play a role in the big league 'pen as soon as this season. The Yankees are putting a great deal of faith in their youngsters, but I didn't have much faith in Kelley anyway. Welcome to New York/Scranton, Barbato!

***

Shawn Kelley wore a horse head one day. The @Yankees haven't lost since http://t.co/RgtSnXbnuy (via @TheBuzzeronFOXpic.twitter.com/lzQbox2oQs

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 26, 2014

♪ I will remember you.... ♪
♪ Will you remember me? ♪
♪ Don't let life pass you by ♪
♪ Weep not for the memories ♪

San Diego makes yet another trade, adding an arm to the bullpen.

The Padres have acquired reliever Shawn Kelley from the Yankees in exchange for minor-league right-hander Johnny Barbato, according to multiple major-league sources. The deal was first reported by Robert Murray of MLBDailyRumors.com.

The addition of Kelley is the latest for a busy Padres' team, but is the first addition to a bullpen that is slated to feature Dale Thayer, Nick Vincent, Alex Torres and Kevin Quackenbush in front of closer Joaquin Benoit next season. Kelley is thought of as a potential late-inning reliever by many scouts, and will head to the National League after spending the first six seasons of his major-league career with the Mariners and Yankees.

In 59 relief appearances last season, Kelley posted a 3-6 record and 4.53 ERA in his second season with the Yankees. He is the owner of a lifetime 17-17 record and 3.94 ERA in 236 relief appearances in the majors, and will become a fre agent after next season.

Barbato, 22, was the Padres' sixth round pick in the 2010 draft and spent last season with Double-A San Antonio. In 27 relief appearances, the righty was 2-2 with a 2.87 ERA, lowering his career minor-league ERA to a 3.79 mark over four seasons. He is not ranked among the Padres' top 20 prospects, according to MLB.com.

11 players find a new home in the most recent blockbuster where San Diego acquires OF Wil Myers, C Ryan Hanigan and two prospects, Tampa acquires C Rene Rivera and four prospects, and Washington brings in a pair of prospects.

Another monster deal has been made with the Padres bringing in another big bat in Wil Myers with 10 other players switching uniforms in a three team deal that also involved the Rays and Nationals. With so many players changing hands, let's simplify and break down the deal.

- The San Diego Padres walk away with the crown jewel of the deal in Wil Myers, but they also added back-up C Ryan Hanigan, RHP Gerardo Reyes, and RHP Jose Castillo.

- Tampa Bay brought in the most players in the deal with C Rene Rivera, OF Steven Souza, 1B Jake Bauers, RHP Burch Smith, and LHP Travis Ott joining the Rays organization.

- Washington kicked in a few players in the deal and received RHP Joe Ross and a PTBNL that has already been named as SS Trea Turner, but he cannot be traded until one year after the day he signed his first pro contract.

With Myers, Hanigan and Rivera no longer prospects or rookies, we won't go in depth on them. The other eight players are a different story so let's get cracking on Tampa Bay's return in the trade before getting into San Diego and Washington's in Part Two.

Tampa Bay's Return -

Burch Smith

Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy/Getty Images

Burch Smith was drafted three times before deciding to turn pro, twice out of Howard College in Texas and once after transferring to Oklahoma following his junior year. He was selected in the 14th round of the 2011 draft, signing for a quarter million dollar bonus. Fast forward to 2013 and Smith made his Major League debut for San Diego in May during the first of three call ups to the big leagues. He broke camp with AA San Antonio, making six starts spanning 31.1 innings with a 1.15 ERA, a 1.88 FIP, and a 0.73 WHIP with 37 strike outs (31.4%) to just six walks (5.1%). Smith allowed 17 hits and one home run with a .222 BABIP, a 72% strand rate, 49.3% ground ball rate, and a 1.67 GO:AO ratio. After his initial call up he was sent down to AAA Tucson then rode the shuttle between Tucson and San Diego for the rest of the year. At Tucson he made 12 more starts that covered 61 frames with a 3.39 ERA, a 3.18 FIP, and a 1.20 WHIP. He struck out 65 batters (26.3%) while surrendering 17 free passes (6.9%), 56 hits, and four home runs. He became much more fly ball oriented with a 0.69 GO:AO ratio and 35.4% fly ball rate (6.2% more than league avg) in AAA. During his three stints in the NL West, Smith made seven starts and three relief appearances, throwing 36.1 innings with a 6.44 ERA, a 5.47 FIP, and a 1.65 WHIP. In his short time he gave up nine home runs on 39 hits with a .330 BABIP and 71.7% strand rate. His batted ball profile with San Diego showed a huge spike in line drive rate at 32%, a solid 8.6 points more than league average along with a 31% fly ball rate and 0.53 GO:AO ratio. All told, he toed the rubber for a total of 128.2 innings while limiting the opposition to a .232/.299/.385 line with 148 punch outs to 44 walks. Right handed hitters struggled more against him, positing a .224/.283/.361 triple slash while left handers hit .241/.318/.414.

Smith only managed a pair of starts for the Padres new AAA affiliate in El Paso before a bout of forearm soreness shut him down for the remainder of the 2014 season. The 6'4, 215 pound right hander was nothing like himself, allowing five walks with three strike outs in just 5.1 innings, surrendering 13 hits and two home runs. Smith was able to make up for a bit of lost time by heading to the Arizona Fall League after the year, making nine relief appearances that covered 14.2 innings of work. He punched out nine with five walks, 13 hits, and one home run allowed. It was a performance good enough to be named to the Fall Stars roster and excellent for someone who hadn't pitched competitively in six months with some rust to shake off.

