The Indians are kicking the tires on even greater lineup versatility in 2014

Carlos Santana has been taking infield practice at third base over the last couple weeks* and could play the position in some games back in his home country of the Dominican Republic, this per Cleveland Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes.

*I'm not sure in what context Santana has been fielding grounders, but I like to think it's in pickup games with the kids in his neighborhood, on a field where third base is someone's sweatshirt and a ball hit into Mr. Dunne's yard is a home run.

Santana has been a catcher during his time in the big leagues, but has also played at first base and designated hitter more and more, starting a career-high 71 games away from catcher in 2013 (47 at DH, 24 at 1B). The emergence of Yan Gomes as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and someone who can swing a decent bat of his own meant that Santana only rarely played behind the plate as the season wound down (only 3 times in the Tribe's final 25 games).

Gomes will serve as the team's primary catcher in 2014, and Nick Swisher will again be the team's primary first baseman. Santana will likely fill in at each of those positions once or twice a week, but looks likely to work as the Indians' designated hitter in a majority of games. Third base has been a weak spot for the Tribe though, and while the hope is certainly that Lonnie Chisenhall finally puts things together for a full season, the Indians seem intent on leaving no stone unturned.

Santana has in fact played 3B before, though not since the Indians acquired him for Casey Blake in July of 2008. (Take a minute to reflect on that trade. ...Ahhh, good times.) Santana played 3B 14 times in 2005, 38 times in 2006, 5 times in 2007, and once in 2008 (before the trade). In part that sharp rise and fall of appearances is due to the Dodgers having determined he could handle catcher, which made his bat more valuable. In part it was due to him being a mess at third.

In 2006, the year he was given the most opportunities at the hot corner, Santana made 12 errors in 98 chances, giving him a fielding percentage of .860 (errors on 14% of his chances). The worst FP by anyone there in 2013 was .930 (errors on 7% of his chances), which means Santana was making errors back at twice the rate of this season's worst third baseman. I don't think six years away from the position are going to have improved his play there.

There's no harm in seeing what he can do this winter, but I wouldn't hold my breath on him playing the position in anything beyond an emergency situation for the Indians (seriously, don't hold your breath on it, because even if he's the second coming of Brooks Robinson down there, Opening Day is months away, and you'll suffocate long before then).

- - - - - -

Editor's note:A couple weeks back someone in the comments suggested that Santana play third base, and I shot it down completely. As I said just above, I still don't think it's going to happen, but I didn't think the Indians would even consider it, and obviously I've now been proven wrong. So, a tip of my hat to that commenter.

More from Let's Go Tribe:

Follow @LetsGoTribeFollow @SBNationMLB

• Cleveland Indians 2013 MVP Countdown #2: Carlos Santana
• Cleveland Indians 2013 in Review: Lonnie Chisenhall
• Padres 3B Chase Headley is available. Are Indians a fit?
• Cardinals sign Jhonny Peralta, so Asdrubal Cabrera isn't going there
• Working out a contract extension for Justin Masterson

Movember is in full swing benefitting men's health awareness. What's your moustache game?

Movember is upon us, an entire month dedicated to sprouting as much facial hair as men can muster. As Movember's campaign states "its a hair raising journey". Not only does the overwhelming amount of facial hair this month raise funds for large concerns in men's health, but the catchy campaign simultaneously raises just as much awareness. As we all know, knowledge is power. What you may not know, is that you can join the Movember campaign alongside your favorite current, past and upcoming Padre organization heroes.

The Lake Elsinore Storm Movember team, StormGenMo2013, includes Tommy Medica, Heath Bell, Austin Hedges, Donavan Tate, and many more highly ranked players from the Padres affiliate. In addition, Storm office staff members are participating in the Movember moustachery.

Whether man or women, you can join the star-studded StormGenMo2013 team and become a member to fight for a great cause. As a member, individuals post photos of their moustache growth throughout the month and encourage others to contribute funds. Another great option is donating to the team in support of their efforts, which the team's Movember page makes incredibly easy. Just navigate to the Home Page, click "Donate to Team" and become a contributing factor in promoting men's health across the globe. Movember represents a great cause, please support the Padres organizations efforts and chip in to make a difference, you won't regret it.

Follow this link to the StormGenMo2013 team page, and make a difference

I found out about the Padres acquiring Devin Jones from the Orioles in exchange for Brad Brach the same way pretty much everybody finds out about pretty much everything: via Twitter. The first reply beneath the team's official announcement contained a link that I followed to some useful and nicely presented information.

@Padres@FollowThePadres@Orioles@BowieBaysox Breakdown of batters faced this year for Devin Jones 2013 season.http://t.co/k4v3zRWZeh

— darenw (@darenw) November 25, 2013

His statistics from last year aren't all that encouraging, but there are a multitude of sites that could have told you about his 5.84 ERA and 1.576 WHIP over 123.1 innings for AA Bowie. The nice thing that the aforelinked (that's a word now, because I said so) site, MLBfarm, offers is charts. Lots of pretty, pretty charts. I'm like Marshall Eriksen when it comes to charts. Graphs, too. Lay 'em on me. They have hitter spray charts, heat maps, all sorts of result-oriented graphs, and so-on. All presented in living color, just the way my short attention span demands. I was going to break down some of the breakdown, but @CoraTheKitty's new puppy friend just got here and I have to reassure her that no, seriously, that's your buddy.

But, yeah, go look at those graphs and stuff. I'm going to try to find stuff out about Alex Dickerson once these two start getting along.

More from Gaslamp Ball:

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Josh Johnson and Trade Chips
• Padres Trade Dean Anna to Yankees for RHP Ben Paullus
• Storm's Charitable Efforts Gaining MOmentum
• Trevor Hoffman among athletes at donation drive to benefit victims of Philippine disaster
• Padres offseason: 5 most pivotal players

Padres traded recently DFA'd Miles Mikolas and Jaff Decker to Pittsburgh Pirates for Alex Dickerson

#Padres acquire former Poway High & @IUBloomington star 1B/OF Alex Dickerson from @Pirates for RHP Mikolas & OF Decker. (1/2)

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 25, 2013

Dickerson, 23, hit .288 w/ 36 doubles & 17 HR for Altoona (AA). FSL Player of Year in ‘12. Big 10 Triple Crown winner in ’10. (2/2)

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) November 25, 2013

Thanks, official Padres Twitter account!

