Josh Byrnes interview with Lee Hamilton and Jay Paris (MP3)

• Josh Byrnes keeps a call log of all of his trade discussions.  This trade with the Rays was worked out over the course of 3 months and 30 phone calls. 
  
• The Padres have developed a standard for each position.  They try to stay in talks when a player is above their standard, otherwise they'll try to solve the problem internally with current Padres players.  Alex Torres was a player the Padres had targeted all along.
• Alex Torres is "more of a 'stuff' guy".  They've added more of those types in recent years.  The knock on him in the minors is that he was a little wild.  He's usually between 92-95.  He has an above average change-up and effective slider so he can get both righties and lefties out.
• Byrnes isn't sure if Torres' pitch command (executing pitches) is that great, but he has good control (throwing strikes) and so he'll get outs.
• The Padres' scouts have liked Jesse Hahn for a number of years. He had Tommy John surgery which hurt his draft stock.  The scouts think he's back to where he was before his injury. 
  
• Byrnes has traded 12 pitchers since August 1st.  The Padres were dealing from a position of depth.  "A lot went out but a lot came in."
• Byrnes says it's safe to assume that the team will go into the season without a multi-year deal with Chase Headley.

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• Padres' 7 player trade with the Rays is FRESH!
• Full Details On Padres-Rays Trade
• Seth Smith and Josh Johnson given Yasmani Grandal and Dale Thayer's uniform numbers
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• Padres Trade Logan Forsythe To Tampa Bay Rays

A.J. Hinch interview with Darren Smith (MP3)

• Hinch leaves for Spring Training for 45 days on February 11th.
• The 7 player trade with the Rays was in the works for the last few months.  The two teams had significant dialogue.
• The team wanted to fix some weak spots on the team. Once the Padres traded Joe Thatcher in the Ian Kennedy trade last year the team didn't have a reliable left handed reliever.  The Padres had been watching Alex Torres hoping he could fill that spot.
• Brad Boxberger dominated AAA but wasn't the same strike thrower at the Major League level.
• Jesse Hahn was going to be a first round pick until his Tommy John surgery.  He'll be ready for AA.  He has really high end stuff.  He throws really hard and has a really good breaking ball.
• The teams have to balance the here and now with what's possible in the future.  They feel good about Torres being part of the bullpen and the upside of Hahn.
• Hinch doesn't want to concede anything.  He wants the Padres to compete for the post-season.  The Padres have a good team, but they need guys to stay healthy and perform.
• Yasmani Grandal was in San Diego getting a check up.  "He's not full steam right now, but he's rehabbing well."  They are going to use the 45 days of Spring Training to ramp up work.  There's a real chance that Grandal could be with the team on Opening Day, but there's lots of physical tests he has to pass along the way.
• Carlos Quentin has been working out at Petco Park.  He's been great and his spirits are high.  It's important that leaves Spring Training healthy.

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• Padres' 7 player trade with the Rays is FRESH!
• Full Details On Padres-Rays Trade
• Seth Smith and Josh Johnson given Yasmani Grandal and Dale Thayer's uniform numbers
• Alex Torres Reportedly Headed to Padres in Several-Player Deal
• Padres Trade Logan Forsythe To Tampa Bay Rays

The team will bring 13 players that it has developed, 4 minor league free agent signees and 1 newly acquired prospect into big league camp as NRIs.

Non-Roster Invites (NRIs) usually come in two flavors. One is the veteran who signed with the team in hopes that they can somehow make the roster at some point, but have agreed to go to the minors if they do not. The other is the young player that is expected to make the roster in the next couple of years. The team invites these players to train alongside those already on the 40 man roster, as both a form of competition and a chance to learn from each other. Here are the players that have been invited:

Pitchers:

Blaine Boyer - Pitched in the big leagues in 7 different seasons. The right hander was last with the Mets in 2011. Signed to work middle relief in El Paso, but could be an emergency option for the Padres later in the season if both he does well and injuries arise.

Leonel Campos - A rising star, so to speak, in the Padres organization. His high K rates and domination of opposing hitters last season put him on the fast track to become a late innings reliever. He'll get to show his stuff against the big boys in February and March.

Anthony Carter - A minor league veteran right hander that was in the White Sox organization for 7 years never making a major league debut. Last year he bounced to the Red Sox. Another middle reliever ticketed for El Paso.

Dennis O'Grady - A 34th round pick by the Padres in 2011, he was a workhorse out of the pen for the Lake Elsinore Storm last season. Likely headed to San Antonio, but the Padres want to take a look in case they need someone who can eat some middle relief innings down the road.

Adys Portillo - Portillo was roster invite last year, but was designated for assignment this offseason. He went unclaimed off waivers and is back with the Padres. He still has plenty of talent and the team will want the coaches to work again with him to harness that.

Kevin Quackenbush - Quackenbush as a NRI last year as well. He finished 2013 in AAA, so he's closer than ever to getting a shot at the big league pen. He still has something to prove at El Paso, but the team wants him working with the big leaguers in order to make sure he's ready when he gets his chance.

Joe Ross - Tyson Ross' brother is a surprise invitee. He's a quality prospect and first round pick, but has never pitched above Low A ball. However, like with Austin Hedges last year, the team is giving Ross an early taste of life with the big leaguers.