His quiver consists of a 90-95 mph fastball with natural cut to it but straightens out once he bumps it into the mid 90's, a good 78-82 mph change up, and a 74-79 mph curve that still needs refinement. He has a tendency to cast his breaking ball and he struggles to find his release point. The delivery is simple and he's able to repeat it well, working at a quick pace with some deception mixed in. He's always shown solid control (56 walks in 228.1 career innings), but the command is a different story as you can see from his brief stint with the Padres in 2013 where he was rocked. Anytime a pitcher is coming off an arm injury to his throwing arm, you would ideally want to wait to see if the stuff comes back to pre-injury form. Tampa is buying low on Smith, hoping he does return to full strength where he has the ceiling of a #4 starter. If there are concerns about workload, the Rays can always turn him into a reliever where his velocity has hit up to 98 mph and he can pair it with his above average change up that shows a 10-15 mph difference. I would personally try him in the rotation for as long as possible.

2014 AAA stats

Travis Ott

Photo courtesy of Bryan Green

The Washington Nationals selected Travis Ott in the 25th round of the 2013 draft out of Shippensburg Area High School in Pennsylvania, signing for only $10,000. The lanky 6'4, 170 pound southpaw threw 29 innings after signing as a member of the rookie level Gulf Coast League affiliate. He posted a 4.03 ERA with a 3.80 FIP, a 1.24 WHIP, and he struck out 32 (25.6%) while handing out 12 walks (9.6%). Ott limited the opposition to a .224/.320/.308 line with a .293 BABIP, a 67.2% strand rate, and two home runs. The batted ball profile shows a fly ball pitcher with a 35.1% fly ball rate, an excellent 13% infield fly rate, and a 0.66 GO:AO ratio. Splits-wise, Ott had a reverse platoon split with right handers hitting just .207/.287/.256 in the small sample size of 94 plate appearances while left handers posted a .280/.419/.480 triple slash over just 31 PA's.

For the 2014 season, Ott was held back in extended spring training until the short season leagues kicked up, getting assigned to Auburn in the New York-Penn League. He made 10 starts there as a 19 year old, putting up a 3.03 ERA, a 3.98 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP over 44.1 innings of work. The Pennsylvania native struck out 37 (19.9%) with 22 walks (11.8%), 33 hits allowed, and two long balls. He limited NY-P League hitters to a .210/.310/.325 line with just a .252 BABIP and 75.7% strand rate. Weak contact was a theme in his batted ball profile with another excellent 13.7% infield fly rate to go with a 46.4% ground ball rate and a 1.24 GO:AO ratio. The Nationals front office felt he was ready for a promotion and sent him to Low A Hagerstown for his last three starts of the year. He threw 10.2 innings in those three contests with a rough 7.59 ERA, a 4.71 FIP, and 1.78 WHIP. He struck out eight with four walks and 15 hits allowed with one home run. A .359 BABIP and 48.4% strand rate didn't help with the SSS, but he was able to get his feet wet at a level where the league average player was nearly three year his elder. Over the entirety of his season he toed the bump for a total of 55 innings with a composite .240/.329/.360 line with 45 punch outs to 26 walks. Left handed hitters were only able to muster a .212/.306/.269 triple slash over 62 PA's and righties hit .250/.337/.392 against him.

For now, the lanky southpaw settles in around 90 mph with his fastball, topping out at 92-93 mph. He works off the heat and mixes a 74-77 mph curve ball and a mid 70's change up in as well. The hook looks like it could be an average pitch down the line while the change is a distant third offering. His frame is projectable at 6'4 and 170 pounds, and he could handle a good bit of additional weight. He's heading into his age 20 season and looks to break camp with Tampa's full season Low A affiliate after handling the NY-Penn League fairly easily. An interesting note about Ott via BPro's Jordan Gorosh, had he not been offered a contract by the Nationals in 2013, he had planned on attending a school with mid day infomercials to be a diesel engine technician since he did not receive any offers to play in college. If the velocity jumps as his frame fill outs, Ott could easily be a bullpen piece even with an average breaking ball. As it stands now, he's going to have to learn how to pitch to succeed with underwhelming stuff

2014 A- stats

2014 A stats

Steven Souza

Photo courtesy of Brad Mills/USA Today Sports

The headliner of the Rays package was brought into the Nationals organization in 2007 as their 3rd round pick from Cascade High School in Washington state. The Nats were able to get Souza to sign on the dotted line for a $346K bonus to forego a commitment to attend Washington State. He was essentially a non-prospect that made headlines for the wrong reasons (like a 50 game PED suspension in 2010) until the 2012 season where he split the year between Low and High A ball. This also coincided with a move to the outfield after spending time at first base, third base, and short stop the previous five years. Coming into the 2013 season, he had to show the progress he made was real and not just an older player beating up on younger guys. Despite an oblique injury that stole nearly two months of the season from him, he posted a .300/.396/.557 line in AA Harrisburg over 323 plate appearances and 77 games. He knocked 15 out of the park with 23 doubles, 20 stolen bases, and 41 walks (12.7%) to 76 punch outs (23.5%). All of that was good for a 161 wRC+ and .421 wOBA with a .360 BABIP and .256 isolated power. He had a four game rehab stint with the GCL Nats mixed in and was also a mid-season All-Star. Souza was excellent against both left and right handed pitchers, tagging right handers with a .289/.397/.558 line that included 11 of his 15 bombs and 33 walks to 62 strike outs in 237 plate appearances. Against southpaws, he made 101 trips to the plate against them with a .314/.396/.523 triple slash to go with 11 walks to just 18 strike outs. He finished the year with a stint in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .357/.426/.476 in 11 games with a homer and 10 stolen bases in 47 PA's. He made just three errors all year with eight assists from right field in his second year playing the outfield.

