What does Jedd Gyorko's contract mean for the Astros and the rest of baseball?

Some non-Astros news broke Monday that has everything to do with all of baseball and the Astros, in particular. The Padres signed second baseman Jedd Gyorko to a long-term extension after promoting the talented prospect last season.

That made the agent of Archie Bradley, a highly-regarded prospect with the Diamondbacks, start barking about how the Snakes should promote his guy already.

Sound familiar?

From MLB Trade Rumors:

Gyorko's deal appears to be a six-year extension in name only, as the reported breakdown of his contract doesn't include a change to his previously agreed upon 2014 salary. He will earn $2MM in 2015, $4MM in 2016, $6MM in 2017, $9MM in 2018 and $13MM in 2019 before the Padres have the option of retaining him for $13MM for 2020 or paying him a $1MM buyout. Gyorko's deal also reportedly contains escalators that pertain to the option year, meaning the value of that option could rise over the course of the deal.

Astros ramifications? Well, the George Springer situation looms large. The deal is similar in structure to the one Houston offered Springer, with slightly more money (since Gyorko is a much more proven MLB hitter).

It controls costs for the Padres with a good, young player for the next few years, while financially rewarding a top player on the team. But, the Padres still promoted him when he was ready and worked out the deal later.

Do you know what the most important part of that last paragraph was? "When he was ready." That goes for every top prospect in the Houston system. Gyorko got rewarded because he got promoted at the right time, as he put up 2.5 fWAR last season in his first big league go-round.

Baseball ramifications? Well, it's hard to say. My thought is that this may be part of a larger trend with teams trying to lock up young players long-term. Or, it could just be a team with TV distribution issues (SD) trying to control its long-term costs. That sounds entirely too familiar for my taste.

My thought is that it's generally hard for teams to lock up young players, because there is considerable risk. Most traditional baseball minds won't want to dole out money without a little proof first. That's why so few young players get long-term commitments, with teams preferring to go through arbitration instead.

Now, though, we don't have to talk just about the Salvador Perez or Evan Longoria contracts. We have those, Altuve's deal and Gyorko's deal, in addition to the crazy extensions thrown around by the Braves. Which group do you think Springer's agent will be using?

Eddie Butler and Johendi Jiminian both pitched well but took losses behind anemic offensive performances. Ryan McMahon continues to make a name for himself on a star-studded roster, smacking his fourth home run of the year.

Colorado Springs Sky Sox:

Postponed. Christian Friedrich makes the start tonight at 6:35 p.m. MT.

Tulsa Drillers 1, San Antonio Missions 2:

Eddie Butler took a tough loss in this one after pitching 6.2 innings, striking out five and allowing only two runs. Despite his 2.41 ERA this season, the Driller have yet to back him up enough for him to secure a win. Butler surrendered a home run to Rymer Liriano, which reports suggest may have been heavily wind-aided.

In 18.2 innings pitched so far this season, Butler has walked only three hitters allowed only thirteen hits and struck out seventeen.

Missions starter Matt Wisler, the No. 3 prospect in the San Diego Padres minor league system, kept the Drillers off balance all night, blanking them for five innings. Tyler Massy earned the only RBI on the day for Tulsa with a sacrifice fly. The Drillers were without catcher Tom Murphy in this game as he sat with a sore shoulder.

Modesto Nuts 2, Visalia Rawhide 4:

Ryan Gibbard worked five innings and struck out five for Modesto, giving up only one run but also walking five batters. Brandon Sinnery bettered Gibbard's performance, stifling the Nuts for seven innings and allowing only four hits and zero runs.

The Nuts scratched out two runs in the eighth when Rosell Herrera plated Chris O'Dowd on a single. Herrera later came around to score on a triple from Will Swanner.

That was pretty much the only offense for Modesto. Hererra picked up another single, becoming the only Nut with multiple hits. Trevor Story went 0-for-4.

Asheville Tourists 2, West Virginia Power 3:

While many prospect hounds are rightfully beaming over his teammates David Dahl and Raimel Tapia, Ryan McMahon has been the early MVP for Asheville ... at least at the plate.

He hit his league-leading fourth home run against the Power (are they really called the Power?) in the bottom of the fifth, bringing his slash line to a gaudy .297/.413/.676. He has an isolated power rating of .378 right now and only a .304 BABIP.