Last week, Miles Mikolas and Jaff Decker were designated for assignment to make some space on the 40 man roster. Today, they were designated for another team. The Padres acquired Alex Dickerson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Mikolas and Decker.

Dickerson, a first baseman/outfielder, has been part of the Pirates organization since 2011 when he was drafted by Pittsburgh in that year's draft. But, the 2011 draft was the 2nd time Dickerson had been drafted. Originally, Dickerson had been drafted 3 years before by the Washington Nationals out of Poway High but opted to attend college at Indiana University-Bloomington.

As the stats provided by the tweets above show, Dickerson has some very respectable numbers. 36 doubles and 17 home runs at 23 years of age. Last year, he was rated as the 13th best prospect in the Pirates organization by MLB.com and 22nd by SBNation's Minorleagueball.com. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo also called him the 7th best 1B prospect in baseball back in January. He then went on to have a solid 2013 season and show versatility by playing the OF.  Why the Pirates would let that sort of talent go, I don't know. Especially with them designating Garrett Jones, another 1B/OF player, for assignment. The likely explanation is that they were looking to get deeper on their 40 man roster (due to lack of depth in their upper level minors) and to add an OF and a RP for a prospect that would not be ready for a couple of years. However it still seems like an overpay for the players they got and from the Padres perspective it looks like they got a good young player for 2 that no longer may have had a future in San Diego.

Best of luck to Alex Dickerson in the Padres organization. Maybe one day we'll see the Poway native up here in the big leagues with another Poway native, Padres pitcher Nick Vincent. Only time will tell.

More from Gaslamp Ball:

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Devin Jones Stats and Such
• Padres Card O' The Day: Brad Brach's 2011 Bowman Platinum Prospects Purple Refractor #BPP70
• Storm's Charitable Efforts Gaining MOmentum
• Trevor Hoffman among athletes at donation drive to benefit victims of Philippine disaster

A look at who's in place for 2014 and whether or not they're enough

The Angels have signed Joe Smith to a 3-year, $15.75 million deal. That's in line with what I predicted when I ranked Smith among the ten best free agent relief pitchers this offseason. As I said at the time, the Indians shouldn't be handing out that kind of contract to a middle reliever, it's just too much of the budget for too many years for a player who'll throw too few innings and stands a good chance of becoming ineffective by then.

Chris Perez is also a free agent, as are Matt Albers and Rich Hill. None of those three are anything special, but when combined with Smith, they represent 218.2 innings pitched for the Indians in 2013. That's more than 40% of the team's total relief innings that will likely (it's possible one or more of them still return) need to be covered by someone else in 2014.

There are six relief pitchers currently under team control and on the 25-man roster: Cody Allen, Nick Hagadone, Vinnie Pestano, Marc Rzepczynski, Bryan Shaw, and Blake Wood. Carlos Carrasco also served as a reliever near the end of 2013, and if he doesn't win a spot in the starting rotation, the team could decide to keep him in the bullpen.

Here are the ones with 10+ relief innings for the Indians in 2013*:

*All figures courtesy of FanGraphs

The bullpen had 8 arms in it for most of 2013, and for now I expect that same number in 2014.

Allen and Shaw are considered the favorites to open 2014 as the team's closer. Each of them will certainly be in the bullpen and counted on in late-inning situations. Neither of them is tremendous, but the truth is most teams don't have a tremendous pitcher as closer. They have a good pitcher, who gets a lot of saves because just about any MLB arm will convert far more save opportunities than they blow, and those saves give them the aura of being a great pitcher. Bother pitchers have numbers comparable to your average MLB closer, and seem capable of besting Chris Perez's 2012-2013 numbers. I like Allen's strikeout rate, and he would be my choice to begin the year.

Hagadone and Rzepczysnki are the lefties in the chart above. There's also Scott Barnes, who's spent most of the last three years in Columbus, but has also thrown 27.2 fairly nondescript innings with the Indians, and Colt Hynes, who the Tribe acquired from the Padres for cash considerations three weeks ago is the other southpaw on the 40-man roster. Hynes struck out 58 hitters in 47.1 minor league innings last season with only 2 walks (!), but those figures were a less impressive 13 Ks and 9 BBs in 17 innings with the Padres, his first taste of Major League hitters. Rzepczysnki is a lock for the pen, the other two lefties will likely fight for one spot. I'm not a big Hagadone or Barnes fan, so I'd rather Hynes get a shot, given his steller walk rate from Triple-A over the last couple years.

If Pestano returns to form, he will certainly be among the eight names that make the cut (he could even end up as the closer, as that was his presumed future role until injuries derailed him in 2013). I don't have a lot of faith that he will bounce back though, and I think Carrasco should be given one more season to try and make himself a proper starting pitcher (in Columbus, not Cleveland). If those two are out, it means four more of next season's Opening Day relievers aren't on the 25-man roster right now.

There's Matt Capps, who was an effective closer in 2010 and is signed to a minor league deal. He hasn't been a good MLB player since that year either, so he's low on my list. There are a number of other potential relievers on the 40-man roster too: Frank Herrmann and Blake Wood are the ones with real MLB experience. Hermann missed all of 2013 after having Tommy John surgery. He's always posted low strikeout rates, which tends to make me wary. Wood also had Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss 2012 and half of 2013. He had better velocity after his return than he ever had before, giving me a bit more optimism about him.

Beyond those guys there are four other names on the 40-man roster: Austin Adams, Preston Guilmet, C.C. Lee, and Bryan Price. None of them has much in the way of an MLB track record. Adams (27 years old) struck out 12.54 per 9 innings in 2013 (in Double-A) and has always had very low home run rates in the minors. Guilmet (26) struck out 10.04 per 9 in 2013 (in Triple-A), with good walk and home run rates too. Lee (27) struck out 11.2 per 9 in 2013 (with time in Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and MLB). Pryce (27) struck out 11.0 per 9 (mostly in Triple-A). None of those strikeout rates are going to stay that high in MLB (and there's obviously more to success than striking guys out), but they've all got live arms and look a lot like many 6th and 7th inning MLB relievers looked in the minors.

The Indians probably need more one solid reliever in order to feel confident they've got a workable bullpen, but things aren't as bad as they sound when someone says "We're losing three of our best relievers." There isn't a Craig Kimbrell in the bunch, but there was last year either. The innings that need to be replaced range from good (Smith), to okay (Albers), to poor (Perez and Hill). It's not a Herculean task, and the Indians shouldn't spend much to do it.