Going into his age 25 season, Souza spent the majority of the year with AAA Syracuse, but he also made his Major League debut in April as a defensive replacement which was the first of four stints with the Nats. The 6'4, 225 pound right hander also made a few rehab appearances in August with Low A Hagerstown and A+ Potomac. In his time with Syracuse he was an absolute monster, terrorizing International League pitching staffs to the tune of a .350/.432/.590 triple slash that included 18 homers, 25 doubles, 26 stolen bases, and 52 free passes (12.8%) to 75 strike outs (18.4%). That's a 180 wRC+, a .448 wOBA, and .240 isolated power. Souza was hitting line drives at a 22% clip, 3 points more than league average, with a slightly elevated fly ball rate as well at 31%. The 20.9% home run per fly ball rate certainly helped and was the third year in a row he posted a HR/FB rate above 19%. Even though he had four different tours in the MLB this year, he only made 26 trips to the plate over 21 games, hitting two home runs with a .130/.231/.391 line in an absurdly small sample size. For the entire season, including rehab trips, AAA and MLB time, he hit .330/.407/.565 versus right handers over 332 PA's while tagging lefties to a .337/.442/.568 line across 113 PA's. He hit 14 of his 20 homersand 37 of 47 extra base hits off right handers while working 18 walks to 19 strike outs against southpaws. While patrolling the pastures, he gunned down four runners and made four errors at the minor league level and made one more error in his MLB stint. Most notably during that time however, was the defensive gem highlighted in the picture above where he saved Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter with a diving catch for the 27th out.

Souza brings four of the five tools to the table in his speed, power, arm, and fielding. Each grade out to at least above average, bordering on plus. The hit tool is the only one that doesn't jump out and it comes in around average though some are even hesitant to say that due to a somewhat high strike out rate and a swing geared for putting the ball in the stands. He's got plus power for sure and his wheels are plus too. Defensively, he could handle center in a pinch, but he is a right fielder through and through with an excellent arm and good range. The term "late bloomer" would be appropriate in any summary of Souza as he didn't really hit his stride until his age 24 season. The positive to this is that his team will have control of him until after his physical peak since his first crack at free agency isn't until 2021, his age 32 season. I think people are sleeping on him somewhat and believe he could be a difference maker. I'm not saying he's going to be an All-Star and have a Hall of Fame career, but multiple 20/20 seasons with averages around .275 is a very valuable guy to have on your roster. I see that as his peak with a floor of a 4th outfielder.  He's penciled in as Tampa's starting right fielder and it's his job to lose at this point as he replaces Myers.

2014 MiLB (A, A+, AAA) stats

2014 MLB stats

Jake Bauers

Photo courtesy of Emily Jones

San Diego took Jake Bauers with their 7th round pick in the 2013 draft out of Marina High School in California, signing for $240K to forego his commitment to play at the University of Hawaii. One of the youngest 2013 draftees, Bauers was dispatched to the rookie level Arizona League after the draft where he hit .282/.341/.374 over 188 plate appearances as a 17 year old. He hit eight doubles and a homer with 14 walks (7.4%) to 31 strike outs (16.5%) for a 102 wRC+, a .339 wOBA, and a .331 BABIP. Generously listed a 6'1 and 195 pounds, the sweet swinging lefty hit .322/.375/.438 against right handed pitchers over 137 trips to the dish while getting worked by southpaws. He only went up to bat 51 times against lefties, so short sample size and all, but he hit just .167/.245/.190 against them. The batted ball profile says he put the ball on the ground just 42.3% of the time, nearly 5% less than the AZL average. On defense he made five errors in 43 games with a .987 fielding percentage.

The Padres front office challenged Bauers with an aggressive promotion to Low A Fort Wayne for his age 18 season in 2014. He debuted at the end of April and spent the entire year there, hitting .296/.376/.414 over 467 plate appearances with 18 doubles, eight bombs, and 51 walks (10.9%) to 80 strike outs (17.1%). In the Midwest League that came out to a 128 wRC+, a .364 wOBA, and he benefited from a .347 BABIP. Not only did he drive in 64, but he also stole five bags and scored 59 runs. His fly ball rate dropped closer to average at 29.8%, but he made huge gains in his line drive rate, bumping from 11.7% in 2013 to 21.4% in his full season debut, 5.6% better than league average. In a larger sample against lefties of 124 PA's, Bauers hit .300/.423/.490 with five of his eight home runs and 19 walks to just 15 strike outs. Against right handed pitchers he made 343 trips with a .294/.359/.389 triple slash. I think its also worth noting due to his age that he came out guns blazing, hitting an incredible .354/.429/.523 through the end of June before fading down the stretch and hitting .242/.325/.313 from July 1st on. It's very possible the rigors of the 18 year old's first full professional season wore him down by the end despite getting a late start. In the field he committed 12 errors in 103 games for a .987 fielding percentage.

