With the signing of Joaquin Benoit, there has been some thought that the San Diego Padres would look to trade Huston Street. That won't be something the Padres actively pursue.

The interesting thing about words are their ability to mask true meaning, to disguise intent, and to convey what you want the receiver to take away without actually being totally truthful. All that being said, I have no reason to believe the San Diego Padres are purposefully being misleading about Huston Street. Yet, in saying the team wasn't looking to trade Street, they did not explicitly rule out the possibility according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.

In case you're wondering, the #Padres aren't actively looking to move closer Huston Street following the acquisition of Joaquin Benoit.

— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) December 19, 2013

Actively looking to move Street would mean placing calls and asking what they could get in return. Passively looking would be examining the rosters of all Major League clubs, determining who could use closer help, and evaluating potential return players if a trade was made. San Diego may not be even passively looking to trade Street, but there's little doubt in my mind that they are more than happy to listen to offers if someone calls on him. If the Padres were 100 percent committed to Street with no chance of a trade, the response from the front office likely would have been more something like this: "Huston isn't going anywhere. He's our guy."

There's no problem with the way the team answered the question. Let me be clear about that. I just don't want people to take that away and think Street is a lock as the club's closer come Opening Day. I think he'll be there, but there's the possibility that a team makes a decent trade offer. With Benoit now on the team, San Diego has a little more flexibility in considering a trade for Street. In fact, the Padres could consider a trade in the offseason and during the 2014 season. So, while Street may be on the roster now, and he may be on the roster on Opening Day, there's no telling whether he will finish the season in a Padres uniform.

Street is signed through the 2014 season with a team option for 2015. If the Padres pick up the 2015 option, they will pay Street another $7 million. They will already have Benoit on the books for $7.25 million in 2015. Therefore, it's easy to see how the desire to make a trade could creep up on San Diego quickly. However, the combination of Street and Benoit is stronger than the probable return the team would get for Street. Having a shut-down back end of the bullpen is important. Successful teams aren't successful without that.

For now, let's not worry too much about payroll. Let's not worry about the trades that can happen in the future. Instead, let's enjoy the fact that San Diego is putting together a nice team. Just don't get too comfortable with the current make-up just yet. That all can change on a dime.

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When it comes to pitching, the Padres organization has experienced a tragedy of riches. Never has a group of such promising arms translated into such a feeble pitching staff. Has the front office done enough to field a staff that can support a winning team?

The Padres pitching staff improved in 2013... they jumped from the 30th ranked pitching staff in terms of fWAR all the way up to 29th. The obvious problem with the Padres pitching staff the last few seasons has been that the team has had issues getting its most talented players on the field. The Tommy John survivor's club alone - Casey Kelly, Joe Wieland, and Cory Luebke - would be a promising young trio of starters any team would love to have. Compounding this issue, much of the team's most promising pieces are further down on the organizational depth chart. These factors conspire to create a sick reality where Russ Ohlendorf, Jeff Suppan, Kip Wells, and Jason Marquis combined to start about 15% of the team's games in the last two years. If it were possible, I would jump in the Delorean and travel back to 1955 just to make sure this doesn't happen.

But 2014 is a different story. The prospects are older, the injured players are healthier, and major league reinforcements have arrived. For the first time in the last several years, the starting rotation appears to be set well-ahead of Christmas. The front office isn't trolling the January bargain bin for an innings-eater, and it certainly isn't revisiting the 2009 strategy of "wait, you need FIVE starters?". Barring any weirdness, the opening 2013 rotation appears to be set. The order is purely my supposition, but the pieces aren't likely to change.

1. Andrew Cashner

2. Josh Johnson

3. Tyson Ross

4. Eric Stults

5. Ian Kennedy

We know these guys pretty well at this point. There's a former ERA-champ, and an ex Cy Young runner-up in there, but the two hard throwing young righties are the make-or-break pieces in the rotation. Cashner and Ross were nothing short of dominant down the stretch last year, finally getting consistent results with their overwhelming stuff. The pair posted second-half ERAs of 2.14 and 2.93 respectively - on the strength of a sub-.200 batting average against, k/BB ratios well above 3, and a healthy >50% ground ball rate. If there is any reason to be excited about the 2013 rotation, it's the chance to see what these two can do with 30 starts. Of course the concern is whether the pair can stay healthy. Cashner has a surgically repaired shoulder and a laundry list of seemingly unrelated injuries. Tyson Ross and his brother Joe seem to be genetically predisposed to exploding shoulders. It's worth noting that Tyson also has a wicked delivery that makes scouts nervous since it generates such little momentum from the loading phase, seemingly putting big stress on his elbow. He hasn't been hurt yet, but I said the same thing when I was getting into my first relationship.

Johnson and Kennedy didn't look as good in 2012, but their accomplishments and track record are difficult to ignore. Both are just 29 years old and haven't lost significant velocity, so it isn't wildly optimistic to think they can bounce back to above-average starters. Kennedy represents a particularly low-risk piece since even if he doesn't return to form, he would still represent a stable innings-eater who is rarely hurt. If they are even replacement level for 150 innings each, you are looking at a 2.5 WAR improvement over the 300 innings Marquis, Richard, and Volquez contributed last season. Along with Eric Stults, the team's federally-mandated "crafty lefty", the bounce back candidates figure to provide meat to the rotation.

THE BULLPEN

We all know Huston Street will be the closer heading into 2014. In 2012 he was lights out like when your roommate "forgets" to pay the electric bill. He made us all nervous when he lost his slider for weeks at a time in 2013, but he managed to survive on his wiles until his stuff largely returned to form in the second half (your daily reminder to be wary of small sample sizes among relievers). The rest of the bullpen features a lot of guys who are growing into their roles.

My projection:

Closer - Huston Street

8^th inning/fireman - Joaquin Benoit

7^th inning - Nick Vincent

All-purpose reliever - Tim Stauffer

Middle relief - Dale Thayer

Middle relief - Brad Boxberger

Lefty specialist - Who? PATRICK SCHUSTER

The impressive but unproven Nick Vincent is going to see his role expanded in 2013, and will accordingly need to make the biggest jump. So far he's been difficult to hit, he doesn't give up free passes, and he limits home runs. This is pretty much the ideal skillset for a setup guy. His platoon splits aren't as bad as Gregerson, but left-handed hitters seem to give him more problems than righties.

Unlike Vincent, our old friend Tim Stauffer is equally effective against righties and lefties because of his dynamic cutter. With his famous stoicism, and ability to MAKE SOME F'ING PITCHES, Stauffer excels in tight spots - hitters manage just a .201 batting average against him in high-leverage situations. Couple this with his starter's repertoire and veteran acumen, the Stauff is a versatile bullpen piece, equally adept at rally-killing and serving as a multi-inning swingman. Vincent is probably a better bet to get you from the 8^th to the 9^th, but Stauffer is probably better at getting you out of jams unscathed in a variety of scenarios.