I don't have any particular minor targets in mind, but you can find the available names here, if you want to float a suggestion or two in the comments. Trading Drew Stubbs for someone would be another option.

More from Let's Go Tribe:

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• Indians 2013 MVP #7: Joe Smith
• Joe Wendle and Cody Anderson named Indians top minor leaguers of 2013
• Indians rumors: Carlos Santana could play some 3B next season
• Cardinals to sign Jhonny Peralta, so Asdrubal Cabrera isn't going to St. Louis
• Top 100 Indians: #26 Bobby Avila

The San Diego Padres traded relief pitcher Miles Mikolas and outfielder Jaff Decker to the Pittsburgh Pirates today for outfielder/first baseman Alex Dickerson. Here's the scoop on all three players.

The San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates made a prospect trade this afternoon, with the Friars sending reliever Miles Mikolas and outfielder Jaff Decker to the Bucs in exchange for outfield/first base prospect Alex Dickerson. Here's the scoop on all three.

Jaff Decker, OF: Decker was a supplemental first round pick in 2008 from high school in Peoria, Arizona. He drew comparisons to Matt Stairs for his patient approach at the plate, power potential, and beefy frame. Although he's lost time to injuries, he has also improved his physical conditioning since high school. to the point that he played mostly center field last year for Triple-A Tucson, where he hit .286/.381/.443 with 10 homers and 55 walks in 350 at-bats.
He hit just .154 in 13 games for the Padres, going 4-for-26, although one of the hits was a home run.

Age 23, Decker is a left-handed hitter and thrower. He is listed at 5-10, 190, although his lower half is thick and he'll always have to watch his conditioning. His defense is better than it used to be and he has a decent arm. He remains a selective hitter with a high walk rate and some power, but never fully lived up to expectations with the Padres. Perhaps a change of scenery will help.

Alex Dickerson, OF-1B: The Pirates drafted Dickerson in the third round in 2011 from Indiana University. He hit .295/.353/.451 with 13 homers in the High-A Florida State League in 2012, followed by a .288/.337/.494 line for Double-A Altoona in 2013, with 17 homers.

Age 23, Dickerson is a left-handed hitter and thrower of substantial size, listed at 6-3, 235. He played first base in '12 but had problems (17 errors) and moved to right field in '13. He catches what he gets to but lacks range and arm strength and can't handle center field. Compared to Decker, Dickerson has less patience and a more aggressive approach, but taps into his raw power more readily.

Miles Mikolas, RHP: Mikolas was drafted by the Padres in 2009, a seventh round pick from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. The 6-5, 215 pound right-hander has been very effective at all levels of the Padres system, posting a 2.97 ERA in 300 career innings with 254/67 K/BB ratio and 64 saves. This includes a 3.25 ERA with 26 saves for Triple-A Tucson in 2013, with a 40/17 K/BB in 61 innings. Mikolas pitched in 32 innings for the major league team in 2012, with a 3.62 ERA and a 23/15 K/BB ratio.

Age 25, Mikolas has been clocked as high as 98 MPH, although his fastball tends to be straight and he relies on his curveball a great deal. He projects as a middle reliever at the major league level and has little left to prove in Triple-A.

ANALYSIS: Something of an unusual prospect-for-prospect trade but there is some logic to it. The Padres had soured on Decker and Mikolas was surplus to their needs; Dickerson looked blocked in Pittsburgh. One interesting feature: Decker can be too patient and not aggressive enough, while Dickerson tends to be too aggressive and not patient enough. Perhaps they can find a happy median with their new organizations.

More from Minor League Ball:

Follow @MinorLeagueBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Prospect Retrospective: Brian McCann, C, New York Yankees
• Prospect Retrospective: Dan Haren, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Minor League Ball Daily Discussion, November 25, 2013
• Concussion Chronicle: Almost there...
• Atlanta Braves preliminary prospect list for 2014 (revised)
• Prospect Retrospective: Jason Vargas. Can he become Jamie Moyer? Or is he Mark Redman?
• Jason Vargas: a major award?
• Angels trade Peter Bourjos, Randal Grichuk to Cardinals for David Freese, Fernando Salas
• Prospect Retrospective: Tim Hudson, RHP, Giants
• 2014 MLB Draft Profile: Alex Verdugo, RF/LHP, Tucson, AZ High School
• A Mickey Mantle autograph tale
• The Jurickson Profar/Nick Castellanos trade
• Minnesota Twins prospect Eddie Rosario suspended for 50 games
• Concussion Chronicle: The band is playing different tunes
• 2014 MLB Draft Profile: Alex Jackson, C/RF, Escondido, CA High School

In other news, Garrett Jones was designated for assignment by the Pirates and the Athletics acquired reliever Fernando Abad.

There were several small moves around Major League Baseball on Monday. Here's a quick rundown:

Orioles claim Cord Phelps

Second baseman Cord Phelps was claimed off of waivers by the Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB Roster Moves. Phelps had previously been a member of the Cleveland Indians, who picked him in the third round of the 2008 draft. Although he posted an 808 OPS in the minor leagues and showed power in Triple-A in the last few years, he was never able to stick in Cleveland; he racked up only 123 plate appearances over parts of three seasons with the team, and batted just .159/.221/.248. Between an injury-filled 2013 and the presence of All-Star Jason Kipnis, there was no room for Phelps at second base in Cleveland. He may have more luck in Baltimore, where the only competition for playing time at the keystone is Ryan Flaherty (career 658 OPS) and Jonathan Schoop (22 years old, 75 career games above Double-A).

Athletics acquire reliever Fernando Abad

The Oakland Athletics made a move to bolster their bullpen by acquiring left-hander Fernando Abad from the Washington Nationals in exchange for minor league outfielder John Wooten, reports Peter Gammons. With Grant Balfour almost certainly departing through free agency, Sean Doolittle is the favorite to assume closing duties; the addition of Abad gives Oakland another southpaw in the bullpen for days when Doolittle is held out until the ninth inning. Abad, who turns 28 in December, posted a 3.35 ERA last season in 37⅔ innings while accruing a 3.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Wooten hit 20 home runs to go along with a 764 OPS last season as a 22-year-old in Single-A.

Pitcher Chad Durbin retires

Right-handed pitcher Chad Durbin has announced his retirement from baseball, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Crasnick called Durbin "one of MLB's good guys," and reported that the 35-year-old will work as rep for the bat company Marucci. Durbin pitched for 14 seasons in the majors, appearing in 456 games (75 of them starts) and posting a career ERA of 5.03. His best season came in 2008, when he put up a 2.87 ERA in 87⅔ innings for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. He also pitched for the Royals, Indians, Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Braves.