Over the past year, Bauers showed the hype around his bat when he was drafted to be legitimate. Hitting nearly .300 in the Midwest League as an 18 year old is no easy feat, The power isn't there yet but he did hit 29 extra base hits which was about a quarter of his overall hit total. He does this with a compact stroke that's geared for line drives. He also showed a discerning eye and was willing to take pitches and wait for a mistake. The lack of speed really limits him to first base, but he's got a hell of a glove there and a decent arm. [insert obligatory Daric Barton comp here] Even though he's got a long journey ahead of him, he's one to keep an eye on with his pure hitting ability and potential for some power. Best case scenario is him developing some pop and turning into a .300 hitter with 20 or so bombs to go with 35-40 doubles, and Gold Glove defense. More than likely he's a .280-.290 guy with 10-15 homers and that same excellent D. Tampa should have him handle the cold corner at A+ Charlotte in the Florida State League with 2014 1st round pick Casey Gillaspie right on his heels.

2014 A stats

The Yankees have traded away Shawn Kelley. It will be interesting to see what the finalized bullpen will look like when the season begins. Pitchers and catchers report in 51 days.

Yesterday the Yankees traded Shawn Kelley to the Padres for prospect Johnny Barbato, in what was potentially the last offseason move of 2014. With the slew of potential bullpen additions in the minors, the Yankees most likely felt that he was expendable. It could also be due to the fact that he was Shawn Kelley. Perhaps that was a bit harsh. Or was it? Joking aside, best of luck on the Padres.

Comments of the Day

Cole Hamels said he is willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Yankees. Let the ideas come forth!

The ideas, they are coming forth.

I wonder if they'd also accept giant Steinbrenner face as payment as well. Might be worth it to ask.

And in the end, not even the tense throws of Fantasy sports could separate the iron clad bond of twindom between Tanya and Caitlin.

Soon we'll have to call this man Professor Mahbles. Because SCIENCE!

You know what, screw science. Get this man to Hollywood.

Uh huh.

Sometimes you have to take the good history with the bad "Kei Igawa-ish" history.

GIF of the Day

I believe these are all for Andrew for that history lesson.

Honorable Mod Mention

No really, Andrew had to write about all that awful. He definitely gets the HMM award.

• Favorite TV commercial of 2014
• What is your personal favorite PSA moment of 2014?

I love any song that uses anvils as musical instruments. As always, please link us your Song of the Day.

It will be interesting to see what the bullpen looks like when the season begins. I am looking forward to it. Miss you, baseball.

I've been thinking about the future.

Sports author Rich Wolfe writes a hearty recollection of inclusive stories revolving around the early and late career of the beloved Tony Gwynn.

Tony Gwynn had no shortage of fans, from baseball and beyond. Author Rich Wolfe, a well-established sports writer with a huge catalog of books centered around unique team's fan cultures, is an ideal fit for the task of tackling stories focused on a man with almost more stories than he has hits.

The Cover

The book's cover features Gwynn's classic smile, a seemingly perfect portrait for the book. But once the cover and sleeve are unfolded, Padres fans of every generation can get lost for a good ten to fifteen minutes. From corner to corner the inside of the sleeve is packed (to the brim) with San Diego baseball/sports references.

From basic general Padres knowledge, to a few of the more obscure sprinkled in. It's hard to look away from this awesome piece of fan-service until you've dug out every last nugget.

The Contents

Tony Gwynn was a man with no shortage of stories about him. You'd be hard-pressed to find a baseball fan who didn't have some sort of impression of him. Throughout the book, readers are treated to those who were lucky enough to meet and experience Gwynn first-hand, as well as people who were fortunate enough to simply watch and write about him. The book fills itself with a timeline of stories from his college years to his late coaching days, the pages pouring out love, admiration, and respect for Gwynn.

The loose-storied narrative follows Gwynn through his days as an San Diego State University Aztec. The book starts with anecdotes from his first-year basketball recruitment by former head coach Tim Vezie as well as his transition to baseball the following year thanks to Bobby Meacham and Jim Dietz (who would be replaced as head coach by Gwynn about 30 years later). Readers are also treated to stories from former Padre Nick Harsh, San Diego sportswriter John Maffei, SDSU athletic director Rick Bay, as well as good friends Kirk Kenney and Ken Davis.

The book continues into Gwynn’s first appearance as a Padre. Not the San Diego Padres, though, but the minor-league Walla Walla Padres in the wine fields of Walla Walla, Washington. Readers are treated to stories from former teammate and Friar, John Kruk, Walla Walla sports editor Jim Buchan, and Seattle superfan Pete Brown.

Los Angeles sportswriter and ESPN talking head Bill Plaschke swoops in with a hearty story that serves as a Gwynn anthology. The chapter is packed with observations, encounters, news snippets, pictures, and little nuggets of trivia. It's a good example of how the rest of the book is structured, and is a charming perspective of Gwynn's major league career. It's followed up by a series of writers featuring SDSU alumni and Chargers writer Tom Krasovic, U-T columnists Nick Canepa and Chris Jenkins, and Tony's biggest statistical fan, Michael Schell.

The meat and potatoes of Gwynn's career on the Friars is kicked off by Jack McKeon, Trader Jack, former manager of the Padres from 1988 to 1990 as he recalls the scouting process of the prospect known as "that kid" Tony Gwynn and his rapid movement into the majors. San Diego native and former Aztec Bob Cluck talks about the missed opportunity of drafting Gwynn when Cluck was on the coaching staff of the Astros. Former Padres GM Kevin Towers remembers how Gwynn made his early promotion into the manager seat easier to handle, and that Gwynn's perspective and player analysis was almost unrivaled.