Matt Wisler - No surprise here, the Padres top advanced pitching prospect was a no brainer for big league camp. His superb minor league performances and quick development curve seem to have him on track for the majors very soon. That being said, he's still just 21 years old and there's no rush. Hence why he's a non-rostered invitee instead of a rostered one.

Catchers:

Cody Decker - Decker's invitation is no surprise, but his listing as a catcher is a minor one. He started working as one last year and has high praise for now Tigers Manager, but former Padres instructor, Brad Ausmus most likely due to the work they did together. There are hits in his bat, but he needs a position where he can stick. Maybe this is it. Note: On this page he's listed as an infielder, not a catcher.

Austin Hedges - Hedges returns to big league camp as the Padres' most celebrated prospect. His defensive skills cause scouts to swoon and his major debut is inching ever closer. He'll get to know Padres pitchers and work with the coaching staff again this year.

Infielders:

Jonathan Galvez - With Logan Forsythe now traded, Galvez will get some long looks this Spring. He won't make the roster out of camp barring a cascade of injuries, but he could be on the verge a big league trial if the Padres are in need of extra infielder. Galvez has been with the Padres since he was 16 years old (he's now 23) and has shown flashes in the past that his bat could carry him as an infielder.

Alberto Gonzalez - Gonzalez returns to the Padres after two years bouncing from the Rangers to the Cubs to the Yankees organizations. The 30 year old has experience and versatility as a defender, but will be on the outside looking in when it comes to a roster spot. However, El Paso needs utility infielders too.

Xavier Nady - Like Gonzalez Nady is a former Padre, but it's been over 8 years since he called Petco Park home. His career as a major leaguer seems to be at an end, but he did play for the Nationals and Giants as recently as 2012. He feels he didn't get a fair shake last year after hitting well in AAA and comes to Peoria with something to prove. The Padres might go to him if Quentin and Blanks both were to get hurt again and be out a while.

Jace Peterson - Peterson has been named one of the Padres' top 10 prospects by multiple outlets. He's a shortstop, but could also project as a utility infielder. He's a speedster that should swipe a few bases in Peoria. His major league ETA is probably in 2015, but it's time to start getting him some work with the big leaguers.

Cory Spangenberg - A former first round pick, Spangenberg had some trouble living up to the hype last year. He's played mainly second base, but has experience at 3B and the speed to play OF so he might end up a utility player unless his bat comes around. The Padres will work with him this Spring and see what they have.

Outfielders:

Alex Dickerson - Acquired in an offseason trade, Dickerson will get his first introduction to the Padres in their big league camp. He has played both 1B and RF, so expect to see him work at both spots, but also LF. He will get a chance to show off his lefty power stroke and audition for what could be a major league role as early as 2015.

Rico Noel - This speedster stole 90 bases in 2012, if you believe that. Was held to only 59 thefts in 2013 at San Antonio. Basically in the same spot as Spangenberg. Has played AA ball, but is not knocking at the major league door. Still has some things to prove, but there's enough talent here to think that he could be a big leaguer somewhat soon.

Daniel Robertson - Robertson has plied his trade at AAA for the last couple of seasons, but hasn't gotten a major league sniff yet. He'll be 28 this season, but the Padres haven't taken their eye off of him. He has been a good, scrappy top-of-the-lineup hitter those past two seasons and might be able to progress to a major league 4th or 5th outfielder in the right situation. For now he's headed to El Paso, but don't count out his chances to one day make it to the show.

Wilson Ramos has the potential to be a top option at the Catcher position. But can he stay healthy even to produce?

Wilson Ramos is a tease. He's shown the ability to hit for average, hit for power, take walks and limit strikeouts. The only problem is he hasn't really done them at the same time. Ramos' inconsistency can be blamed, in part, on the fact that he has battled several serious injuries throughout his career. However, as the late, great Andrew Ball once told me, "If a player shows a skill once, it means he possesses that ability." It's for this reason that I keep coming back to Wilson Ramos.

2013 was Ramos' best season yet. Despite amassing only 303 plate appearances, Ramos hit 16 home runs and drove in 59 runs. Although a 5% walk rate held his OBP down at .307, he cut his strikeout percentage by 6% and hit .272. Ramos increased his LD% but fewer than a quarter of the balls he put in play were fly balls and his HR/FB ended up at an insane 27.6%. Having said that, Ramos did post a 23.1% HR/FB rate in 2012 and his average home run and fly ball distance jumped to a 309 feet, good for 4th in the league.

I'm going to throw out possibly the most overused word in fantasy baseball since the terms "sleeper" and "bust". Regression. Some people think that regression is always a bad thing but it simply means to move toward normal. Wilson Ramos has lived at different ends of different spectrums and I think, if he can stay healthy, he will regress toward the middle of those spectrums in 2013. It's hard to project him maintaining his HR/FB numbers from 2013, but the batted ball distance suggests that some of the power is for real. Not much changed in his plate discipline profile to suggest that the strikeouts wont' come back up a little bit or that the walks won't do the same. He will be hitting in a good lineup, albeit toward the end, and I think he has the potential to post decent RBI totals. I feel like a .265/.315/.450 line is a safe projection for Ramos and if the counting stats are there, that's a top 10 catcher.