The Benoit acquisition has been covered at length here at Gaslamp Ball. Padres fans should know they are getting an all-purpose high-leverage reliever without a whole lot of specialization or weaknesses. With this in mind, I think Bud Black will utilize him in the same way he deployed Mike Adams. From 2009-2011 Adams was one of baseball's most dominant relievers. Instead of using him to close out games or pitch in strictly the 8^th inning, Black often made the call to Adams mid-inning in order to extinguish rallies and preserve leads in truly high-leverage situations. In the presence of a solid closer and another good setup man, Mike Adams was the glue that held the bullpen together in 2009 and 2010, helping the team to a 51-40 record in one-run games. Benoit will probably be the go-to-guy in high leverage situations next season, sliding the other members of the ‘pen to more manageable roles.

Thayer is a durable reliever with closer experience and an unparalleled facial hair pedigree. His performance has been up and down, but the depth will keep him in low-leverage situations. This depth will also help shield Bud Black's project pitcher for 2014 - Brad Boxberger. Boxberger is a little bit like the departed Brad Brach - a minor league closer without the gas to close out MLB games. Box is a strikeout pitcher with a deceptive delivery and a plus-changeup. His control has been his Achilles heel so far, but he's set to get his first extended taste of the big-leagues in 2014. His ceiling is probably an eventual setup man.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

With their much-talked-about pitching depth, the Padres have a stable of pitchers starting 2014 in the minors or in recovery from injury. The aforementioned Tommy John survivors will probably not be ready for MLB service at the start of the season, but to assess the team's pitching talent I'll plug them in where they would fit on the depth chart when they are healthy. Keep in mind that even after they are healthy, the team will want to limit their innings in an effort to protect their ginger arms.

Starting Rotation:

1. Cory Luebke - the best combination of big-league success and high upside in the whole organization. The team wants him in as soon as he's ready, but not before.

2. Casey Kelly - once a top pitching prospect, he's still a high upside piece with advanced big league offerings.

3. Joe Wieland - another guy at the top of the depth chart by virtue of already having big league starts under his belt.

4. Robbie Erlin - probably the first guy who will get the call-up if somebody gets hurt at the start of the season. He pitched well down the stretch after some rough initial starts. There is a chance Bud Black also uses him as a swingman out of the bullpen to improve his two-strike offerings a la Cory Luebke.

5. Burch Smith - everyone knows his stuff is MLB-ready, but ideally you want a little more seasoning of his secondary offerings. If he doesn't show improvement in his curveball and changeup there is a good chance he dumps one of those pitches and moves to the bullpen.

6. Matt Andriese - big arm, good frame, mixed results in 2013. Has about 120 innings in the upper-minors, so I'm sure they'd still like to see a little more before he gets a shot.

7. Matt Wisler - probably on the best kept secrets in the pitching prospect universe. He's very young and his 2013 saw his stock shoot way up. He will likely be a September call-up.

8. Keyvius Sampson - probably won't get a shot in 2014 unless his curveball improves. Otherwise he is likely to get a ticket to the bullpen.

Bullpen:

1. Robbie Erlin - like I said, I think Budbot will be tempted to give him a bullpen look so he can develop against major league hitters. He doesn't have anything left to prove in the minors.

2. Kevin Quackenbush - hard to ignore his minor league k/9 and track record as a closer, but he is not on the current 40-man.

3. Keyvius Sampson - over 250 innings in the upper minors, including a demotion to AA. The clock is ticking on Sampson as a starter, but his great changeup could be useful as a bullpen weapon.

4. Burch Smith - it will be interesting to see whether or not they handle Smith as a starter or a reliever.

5. Donn Roach - his sinker was really working in 2012, but his performance suffered in 2013 in front of a poor infield defense. His sinker has been called the best in all of the minor leagues, which makes him a good candidate to jump from AA to a big league bullpen.

6/7. Adys Portillo/Juan Oramas - They are both a ways off, but on the current 40-man roster so they may get an opportunity.

8. WHAT IS THIS, TREVOR HOFFMAN IS COMING IN TO PITCH!!! #ifMLBwasWWE

San Diego general manager Josh Byrnes has been hard at work this winter, and he might not be finished yet.

The San Diego Padres are "likely to continue" their offseason shopping spree, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.

General manager Josh Byrnes has already signed free agent pitchers Josh Johnson and Joaquin Benoit. He has also added outfielder Seth Smith and infielder Ryan Jackson in trades with the Athletics and Astros this month.

Now, his focus has shifted to acquiring a left-handed reliever and "shuffling out depth" on the 25-man roster.

"We're talking about guys that are in an area of surplus, trading them for depth that can better serve us."

Byrnes has been consistently asked about top prospects Matt Wisler and Austin Hedges in trade talks this offseason, but trading either player would likely require a marquee return. The Padres would like to add to the talent in their upper minor league levels rather than subtract from it, so any additional player swaps are likely to be centered around low-level prospects or current major leaguers.

Hedges, Wisler, and other top Padres prospects are still a year or two away, but the farm in San Diego is one of the most accomplished in baseball, ranking third in Baseball America's recent farm system rankings. A system like that seems to lend itself to a wait-and-see approach for the Padres, but with league revenues at an all-time high, the club may feel as though they can have the best of both worlds.

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The big story of the offseason has been the "will they or won't they" narrative surrounding the Rakuten Golden Eagles and their potential posting of star starter Masahiro Tanaka. Well, it isn't a big story to me because I'm a Padres fan and there's no flippin' way they're getting in on that.

Tanaka was a ridiculous 24-0 last season with a 1.27 ERA -- his second season out of the last three with an ERA of exactly 1.27. He posted a 1.87 mark in 2012; not exactly what you'd call an off-year.

Since Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball reached an agreement on a $20,000,000 maximum posting fee, the Golden Eagles have been waffling on whether to let him go. If it were up to me they'd keep him, because the only impact he'll have on the Padres if he comes stateside is kicking their asses, and there are already enough pitchers who can do that.

So, to summarize: Nothing's going on and you just got click-baited. Ain't that America.

In a move that should be a surprise to no one, the Padres reached a deal with Mark Kotsay to move upstairs as an assistant to Josh Byrnes. Not just any assistant, though; a special assistant. I'm not sure yet exactly what that's going to entail, but I assure you he won't be fetching coffee for anybody. In addition to whatever else he ends up doing, as a recently retired player he'll be a valuable asset for certain insights on players around the league that others might miss.

I imagine Josh Byrnes sticking his head in Kotsay's office (that sounds dirty!) some time next summer to ask him about some pitcher. Kotsay will build the guy up: "Oh yeah, go out and get him! He was incredible when I faced him last year." Byrnes will get halfway down the hallway, full of optimism, until he realizes that everyone was incredible when they faced Kotsay last year.

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• Padres Trade Jesus Guzman To The Astros
• Strength of Arms
• Quiz: Padres Gold Glove Winners
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• Padres Acquire Top Rule 5 Draft Pick Patrick Schuster From Astros

The two former Padres pictured above share a birthday and not much else in common. One has his number retired by the team, and the other was hitless in his lone pair of at-bats with the club.

Steve Garvey wishes Dex a Happy Birthday

"...Garvey, however, was all class and took it easy on our buddy. And as if to illustrate his class even more he wore some stylish spectacles and a sweater around his neck. Classic Garv."