Author Dale Ratermann gives a story about Gwynn's winter in Indianapolis as he bought season tickets and attended almost every Pacers game he could. Former Friar and major league coach Terry Kennedy also recalls Gwynn's initial below-average defensive abilities, and contributes the eventual Gold Glove status to Gwynn's unmatched dedication to self-improvement. Longtime friend and former Padre Jerald Clark reminisces in some cute anecdotes about fishing and playing for the Padres.

Scattered around the book are wonderful pictures of Tony as well as his legion of fans. Nestled in the center of the book are quality printed images of Gwynn's career and life in San Diego.

There's an entire chapter dedicated to fans gushing over their memories of the great Tony Gwynn. From school principals to Bruce Billings of the Yankees. Baseball coaches, Giants fans, Tim Flannery, Dick Williams, Gary Sheffield, and various fans, San Diego citizens, and leaders of other major league organizations. Two of Gwynn's biggest fans, Greg Maddux and Keith Olbermann, share their loving memories of Gwynn. Maddux and his haunting recollection of facing Gwynn as a batter, but his love and respect for him as a person, and Olbermann's fawning over the great person that Gwynn was in and out of the baseball world.

The book is closed up with stories of a former teammate and major league umpire Kerwin Danley, and wraps up with accounts from his representative John Boggs, bat maker Chuck Schupp, friend and former Louisville Slugger employee Charlotte Jones, and 1991 Padres bat boy David Johnson.

The Conclusion

Readers start to understand very quickly that Tony Gwynn reached and touched an insurmountable amount of people throughout his life. It didn't matter what team you rooted for, it didn't even matter if you watched baseball, you rooted for Tony Gwynn.

Rich Wolfe even explains that there wasn't nearly enough time or space to include every single story involving Gwynn. The undertaking it would require to even compile that many stories is almost unimaginable. But this book does an extremely good job at it. It chronicles all aspects of Gwynn's passionate career, and will leave even superfans with at least a dozen newly learned facts about the beloved Mr. Padre.

If you weren't lucky enough to be gifted this like I was on Christmas; do yourself a favorite and treat yourself. You can get it for around $20 right now on either Amazon or at Barnes and Noble.

The Padres, as you know, have too many outfielders after the trades that brought Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton to San Diego.  To clear space they'll have to move arguably one of their best hitters from the 2014 season and the most nondescript players on the roster in the form of Seth Smith.

Mariners Nearing Trade For Seth Smith – MLB Trade Rumors

Smith, 32, is coming off a strong season for San Diego in which he hit .266/.367/.440, and in July, the Padres’ previous management signed Smith to a two-year, $13MM extension with a club option for 2017.

There's been fan hopes recently that Smith's bat could some how fit in the lineup and in most cases the suggestions were to move a surplus outfielder to first base.  That doesn't appear to be the Padres plan.

As Heyman states below the Padres are interested in acquiring a power arm in the rumored deal with the Mariners.

mariners have shown interest in seth smith, as @RyanDivish reported. padres seeking a power bullpen arm.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 30, 2014

And that power arm is rumored to be Brandon Mauer:

The #Padres have been trying to get RHP Brandon Mauer from the #Mariners in trade talks involving OF Seth Smith.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 30, 2014

The trade is coming soon.

Been brewing for awhile but hearing #Mariners are Very close to trade for Seth Smith.

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) December 30, 2014

I guess the current GM, A.J. Preller, doesn't feel beholden to a gentleman's not-trade agreement.

UPDATE:

Seth Smith for Brandon Maurer deal is done, source says.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 30, 2014

The deal helps the Padres clear their outfield logjam.

The Mariners have acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the Padres in exchange for right-handed pitcher Brandon Maurer, as first reported by ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Shannon Drayer of 710AM ESPN first reported earlier in the deal that the deal was close.

Smith, 32, signed a two-year extension with the Padres over the summer but was forced out of his job due to the Padres' additions of Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp this offseason. San Diego still has Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin, Rymer Liriano, Will Venable and Abraham Almonte as backup outfielders, making more trades likely once the deal involving Smith is finalized.

In 136 games for the Padres last season, Smith hit .266/.367/.440 with twelve home runs and 48 RBI. He will likely serve as a platoon partner with fellow new acquisition Justin Ruggiano in right field for the Mariners and is expected to see action against right-handers.

The Padres have been on the lookout for bullpen help this offseason, as evidenced by their additions of Shawn Kelley and Maurer over the last two days. Maurer is known as a power arm who has not harnessed all of his potential in the majors, as he has struggled to a 6-12 record and 5.58 ERA in 60 games (21 starts) with Seattle to start his career. The 24-year old was the Mariners' 23rd round pick in the 2008 draft, and was ranked as highly as the organization's sixth-best prospect by Baseball America following the 2012 season.

The trade with the Yankees that brings Shawn Kelley to the Padres for Johnny Barbato is fresh.  As many have noted in their reviews of the trade it's a bit of a role reversal, the Padres dealing a prospect for major league ready talent is usually reserved for teams that are in a win-now mode.  The weird thing is that's the Padres.