The Nats, as a team, underachieved last year. I would expect them to bounce back make a run at the Braves for the NL East title. I think Wilson Ramos will be a big part of that run and think that he is an excellent target in drafts. He's a bit difficult to value because of the extreme outcomes that are possible. He could stay health and put it all together, proving to be one of the top backstops in the game. Or he could get injured again and miss an extended period of yet another season. You will need to feel out your draft and weigh the risk/reward potential to see if he's a guy who will fit your team and league.

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Catcher Profile: Evan Gattis

Staff Post: Catchers to Target in 2014

2014 MLB Prospect Review: Austin Hedges, San Diego Padres

2014 Minor League Keeper Thoughts: San Francisco Giants

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Jonathan Lucroy: The Forgotten Brewer

Catcher Profile: Devin Mesoraco

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In Australian Baseball League play, center fielder Corey Adamson went 2-4 with a triple, steal, walk, run, and two RBI as the Perth Heat defeated the Adelaide Bite 5-4 on Friday night. That's right, Friday night. Remember, this is Australia we're talking about.

Padres Minor Leaguer Corey Adamson At Home in Australian Baseball League

The second-generation star is making his own name

Adamson, who split last season between Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore, failed to reach base his first two trips to the plate but was unstoppable after that. He walked and was stranded in the fifth inning before collecting his first hit in the seventh. After moving to second on a single by Joey Wong, Adamson swiped his eighth bag of the ABL season before scoring on a wild pitch by Nick Valenza to make the score 4-2 in favor of Adelaide.

The Heat had narrowed the deficit to one run by the next time Adamson came to the plate. With two runner on base with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Adamson tripled to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs. Perth reliever Cameron Lamb (I wonder if fans call him Cam Lam) filled the bases in the top of the ninth but escaped unscathed for his third save of the year.

Adamson's strong showing boosted his season average to .310 in exactly 100 at-bats. Of those 31 hits, five are doubles and three have been good for three bases. The win boosted Perth to 30-14, best in the six-team league by far. Second-place Sydney, with a 22-22 record, is the only other team even at .500.

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Ray offers fantasy owners a few catcher sleepers for NL only leagues for 2014, including Devin Mesoraco and a few others.

Everyone loves a sleeper, right? I know I do. Well, Dave Morris and I will be offering some fantasy sleepers every Friday during the Consensus Rankings Series. Dave kicked off the Sleepers series with his AL-only league catchers who could outperform their draft day values in 2014 earlier this morning, and now I bring you my NL-only league sleepers for 2014.

Here is a look at a few NL-only league catchers who will be available late in drafts who could rise in the rankings by midseason:

Devin Mesoraco, CIN

Mesoraco is one of the players I see breaking out in 2014, as he now has the starting gig in Cincinnati. The Reds dealt starter Ryan Hanigan to the Rays this offseason, so Mesoraco finally gets to show us what he can do at the plate now that he will get about 400-450 plate appearances. I see double digit power and 55-65 RBI from him this season. But to do so, he will have to reduce the frequency of pitches he swings at outside the zone, make more contact, and be a little more lucky with his balls in play. His minor league success at the plate indicates he has the skills to do so.

Rotobanter projects Mesoraco to hit .245 with 12 HRs, 38 runs scored and 51 RBI in 2014. I see him exceeding all four of those projections with regular playing time.

Yasmani Grandal, SD

Grandal has the starting job in San Diego and will have the additional challenge of having to dispel the theory that he won't hit now that he is off the PEDs. I think he will be fine, and the same goes for all the other players who were suspended last season. Grandal is a switch hitter, so he will play against lefties and righties, and should hit for double digit power with 50-55 RBI in the Padres lineup in 2014. We have little big league plate appearance data on Grandal, and based on that, he is a candidate to outperform his draft day value in 2014. He may not be the hitter we saw in 60 games in 2012, when he hit .297-.394-.469 with 8 HRs, 28 runs and 36 RBI, but he shouldn't kill you in any one category when compared against his catcher brethren.

Rotobanter projects him to hit .266 with 6 HRs, 38 runs scored and 44 RBI in 2014. I see more power in his bat.

Welington Castillo, CHC

Castillo plays for the Cubs and that probably hurts his value on draft day, but he won't hurt you in any one category compared to other catchers drafted in the later rounds. He will hit for decent power with a solid batting average, as evidenced by his 2013 triple slash of .274-.349-.397. It seems he has traded hitting fly balls for line drives over the past two seasons, so the batting average may stay in the .260-.270 range. With more playing time, and a few more fly balls, he should be able to hit double digit homers in 2014.

Rotobanter projects him to hit .261 with 11 HRs, 46 runs and 48 RBI in 2014. I can see him exceeding the runs and RBI projections this season.

Fantasy Rundown

If you are looking for more fantasy rankings, or just fantasy coverage overall, make sure you check out Fantasy Rundown, your one stop site for all things fantasy.

Ray opines that Buster Posey could be a fantasy bust in 2014. Yes, the #1 fantasy catcher in most rankings right now could be a bust for his owners in 2014.

There aren't many better hitting fantasy catchers than Giants backstop Buster Posey. On a year in year out basis, his owners can count on him putting up a .300 batting average with 15-20 home runs, 70 runs and 70 RBI most years. Last season, he hit .294-.371-.450 with 15 home runs, 61 runs and 72 RBI in 595 plate appearances. His strikeout rate dropped to a career low of 11.8%, while his walk rate also dropped from 11% to 10%. All very good signs for the soon-to-be 27 year old catcher.