While it's fun to go crazy thinking about those power numbers, I am most struck by his OBP as it seems a clear indication that pitchers are trying to work around McMahon more at a higher level (than last year), trying to force him to get himself out. Ryan seems to have adjusted to that approach, taking free bases when he is given them.

Second baseman Michael Benjamin is also having a promising start to 2014, getting the Tourists' only other RBI in this one when he hit a triple that scored Jordan Patterson. Raimel Tapia saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end as he went 0-for-4 and struck out three times. The next hitting streak likely starts Tuesday.

Johendi Jiminian continued his excellent stretch of pitching as well as the theme of the day: Rockies pitchers taking tough losses.

He only got trough 5.1 innings (he'd fit right in with the Rockies big league staff!), giving up three runs, though only two of them earned. In three games, Jiminian is 2-1 with a 1.10 ERA, striking out 6.61 hitter per nine innings, walking only 1.65, good for a 4.00 K/BB ratio.

Trent Blank (what a phenomenal name for a bullpen pitcher, almost as good as Quinton McCracken for a pinch-hitter) blanked West Virginia for the final 2.2 innings, surrendering only one hit.

David Dahl did not play in this one. His season line so far: .267/.313/.600.

Zach Jemiola takes the hill Tuesday night for the Tourists.

A week or so ago, we were invited to participate in a food preview called A Taste of Petco Park along with other Padres and food/beverage bloggers.  Jon was my platonic plus one because he likes to partake in the benefits of blogging without actually blogging himself.  We're also best buddies.

We had to arrive at 6pm which was a struggle due to downtown parking and a case of sciatica that has had me limping like I was an extra on The Walking Dead for more than a month.  At the gate we checked-in just in the nick of time and were given a badge, a bag and a list of activities that read more like a menu.

Padres Social Hour

It turns out we didn't really have to be on time, the first event scheduled for us was watching the filming of the new Padres Social Hour show in Club 318 in the Padres Store.  We found it pretty difficult to be an audience member.  Mostly because it's almost impossible to hear what host Jesse Agler and his guest are talking about with the music being played in store itself, unless you're standing directly in front of the monitor, which we weren't.

How does #PadresSH talk socially about the Pads when "Stay" by Rhianna is blasting in the Padres store? pic.twitter.com/aQ02Sw0jFk

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) April 3, 2014

We instead wandered the store in search of overpriced Padres gear that'd we'd wear if we weren't opposed to paying exorbitant prices for such things.  We started playing a game of "Guess the Price" but grew bored so we went back and met up with the other bloggers and watched TV Darling RJ's Fro make an impromptu appearance on the show.  Afterward he pretended not to know us and kept refusing us his autograph.

Front Row Seats

The tour started and we walked through a tunnel that led to seats on the right field line.  We had a row of seats reserved for us near the home dugout but on our way to them we walked out onto the field, did a u-turn and came back.  It was cool to be on the field during pre-game, but a little confusing as well.

Jon is really confused at how we ended up on the field. pic.twitter.com/mUUFXBmq6t

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) April 3, 2014

When we returned the 12 of us took turns rotating into 4 of the all-you-can-eat seats.  The service was slow so we ate up alot of innings and not much food.  I didn't eat in preparation for the night and by the 4th inning I was really hungry.  Finally my Italian Sausage came.

Italian Sausage arrived. #PetcoParkFoodpic.twitter.com/CLHi9B9re6

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) April 3, 2014

The sausage was really good, I graded it a 9/10 but my hunger was undoubtedly a factor in its high score.  Jon had the nachos, he wasn't impressed.

Phil's BBQ

I still think that Phil's BBQ is probably the best food and best value at the ballpark.  They have two locations at Petco Park now.  The one on the first base side has fryers, so now french fries, onion rings and other assorted fried foods are available, unlike last year.

A Phil's employee brought us out a few assorted food items for us to taste and share.  I resisted eating at Phil's since it was practically all I ate at the ballpark last year.  I had to save room for new foods.  I've had the Chick Tickler more than a few times at Phil's restaurant and can assure you it's one of the best values you can get.

I need to pace myself. Jon gives Phil's 9/10. #PetcoParkFoodpic.twitter.com/lB5QyMOfDG

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) April 3, 2014

My favorite thing to do at these events is to try and offer to feed other people from my leftovers.  I'll pick up a drink or sandwich and hold it in front of their mouth with my free hand beneath their chin to catch any crumbs.  It really creeps them out, as it should.  Only a psychopath would do such a thing.