Steve Garvey had a rough start to his sixty-fifth year. Back in February, he revealed that he'd been battling prostate cancer and was auctioning some of his memorabilia. More recently he was yet again denied entry to the Hall of Fame. Not like it was a big shock that he didn't get the required votes, but it seems like at this point making him a choice on a ballot is just rubbing it in that he doesn't make the cut. Then again, maybe it's like Oscars and whatnot, and it's just an honor to be nominated. Probably that second one. I should ask him next time I run into him at... oh, who am I kidding?

Garvey is pictured here on his 1984 Fleer card, number 300 in the set. It's probably my favorite Steve Garvey card; I've always been a fan of cards showing the player signing autographs. I have several other cards showing Padres signing. Tony Gwynn, Bip Roberts, Trevor Hoffman, and Eddie Williams come to mind immediately, but there are others.

Jason Lane is pictured as a member of the Houston Astros, as his tenure with San Diego lasted all of three games and two plate appearances, back in the sweet-right-until-it-got-extremely-bitter 2007 season. He's back in the organization now, but as a left-handed pitcher. He got into 11 games last season with the AAA Tucson Padres, who have since moved to El Paso and became the Chihuahuas. It's likely he'll start the season there, since he re-signed with the organization on a minor league deal.

As shown here on his 2006 Upper Deck card, number 211, Lane bats right-handed. That combined with his left-handed throwing make for a fairly rare combination. Rickey Henderson is the best known of players of that sort, but more about him on his birthday... a whole three days from now.

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• Padres Retain Mark Kotsay In Front Office Role
• Strength of Arms
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• Padres are bringing brown back!

I was checking to see how Alexi Amarista is faring in the Venezuelan Winter League, as I am wont to do now and then, and happened to notice Ronny Cedeno's stat line as well. Their numbers are nearly identical! Seriously, every single category is very close, and their samples sizes aren't that tiny. Here, take a look for yourself:

Those are in alphabetical order, top to bottom, not that it matters much. Amarista has a .001 lead in batting average to go with five more walks, but Cedeno has been hit by a pitch six times to Amarista's one, giving Cedeno a .001 lead in on-base percentage.

What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. I just thought it seemed vaguely interesting, enough so to hammer out three paragraphs about it... Sheesh, Spring Training cannot get here soon enough.

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• Strength of Arms
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Over at the indispensable MLB Trade Rumors, Charlie Wilmoth took a look at where members of their top 50 free agent list have ended up, division by division. As the title of his post states, the AL West and the AL East are dominating the other divisions, boasting the four highest-ranked players on the list; the West was headlined by Seattle signing the top-ranked Robinson Cano and Texas snagging up the third-rated Shin-Soo Choo, while the Yankees have nearly single-handedly put the Arena League East near the top by inking Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Hiroki Kuroda, and Carlos Beltran.

Fifth on the list of divisions is the NL West, who have been underspent by only the NL Central. Of the seven top-50-rated players who have signed with an NL West team, the two highest-ranked are both new Padres. Reliever Joaquin Benoit was ranked twenty-sixth, and starter Josh Johnson was rated thirtieth.

Wilmoth goes on to note that 15 of the top 50 players are still on the table and that no NL team has signed a player in the top dozen. However, he surmises that one NL West team could change that.

The Diamondbacks may be the best bet to be the first NL team to sign a top-ten free agent, since they've been connected to Tanaka, Ervin Santana and Garza.

Masahiro Tanaka, Ervin Santana, and Matt Garza are ranked fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. The Padres won't be pursuing any of these pitchers, although it's worth mentioning in passing that Santana follows some Padres fans on Twitter for reasons unbeknownst to me. He started following me about a year ago and I didn't understand why considering I hadn't written, tweeted, or even thought about him. Since then he has started following Padres Public and perhaps others. As for Matt Garza, he doesn't follow me on Twitter, but what he does do is look like current-day Vanilla Ice.

Word to your mother. Peace. I'm out.

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• MLB Non-Rumors: Of Course The Padres Aren't Pursuing Japanese Star Masahiro Tanaka
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• Alexi Amarista and Ronny Cedeno have nearly identical stats in Venezuelan Winter League

Former major league manager Jerry Manuel turns 60 today. Did you know that over half his lifetime ago he was briefly a member of the San Diego Padres?

Before the 1982 season, Manuel had played in 94 games with the Tigers and Expos in parts of four seasons dating back to 1975, hitting no better than .200 in any of those abbreviated campaigns. The Padres acquired him from Montreal on May 22, 1982 for the delightfully named Kim Seaman.

Manuel was used as a pinch-hitter and walked in his first game in San Diego, two days after the trade. He marinated on the bench for nearly a week until he got into his second game, playing all 10 innings of a 6-5 loss at St. Louis. Manuel reached base once in five trips to the plate, but made that one time count. He hit an RBI triple to drive in Luis Salazar to put the Padres up 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning. That triple was Manuel's last major league hit, as he never suited up for the Padres or any other big league team again. Well, at least not as a player.

If not for that pinch-hit walk in a blowout win, Manuel would have gone down as one of the few Padres one-game wonders. As it stands, he'll be remembered for more notable things, namely managing the White Sox and Mets for nine seasons. These days he pops up occasionally as a talking head on MLB Network.

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• Birthday Cards: Steve Garvey and Jason Lane
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Checking in on all the Astros players participating in the various off-season baseball leagues

Australian Baseball League

-> Joe Sclafani: 26 G, .235/.321/.327, 19 R, 23 H, 6 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 17 K, 5-for-5 SB

Dominican Winter League

-> Teoscar Hernandez: 22 G, .188/.229/.219, 3 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 12 K, 3-for-4 SB
->Domingo Santana: 17 G, .244/.320/.444, 6 R, 11 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 19 K
-> Ruben Sosa: 12 G, .083/.143/.167, 5 R, 1 H, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, 1-for-1 SB
->Jonathan Villar: 22 G, .264/.365/.389, 13 R, 19 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI, 12 BB, 24 K, 8-for-12 SB

RHP Jose Cisnero: 5 G, 2.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Rhiner Cruz: 9 G, 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Jorge De Leon: 5 G, 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Rudy Owens: 10 G, 53.2 IP, 16 ER, 37 H, 16 BB, 49 K
LHP Raul Valdes: 8 G, 43.2 IP, 15 ER, 44 H, 5 BB, 34 K

Mexican Pacific League

-> Japhet Amador: 31 G, .202/.256/.342, 4 R, 23 H, 7 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 8 BB, 26 K
-> Leonardo Heras: 46 G, .266/.359/.367, 19 R, 45 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 24 BB, 25 K, 9-for-10 SB