Here is how his 2013 performance stood up against other fantasy catchers with 350 or more plate appearances in 2013:

Batting average: 3rd

Runs:7th

HR: 10th

RBI: 7th

We won't look at stolen bases because that is not something most catchers do, or are expected to do. So, he had a very good year at the plate in 2013, but that was down from his 2012 season where he hit .336 with 24 home runs and drove in 103 runs. His 2013 could have been much better had he not slumped in the second half of the season.

Man, did he ever slump. Let's take a look at his 2013 first and second half splits, courtesy of Baseball-Reference:

I am not sure how to explain his performance absolutely cratering in the second half last season. He went from hitting .325-.395-.536 with 13 HRs, 38 runs and 56 RBI in the first half to just .244-.333-.310 with 2 HRs, 23 runs and 16 RBI in the second half. Granted he played 32 less games in the second half, but TWO home runs in 58 games? A .310 slugging percentage? I bet there are some pitchers who had a higher slugging percentage in the second half last year than Posey.

He went from 41 extra base hits in the first half to just 9 in the second half. His OPS dropped from .931 to .643. HIs .310 SLG was so bad it ranked with the likes of Eric Young Jr., Jean Segura (he had a terrible second half too), Jonathan Villar and Jonathan Solano. Yeah, it was that bad.

I guess one could argue that all the playoff and World Series games from 2012, along with the 148 games he played in 2013 caught up to him. That's possible. He also caught 121 games, per Baseball-Reference, the most games he has caught in any one year of his short career.

The second half, for me, is concerning, as even though he played through a small fracture of his right ring finger for most of September, his power disappeared. Here are his monthly power stats for July - September:

July: 2 HRs, 5 doubles, 11 RBI, 24 games

August: 0 HRs, 3 doubles, 8 RBI, 26 games

September: HR, 3 doubles, 5 RBI, 21 games

And fantasy owners appear to be overlooking his second half power outage.

Posey is currently being drafted as the #1 fantasy catcher according to the current NFBC ADP rankings over at NESN.com. The NFBC ADP rankings assume 15 team leagues, and his ADP right now is 39.75, with a high pick of 26 and a low pick of 73. Picking Posey at 26 seems way too high for my blood as I prefer drafting an outfielder or a first baseman in the early rounds, and I would even consider drafting a starter like Yu Darvish, Adam Wainwright or Cliff Lee ahead of Posey. There is a long list of hitters I would take over Posey, so at 26, or even 39, is just too high for anyone to draft a catcher. Even with the new rules preventing runners from bowling over the catcher Pete Rose style.

Here is a list of players that have a lower ADP than Posey per NESN.com:

Jose Bautista

Shin-Soo Choo

Chris Sale

Felix Hernandez

Alex Rios

Albert Pujols

Justin Upton

I might be the President of the Don't Draft Albert Pujols Club, but I think I would draft Pujols before Posey. There are just too many other good catchers that can put up similar, or better, power numbers than Posey. And there are a few who can hang with Posey in terms of batting average as well, including Joe Mauer, Yadier Molina, Jonathan Lucroy and Salvador Perez. Then you have some up-and-coming catchers like Jason Castro, Wilin Rosario and Lucroy who could put up more power and drive in more runs than Posey in 2014 to offset the difference, albeit slight, in the batting average category.

Posey could make me look silly for writing this, but catching is deeper than I can ever remember, and there is a pack of catchers behind him that could outperform him in 2014. Don't pick Posey thinking he will put up another 2012 season. I just don't see that happening again, not with the way the Giants roster is currently constructed.

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• Catcher Profile: Wilson Ramos
• Catcher Profile: Evan Gattis
• Staff Post: Catchers to Target in 2014
• 2014 MLB Prospect Review: Austin Hedges, San Diego Padres
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What, Chase? It's just an idea.

The other night, in one of my many instances of tweeting whatever comes to mind, I had an idea that after consideration is not the best, yet it's possible. But in the moment, it was the greatest idea ever created.

How awesome would it be if @Padres prospects showed up to FanFest, set up a table, and held an impromptu autograph session?

— Friar Fever (@FriarFever) January 23, 2014

Awesome idea, right? I mean, I thought it was cool.

"What's that table doing on the warning track?" I'd love it.

— Friar Fever (@FriarFever) January 23, 2014

Just imagine your surprise at seeing a table in the middle of the outfield. Or right outside of the Padres store for no apparent reason?

Padres prospect autograph bingo.... All these ideas are just coming out right now!

— Friar Fever (@FriarFever) January 23, 2014

Prizes for whoever can find as many prospects as possible. And they won't be prominently displayed. They'll just be sitting in the stands. Maybe they'll be off to the side of a real session in sunglasses and fake mustache a la Beastie Boys "Sabotage". That would be a sight to see.

But, seriously. Padres prospects located in random parts of the stadium offering to sign anything. "Meet the Future Throughout Petco Park"

— Friar Fever (@FriarFever) January 23, 2014

It would be good exposure for these guys. But, would they feel bad if people didn't know who they were? Someone on the Missions or even the Chihuahuas probably isn't going to be known by the common fan. Maybe they could wear jerseys with their names on them. However, that also opens up another possibility.