I like this trade, Barbato has an arm injury that may need to surgery and Kelley looks like he'll excel in Petco Park.  The Padres teams of the last decade and a half have been known for their strong bullpen and Kelley gives them another set up arm who could be ready to close soon.  What's not to like?

With an 86% fresh score on the Tomatometer, this trade is on par with movies such as Wreck-it Ralph, Jackie Brown and The Conjuring.

Let me know if you see any more reviews of the trade in the media and I'll add them to the score.  Vote for yourself in the poll below.

Apologies to RottenTomatoes.com

Pads' pickup of Kelley a contender's move - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN
I really like this move for the Padres, more than just any random reliever pickup.

Padres Trade Relievers With Yankees | Padres Public
AJ Preller has again dealt from a deep farm system he inherited from previous regimes, surrendering a mid-level prospect with some upside to bolster the 2015 roster. It’s an interesting small-scale move that fits with the win-now mode the Padres suddenly find themselves in.

Shawn Kelley (Future Closer?) to Padres | FanGraphs Baseball
Slightly above average velocity for a reliever, decent control, good command when he’s executing right, a deadly slider he can manipulate to avoid platoon issues, and a shrug for his home runs? Pair that with a top-15 strikeout rate, and it sounds like a late-inning reliever and possible closer. Even for one year of control, that’s worth a future reliever that may require Tommy John surgery soon.

Shawn Kelley Padres - Friars on Base
Kelley is another part to the puzzle. It’s a good move and Kelley may play an important part for the Padres in 2015.

Padres acquire Shawn Kelley; Keyvius Sampson DFA'd | UTSanDiego.com
A move to Petco Park, as well as the National League, should provide a soft landing for Kelley, who figures to vie for middle-inning relief innings

@FollowThePadres
Quick take on Kelley addition for #Padres: Big NL West ballparks won't hurt him + love that 3.02 FIP in '14 and big arm for back end.

@MadFriars
If the @johnny_barbato deal is true, not sure I really understand this one.

Padres will be looking to celebrate 2015 with a few needed resolutions

We have come to the end of another year.

2014.

You started out looking the same as some in the past, but you certainly know how to end it with a bang. And with the end of this year, it is time to look towards the future.

2015 already looks to be filled with new adventures and with it come new goals and expectations. The Padres are leaving 2014 in the dust and some resolutions for 2015 look to be the next step in the path for success.

The Team

One of the most important resolutions that the team as a whole should make is the same one they make every year.  Win the games. It's a simple resolution. Just like eat less candy. Or exercise more. Very simple to say, but a lot tougher to follow through with.

You start out great, like you've got a handle on things, then BOOM.

It's Charles' Retirement Party and that cake is just calling your name. For the Padres, those late Spring/early Summer months always seem to be when that retirement party happens. Stay strong. The team as a whole is getting much more complete and it's far from finished. They always end strong, usually because they know that cake was a mistake and now they have to work it off. If they can avoid the cake, the rest of the season will be cake.

And victories.

Matt Kemp

Kemp's resolution should be to embrace this new atmosphere at full speed. His 2014 ended as a Padre, so 2015 and beyond will be the same. Don't take the time to acknowledge your past because some reporter is going to want that quote where they can spin it to make it look like you miss your old team. You don't. They're gone. You're in this for the long haul. Don't start 2015 talking about what once was. Talk about what is sure to come. Success in San Diego. Maybe even throw that into every interview. Get a shirt made in the color of your choice. It's a new year, Matt. The Padres are the next chapter.

Justin Upton

Justin's resolution is similar to Kemp's. This is your new chapter. The only difference is that Upton is the one writing the next one. Before you go and make this a short story, take a moment to get a feel for this city. A feel for your teammates. Get to know them before you show up to Spring Training. And when your agent says you have to have a new contract before you get to Peoria, you'd better take a look at what you've got in front of you before you decide to just leave. Now whether he stays or goes, that's up to him. I just want his resolution to involve some patience. Don't jump before you figure out all that the Padres have to offer.

Jedd Gyorko

Jedd's resolution is to be the backbone of the infield by taking on more responsibility. The veterans of Petco Park's dirt section are gone. After Everth Cabrera was released, Jedd became the only "homegrown" Padre starter left to keep the ball out of the outfield. Gyorko must take on the challenge of bringing the infield together as a unit. He's either about to be paired with Alexi Amarista or someone new to turn the much needed double plays. It'll take work to get it done, but with Jedd's strong work ethic, it's a task that can be handled.

The Pitching Staff

The Padres pitching staff's resolution is to be the guys that everyone is talking about. Get the hair and beards right, keep the pitches tight. It is their time to shine and what better time than with an almost all new set of guys behind them to help keep the runs off the board. They will have to get on the same page with new catchers in 2015, but once you get everything in order on that front, the rest will be simple.

Bud Black

Bud's resolution is to be the field general that the Padres need in this new era. All new players creates the need for all new strategies. The bunt is a thing of the past. Like bringing a musket to a flame thrower fight. Sure it's efficient sometimes, but it's just not cool, man. 2015 is the Year of the Cool. You can get that shirt made too.

A.J. Preller

Preller had a resolution all set up, then traded it for another one. It's to be more, oh wait, that one just got traded too. Just keep on eye out for whenever he gets one he wants to hold on to.