RHP Gonzalo Sanudo: 14 G, 17.1 IP, 9 ER, 20 H, 2 BB, 15 K

Puerto Rican Winter League

->Carlos Corporan: 10 G, .080/.148/.080, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 8 K
->Rene Garcia: 16 G, .222/.280/.244, 9 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K
->Enrique Hernandez: 31 G, .306/.365/.452, 13 R, 38 H, 9 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB, 25 K
->Jobduan Morales: 20 G, .243/.317/.297, 2 R, 9 H, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K
->Roberto Pena: 12 G, .172/.226/.241, 3 R, 5 H, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
->Jonathan Singleton: 35 G, .268/.396/.537, 20 R, 33 H, 6 2B, 9 HR, 17 RBI, 26 BB, 37 K
->Austin Wates: 24 G, .195/.354/.247, 11 R, 15 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 18 BB, 18 K, 5-for-8 SB

LHP Xavier Cedeno: 15 G, 17.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 28 K
LHP Luis Cruz: 6 G, 23.0 IP, 9 ER, 19 H, 8 BB, 17 K
RHP Raul Rivera: 7 G, 12.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 8 K
RHP Juan Santos: 4 G, 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 2 H, 8 BB, 2 K

Venezuelan Winter League

->Marwin Gonzalez: 21 G, .309/.422/.309, 5 R, 21 H, 8 RBI, 13 BB, 9 K, 1-for-2 SB
-> Jesus Guzman: 28 G, .308/.436/.533, 22 R, 33 H, 6 2B, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 24 BB, 27 K, 2-for-5 SB
->J.D. Martinez: 24 G, .312/.387/.570, 14 R, 29 H, 6 2B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 11 BB, 23 K
-> Carlos Perez: 20 G, .271/.286/.373, 8 R, 16 H, 6 2B, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, 0-for-1 SB

LHP Eric Berger: 12 G (11 GS), 56.1 IP, 19 ER, 45 H, 27 BB, 30 K
RHP David Martinez: 2 G, 7.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 6 BB, 6 K

Minor Links

• Jesus Guzman traded to Astros from Padres for Ryan Jackson - The Crawfish Boxes
• Singleton, Stassi, Zeid to attend rookie development program - Chron.com
• Knuckleballer Sims, outfielder Santana come with upside - Chron.com

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The Padres signed Joaquin Benoit to their largest Free Agent contract ever, which not only seems to give the Padres a legitimate set-up man but also a closer as insurance if Huston Street is injured again. The move seems to be pretty well liked by media and bloggers the world over. Those that questioned the signing didn't have any negative comments necessarily about Benoit himself, they just questioned the way the Padres are spending their money.

Sure the Padres could have attempted to keep Luke Gregerson and probably signed him for cheaper, but we've had Gregerson for years and look where that got us.  Nowhere.

A week has passed since the signing and the reviews are all in.  It ranks 81% fresh on the Tomatometer..

When I was searching for a movie on Rotten Tomatoes with the same score as the signing, the first thing that popped up was the movie Catfish, which could have been a good metaphor, if Benoit turns out not to be the pitcher we were expecting somewhere down the road, but alas it was only 80% fresh.

Instead we compare this signing to Despicable Me, for which I cannot come up with a metaphor because I barely remember the movie.

Apologies to Rotten Tomatoes

Padres Support Closer With Free-Agent Closer | FanGraphs Baseball
The Padres, maybe more than anyone else, have been able to generate good cheap relievers over the years, and so it’s a leap to see them commit this money to a veteran closer who might not even close. But Benoit is good. It is a good deal, at least relative to the Balfour deal and the Jim Johnson deal.

Joaquin Benoit a solid addition for Padres' bullpen, but what about Huston Street? - MLB - Sporting News
However it works out, it’s good business for the Padres, who could be a sleeper contender in the National League West in 2014

Breaking down Ryan Doumit deal and others - Keith Law - ESPN
The Padres traded Luke Gregerson, likely to make $4-5 million in arbitration, for a comparably priced fourth outfielder (Seth Smith) then gave Benoit far more money to do Gregerson's job and probably not do it as well. The Padres would have been better off standing pat and maybe trying to extend Gregerson

@TedLeitner
My #Padres just got a lot better as soon as Benoit moves his stuff into his Peoria locker. Big time pick up by the club. Big $ and worth it

Padres Upgrade Bullpen with Joaquin Benoit

Whatever your reservations were or are about the Luke Gregerson for Seth Smith trade, that should not keep you from liking this free agent signing.

@619Sports
In general, I prefer finding value relievers in the market rather than spending market value on relief. That said Benoit's a quality RHP.  Weird in that with limited budget I'd think SD would be spending elsewhere. I'll wait for full picture to come together before judging.

@JonHeyman
after solid benoit deal, #padres still seek lefty reliever.

Going All-In With Joaquin Benoit | Padres Public
Should the Padres give their largest ever free agent contract to a lowly reliever? Yes. Or anybody else who deserves it. That should not be a factor in the decision-making process. The better question is whether the Padres should be allocating such a large amount of money to the bullpen, considering that Huston Street is already making $7 million in 2014. In my opinion, yes.

Padres sign Joaquin Benoit for 2 years, $15.5 million - MLB Daily Dish
If Street goes down, having Benoit in line to replace him could be huge for the Padres. The club appears to have designs on making a serious run at the NL West this season after signing Josh Johnson and landing Smith.

@Ducksnorts
Benoit + Smith > Gregerson + Kotsay.  They will be more expensive. And better.

Padres To Sign Joaquin Benoit: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
Benoit fills a need for the Padres by adding an experienced arm to the back of the bullpen now that Luke Gregerson has been traded to the Athletics.

@Steve_Adler
I won't deny that Benoit is an upgrade, but it is fair to question the way Byrnes spends the teams' budget.

Padres sign Joaquin Benoit - Friars on Base
Benoit is an upgrade over Luke Gregerson as the setup man, and is versatile enough to be our closer when necessary.

@WoeDoctor
I don't think it's awful, but Benoit is essentially replacing Gregerson. They still have to recoup his value first.

Joaquin Benoit a solid addition for Padres' bullpen, but what about Huston Street? - MLB - Sporting News
However it works out, it’s good business for the Padres, who could be a sleeper contender in the National League West in 2014

Joaquin Benoit and San Diego Padres Reportedly Agree to 2-Year Contract | Bleacher Report
Even if things go south for the Padres, Benoit should be a fantastic trade piece if nothing else, so it is a very savvy signing on Byrnes' part.

Padres Insider: Benoit changes perception | UTSanDiego.com
Clearly, the acquisition of Benoit has soothed the masses.

If there's one thing I love more than watching a baseball game, it's watching a baseball movie. So here's one that full-disclosure-i-work-for-Disney is coming soon about people trying to play baseball who have little-to-no business playing baseball.

'Million Dollar Arm' Official Trailer (via Grantland)

Jon Hamm plays the dude who tried to get MLB tryouts for Indian cricket players. Bonus points if the twist turns out that the cricketers are recovering from a broken arm that heals wrong and/or are actually 43 year old men who have never realized that they throw the ball 100 mph, but it doesn't look to be that way from the trailer.

While I think this movie will be very touching and heartfelt and I will cry and have a hankering for various curries and chai teas afterwards, it makes me snicker a little inside to see that it's a Dodger Fan that has come up with the fundamentally terrible idea of turning cricket players into MLB pitchers.