Though, that would mean any one of you could end up doing that and deceiving the people of San Diego into thinking you play baseball.

— Friar Fever (@FriarFever) January 23, 2014

And it would work. I'm sure some of us could pull it off. "Yeah, I'm Cory Spangenberg. Want me to sign something for you? Oh, of course I'll take a picture with you. Say Missions!" This type of idea is a slippery slope.

I'm not going to do this. I promise.

— Friar Fever (@FriarFever) January 23, 2014

Now that I've finished this compilation of my own tweets, I turn to you. Do you have any ideas of what you'd want to see at FanFest in 2 weeks? Pull out all the stops, what you say goes. What would you want to see on February 8th? Usually every year we get autograph sessions, panel discussions, a garage sale, and tutorials. But, what else could we get? Ideas, everyone. Lay them all out there. Sky's the limit.

The sky....

Kites....

An arts and craft station where kids make their own Padres kites and paper airplanes!

SOMEBODY MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!

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• From EuroPad to NFL Player: The Dream of A Gaslamp Baller
• Padres farmhand Corey Adamson leads Perth Heat to victory
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Forty-three players suited up for the Padres at some point during the 1996 season. How many can you name in eight minutes?

As clues and to bring some semblance of order to that huge brick of names, I've provided each player's uniform number and position. Like always, you only need to submit last names. There's one player that a lot of people will get by accident because he shares a last name with someone who wasn't on the team yet but will get guessed because seasons start to blur together after nearly two decades. Another player is a freebie because he shares a last name with... you know what, I'll just tell you that one. It's Chris Gwynn. If you weren't going to enter 'Gwynn', it doesn't matter how much help I give you.

When you're through, be sure to log your results in the poll and use spoiler bars as needed in your comments.

Padres minor-leaguer Corey Adamson drove in the winning run for the second day in a row as the Perth Heat defeated the Adelaide Bite in Saturday's Australian Baseball League play. This time it was with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning.

Perth took an early lead with a three-run third inning, but Adelaide evened it up with one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Both teams were scoreless in the ninth, so it was on to bonus baseball. Daniel Schmidt came in for the Heat and retired the side in the top of the tenth. Allan de San Miguel led off the bottom of the inning with a single and moved to second on a bunt by Alex Stuart. After George Barber struck out swinging for the second out, Adamson stepped to the plate for the sixth time. One-for-five with a run scored and a strikeout under his belt, Adamson singled up the middle to score de San Miguel from second and push Perth's record to an astounding 31-14.

Adamson's 2-6 showing pushed his batting average up one point to .311. The two teams will meet up again tomorrow in the final game of the regular season. Perth, with the only record over .500 in the six-team league, is of course postseason-bound. They will be vying for their third ABL championship of the past four years.

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Sheesh, time really does fly. It doesn't feel like it's been six years since the Padres signed Jody Gerut to a minor league deal. The signing fell through the cracks at the time, as Gerut had been out of baseball for two seasons, but ended up paying off.

Gerut had a strong showing in spring training and made the Opening Day roster, but was sent down to Portland after four games. He raked AAA pitching for a month and earned the roster spot that opened up when Jim Edmonds was released. Gerut took over Edmonds' role as the primary center fielder and provided value on both sides of the ball. In 356 plate-appearances over 100 games, Gerut set new highs with a .296/ .351/ .494 slash line, good for an impressive 133 OPS+. He showed some pop as well; his 14 homers were his most since he hit 22 as a rookie with the Indians in 2003.

That pop was on display for all to see early in 2009. The Padres were the visiting team as a national television audience gathered to see the first game played at Citi Field, and Gerut christened the Mets' new home with a leadoff home run. That would prove to be the highlight of his season. He hit poorly in 37 games before being traded to Milwaukee for the junior Tony Gwynn. The change of scenery didn't turn his season around, but he did earn a spot with the Brewers again in 2010. He struggled yet again, hitting below the Mendoza line over 32 games, although he did hit for the cycle in one of them.

After being released by the Brewers in August, 2010, Gerut returned to the Padres' organization. He hit well in 14 games back in Portland, but didn't earn a spot on the 40-man roster to get a September call-up. He signed a minor league deal with the Mariners for 2011, but retired a week into spring training because he realized he lost his passion for the game.

"Physically, I'm fine," he said. "But mentally my reasons for wanting to be in uniform have become so thin and narrow that I refuse to disrespect the game that has provided so generously for my family by playing it in a half-hearted way.

"It was very clear that my capacity as a player was done, empty, finished."

[...]

The well-spoken veteran said in the end, he just couldn't justify going through the motions in a game that has meant so much to him and his family. He said the idea of playing just for a paycheck "is a notion so distasteful to me it makes me physically sick to my stomach."

While refreshing in contrast to numerous other athletes, it was unsurprising to anyone familiar with the cerebral Gerut. He was the guy in the clubhouse reading The Economist while, one assumes, Brian Giles was two lockers down trying to figure out the punchline in that day's Marmaduke. After retiring, he put all those book-learnin' smarts to good use by becoming a player agent. His goal, as you might expect, is selfless. He considers himself fortunate to have held onto the money he made during his playing career, and is determined to ensure that today's players do the same.