Craft Beer

I really only drink to be sociable, and I'm rarely sociable, so I don't know anything about beer.  When we made it to the new Craft Beer stand I asked a beer aficionado to recommend a beer for me.  He told me everything was good, it all depended on my preferred taste.  I ended up choosing the Alesmith Nut Brown, since I thought the name was funny and I've been told by others that I like browns.  #BringBackTheBrown

Craft Beer is a big thing in San Diego and our tour host VP Scott Marshall said that sales were up 400% so far at the stand.

Rick from RJ's Fro caught the rare sight of me bro'ing it up with the fellas.

I recognize the dainty hands & the puffy jacket, but is that a...beer? cc: @gaslampballpic.twitter.com/X3XKePjeey

— RJ's Fro (@RJsFro) April 11, 2014

I liked my beer but when I saw the opportunity to get fresh orange juice at the Seaside Market I tried to pawn it off on others with the warning that I had only taken a few sips but back-washed a ton.

Seaside Market

Having a market at the ballpark may seem like a weird idea at first, but I think it's going to be a big hit.  The lady folk I've talked to already love it for the healthy fare, like salads, gluten free choices, fruits and for many other food items that you wouldn't normally find in a ballpark.

You know you always hear that one of the best places to find a date is at a super market?  Move over Western Metal Supply Bar, Seaside Market is going to be the new place for swinging singles to congregate.  It's also a good place to go for "Cardiff Crack" which is what locals call the market's tri-tip.

I saw that they even have shopping cards which seemed like over kill, but it turns out that they want you to picnic and take your food out to the Park at the Park.  I'll have to try pushing that cart to the outfield sometime to see if it's in fact as embarrassing as it sounds.

New concessions at Petco Park are full of local flair | padres.com: News

For example, fans are being invited to picnic in the Park at the Park. Seaside Market will even offer carts and baskets to transport its fare from Section 107 (between home and first base on the main level) to the Park at the Park.

The new shopping carts for @seasidemarket inside #PetcoParkpic.twitter.com/dFcx13b7PN

— Wayne Partello (@WaynePartello) March 27, 2014

At this point, those of us on the tour, were being overloaded with information.  I couldn't keep up.  When I saw the fresh Orange Juice Machine it's all I could focus on.  These machines cost over $15,000 and as I said it's worth every penny.  Most machines punch a hole in the rind which gives the juice a bitter taste but this one cuts the oranges and it's nothing but sweetness.  All the oranges are local too.

@Gaslampball got some fresh orange juice at Petco Park tonight. https://t.co/fDzcjNoSJy

— Richard (@gdarklighter) April 12, 2014

I wonder what would happen if you put baseballs into the orange juicer machine. Probably would make Pure Joy Juice is my guess.

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) April 4, 2014

Stone Brewing

I knew that Petco Park had added a Stone Brewing but this tour was the first time I'd seen its location.  Near the entrance is their demon logo on the wall and a fountain nearby, which makes it look like the perfect place for a black baptism if you're a witch.

VP of Marketing Wayne Partello met up with the group here.  He's a very friendly guy and very enthusiastic about the upgrades.   We learned that all the construction for the $5 million in upgrades was completed in 3 weeks.  Pretty amazing when you see just how many things they've changed.

Rimel's Rotisserie

We're told that Rimel's at the ballpark is the only rooftop wood fire rotisserie in the world, or something like that.  As I said, the information was coming at us so quickly it was hard to digest.  I saw that woodpile and instead of thinking about the delicious smokey flavors, I thought of all the black widows that must be hiding inside.

As we were told about all the delicacies being served we were brought Fish Tacos and told to smother them with their green sauce and that's what we did.  They were tasty but after sausage, BBQ, beer, orange juice and fish I had to take a breather.  I came back last Friday to try the Fish taco again with a cleansed pallet so that I could fully enjoy it.  I need to try some of their other menu items soon.

And in the end

We finished the tour by taking a quick peek at College Night up in the flag court.  I felt really out of place and kept having to tell kids I wasn't a narc.  Wayne said the tickets sold fast after 93.3 promoted the event and even at the end of the game there was still a good crowd.  Not really my scene but it takes all kinds.

Overall, the Taste of Petco Park was a cool event I'm really excited about all the new food options.  I was getting a little tired of eating the same few things for 30 nights out of the year.  I definitely need to enjoy the options at a slower pace though and figure out some of the better values.  I'll do that on my own throughout the season, after all this was only meant as a preview.