Nice job, Dodger Fan. Way to overspend.

Check the scene with the scouts and their speed gun measurement devices. You'll see a couple of cameos in the crowd including a cameo of a Padres alternative cap.

When we movie club this movie in the future, we should do it while wearing very loud and ornate clothing that exposes our belly buttons and jangles when we seductively move our hips and shake our hands.

Each year, MLB Network holds a "Face of MLB" contest in which they determine who fans think is the, well, you know. In order to set the bracket, the network focuses on one team per day and asks fans to name the face of that franchise. Today is the Padres' day.

In order to vote, all you have to do is tweet the name of the player you think is the face of the Friars, along with the hashtag #FaceofPadres, at some point today. If you don't have a Twitter account I don't know what to tell you other than "Get with the times, grandpa." I kid, I kid... but seriously, that's the only way to vote.

Chase Headley won the team title handily last year before getting stomped out in the first round by Paul Konerko, and I've been seeing a lot of votes for him already today. Most of the other votes I've seen have been jokes, as things like this always beget. I haven't put a whole lot of thought into it, but off the top of my head I think Andrew Cashner would be my choice. He's had some injuries, made progress last season toward fulfilling his potential, and is poised to dominate.

Who sayeth you?

[Updated at 3:39pm to include the poll below. ~TTG]

After the Baltimore Orioles changed their mind - er - found medical evidence of injury issues resulting in the revocation of their contract offer to Grant Balfour, the former Athletics' closer is back on the market.

Ever since the Baltimore Oriolesrevoked their contract offer to Grant Balfour, kicked him out of their offices, and put a giant question mark on his shoulder (just look next time you see him - it's like that dust cloud that follows Pig Pen in Peanuts, assuming the dust cloud is an ominous sign not just a sign that he's a dirty kid - the question mark hovers above Balfour's right shoulder), I have been thinking about what the San Diego Padres' bullpen would look like with three closers. That's right, three!

Balfour was offered a 2-year, $15 million deal with the Orioles...pending a physical. While doctors with intimate knowledge of Balfour's medical records question Baltimore's eventual findings, the team was well within its rights to revoke their contract offer when they found something they didn't like. A club official leaked the fact that the issue was related to Balfour's shoulder, and thus immediately reduced his value on the free agent market regardless of whether the assessment is accurate or not. And many people DO NOT think it's accurate. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports even argues that the Orioles have a history of using questionable medical findings to get out of contracts they never really wanted in the first place. Yet, no matter how many doctors come to his defense, no matter how many agents question whether they'd be willing to work with the Orioles in the future, no matter how many analysts suggest Balfour's previous two seasons should speak for themselves, the 36-year old closer's value took a hit.

*Quick side note - I wonder if players ever consider suing a club when something like this happens. If there is enough evidence to suggest the Orioles were wrong in their findings and had no basis for it, Balfour could likely convince a jury to award him damages relative to the money lost when word came out that he supposedly had shoulder issues.

Now, let's bring this thing back to a Padres-focused theme. That's what you're here for, right? San Diego already has Huston Street. He's supposedly sticking around. They just signedJoaquin Benoit, and the people love that move. They've got a decent staff as a whole - as long as everyone stays healthy. What could they possibly need a guy like Balfour for (yep, read that last part out loud and your friends will think you have a stutter - that's professional writing there, folks)?

The use of bullpens has changed drastically in the last 20-30 years. Rather than sending starters as deep as possible in games, teams are apt to use specialty relievers in tight situations when their trust in the starter begins to wane. There are lefty specialists (hello, Patrick Schuster). There are long relievers (sup, Tim Stauffer). There are set-up men (that's you, Benoit). And there are middle relievers (take your pick here). Is it such a stretch to imagine a club building a pitching staff in which their starter only has to make is six innings every start?

Balfour in the seventh. Benoit in the eighth. Street closes the door in the ninth. Obviously, these guys can't pitch every night, so starters will have to go deeper at times. Also, the Padres aren't going to win every game (aren't they, though?), so there's some rest right there - you don't need any of those three guys in a loss. When the opponent realizes they only have six innings to take the lead in a game, maybe they press more. Maybe they try things that they otherwise wouldn't. An ill-advised steal attempt. A bunt when they should have been swinging away. These are all hypothetical scenarios, but do they seem so far-fetched?

You tell me. If Balfour could be signed for two years, $10 million, is such a bullpen design worth trying?

It's not enough to simply call yourself a fan. Your fandom must be proven. Especially if you are an outsider.

"What are you doing you idiot?!" I could hear the voice in my head scream. "There's so few of us as there is, don't turn this one away. We need him!"

The voice was loud. It was clear. But it was wrong. I had made up my mind, and from that day forth, the rules were created. They would be followed explicitly while anyone was in my presence, or said company would be cast out as an impostor. Like a Roman Emperor, I demanded nothing but true loyalty, and I demanded it at all times. Unwavering support. Unyielding dedication.

But hey, I was just a kid living in an apartment with a couple other dudes. What could I really accomplish?

"He's going to root for the Dodgers. You know that, right?" the voice said with the same snark I would come to know only as Twitter-snark in the future. "You're taking a big crap on the brown and gold or blue and sand, or whatever." The voice in my head was not only ornery, but also very passionate about uniform colors. Strange.

When I left home for the first time and started spending real time with friends and acquaintances who would become roommates, what had seemed like a passing enjoyment of baseball was quickly realized to be something so much more. These men, kids really, for whom I shared my first apartment had no idea just how passionate I was about the Padres. They thought they knew what they were getting into. When the lease was signed, and we moved our things into the apartment, the Red Sox caps clashed with Padres caps and clashed even more with football caps. That's right, hats for a sport in which hats are not worn. This meshing of sports fans is common around the globe. But somehow, it was different here.

I like to think it was my passion. Maybe it was fear from the others. Maybe it was my obsession. Whatever the case, I soon realized that my football-loving friend was starting to learn baseball. Hell, he was starting to love baseball. From evenings spent on the couch watching the Padres finish out their time at Qualcomm/The Murph/San Diego Stadium to countless hours spent playing EA Sports MVP Baseball, this one-time baseball virgin had become a man. And he was starting to root for my Padres.

Then, there was my other roomate. This one was no stranger to baseball. In fact, I had known him since his Little League days. But he was a Boston Red Sox fan. I mean, at least it wasn't the Yankees, right? He would spend plenty of time watching the Red Sox games before the Padres games would start at night, but when San Diego came on, that living room TV was mine. And after hours upon hours of Padres broadcasts, this life-long Red Sox fan started pulling for my Padres.

"This is the big leagues! A fan of the Red Sox converting to being a fan of the Padres? Let him in now!" the voice said with desperation. It was the type of desperation I had grown all too familiar with as I watched the Padres give me a sweet taste of success in 1996 and 1998 only to fall back to earth up to this point. I wasn't about to let the voice's desperation change my resolve.

As I watched my two friends/roomates grow closer to the Padres, learn their names, enjoy their successes, I caught one answer a question I had answered myself so many times. "Who's your team?"

"The Padres," said my friend who had never watched baseball before in his life before moving into this apartment.