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• Quiz: 1996 Padres Regular Season Roster
• Padres FanFest Is Close And I've Got An Idea For It

The Rays are trading more than future production.

Before Evan Longoria found the moment he was made for; before Dan Johnsonwent all Great Pumpkin on some unlucky rightfield bystander's lesser pumpkins; before the Corey Wade sleeper cell was activated; before everything we think of as Game 162 could take place, there was game 158 against the Toronto Blue Jays, and after one inning it was clear to everyone that Jeff Niemann simply didn't have it.

Niemann was lucky to get out of the first having only given up two runs, coming off an Eric Thames walk and a Jose Bautista homer. He'd also allowed another walk and a double. The Rays got the two runs back in the bottom of the inning to tie up the game, but with playoffs hopes on the line, Joe Maddon lost his patience with Niemann. He pulled him after only one inning of work, and turned the game—no, turned the season—over to a rookie.

I suppose I should have known what to expect. I'd read the scouting reports praising the movement on his pitches. When Baseball America ranked him as the Rays' sixth-best prospect going into the 2011 season, they said:

Torres has a strong lower half that helps him produce lively stuff. His low-90s fastball has outstanding movement, and his changeup is just as effective. . . .Scouts laud his competitiveness.

Still, with the season prepped and ready to slip away into failure, I didn't feel confident. Those scouting reports also noted a lack of control, and in three previous innings of major league work, Torres had already walked six batters.

This is what Torres gave us:

I will always remember this game for the moment I realized that reading about "stuff" described in the precise, sterile language used by scouts and watching the man pitch for yourself are very different experiences. "Outstanding movement" didn't begin to describe how his 2-2 changeup would slide through the backdoor to freeze Adam Loewen. It had nothing to say about the way his 91 mph fastball down-and-in would bite toward the back leg of Colby Rasmus and produce a weak chopper to second base, or how another fastball in almost the same location would find its way under Loewen's bat for another strikeout of the hapless DH.

I'm sure the Baseball America scout who wrote the report knew that Torres would be unafraid to throw his changeup in fastball situations, but despite reading the report, I was shocked and exhilarated as he baffled the Toronto lineup with a nearly even split between fastball and changeup, and even went to the offspeed well in back-to-back 3-2 counts to strike (a strikeout both times).

Torres's three previous appearances had come in parks (New York and Boston) with an offset television camera that distorts and hides the lateral movement on pitches. This game was the first time I got to watch him through the straight-back camera at The Trop, and I was hooked.

Torres's 2012 season was lost to his darker wild side, prompting the team to shift the once-promising starter to a bullpen role. When winter league observers noted that his command looked good, few of us fans believed. That made his success in 2013 all the more sweet, and his leaving all the more bitter.

The analyst in me can look at Torres's career so far and understand that he's a risky player to pin your hopes on. I can see how Logan Forsythe will solidify the Rays' lineup against lefties and how Brad Boxberger could develop into a high-leverage reliever himself. Still, those guys are just scouting reports right now, and Alex Torres is far more than that. In what amounts to only one season's worth of games, the undersized lefty with the ridiculous run on his changeup and the contagious grimace (that comes out only as he pumps his fist after escaping a jam) has managed to become something of a fan favorite here.

San Diego, enjoy him. I think you'll understand after the first time Josh Johnson loads the bases in a park with a straight-back camera.

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We went to a ton of games in 1996. Those Padres were my coming of age team and I loved them, maybe more than any other.  I have a very clear memory of trying to tune into 760 KFMB on my radio dial in LA during the Fall so I could follow the games while I was at college.  It was mostly static, but I listened for hours in an attempt to hear Ted and Jerry call a play.  It was the sports equivalent of trying to see a scrambled boob on cable.

I attended game 162 and sat in the bleachers at Dodger Stadium.  I remember during batting practice Tony Gwynn lined a HR to right field just a few yards from us.  To my amazement the ball put a dent in the wooden seat back, I traced it with my fingers.  I sat nervously for the rest of the game and couldn't relax until Chris Gwynn doubled and alligator clapped at second base.  The Padres had needed to sweep the Dodgers in LA to win the NL West and they did it.

When the NLDS came around, it was on TV and I was so psyched, but the Pads just couldn't find a way to beat the Cardinals.  I remember this game in particular when Eck came in to close it out.  I couldn't watch, it was too painful.  I cared back then, maybe too much.  Fortunately, I'm mostly dead inside now, so I can watch the Padres lose now without any trouble.

Let's start watching the game together at 6 p.m. PST.

Catch up with the 1996 roster in this quiz while you wait.

As the newest member of the Padres, Alex Torres will have to wait a while before a card is issued featuring him with the team. So, to tide us over until this fall when Topps Update comes out, I've created a card of sorts. Like the ones I did of Alexi Amarista, Jedd Gyorko, and John Baker, the design is based on an old set. In this case it's 1993 Topps, the first set I actively collected.

Here, as a frame of reference, are a Padres card and a horizontal card from the '93 Topps set:

It's a classic look, old enough now to trigger nostalgia, but more importantly it's simple enough to replicate using only the most basic on MS Paint-ing around. I'd keep talking about it, but my mind is already starting to wander, trying to think of what card I'll put Seth Smith on...