Pirates DFA Garrett Jones

The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated first baseman and outfielder Garrett Jones for assignment, according to Matt Snyder of CBS Sports. Jones was one of the longest-tenured players on the team, having burst onto the scene in 2009 with 21 home runs and a .567 slugging percentage in 82 games. However, his production faded in the ensuing years as his power diminished and he struggled to get on base; in 2013, he batted just .233/.289/.419 with 15 home runs in 440 plate appearances. With the recent addition of high-OBP outfield prospect Jaff Decker, who was acquired in a trade San Diego Padres, the Pirates needed to clear space on their roster and decided that the 32-year-old Jones was no longer needed. Jones could catch on with another team as a left-handed power bat off the bench due to his extreme platoon splits, reports Snyder. Right-handed pitcher Kyle McPherson, 26, was also designated for assignment.

Orioles acquire pitcher Brad Brach

The Baltimore Orioles acquired relief pitcher Brad Brach from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor-league pitcher Devin Jones, according to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish. Brach is a 27-year-old right-hander who appeared in 109 games for the Padres over the last three seasons; in that time, he put up a 3.70 ERA while striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings (but also walking 5.1 batters per nine). Jones is a 23-year-old right hander who posted a 5.84 ERA in 24 starts for Double-A Bowie last year.

More from SB Nation MLB:

• Cardinals sign Peralta: Win now, pay later

• Yankees sign Brian McCann for big short-term gain

• Cardinals, Angels swap Bourjos and Freese | Reactions

• Former MLBPA chief Michael Weiner dies | Saying goodbye

• Death of a Ballplayer: Wrongly convicted prospect spends 27 years in prison

The title of this post is an allusion to Orioles Card O' The Day, which is one of my favorite baseball card blogs. I've been checking it every day for years and, true to its name, he has a new post up just about each time. I guess it stands to reason that someone who grew up watching Cal Ripken, Jr. would be so reliable.

Maybe by next summer he'll have a card of Brad Brach in a Baltimore uniform to blog about. For now, all the world has is cards of Brach in Padres threads. This is the first card I got of Brad Brach; it's a 2011 Bowman Platinum Prospects Purple Refractor. Yeesh, that's a bunch of words. Too many, if you ask me. A parallel to a subset to a side brand... man, I miss the days when you opened a pack of cards, saw a guy, and knew that was the last card of him you'd be seeing from that brand until next year. Yeah, I'm old. Disillusioned, too. Enjoy your hobbies until greedy, out-of-touch people ruin them like they ruined mine.

More from Gaslamp Ball:

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Remembering Brad Brach
• Devin Jones Stats and Such
• Alex Dickerson Things and Stuff
• Padres Trade Dean Anna to Yankees for RHP Ben Paullus
• Josh Johnson Is A Padre And I Like It
• Josh Johnson Is A Padre, And I'm Okay With It

Today the Padres traded Brad Brach to the Orioles for minor league righty Devin Jones, ending his Padres career. Before he goes, let's take a moment to appreciate the long shots in life.

Guys drafted in the 42nd round usually have their work cut out for them if they want to make the major leagues.  There is no MLB fast track program.  Scouts aren't often willing to look past their flaws in the name of flashy tools and nascent potential.  Most guys toil in relative obscurity for years before coming to the harsh realization that baseball is over and it's time to move on.  Maybe years from now at the real estate office they tell the story about how they struck out Mike Trout in AA or that time that Roy Halladay bought dinner for the team after making a rehab start.  For most guys that's where it ends - unforgettable baseball memories mixed in with a sea of long bus rides and nights watching kids tackle Henry the Puffy Taco.  Most guys never make it, but some guys do.

When the Padres picked Brad Brach out of Monmouth University they knew they were getting a big and strong Jersey kid with a live arm and a tough makeup.  He threw the ball hard and he attacked hitters, but he never got to the point where he could just blow hitters away with his stuff.  He wasn't on the big board for a lot of teams coming out of college, but the Padres gave him a shot and inked him with a $1000 signing bonus.  He responded by taking the rock and striking guys out wherever he went, registering a minor league punch rate of 10.44 k/9.  Brach pitched in high-leverage situations often and seemed to thrive on the pressure, totaling 119 minor league saves.

He made his MLB debut in August of 2011 and impressed by striking out the side in the 8th inning, establishing his career-long dominance over the hated Dodgers - a team Brach held to a .193 batting average over 16 appearances.  He became somewhat of a mainstay in the 2012 bullpen, but was riding the shuttle back and forth to Tucson throughout 2013.  Despite the difficult season where he posted a negative WAR value, the Monmouth product turned in a solid 3.19 ERA for the Padres in 2013.

Brach is a unique pitcher in that he makes his living challenging hitters and attacking them up in the zone, even without the luxury of premium velocity or movement.  Pitchers who work up in the zone will always have to deal with the threat of the home run ball and Brach is no different, giving up a ton of fly balls and a 12% HR/FB ratio.  As a strikeout pitcher, Brach also gets in a lot of deep counts and has had some trouble limiting the free passes in the big leagues.  Nevertheless, his deceptive and unorthodox delivery seems to serve this aggressive approach.  His bulldog mentality and aggressive style of play are exactly what you would expect from a guy who never had things the easy way.  Some guys claw, and scratch, and hang around.  Most guys don't make it, but some guys do.

Brad was a very easy Padre to root for.  Best of luck to him in Baltimore.

Excited to be a part of the Orioles">@Orioles organization! Thanks to the @Padres for everything, so happy to be back on the east coast! So pumped!

— Brad Brach (@BradBrach58) November 25, 2013

Josh Johnson, the newest actual San Diego Padre, called in to MLB Network's Hot Stove program this morning. I watched it and DVR'd it so I could rewatch it and relay the goods to all you fine folks. Here's how it went down.

Paul Severino: I know it's early right now. Uh, where are you?

Josh Johnson: I'm in Las Vegas. It's early but I'm already done with my workout and, uh, so it's the perfect timing.

Paul Severino: See that? Nice. Very good. Speaking of early...

Yeah, that's going to get old really fast, both for you, the person reading this and me, the guy pausing and typing. I'm just going to summarize the main points and highlight the money quotes. Are bullet points okay with everybody? Alright, cool, I'll go with bullet points.