Mike Dee and Wayne Partello

For the other front office men, their resolution is to stay on the same page with the fans. Whether it's a uniform thing (#BringBackTheSand #PutTheSandBackinSANDiego), a ticket thing, or a overall fan experience thing, it is important to be on the same page. The fans don't need drums or weird plazas. We need a listener. So, I guess their resolution should be to not come up with resolutions too quickly.

Bobby Cressey

Mr. Cressey. Bobby. BC. Organ extraordinaire. This is a tough guy to have a resolution for. He plays the organ like a champion. Works hard to provide the best possible experience for anyone at the ball park. Willing to take some time to talk to you as long as he doesn't have to play Three Blind Mice right that second. Maybe his resolution should be to add pyrotechnics to the organ. Sparklers or something. Or flames shooting out of the front would be cool. Like I said, it's the Year of the Cool.

The FSSD and Mighty 1090 Broadcast Teams

Both FSSD and Mighty 1090 should have the resolution to keep us excited no matter what may come. Make us believe that you are invested as much as we are. The era of "My" and "Your" should be at its end. 2015 is the time for this team to be ours. Make those of us who watch or listen every day and night know that you are representing the brand not only locally, but nationally, as "Our Padres". We have a lot to be excited about. Join in this excitement every possible day next year. We are ready.

Corey Brock

Corey Brock's resolution is simple. Wear more coral. 2015 is where Coral Brock must reign supreme. He's already got Padres news locked down tight. Once that coral phase kicks in, the sky is the limit.

Padres Social Hour

Jesse Agler, Bill Center, Blooper, and the rest of the crew have done a great job in turning that corner of the Padres Store into a very good show that precedes the Padres games. And I feel like it being in the corner is what makes it special. Their resolution should be to not lose their look. In an age of HD and new technology, their two seat-one screen experience catches your eye when you watch it. There's no distractions, no unnecessary talking heads. The guests and interviews are connected directly to providing the viewer with a glimpse of what's going on with the team. The use of Padres attire and memorabilia in the studio make it ours. As long as they keep that true Padres feel, 2015 will be a breeze for Padres Social Hour.

The Fans

That's us. We're important. All of us. In 2015, there will be fans who will be taking in a Padres baseball game for the first time. Whether they've been a fan for 3 weeks or 30 years, we are all the same. This year, there are no "diehards". We're all experiencing the same excitement that has come to San Diego this winter. The same feeling that this is the year the Padres make a difference. Our resolution should be to not ruin this excitement through separation. Enjoy the games. Enjoy this season. Support this team as much as you can. I'm not saying if you don't buy tickets that you're lesser than a season ticket holder, because that's not true. We span the globe. From two blocks north of Tony Gwynn Drive to New York City to London and all the way around to Australia. We are fans. Just be present, no matter how it is you get it done. Be proud to support this team in 2015.

And Finally...

Now is the time where I wish all of you a happy and safe New Year. As a contributor to the blog, I enjoy any time I can sit here and write something for you all to read. Whether you read it or not is entirely up to you, but just knowing there's a real chance that someone somewhere in the world probably read something I wrote and liked it is good enough for me. And I'm sure the other writers here feel the same way.

We're a community. So maybe for some of you, a resolution could be to add a fanpost or two for the community. Have your voice be heard. We're all here to listen.

Happy New Year, Gaslamp Ball.

Let's make it a good one.

San Diego receives potential back-end bullpen help in exchange for its best hitter from 2014.

The Seattle Mariners on Tuesday acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the San Diego Padres in exchange for relief pitcher Brandon Maurer, according to a team announcement.

Smith, 32, hit .266/.367/.440 -- good for a 135 OPS+ -- in 521 plate appearances for the Padres last season. The eight-year veteran did most of his damage against right-handed pitchers; Smith stepped to the plate just 66 times against southpaws but managed to draw 16 walks despite not hitting for average or power in those situations.

For his career, Smith owns a .277/.358/.481 line against righties but has hit just .205/.291/.314 when facing lefties. Perhaps with that in mind, the Mariners will likely platoon him with fellow offseason acquisition Justin Ruggiano, who has posted a .266/.329/.508 line in 443 plate appearances against left-handed hurlers.

Maurer, 24, found success in a relief role after a rough seven-start stretch for the Mariners last season. He was lit up by opposing hitters to the tune of a 7.52 ERA as a starter but flourished in Seattle's powerful bullpen, striking out 38 batters and walking only five in 37⅓ innings. Maurer's ERA was just 2.17 in 31 relief appearances.

The Padres add Maurer to the back-end of a formidable bullpen that includes Shawn Kelley -- a fellow Mariners draft pick recently acquired from the New York Yankees -- and veteran Joaquin Benoit. After Huston Street was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in a midseason deal, Benoit took over as San Diego's closer and finished strong. He didn't allow a run in his final 14 appearances, striking out 18 batters and walking only three in 14⅔ innings en route to 10 saves during that stretch.

Kelley finished 2014 with a pedestrian 4.53 ERA but struck out nearly 12 batters per nine innings and posted a 3.02 FIP.

PETCO Park is no doubt an extreme pitcher's park, but there is a rumor that it is more hitter-friendly during day games due to the "marine layer." Is this a real thing or just an anecdotal rumor? I ran some numbers to find out.

Last week, I gave you a pre-Christmas present (or lump of coal, depending on your opinion) wherein I detailed the park factors and impacts of San Diego's PETCO Park. I focused on the impacts of the park's dimensions on right handed power hitters, since the Padres just collected a nice batch of new righty sluggers. At the end of that article, I teased you all with something I heard from a former San Diego resident. He claims that the "marine layer"' descends on downtown San Diego in summer afternoons and leaves by evening, resulting in fly balls traveling further in day games than in night games. I promised you all that I would investigate this story and see if there is any truth there.