He's declaring himself a Padres fan? I couldn't quite let this go. Maybe I should have, but in the long run, I think the decision was right. So, I issued a proclamation. To be a true Padres fan, one could not simply declare themselves a fan. They had to go through a three-year orientation period.

"Three years?! You're insane, man!" the voice yelled. And the voice may have been right. But three years seemed like an appropriate amount of time to gauge the longevity of a fan. It would weed out the fair-weather followers.

From that day forward, any of my friends, these two roomates and others included, who showed the slightest interest in the Padres were told that in my presence, they would have to issue the disclaimer that they liked the Padres but they had only recently started following them. For three years, this would have to go on before one could be a true Padres fan.

So my friends endured, for the most part. They bought Padres memorobillia. They went to games with me. We saw Opening Day and eventually playoff games. And soon, the San Diego Padres had a new, true fan.

Just one, though. You see, requiring a three-year waiting period opens up the possibility that the Padres could suck so bad that the weakest of fans will leave before earning their badge of true fandom. It's hard to endure a probationary period. But that's the point. This one friend, the one who made it through the trial period, is still one of the biggest Padres fans I know. No matter where our lives take us, I know anytime he is at a Padres game and I'm not, he WILL be rubbing it in my face.

That's how you build a life-long Padres fan.

Merry Christmas!

More from Gaslamp Ball

Follow @gaslampballFollow @SBNationMLB

• MLB Network wants you to name the Padres' "Face of the Franchise"
• Million Dollar Arm Trailer is good, emphasizes Dodger ridiculousness
• Padres free agent signing of Joaquin Benoit declared FRESH!
• Former Padres Infielder and Major League Manager Jerry Manuel Turns 60
• MLB Trade Rumors: Padres lead the NL West in quality of free agent signings

Merry Christmas! Won't you join us in a round of Padres-themed caroling?

You may be wondering why I've saved this post for Christmas, instead of posting it nearly two weeks ago and teasing out the days. Well, firstly, the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas, and here at Gaslamp Ball, we don't settle for anything less than perfect accuracy with our holiday themed clickbait. But to keep this from getting tedious, I'm skipping straight to the last verse.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true fan gave to me twelve sluggers slugging...

Eleven pitchers pitching...

Ten runners stealing...

Nine Emeralds dancing...

Eight beers a-fizzing...

Seven Dodgers whiffing...

(Somebody find me an image to put here; I'm having a shockingly difficult time with it)

Six Giants tripping...

via img.pandawhale.com

FIVE GOLD GLOVES.

Four diving grabs.

Three home runs...

Two double plays...

and a pennant in the new year!

(Image coming October 2014.)

From all of us at Gaslamp Ball to all of you, Merry Christmas! If you gave or received any Padres gifts, show them off in the comments!

Is one of the Yankees' platoon options about to be taken off the table?

As the offseason drags on, the Yankees might be looking to add one more infielder. While they've already signed Brian Roberts and Kelly Johnson, there was some potential that they might bring back Mark Reynolds to platoon at third base in case Alex Rodriguez is suspended for some (or all) of next season. Well, according to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News, Reynolds may not be an option for much longer. On Monday, Feinsand wrote, "The Yankees have been engaged with Mark Reynolds about a possible return, but a source said the power-hitting infielder appears close to signing with another team outside the Bronx."

While Reynolds is certainly not great, he does bring a good bit of power from the right side of the plate. Overall last year, he hit .220/.306/.393 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI (with the Yankees, Reynolds batted .236, hitting six of those home runs and knocking in 19 of those runs in 36 games) and, if combined with Johnson, Reynolds could give the Yankees quite a power hitting platoon at third. However, Reynolds would prove to be a liability in the field, as he put up a -5.7 UZR in just over 400 innings between the Yankees and the Indians.

As things currently stand, Johnson seems to be the Yankees' main option at third, leaving Brian Roberts to man second. Johnson hit .276/.235/.305 with 16 homers and 52 RBI in 118 games last season for the Rays, displaying some decent pop from the left side of the plate. He hits reasonably well against righthanders (.244/.335/.424 over his career, with a 103 wRC+), and while he's posted nearly an identical 105 wRC+ against lefties, he doesn't have nearly as much power against them (none of his 16 homers in 2013 came against left-handed pitching). Letting the right-handed Reynolds hit against lefties (.238/.359/.475 against them in his career with a 119 wRC+) would help them both maximize their strengths and provide a decent offensive combination.

The Yankees do have other options. The newly-signed Dean Anna has played second base and shortstop during his minor league career, but could potentially be switched to third if necessary. Still, he's completely unproven in the major leagues, as he's spent his entire six-year career in the minor leagues. He did however show some promise last year, hitting .331/.410/.482 for the San Diego Padres' Triple-A squad. The Yankees could also sign Stephen Drew. Drew had a solid year last season, batting .253/.333/.443, and is about the best infielder left on the market. However, as Tanya wrote, Drew is apparently awaiting "clarity" from the Yankees, perhaps on many games he might play with A-Rod's status up in the air.

While these options exist, are the Yankees going to regret it if Reynolds signs elsewhere?

More from Pinstripe Alley

Follow @pinstripealleyFollow @SBNationMLB

• Masahiro Tanaka chooses agent Casey Close, posting will begin Thursday morning
• Rakuten Golden Eagles agree to post Masahiro Tanaka
• Yankees Hot Stove: A compilation of Fangraphs chats
• Yankees trade target: Nick Franklin
• Yankees Prospects: Rankings from around the internet

The offseason is half way over, and with the holidays passing, the Rockies' roster is unlikely to see any notable changes until the new year. January means the start of the arbitration season, and most teams will have their priorities set to salary determination, and maybe trying to work some contract extensions, but that doesn't mean there's still not a lot of offseason maneuvering left to do. In this series, I will be looking at the 40-man roster, how it has changed, and what I think we're looking at in terms of the projected active roster come April.

The first thing to note is that the Rockies have made incredibly significant changes to their 40-man roster so far this offseason. 16 new players occupy spots the roster, significantly more than most other teams. For example, compare our 16 new players to the seven new players of each of the Diamondbacks and Giants, and the eight new players of each of the Dodgers and Padres. More than any other team in the division, the Rockies have reassessed and reorganized their internal resources and also taken advantage of adding new blood to the system via both free agency and trade.

While I am not 100% happy with each of the offseason decisions individually, I do like the team's offseason philosophy. This offseason, I have spent a lot of my energy here on Purple Row towards trying to demonstrate that teams do not have to fit into the buyer/seller activity paradigm in order to be productive. The Rockies have done a little bit of both, and I think it has served them well for the most part. The team is deeper in most of the areas they were weaker in before (catcher being the most notable exception), and took advantage of deep outfield and middle infield pools to nab some better depth in other areas, including a much better set of fifth starter candidates than we assembled before 2013.

Starting Rotation

The Rockies' most significant acquisition this offseason was Brett Anderson, who figures to occupy the third or fourth spot in the rotation, depending on how the Rockies position Jhoulys Chacin and Jorge De La Rosa at the top of it. Tyler Chatwood should be in command of the other middle rotation slot, leaving only the fifth starter's position, one of the Rockies' biggest weaknesses in 2013, to be filled.