• "I've always been a huge fan of Buddy Black." -Josh Johnson
  Johnson was asked about signing early. "It was just a perfect fit." Once the Padres approached him with a deal he was "ready to sign, right then and there."
• Billy Ripken asked how frustrating it has been to battle injury and answer questions like the one he was still in the process of posing. It was kind of apologetic, like "Sorry I have to bring this up..." Josh replied that it has been very frustrating. "The toughest part is being hurt, having to go through all the rehabs and stuff. But right now I'm feeling good."
  
• He'll start throwing the first week of December.
• When asked how he's going to get back to his old self, he said he's going to "go down to San Diego and throw a lot of bullpens" and spend a lot of time getting to know the catchers.
• He and Nick Hundley have already texted one another.
• "I've always been a huge fan of Buddy Black." He estimates that 90% of visiting players see Black and wish they could play for him.
  
• He'll know he's "back" by his location and the last two feet of his fastball. He's always been a guy that needed full extension and last year it was causing him pain. "That's gonna be the key for me, being able to get all the way out there."
• He was asked what his favorite city is to visit during the season. "It was San Diego." He assured them that "No, I've been saying that for a long time."
• Johnson is really looking forward to wearing the camo "which I know my son will love".

Good stuff. Every day I love him just a little bit more, a little bit more.

More from Gaslamp Ball:

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Remembering Brad Brach
• Devin Jones Stats and Such
• Alex Dickerson Things and Stuff
• Josh Byrnes talks about Josh Johnson trade, pitching depth and Chase Headley
• Storm's Charitable Efforts Gaining MOmentum
• Padres One-Game Wonders
• Padres 2013 Season Recap
• Questions & Answers With Doc Roberts
• Biogenesis part 2 - Projecting Cabrera and Grandal
• Quiz: Padres with 50 or More Home Runs

The San Diego Padres traded relief pitcher Brad Brach to the Baltimore Orioles for pitching prospect Devin Jones. Here's a report on Jones.

The Baltimore Orioles and the San Diego Padresmade a trade yesterday, with the Orioles sending pitching prospect Devin Jones to the Friars for relief pitcher Brad Brach. Here is the scoop on Jones.

Devin Jones, RHP: Jones wasdrafted in the ninth round in 2011 out of Mississippi State University, where he was used as a relief pitcher. He had command troubles in his pro debut in the New York-Penn League, posting a 6.08 ERA with a 21/13 K/BB in 24 innings, but was more effective in Low-A in 2012 (2.65 ERA, 51/11 K/BB in 55 innings). He was converted to a starter on reaching High-A and looked good early (2.80 ERA in nine starts, 29/12 K/BB in 55 innings). However, he was unable to duplicate this in Double-A in 2013, posting a 5.84 ERA in 123 innings for Bowie in 2013, with a 108/48 K/BB and 146 hits allowed.

Jones has a lanky 6-2, 175 build. Age 23, he has more potential than you might think given his ugly Double-A numbers. His fastball sinks and can hit the mid-90s in short stretches, although as a starter he's more in the low-90s. His slider is effective against right-handed hitters, but his efforts to develop a change-up have been less successful and lefties hit him hard: they hit .350 against him this year.

ANALYSIS: I don't think Jones is going to make it as a staring pitcher, but he's had bullpen success in the past with his sinker and slider, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him develop into a competent middle reliever. He's a lotto ticket but he's also four years younger than Brach. It is a logical trade for both sides I think, the Padres cashing in a surplus middle relief arm for someone younger who could develop into a talent of similar value, while the Orioles get someone who can help now.

More from Minor League Ball:

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• This Week in Transactions: Nov 18 - Nov 24
• Padres trade Miles Mikolas, Jaff Decker to Pirates for Alex Dickerson
• Prospect Retrospective: Brian McCann, C, New York Yankees
• Prospect Retrospective: Dan Haren, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Minor League Ball Daily Discussion, November 25, 2013
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• Atlanta Braves preliminary prospect list for 2014 (revised)
• Prospect Retrospective: Jason Vargas. Can he become Jamie Moyer? Or is he Mark Redman?
• Jason Vargas: a major award?
• Angels trade Peter Bourjos, Randal Grichuk to Cardinals for David Freese, Fernando Salas
• Prospect Retrospective: Tim Hudson, RHP, Giants
• 2014 MLB Draft Profile: Alex Verdugo, RF/LHP, Tucson, AZ High School
• A Mickey Mantle autograph tale
• The Jurickson Profar/Nick Castellanos trade
• Minnesota Twins prospect Eddie Rosario suspended for 50 games

The 2014 Hall of Fame ballot was announced today. I don't know why the official "unveiling" is a big deal since everybody already knew who was eligible but, whatever, I'll just take that as my cue to single out the one-time Padres the voters will have to consider.

Four former Friars are on the ballot this year. Greg Maddux is, to borrow a term from a sport I can't stand watching, a slam dunk. He should be a unanimous selection, but some voters are complete asses and try to make some sort of statement that even they don't understand by not voting for players who deserve it. Even considering those self-righteous such-and-suches, Mad Dog could still possibly get the highest percentage of votes ever.

Mike Piazza is a carry-over from last year's ballot. He only got 57.8% of the vote in his first year of eligibility. Some voters left him off because they just assume everyone from that era was on something so, proof or no proof, they just damn everyone who went yard a lot. Other voters do that B.S. thing where they think a player is Hall material but "not a first-year guy". If Piazza doesn't make it in this year, it's going to be very close.

Fred McGriff is another player who has been on the ballot before. This is his fifth year of eligibility and he'll be seeing a sixth, seventh, and so-on. He had a high of 23.9% in 2012 but dipped to 20.7% last year. He's one of those guys who gets snagged in the steroid era catch-22. He has never had any suspicion tied to his name, yet his numbers get compared to the league leaders of his day. So, the solution they've found is to not vote for the steroid guys because they were on steroids, and not vote for the non-steroid guys because they weren't quite as good as the cartoon characters.

Maddux is not the only first-timer who spent time with the Padres. Jose Cruz, Jr, Maddux's teammate on the 2007 team, is also on the ballot. He will get, at best, one of those courtesy votes that pop up every year.