Blogger Backlash

Afterwards when other fans/bloggers heard that we had been wined and dined by the Padres they questioned our objectivity, which I think is fair.  I'll comment on that subject in a later post, but here's the gist of it:

Padres Jagoff: Are the Padres Bloggers Shills for the Team?

I'm basically saying is yeah, if the Padres keep offering up free stuff, access, experiences and tickets to bloggers, it totally ruins their objectivity and in all likelihood will lead to more positive coverage and much more measured criticism.

@PadresJagoff buying approval or recognizing a method to tell a story to our fans? Either way we are all having fun.

— Wayne Partello (@WaynePartello) April 3, 2014

So take all you've just read with a grain of salt for now, I guess.

As MLB honors Jackie Robinson today, our Padres go for their third straight win of the season and fifth straight against the Rockies at home.

A comeback win against the Rockies last night allowed our Padres to move up to third place in the NL West. Now it's time to expand the lead over Colorado in the standings and inch closer to that .500 record mark.

In the second game of the four-game series, Robbie Erlin will make his second start of the season. Erlin made his season debut out of the bullpen, pitching a scoreless 2/3 of an inning on April 2nd. One week later he made his first start in the tail end of the doubleheader in Cleveland. He allowed one run on four hits in six innings of the 2-1 victory over the Indians, while also striking out six batters and issuing no walks. The lefty, who went 3-3 with a 4.12 ERA in 11 games (9 starts) last season, will be facing the Rockies for the first time in his career tonight.

And he probably couldn't ask for a better time to make his first career start against the Colorado team. The Rockies are riding a four-game Petco Park losing streak after blowing a 4-0 lead in last night's series opener. Despite leading the National League in both batting average (.296) and runs scored (74) this season, they still find themselves in fourth place in the division. Unlike our Padres, who are constantly suffering from poor offensive showings to support their pitching staff (especially the starters), Rockies' pitchers have been unable to keep opponents at bay to back up their offense's run-scoring capabilities. Colorado's pitching staff not only has the second worst ERA in the division, but the second worst ERA in the whole National League, with 74 combined runs allowed. The Padres, by comparison, have only allowed 46 runs (fewest in the division, 5th fewest in the NL). However they have also scored the fewest runs (38) in the NL - second fewest in the majors.

Juan Nicasio hopes to take advantage of the Padres' perpetual offensive struggles, as well as build on his past success against the team. Nicasio is 2-0 with a 2.87 ERA in five career starts against San Diego. He faced them twice in 2013, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out seven in each outing, but didn't get the decision either time. The right-hander was solid in his season debut on April 4th, giving up just one run on four hits in seven innings against the Diamondbacks. But he ran into trouble last Wednesday, yielding four runs on eight hits through five frames.

Our Friars were able to put together some runs in the late innings last night, but hopefully they can get things started earlier tonight and get Erlin the win. First pitch in game 2 is at 7:10 PDT, so join us as we cheer on our team to a series-split-clinching victory on Jackie Robinson Day.

The soon-to-be 30-year old is looking for a mega-deal next winter.

Before locking up second baseman Jedd Gyorko with a five-year, $35M extension that will keep him under team control through 2020, the Padres made an attempt to lock up another one of their infielders. According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Padres offered third baseman Chase Headley a three-year extension in the $33-39M range during the offseason in hopes of locking him up before he hits free agency after this season.

Headley, who turns 30 next month, will be one of the two best third basemen available on the free agent market next winter, along with Pablo Sandoval. He has expressed a willingness to re-sign with the Padres, and the team previously stated that they are willing to make him the highest-paid player in franchise history. Heyman notes that the two sides are nowhere close to a deal, and that Headley will hit free agency without signing an extension before the end of the season.

The market value for third basemen is a bit ambiguous due to weak free agent markets over the past two seasons, with the last sizable deal for a third baseman coming in 2011, when Aramis Ramirez signed a three-year, $36M deal with the Brewers. The Padres could have used that deal as a starting point in Headley talks, but their offer seems to fall way short of what Headley is expecting to receive on the open market.

After a stellar 2012 season in which he hit .286 with 31 HR and 115 RBI while finishing fifth in the NL MVP race, Headley struggled last year, hitting .250 with 13 HR and 50 RBI in 141 games. He is off to a very slow start this season, hitting only .174 with 1 HR and 4 RBI in his first twelve games.