To dive into this research, I used retrosheet.org extensively. They have game logs for every game in the last 70+ years. I pulled the game logs for every game in PETCO Park since 2008, focusing primarily on runs scored by both teams combined. The following table shows the results of this first step in investigating the day/night splits. The table shows the combined runs per game for both teams in all games since 2008, games in 2013-14, and pre-2013 games. Why was 2013 chosen to split out? That was the year the fences were moved in, especially in right field, so I expected that to affect run scoring.

From this, it looks like run scoring was in fact higher in day games prior to 2013, by a significant margin. Then, in the last two years, day games had fewer runs scored per game than night games, so it doesn't look very convincing. Runs scored isn't showing us any real day/night effect, so what else can we look at? By using the individual game statistics for all games in baseball in 2013 and 2014 and then focusing on games at PETCO, we can look at the effects of day games on doubles and home runs, specifically. The table below shows the results of this research. Both the total home runs hit in PETCO and the homers/game are shown.

Aha! Now we see that the ball does appear to carry further in day games than in night games, at least in the last two years. There are clearly more home runs in day games. The next table looks at the same information for doubles.

Doubles don't show the same effect, so it looks like it is isolated to homers. Just to make sure this is showing a real effect, like a good researcher, I need a control. I used game data from all MLB games in the last two seasons and ran the same day/night analysis, shown in the table below.

In all MLB games, there is almost no difference in home runs hit between day and night games, with night games having slightly more. What this tells us is that PETCO does appear to boost home runs in day games. Keep this in mind for daily leagues and leagues with daily lineup changes. You may want to avoid Padres pitchers that are prone to giving up fly balls in home day games and you will want to start Kemp, Myers, Upton, and Norris in those same games. Maybe San Diego will push MLB to allow them to have more day games to take advantage of all their new sluggers more? As always, Tschus!

The Cubs signed the veteran outfielder to a one-year deal.

The Cubs have signed outfielder Chris Denorfia to a one-year deal. In a season of weird scoops, this news was first reported by everyone's favorite ex-backup catcher/relief pitcher John Baker. It has since been confirmed by Ken Rosenthal. The deal is dependent upon Denorfia passing a physical. Jon Heyman reports that the deal is for $2.5 million.

The 34 year-old Denorfia spent most of his career with the Padres, until he was traded to the Mariners at the trade deadline last season. He's coming off what is easily the worst season of his career with a combined .230/.284/.318 line between the two teams. But his career triple-slash line is a very respectable .272/.331/.394, especially when one considers that most of that line was put up in spacious Petco Park. The Cubs are no doubt counting on Denorfia returning to his 2012-13 form.

Denorfia does one thing well and that's hit left-handers. He's been a platoon player for most of his career and his line against left-handed pitching is an impressive .292/.358/.430. Again, those numbers are mostly from Petco Park. As a right-handed hitting corner outfielder, he makes an excellent platoon partner for Chris Coghlan.

Defensively, Denorfia is considered to be a solid corner outfielder who can play center field in a pinch.

Denorfia also comes with the John Baker seal of approval as far as being a positive presence in the clubhouse, as noted by his initial Tweet.

Chris Denorifa to the @cubs ? Deno is one of my favorite teammates of all time! The Cubs fans are going to love him. Enjoy him Chicago.

— John Baker (@manbearwolf) December 31, 2014

Denorfia was also a fan favorite in San Diego for his all-out style and hustle.

If this is indeed a major league signing, there will have to be a move made to the 40 man roster as it is currently full.

The 34-year old veteran outfielder was attractive to the Cubs because of his ability to hit left-handed pitching well.

The Cubs are seeking consistency moving forward, and are confident in their offseason moves punctuated by signing Jon Lester at the Winter Meetings. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and free agent catcher John Baker, Chicago signed veteran outfielder Chris Denorfiato a one-year deal pending a physical on Wednesday afternoon. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman notes the deal is worth close to $2.5 million.

Denorfia, 34, has spent most of his major league time as a member of the San Diego Padres. He was dealt to Seattle before last season's non-waiver trading deadline, and posted a .230/.284/.318 batting line to complement three home runs and 21 RBIs between the two clubs. He appeared in 121 games in 2014, and has proven to be durable, playing in at least 110 contests over the last four seasons.

Although he was offensively inconsistent last season, Denorfia thrived playing at Petco Park. He is a career .272/.331/.394 hitter who has developed a reputation for hitting left-handed pitching well (career .292 against lefties) and is an experienced addition to Chicago's clubhouse. Despite the fact that his production decreased a season ago, the Cubs are confident Denorfia can return to his 2012/2013 form, when he hit .293 and .279 respectively.

While he has experience playing all three outfield positions, Denorfia is best suited playing one of the corner spots. He can play center field if necessary, but is expected to see time in left field as a right-handed platoon partner to Chris Coghlan, who will be in the lineup against right-handed pitchers.

The Cubs have a notable number of infield prospects, and may be looking to move one to left field beyond 2015. Chicago could have a new left fielder in 2016, with prospects Kris Bryant and Addison Russell among the infielders who could change positions. Denorfia is seen as a short term solution, and is expected to thrive in a hitter-friendly ballpark.