Several other ex-Padres will be eligible in the next few years. Tony Clark, Cliff Floyd, Brian Giles, Mark Loretta, and Gary Sheffield will be on the 2015 ballot. None will get elected that year, but Sheff will get enough to stick around for years to come. He'll be joined by Brad Ausmus, Jim Edmonds, Chan Ho Park, and Trevor Hoffman on the 2016 ballot. I have a feeling that the voters are going to make Trevor wait at least a year and I'm already angry about it two years in advance. It's good to be prepared.

Hey, do you know anyone in the greater Detroit area with a kid between third grade and high school graduation who wants to become a better pitcher? No? Sorry to have wasted your time. There are some links down there to other posts that you might like.

Anyway, the reason I asked is because Anthony Bass will be hosting the second-annual Anthony Bass Pitching Camp on January 25, 2014, at the campus of his alma mater, Wayne State University.

"I'm really looking forward to the second annual pitching camp," stated Bass. "We had an excellent turnout last January and I am looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces this year."

Do you think he actually said that? Maybe I'm just a cynical skeptic, but when I see quotes like this I always wonder if the athlete in question really said the completely Crash Davis-ish thing attributed to them that is in the same style and tone as the press release or article it's contained in.

The camp is open to aspiring pitchers from grades 3-12 and costs $65 per person.  Registration can be completed online, in person or by mail.  In addition to the camp curriculum an autograph session will be held for all camp participants.

That's not a bad deal. I went to a basketball camp every year as a kid and it cost way more than that. Not that my mother ever paid it because we were Good Times poor. Like Good Times after James, Sr. died kind of poor. I wasn't even into basketball but the coach was the best teacher and mentor I ever had and he signed me up for it every year. Coach Price was the best. He's totally going in my gratitude list post tomorrow.

I need to cool it with these tangents. One can only start so many paragraphs with "Anyway..."

But seriously, anyway... even if you don't have a kid who wants to be a pitcher, you can still go get some quality time in the presence of Anthony Bass later that day. "How might I do that?" asked approximately zero of the three of you who kept reading this far. Glad you asked, person who may or may not be an actual thing. Bowling. Bowling is your key to schmoozing with The Bassmaster.

Wayne State baseball will also be hosting a "Bowling for Baseball" event on Jan. 25, from 3-6 p.m. at Garden Bowl. Bass will also be a part of the bowling fundraiser. There are different levels of ticket prices ranging from $12 to $40. The deadline to register for the event is Jan. 22.

Say, that's an even better deal. I mean, if you're in Detroit in January. Actually, anything happening inside is a good deal if you're in Detroit in January. Now I feel like a jerk. Sorry for taking shots at the city where you went to school, number 45. I guess I'm just hatin' because nobody who went to Marshall wants to come back here and go bowling.

Fin.

More from Gaslamp Ball

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• Maddux and Piazza Headline The Handful of Former Friars on This Year's Hall of Fame Ballot
• Friar Free Agent Candidate: Kelly Johnson
• Josh Johnson was on MLB Network's Hot Stove. Here's what he had to say.
• Remembering Brad Brach
• Devin Jones Stats and Such
• Alex Dickerson Things and Stuff
• A visit to the San Diego Hall of Champions Padres exhibit

Could the Padres' Chase Headley solve the Yankees' third base dilemma?

Among the more intriguing players, entering his final season before free agency, is Padres third baseman Chase Headley. While San Diego had originally hoped to get the 29-year-old switch hitter signed to an extension this offseason, recent reports have indicated they're losing optimism on that front and are now considering a trade. With Alex Rodriguez's future always in question and a barren third base free agent class, the Yankees figure to be at the front of the line of interested teams if he is indeed made available.

Headley became a hot topic among Yankee fans when he emerged in 2012 as one of the National League's better players, leading the NL in RBI with 115 and posting a .286/.376/.498 triple slash with a 145 wRC+ and a 7.2 fWAR all while playing top notch defense at third to the tune of a 7.3 UZR. Many thought San Diego would sell high last year, but instead they held onto Headley, which may have been a mistake since he was unable to repeat his outstanding campaign. In 2013, he dipped to .250/.347/.400, his home run total reversed from 31 to 13 and his wOBA dropped from .378 to .330.

Was 2012 an aberration for Headley? It probably was, especially in the power department. His .212 ISO was well above his next-highest mark of .151 and was fueled by a 21.4% home run to fly ball rate. Unless the stars align for him perfectly once again, Headley will not be a repeat entrant into the 30-home run club, and his first top-five finish in MVP votes was also most likely his last.

Headley may not be the upper-crust performer he appeared to be in 2012, but that doesn't mean he isn't good. In 2013, his defense at third remained solid with a 7.0 UZR. Offensively he was still above average with a wRC+ of 113 and an OPS+ of 116. He maintained nearly even splits from both sides of the plate and he walked at a healthy rate of 11.2%. He did all that while playing at one of the more pitcher-friendly home fields in baseball. Career-wise, Headley's been much more effective away from spacious Petco Park, earning a line of .293/.366/.453 in 1,768 plate appearances on the road.

Headley's ability at third base and his versatility make him an ideal fit in New York. Even if A-Rod's miraculously acquitted of all charges––or in the event that he obtains an injunction that allows him to play through 2014––he'll be 39 in July and he hasn't played a full-season at third since 2010. Best-case scenario is that the Yankees will only need someone to start at third in half of their games in 2014. If that actually happens, Headley can potentially contribute as an outfielder. He's started 196 games in left field in his career, though none since 2009, and while his defense was less than stellar, his -16.5 UZR wasn't much worse than what Carlos Beltran and Shin-Soo Choo have come up with the past couple of years. Right field in Yankee Stadium is a less demanding position than left field at Petco.

Headley's a more affordable option than impact bats left on the free agent market, at least in year one. He's third year arbitration-eligible and he earned $8.75 million last year, putting him in line for a 2014 payday around $10 million according to MLB Trade Rumors' projection. As the Padres have learned, though, it could be tough to get him to agree to a long-term extension. Coming off a down year, at least as compared to 2012, Headley would probably prefer to wait out his final year before free agency, rather than sign a deal in the four-year, $48-$52 million range. A big contract year could boost him into a much higher stratosphere.

For the Yankees, the key to acquiring Headley would be paying a price that's in line with his typical production - not with what he did in 2012. That means no Gary Sanchez, though the Yankees would probably need to leave just about everyone else in their farm system up for grabs. Mason Williams might have some appeal to the Padres as an eventual replacement for the disappointing Cameron Maybin, and organizational pitching depth never hurt anyone so Rafael DePaula or Jose Ramirez could be moderately enticing. The Yankees would need to sweeten the pot a little more - Jedd Gyorko will move back to his natural third base if Headley departs, so Corban Joseph could make a decent throw-in along with a Major League ready low-ceiling arm like Adam Warren or Vidal Nuno.