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What do the Padres have in Ian Kennedy, Josh Johnson, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Eric Stults?

As predictions for the 2014 season begin to trickle in, you can hearsome noise starting to build for the Padres as a sleeper NL playoff team. With two wildcards still in play and the Padres a team on the way up (health permitting) while others have to fend off decline or regression, you can kind of see why people are hopping on the bandwagon. Part of the reason some are jumping on board is because of the Padres' starting rotation. The lineup will remain roughly the same, but the Padres have added Ian Kennedy and Josh Johnson since the start of last season, having two rising stars in Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross and plan to have many of their young starting pitchers with major league experience return from injury.

Why do pundits like this rotation? You can start with the first two I have already mentioned: Kennedy and Johnson. Our 35th and 36th presidents, I mean the most experienced pitchers in the rotation. 2011 was not so long ago that memories of Kennedy's 20 win season (and 4+ WAR) are still in play. His 15 win season (2+ WAR) in 2012 is even fresher and not too shabby itself. Johnson was the ace of the staff once for the Florida Marlins and was still a reliable guy on the staff as recently as 2012. Both are established, both are proven in a way.

Coming in behind those two are the dynamic duo of Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross. Many have paid close attention to Cashner since he was a 1st round pick for the major media market Chicago Cubs and those that stuck around for his move to the Padres remained curious about what kind of performance he could muster if ever healthy. Well, a healthy 2013 gave those followers reason to think he could be dependable, if not an All Star, in 2014. Ross does not have the same kind of history, but anyone that has seen his prototypical build and wipeout slider can also project big things. Especially after getting a taste of it in 2013.

Eric Stults was a workhorse in 2013 and while some may project him to do the same in 2014 others will point to the talent knocking at the door that could supplant him if he does not repeat. Cory Luebke, Joe Wieland and Casey Kelly all return from injury and haven shown promise before. Robbie Erlin and Burch Smith have MLB experience and are like by scouts. Matt Wisler is one of the top 25 pitching prospects in baseball. The reasons to believe that the Padres will make a great leap forward from their 2012-2013 pitching doldrums abound.

However, in this possible strength is also potential weakness. Kennedy and Johnson are the two highest paid pitchers on the staff. In both 2012 and 2013, the Padres were very patient with their previous two top earning hurlers. Clayton Richard and Edinson Volquez got plenty of starts despite their performances never being worthy of leading a rotation. If Kennedy and Johnson both stay healthy, but can not find the form that they had in years past then the Padres will struggle in many of their starts. That could have a lasting impact throughout the season. This scenario is certainly possible given that history is littered with pitchers that can get back to their past glories, especially after injuries. Many already doubt that Johnson has the stuff he once had and many others have always doubted Kennedy's smallish frame and low velocity repertoire.

Even the two guys on the rise, Cashner and Ross, are not sure things. Both have had issues locating their pitches as recently as 2012. Just as above when I talked of Kennedy and Johnson finding their past form, Cashner and Ross could fall back to theirs. Only in this case their past form would mean trouble for the Padres. If walkathons are in these two guys' future, then playoffs probably are not in the Padres'. Even a small stretch or two of bad starts by both could be catastrophic when the reasonable goal is that last wildcard spot.

I already touched on the idea that any Stults struggles could be reason for a youth movement, but as mentioned many of those guys are coming off injury. None of the returning triumvirate of Luebke, Kelly or Wieland has thrown yet as a starter in a professional game during their rehabs. It is possible that they may not be ready in time. As for Erlin and Smith, they are just two guys and may not be enough to plug all the holes not to mention that they are not sure things themselves. And finally Matt Wisler is still just 21 and only got to AA last season. He just is not quite ripe yet.

Hope is not lost, and it is not misplaced either. The Padres are not the Dodgers or even the Giants and can not throw hundreds of millions of dollars at their pitching problems. Given that starting point having a group of guys, a large group of guys, that have some upside is a good thing. It does not mean the only way to go is up, but it does mean that it is a realistic hope. Basically, the Padres are giving the fans something to root for and the pundits picking them as sleepers are dreamers not prophets.

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The Padres are among the top ten farm systems in the league for the third straight year.

ESPN’s Keith Law has released his rankings for all 30 MLB farm systems and the Padres are once again in the Top 10. The organization has slid down in the rankings a fair amount since 2012 when Law named them the number one farm system in baseball. That season was Josh Byrnes’ first as GM of the Padres and a lot of the organizational depth from then was accredited to Jed Hoyer (whose 2014 Cubs are ranked #4 by Law). Last year San Diego was ranked #6, so this is the third consecutive year in which the Padres have earned a Top 10 ranking, a sign that things are still heading in the right direction for the team.

Two years after Hoyer’s departure, it’s good to see that Byrnes has continued to help keep the Padres among the top organizations in the league for prospects, despite many players from the Hoyer era having moved up the system... players like Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal, and Jedd Gyorko, for example, who have seen significant playing time in the bigs, but also guys like Burch Smith, Robbie Erlin and Casey Kelly who have only had cups of coffee at the major league level but remain key components of the Padres farm system. Of course, Kelly is also a case in which development has been hampered so far by injury. Rymer Liriano can be put in the same category, but hopefully both he and Kelly can come back strong in 2014.