Juan Nicasio, who is eligible for arbitration as a Super 2 and continues to be presented as "definitely a starter" by the front office during offseason interviews, is far and away the leading candidate for the spot. While I do continue to agree that Nicasio may be served better in the future as a relief piece, with the crowded bullpen we have, now is not the best time to work on converting Nicasio, unless we choose to do it in AAA, which I believe to be unlikely unless he's Tyler Colvin bad in the Spring. The Rockies aren't afraid to keep their arb-salaried players in the minors if they have to, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a significant advantage with that rotation spot.

The three next most notable names on the radar here are Christian Friedrich, who has hopefully made significant strides in regard to his health, the newly acquired Jordan Lyles, whose struggles are well documented and seems likely to see some organizational tweaks before being considered a legitimate candidate to hold down a rotation spot, and the returning Franklin Morales, who will be treated as a starter during Spring Training. Both Friedrich and Lyles can be sent to the minors without concern, while Morales cannot. As a result, I believe that Morales is most likely ticketed for a long relief spot in the bullpen, serving mostly as insurance for Anderson and Friedrich's health issues. Lyles on the other hand would probably be first in line if Nicasio did lose his spot, or something happened to one of our other rotation righties.

The Rockies also have three other starting pitchers on their roster in Tyler Matzek, Jayson Aquino and (potentially) Chad Bettis. The chances of Matzek or Aquino making the team out of the gate are extremely slim, with Matzek ticketed to either Colorado Springs or Tulsa and Aquino to Modesto or Asheville. Matzek spent his time in the Arizona Fall League working out of the bullpen, supposedly to limit his innings after another intensive season, but some have speculated that we may end up seeing him permanently converted sometime this year. I'm not sure if that's the case or not, as room can still be made for him in either AAA or AA as a starter.

Bettis is in a similar boat; it is clear at this point that the team sees Bettis as a reliever long-term, but with no room at the MLB level, I believe the wisest course of action is to keep Bettis as a starter for the Sky Sox to keep his value higher as a trade candidate, which may ultimately be his greatest asset to the team. While I am okay with Bettis being used in relief at the MLB level, I will be disappointed if he is used in that role in the minors.

Starting Rotation Breakdown:

Signed
- Brett Anderson, $8M, $12M ($1.5M buyout) club option for 2015 (3 options remain, but under Gen. 5 protections)
- Jhoulys Chacin, $4.85M, Gen. 5 arbitration in 2015 (1 option remains)
- Jorge De La Rosa, $11M, free agency after 2014 (out of options, Gen. 5 protection)

Arbitration
- Franklin Morales, projected at $1.8M (out of options, Gen. 5 protection)
- Juan Nicasio, projected at $1.7M (1 option remains)

Pre-Arbitration
- Jayson Aquino (3 options remain)
- Chad Bettis (3 options remain)
- Tyler Chatwood (out of options)
- Christian Friedrich (1 option remains)
- Jordan Lyles (1 option remains, 2011 option was never burned)
- Tyler Matzek (3 options remain)

The Cubs' front office should be very familiar with the Padres' system. If the Padres decide they want to go for it in the next 2 years, the Padres could be a great fit in a trade for Jeff Samardzija.

The Need

The Padres hung in the playoff race last year for a bit before the white hot Dodgers put them out of it by the trade deadline. The Padres seem to have some rotation depth at the four and five spots, but they have a gap between Andrew Cashner and the rest of their rotation. Jeff Samardzija could be an answer to those question marks.

The Prospects

Here are the articles I'm digging from:

Baseball America's Top 10 Padres Prospects (12/4/13)

Fangraphs' Top 10 Padres Prospects (12/19/13)

MLB.com's Top 20 Padres Prospects

The Padres' system is very deep and the top end seems to fit the Cubs' needs perfectly: Pitching quality and depth, outfielders and an elite catcher. Again, we'll start with the pitchers.

Matt Wisler, RHP, Double-A: 105 IP, 8.83 K/9, 2.31 BB/9, 3.00 ERA, 2.93 FIP

Wisler is a surefire Top-100 prospect in baseball and he'll probably be in the Top 50 on several lists. He throws a low 90s fastball with good life, a plus slider, an average changeup and a below average curve ball. His control is considered excellent, as evidenced by his low BB/9, and he dominates right handed hitters. For Wisler to reach his ceiling of a No. 2 pitcher, he'll need to work on his secondaries and improve his performance against lefties.

Max Fried, LHP, Low-A: 118⅔ IP, 7.58 K/9, 4.25 BB/9, 3.49 ERA, 3.90 FIP

Fried is another pitcher who figures to find his way into a lot of Top 50 lists this offseason. He throws a good curveball, but needs some work on both his fastball and changeup. What services seem to like is that he still can put weight on his frame, so many see his fastball improving as he gets older and he's already shown considerable improvement in his changeup. Scouts like his ability to keep the ball down, but he tends to nibble, leading to a high walk rate. If he can improve his command and add some velocity to his fastball, he has a ceiling of a No. 2 pitcher.

Casey Kelly, LHP, Triple-A: Did not pitch, Tommy John surgery

Kelly is a former Red Sox farmhand acquired from Boston in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. Before his injury, he was considered a Top-100 prospect by most and was considered major league ready (in fact, he had six starts in the big leagues with the Padres). If Kelly can rebound from his injury, he's a possible No. 2 with a plus sinking fastball, potential plus curve ball and average change. 2014 figures to be a bit of a recovery year for Kelly, but his excellent athleticism could mean a quick bounce back from his surgery. He'll need to improve his secondary pitches if he's going to hit his ceiling.

Burch Smith, RHP, Triple-A: 61 IP, 9.59 K/9, 2.51 BB/9, 3.39 ERA, 2.81 FIP

Smith got a taste of the big leagues last year, but I've decided not to show you those numbers because they're terrifying. Smith throws a good fastball to go with a solid changeup, but he needs serious work on his curveball. He needs to improve his command but if everything comes together he's a potential No. 3 or No. 4 starter who could see the big leagues soon.

Joe Ross, RHP, Low-A: 122⅓ IP, 5.81 K/9, 2.94 BB/9, 3.75 ERA, 3.76 FIP

Ross is a potential mid-rotation guy who throws an excellent fastball and a good slider. He's seen as a ground ball pitcher and his athleticism gives hope that he can improve his secondary pitches. He'll need to develop his changeup and improve his stamina if he hopes to be part of a big league rotation. He also had a bout with shoulder tendinitis in 2012 that could scare teams off.

Keyvius Sampson, RHP, Double -A: 103⅓ IP, 9.58 K/9, 2.87 BB/9, 2.26 ERA, 3.25 FIP; Triple-A: 38 IP, 5.92 K/9, 6.87 BB/9, 7.11 ERA, 5.96 FIP

Sampson dominated Double-A only to get absolutely lit up upon his promotion to Triple-A. He throws a mid-90s fastball to go with a solid slider and an average changeup. The issue is his inconsistent command, as you can see from his numbers at triple-A. Some see No. 3 upside while others project him as a high leverage reliever.