Headley's impending free agency seriously limits the return the Padres can expect to receive and since they're not a win-now team, the fact that the Yankees' better prospects aren't close to the majors might not be a deal-breaker. With their options severely limited for replacing or supplementing A-Rod, San Diego's is a door the Yankees should knock on.

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• Yankees rumors: Carlos Beltran wants third year, team willing to do 2/$28MM
• Brian McCann GIFs: What to expect when you’re expecting Brian McCann
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One of my favorite shows currently on TV is 10 Things You Don't Know About. It's a History Channel show that is actually about history. Each episode focuses on one topic - presidential assassinations, the White House, or prohibition, for example - and presents 10 facts about the subject in the span of an hour. Sounds good so far, right? I haven't even gotten to the best part. The host is Henry Rollins. HENRY F***ING ROLLINS. Yeah.

Henry was included in this year's Allen & Ginter's set. I have a few Padres from the set but this card was the one I was most excited about when the checklist surfaced. As soon as I got the card above in the mail from my pal Marcus, I posted it on Twitter and Facebook. A conversation broke out in the Facebook comments about how there's an autographed insert of him too. I said something about how I might get around to trying to get one one of these days, and forgot about it.

About two weeks later, I got an envelope from my friend Shane. I opened it up and found...

How cool is that?!?! It's signed (under the supervision of a Topps employee), and like other A&G autograph issues is a mini-card in a frame with a slight gap, encased in plastic. It's definitely my favorite non-baseball card ever.

Now that I've gotten past making an excuse to show those off, I can bring it back to talking about his TV show. Today is Dan Spillner's birthday and I put together a list of 10 facts about him. When I was trying to think of a title I typed in "10 Things You Didn't Know About...", realized why that phrase was on my mind, and in turn wrote the preceding introduction that you were very kind to endure. Without any more diversions or commercial breaks, Henry and I bring you...

10 Things You Didn't Know About Dan Spillner

1. Dan Spillner is the only Padres player born in Wyoming.
   
2. In a career that spanned from 1974 through 1985, Spillner spent 4 1/2 years with the Padres, 6 with the Indians, and the final 1 1/2 with the White Sox.
   
3. Of the 134 home runs surrendered by Spillner, only two were grand slams. Otto Velez and Hall of Famer Robin Yount took him deep with the bases loaded while he was with Cleveland.
   
4. Primarily a starter early in his career and as late as 1980, Spillner was used as Cleveland's closer in 1982. He racked up 21 of his 41 career saves, good for sixth in the American League.
   
5. Spillner could have pitched longer than he did in the majors, if not for owner collusion. He was awarded a $486,000 settlement a decade later.
   
6. After his baseball career was cut short, Dan worked in construction and youth coaching.
   
7. On June 19, 1974, Spillner pitched the second one-hit shutout in Padres history. The only hit was a single in the bottom of the third inning by Chicago's Rick Monday.
   
8. Spillner is one of two players who attended Federal Way High School in Federal Way, WA, to make it to the majors. The other is current first baseman Travis Ishikawa.
   
9. The list of ten pitchers most statistically similar to Spillner includes World Series hero Don Larsen, the man who gave up Tony Gwynn's 2000th hit (Bruce Ruffin), and three former Friars- Greg Harris, Bob Miller, and Tom Griffin.
   
10. Spillner was traded by the Padres to Cleveland on June 14, 1978, in exchange for Dennis Kinney. But more about him on February 26.

More Birthday Card posts from Gaslamp Ball

• Sheff Turns 45: Ten Cards of Number Ten
• Happy Birthday, Bip! 50 Years, 10 Cards
• Birthday Card: Rich Folkers, Vomit & Mortality
• Birthday Card: Jedd Gyorko Turns 25
• Birthday Cards: Joey Hamilton & Dan Miceli Turn 43
• Would You Let This Man Coach Your Kids?
• Birthday Card: Homer Bush Turns 41

Happy Thanksgiving!

President Lincoln first declared a national day of Thanksgiving 150 years ago. In honor of this anniversary, I was going to write a list of 150 things for Padres fans to be thankful for, but that wouldn't have been done until the 160th anniversary of Thanksgiving. So here's five to get you started.

Andrew Cashner

After struggling with injuries over the last couple years, Cashner shined in the rotation this season. He threw the most innings of his career, posting a 3.09 ERA, 18th among qualified pitchers. He also hit the first home run of his career. But the crowning jewel of his season was the near-perfect game against the Pirates. Cashner will be backed in the rotation by Josh Johnson and Ian Kennedy next season, and we can all forget we ever heard the name Kip Wells.

Jedd Gyorko

For some reason, rookie sensation Jedd Gyorko only placed sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, even though he led the entire pack in home runs with a whopping 23 (while playing half his games in Petco Park). He also quieted those who doubted his ability to play second base, flashing leather more than a few times during the season. Here's hoping he builds on this year's success in seasons to come.

Fox Sports San Diego

Don't get me wrong; I loved the Channel 4 days, and we all dearly miss seeing Bob Scanlan's perfect hair grace our TV screens, but the FSSD crew is putting together some top notch broadcasts. In their second season broadcasting the Padres, they're now carried on AT&T Uverse, DIRECTV, and DISH. Even with Time Warner Cable continuing their policy of caring about LA teams more than San Diego, the Padres are now available to more San Diegans than ever before. They also brought in a trio of new talent to fill Leila Rahimi's sizable shoes: Laura McKeeman, Kelly Crull, and Megan Olivi. The only thing they could do to further endear themselves to us is to move that eyesore in the Park at the Park.

San Diego

It's 1:53 AM on Thanksgiving morning as I write this, and it's still 55 degrees outside. Enough said.

Gaslamp Ballers

All of us at Gaslamp Ball are incredibly thankful to have so many of you in our community. We've shared high fives and jalapeño handshakes at the ballpark. We've read about your adventures in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Jersey. We're not the biggest or most active blog on SBNation, but our readers and commenters are the smartest, wittiest, and most gosh darn attractive people on the internet. To you and yours, happy Thanksgiving!