You can read Law's full list at ESPN ($), but here is what he had to say about San Diego:

9. San Diego Padres

The Padres were my top system two years ago and graduated a lot of that depth to the majors. However, they filled the void nicely with two more solid drafts, helping make up for lost seasons from Casey Kelly and Rymer Liriano (both of whom missed 2013 due to Tommy John surgery).

Their recent trade for major league reliever Alex Torres also included Jesse Hahn, another power arm to add to the system, but he missed their top 10 behind several pitchers with a better chance to remain starters.

Fortunately, Jesse Hahn won't have to go the Tommy John route like his new teammates Kelly and Liriano, because he's already had the procedure done. As Byrnes elaborated last week, Hahn is someone the Padres scouts have been high on for years and they believe he is now back at the level he was pre-TJ-surgery. A.J. Hinch also stated that the organization feels really good about Hahn's upside and the future of the team.

Still, as Law points out, the Padres have several pitchers ranked even higher. Guys like Matt Wisler, Max Fried, Joe Ross, and Keyvius Sampson are just a few of the pitching prospects in the organization to look out for (if you aren't already). But perhaps the most anticipated prospect in the Padres farm system is catcher Austin Hedges, and I'll be looking forward to seeing where Law ranks him in his list of Top 100 Prospects for 2014, scheduled to be released tomorrow, followed by Law's Top 10s by division coming out on Thursday and Friday (NL West list will be released on Friday).

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I've created a lunch time Padres All-Star quiz for you, yes you specifically.  It's probably something I should have saved for the All-Star break but I just don't have the patience for that.

I think this will be a fairly difficult quiz.  It'll be difficult but fair.  You'll have 10 minutes to remember or discover all 48 Padres All-Star players.  As an added degree of difficulty I've included managers, coaches and trainers.  The Padres included them on their website, so I figured I would too.

HINT: There are two players that have the same last name (first initial too) so you'll get a bonus if you can name the more popular one, since only last names are necessary.

You know who I always forget was an All-Star, that guy from 2003.  Those were some dark times for the Padres and for me personally.  So are the years prior to my birth.

HINT: One player is pictured above.

I've double checked all the answers, but there is a slight chance that I've made a typo.  If that's the case then just let me know and I'll fix it.  Contrary to the comments on Sporcle, we do go back and fix mistakes in a timely manner.

Discuss your results in the comments, but hide the answers with the spoiler button.  You know the drill.

Good luck!

The Mighty 1090's Lee "Hacksaw" Hamiltonis reporting this morning that Padres Broadcaster Andy Masur was released by the team.

Padres-Disappointed to hear Andy Masur not being brought back-Hiring Jesse Agler-to do TV-Radio-Internet-friend-Mike Dee from Mia Dolphins

— Lee Hacksaw Hamilton (@hacksaw1090) January 29, 2014

Mike Dee replacing talent with his friends from Miami isn't going to make him any new friends in San Diego.

Masur himself confirmed the news shortly thereafter.

The news regarding me leaving is true. Deal not renewed. Team going a different direction. I'll miss u all. Thanks for the kind words.

— Andy Masur (@Padscast) January 29, 2014

This news feels like a big Floridian knee in the beans.  Ugh.  The team already wasn't using Masur enough and now they do this?  I was holding out hope that he'd start filling in for Dick Enberg on Fox Sports San Diego when the old man vacationed, but I guess that's not going to happen now.  We wanted more Andy, not less!

I was watching Jane Mitchell's One-on-One with Jerry Coleman last night.  When Coleman was introduced at the Hall of Fame they talked about the deep connection between broadcaster and fan.  It's true, the good ones feel like family.  Andy Masur is one of the good ones.  There's just something so friendly and likeable about him on the broadcasts.  The way he interacted with Coleman won me over instantly.  When we finally met him in person I feared it wouldn't be the same.  I'm not even sure how but he turned out to be even more likeable.

I've been brushed off plenty of times by media talent over the years.  Masur was different.  He didnt just exchange pleasantries and move on, he made a connection.  Hell, we played catch with him on the field and talked for about an hour at the last media night.  He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.  I'm going to miss hearing him on the radio and am so terribly disappointed in the Padres' decision.

UPDATE:

@gaslampball#NextQuestion J/K We are focused on connecting across all mediums with our fans this is a move to help us achieve that goal.

— Wayne Partello (@WaynePartello) January 29, 2014

Disclaimer: Bobby is an active Gaslamp Baller and a personal friend. He did not bribe me to write this article (but he should know that I lost my moral compass years ago, so I'm open to the idea).

Petco Park organist Bobby Cressey has announced which games he'll be playing this season, and I have to say I'm more than a little disappointed. Once again, the Padres have scheduled him exclusively for midweek day games. Now, I love skipping out on work early to go catch a ballgame on a sunny afternoon, but it's not exactly something I can do a lot. And those 12:40 starts (which account for 3 of the 7 games) are right out of the question; I'd have to leave before noon to make it down for the first pitch.

But the biggest disappointment for me is just how few games he'll be playing. Just 7 out of 81 games? He's not even scheduled for the entire month of September. I asked Mike Dee about hearing more organ music at last September's televised town hall, and Dee (and more importantly, the fans) seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the idea. Just not enthusiastic enough, I guess.