Robbie Erlin, LHP, MLB: 54⅔ IP, 6.59 K/9, 2.47 BB/9, 4.12 ERA, 3.83 FIP; Triple-A: 99.1 IP, 7.61 K/9, 3.08 BB/9, 5.07 ERA, 4.01 FIP

Erlin spent a decent amount of time in the big leagues last year and projects as a No. 4. He throws a sneaky good fastball, solid curve, solid change and he's also working on a cutter. He's able to make all of those play up with good command and he's particularly effective against lefties.

Austin Hedges, C, Double-A: 67 AB, .224 AVG, .297 OBP, .269 SLG, .259 wOBA; High-A: 233 ABs, .270 AVG, .343 OBP, .425 SLG, .341 wOBA

Hedges is arguably the best catching prospect in the minors and is a lock Top-50 player. His best asset is his defense, which some call the best in the minors. What is a little bit behind is his bat, but many think he'll eventually develop power to go along with his ability to make consistent, good contact. Even if he doesn't blossom into a plus offensive player, his glove looks like it'll be enough to make him an all-star caliber player.

Rymer Liriano, OF, Did Not Play: Tommy John surgery

Liriano is a potential five-tool player whose development faced a setback when he missed the entire 2013 season due to Tommy John. He profiles as a strong corner outfielder and has an OK bat, but needs to work on his pitch recognition and tap into his raw power more. Liriano needs time to refine his tools, so he should start the 2014 season back in Double-A. The upside here is a potential all-star corner outfielder if he can put it all together.

Hunter Renfroe, OF, Low-A: 72 ABs, .212 AVG, .268 OBP, .379 SLG, .291 wOBA; Short Season-A: 111 ABs, .308 AVG, .333 OBP, .510 SLG, .391 wOBA

The Padres drafted Renfroe in the first round (13th overall) in the 2013 draft and see him as a future corner outfielder with plus power. He needs to improve his plate discipline and make more consistent contact for him to tap into that power. He could be a solid right fielder with good range and a good arm.

Others to keep an eye on:

Joe Wieland, Adys Portillo, Zach Eflin, Reymond Fuentes, Walker Wieckel and Yeison Asencio

The Deals

Womp Womp:

Robbie Erlin, Joe Ross, Keyvius Sampson and Reymond Fuentes

Burch Smith, Robbie Erlin, Zach Eflin and Yeison Asencio

That's about right:

Matt Wisler, Robbie Erlin and Joe Ross

Matt Wisler, Max Fried and Reymond Fuentes for Jeff Samardzija, James Russell and Christian Villanueva

Holy &%$#!

Any 2 of Wisler/Fried/Kelly/Hedges for Samardzija

Any 1 of Wisler/Fried/Kelly/Hedges with Robbie Erlin, Burch Smith, Zach Eflin and Reymond Fuentes

The Fit

The Padres have a lot of possibilities for their rotation, but few of them are known entities. Their low payroll makes cost controlled young players all the more valuable, but it also makes a relatively cheap, proven starter like Samardzija valuable too. The Padres have a ton of pitching depth that the Cubs would no doubt drool over, but I don't think the Cubs are going to be interested in a quantity deal like the ones listed in the "Womp Womp" section. The Cubs are going to want at least one of Hedges/Fried/Kelly/Wisler and then some other pitching pieces on top of that. The Padres are going to have to decide they want to go for it in the next two years and be comfortable giving up one of those players and some of their depth to make it work. The Padres parting with some of their depth seems reasonable, but getting the guys with No. 2 or No 3 upside could be a challenge.

Feel free to tear my proposed deals to shreds in the comments and create your own.

Just because it's the offseason doesn't mean there isn't baseball being played. Unfortunately, we can't watch any of it, but we can gaze upon the box scores and drool (or choke). The Dominican Winter League has come to an end so we can now look back on how the Yankees performed while we have been all cooped up and shivering.

Zoilo Almonte

Zoilo Almonte led the way among all Yankees playing this winter. In 174 at-bats, he hit an impressive .316/.343/.454 with four home runs and 20 RBI. He managed to steal six bases while getting caught only twice. He hit well overall, but he struggled with his patience, striking out 36 times against only six walks. On top of that he committed four errors in the field. It's nice to see Almonte go on a solid tear this winter, but the strikeout problems might be the most telling.

2014 Outlook: Now that the Yankees have signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, there won't be much expected from Almonte. The 2014 outfield, as of right now, will consist of Ellsbury, Beltran, Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki, and Alfonso Soriano. If something changes, Almonte could compete for a spot in spring training. He'll start in Triple-A if he isn't moved to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Dean Anna

The newest addition to the Yankee system, Dean Anna only got into nine games while the Padres were trading him. He hit .235/.316/.294 with two RBI in 34 at-bats. He also struck out seven times against four walks and he committed two errors in the field. Seeing how utterly useless their minor league call ups were, it made sense for the Yankees to add someone who can play everywhere and hit decently enough.

2014 Outlook: The Yankees acquired Anna as a potential utility player on the major league roster or for solid depth in Triple-A. With the coming roster crunch he could get designated for assignment or he could be kept in Triple-A in case of an emergency. Either way, it's unlikely that they would give a 27-year-old career minor leaguer a spot on the team straight out of camp.

Eduardo Nunez

The guy who might find his spot on the roster in jeopardy thanks to the addition of Anna, Eduardo Nunez, got into only five games this offseason. He collected three singles in 20 at-bats and still managed to commit an error.

2014 Outlook: The Yankees seem to be done with Nunez on the heels of another disappointing season. Brian Cashman finally admitted he is likely more of a utility infielder than anything else, but his offense doesn't make up for his lack of defense. It's possible that he gets designated for assignment soon, but will probably just be stashed in the minors until someone gets injured.

Gary Sanchez

The Yankees' top prospect, Gary Sanchez, didn't get much playing time as he only played in a total of 12 games. In 28 at-bats he hit a mere .179/.258/.214 with two RBI and no home runs while striking out nine times and walking three times. It would have been nice to see what Sanchez could have done if he was given the chance to reach 100 at-bats.

2014 Outlook: Given the long line of catchers in front of him, Sanchez will start the season in Double-A. Now that the Yankees have Brian McCann, they won't have to rush their top prospect, who is still only just 21 years old. He has plenty of time to work out his defense and adapt to the upper levels of the minors before he needs to show himself in the big leagues.

Francisco Rondon

After a roller coaster season, Francisco Rondon only got to pitch in two games over the winter. He gave up three hits and three walks while striking out two in 2.1 innings pitched. It would have been nice to get more from him to see if he could continue the success he found in 2013 after he failed as a starter and was designated for assignment.

2014 Outlook: Prior to the signing of Matt Thornton, it looked like Rondon and Cesar Cabral were the two most likely in-house candidates to compete for a job as the left-handed specialist out of the Yankee bullpen. Now Rondon could remain in Double-A with Cabral waiting in Triple-A just in case.

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