Sometimes it's good to take a moment and be thankful that, if nothing else, s*** isn't as bad as it could be. This applies to me as a human being in general, not just as a Padres fan. Today is a much better day than the last day I sat down and wrote anything about being thankful. That day I hammered out a series of short notes to friends and a handful of acquaintances that I really respect, thanking them for being a part of my life. Then I went out and purchased what I thought would be more than enough... you know, the details aren't important. But what I will say is that now I'm thankful I woke up the next day. Because spinning one's wheels and going nowhere does suck, but as long as you're breathing at least there's a chance things will be better some day. And more often than not, they are.

This is the part where I was going to say something like "It's just the same way with the Padres..." and go on about how for every 1993 there's a 1998 and so-on, then pat you on the back for being a true fan and sticking with the team and not making any asinine 36-minute YouTube "documentaries". But all that is implied and I won't insult your intelligence by spelling it out over several paragraphs.

Since I've already deconstructed what I thought I was going to write and dispensed with any sense of format, I'll just wrap this up by expressing my gratitude for Gaslamp Ball and everyone even loosely related to it. That means you. Thanks for reading this and all my other filler. That means my fellow interns. Thanks for being incredible at what you do; I'm always looking forward to what each of you are going to publish next. That means jbox and, yes, Dex. Thank you guys so much for letting me contribute in some small way to your beautiful creation.

More from Gaslamp Ball

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Five Reasons For Padre Fans To Be Thankful
• Dan Spillner Birthday Card: 10 Things You Didn't Know
• Remembering Brad Brach
• Anthony Bass To Host Eponymous Pitching Camp In January
• Friar Free Agent Candidate: Kelly Johnson
• Maddux and Piazza Headline The Handful of Former Friars on This Year's Hall of Fame Ballot
• Questions & Answers With Doc Roberts
• Padres One-Game Wonders
• Quiz: Padres with 50 or More Home Runs

Year three of Matt Guerrier's Dodger career lasted until July when he was dealt to Chicago Cubs for Carlos Marmol.

Matt Guerrier pitched in some high leverage situations for the 2013 Dodgers but as the season wore on, he moved farther back in the bullpen hierarchy.

What went right

Guerrier did record two wins and three holds with the Dodgers, his Dodger highlight was being the winning pitcher due to Juan Uribe hitting a pinch-hit home run that beat the San Diego Padres On April 11, aka the Carlos Quentin taking out Zack Greinke game.

What went wrong

Guerrier's last Dodger appearance occurred in a 16-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies (during the 42-8 run), he gave up four hits, two walks, and three runs in 1⅓ innings.

But that wasn't his low point of the year, after pitching well for the Cubs in July (in 13 games, Guerrier had a 2.38 ERA in 11⅓ innings), Guerrier injured his right elbow and had surgery that will sideline him until the first part of the 2014 season.

2014 status

The nine-year veteran Guerrier is a free agent and recovering from surgery as he looks for a new team for 2014.

Josh Byrnes is "pretty optimistic" that a new bat and/or arm will be headed to San Diego

It's going to happen, right? I mean, it has to. The newspaper says it will.

In an article from the UT, the possibility of an imminent trade is discussed.

“We’re in a handful of productive discussions,” Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said Saturday morning. “I’m pretty optimistic that we’ll address these areas.

“By the time the Winter Meetings end, we will have done something. We’re lined up on a few trade ideas over the next couple weeks.”

Bill Center goes on to list 3 names who could be off the roster via trade which include Burch Smith, Robbie Erlin, and Eric Stults. As Center mentions, each one of these 3 will be competing for the 5th spot in the rotation with Johnson, Ross, Cashner, and Kennedy leading the pack.

Smith and Erlin are both very good candidates for a trade because they are still young and controllable for a few more years. Stults on the other hand is an interesting case. Since joining the Padres, he has a 3.62 ERA with a record of 19-13 over his 51 games pitched as a Padre. At 33, he is pitching as well as any of us could have hoped after being picked up off waivers in May 2012. The kind of attention he will get will be interesting considering the availability of Smith and Erlin.

Who will be dealt and for what is still an unanswerable question. The Padres are in need of a good lefty bat. But as Center says

Don’t expect them to add a left-handed bat with a 30-homer season in his resume. However, they could be adding a bat capable of 400 at-bats over the course of 2014.

For me, the fact that Byrnes is "pretty optimistic" is a good sign that deals could be happening sooner than later. The Padres pulled off the Josh Johnson signing when many thought that the Front Office wouldn't be going after him. The notion that Byrnes is out making calls and arranging deals is a good sign before the start of December.

More from Gaslamp Ball

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Giving Thanks
• Five Reasons For Padre Fans To Be Thankful
• Dan Spillner Birthday Card: 10 Things You Didn't Know
• Anthony Bass To Host Eponymous Pitching Camp In January
• Maddux and Piazza Headline The Handful of Former Friars on This Year's Hall of Fame Ballot
• Friar Free Agent Candidate: Kelly Johnson

America's Finest City's Sweetheart should win Play of the Year on MLB Network.

MLB Network is hosting its very first Social Media Awards on December 15th. Categories include Best Team Promotion, Tweet of they Year, Socially Savvy Rookie, and others.

Larry King tweets about Will Venable's catch

Will Venable's catch was one of the best he's ever seen!

Will Venable's diving catch (you know the one) has been nominated for "#OMG! Play of the Year" and you all have until this Wednesday (December 4th) to vote. Other plays nominated for this category are Peter Bourjos' homerun-robbing-catch, Josh Donaldson's tarp catch, Yunel Escobar's glove flip, Carlos Gomez' leaping catch to rob Joey Votto, Jose Iglesias' catch to rob David Ortiz, Manny Machado's across-the-diamond throw, Brandon Phillip' barehanded double play from his knees, Ben Revere's diving catch, and J.B. Shuck 's over-the-wall grab.

I may be biased, but none of those other plays are worthy compared to Venable's. There's a reason we call him America's Finest City's Sweetheart (AFCSH) and this play is like at least 64% of the reason. Let's take another look at it, because it really isn't possible to watch this beauty too many times...

Not only was the play itself just phenomenal, but it took away the hopes and dreams of the Giants that night, and that is worth ALL THE AWARDS.

So you can go here to cast your vote via Twitter. Awards will be presented on MLB Network on December 15th at 5pm.

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Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• Cashner, Venable Earn SD Chapter of BBWAA Awards
• A Duo of Padres Nominated for 2013 GIBBYs
• Cashner, Venable, Gyorko and Medica being honored