An analysis of the Padres' reported contract extension offer to Chase Headley.

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman filed a report saying that the Padres made a contract offer to Chase Headley this winter after the two sides agreed to a contract for the 2014 season. According to the report, which cites sources familiar with the talks, the offer was for 3 additional years (2015-2017) for "somewhere between $33 million and $39 million". The report also claims the sides are "nowhere close to a deal" and Headley is believed to asking "seeking something well in excess of that offer," but does not cite any source that validates that claim.

This reported offer, while a considerable amount of money, comes up short in a few respects. First off, it seems to have fallen short for Headley and his camp since it was not accepted. Secondly it comes up short with regards to a claim that Padres managing partner Ron Fowler was quoted in the San Diego Union-Tribune as making early May of last year. That claim was that the club was prepared to make Chase Headley the "highest-paid player in franchise history."The highest paid player in franchise history was Jake Peavy who signed a 3 year $52 million extension that also picked up an $8 million option on a previous contract. 4 years, $60 million is greater both in total value and average annual value than 3 years, $40 million. Thirdly, it falls short of what many expect Chase Headley to command in free agency, thus making it seem like a low ball offer. And lastly, I think it falls short in the fans' eyes. Fans are tired of the team being cheap and would like the team to offer contracts to potential or actual free agents that are at least competitive with what other teams offer.

That being said, a Headley contract extension is a tough nut to crack. His performances have been a mixed bag. He has never been a bad player, but one that has had the bar set high. From his rookie days in 2008 when he looked to be the answer to some of the team's offensive woes to 2012 when he showed the ceiling of what he he is capable of doing. A player like that, one where you have a hard time projecting how he will perform in the future, is one that is hard to assign a dollar value to. And when it comes to tens of millions of dollars over a number of years, one wants to only spend that when uncertainty is at a minimum. So, after a 2013 season where Headley did not come close to repeating his 2012 form,  it makes sense that the Padres would want to hedge their bets some. It makes sense that the have a desire to keep Headley, to still pay him handsomely, but not break the bank.

On the other hand, Headley will only get this opportunity once. He turns 30 next month and has an chance this offseason to have teams compete for him with dollars in hand to acquire him during his prime years. It's an alluring proposition. Some of those teams out there have the financial capability to take bigger risks with their money than the Padres do. Why should he limit himself by only hearing what the Padres can offer? Even if the market for his service is not as big as expected, that offer from the Padres may still be waiting for him. It is practically a no-brainer for him to ignore nearly any offer the Padres make with only one season between him and a free agent feeding frenzy.

From an outsider's perspective evaluating this offer is difficult. On one hand, you know the team, money notwithstanding, would be best served to bring back Chase Headley. There does not seem to be a clear way to replace what he brings to the team, especially in the immediate future (i.e. the 2015 season). The team would also be best served if it does not have to pay him like an All Star-caliber player since Headley has not shown that he can consistently be that type of player. In fact, he has never even made an All Star team. However, the expectation is that a professional baseball team should not act cheap. The teams know the risks/rewards of signing Headley and they have some idea what the free agent market will bear for him. The expectation is that the team should be making an offer that both they can live with and that they think can persuade the player to sign. Anything less can only be seen as a failure. Either a failure to understand the market, failure to understand what the player is looking for or a failure to offer the amount of money that the player that they know the player should cost (i.e. being cheap). In certain cases failures in this regard can be okay. Sometimes a player can be overestimating his market value. However, in this case with a player of Headley's age, ability and history would seem to be able to command more than $13 million per year and/or more than a 3 year contract. The team should know that and not have bothered to make this offer. While not an insult, it was certainly not one that would accepted and probably was not a good starting point for a negotiation.

If this was an announcement of a contract extension at the reported price, I think many would have applauded it. The Padres would have filled a hole at 3B for the next few seasons while not paying a ton of money to a player that is not easily projectable. At the same time Headley would have secured a paycheck that is the highest he has ever received and stayed with the team he is comfortable with and has a number of fairly talented player nearing or in their prime. Many would however note that he probably left money on the table, but could understand the appeal of taking the tens of millions of dollars offered to stay in a comfortable situation. The Padres would also be handing out one of the bigger contracts they have ever given out and would get some plaudits for that.

However, that is not the case and this imaginary scenario is just a Padres front office pipe dream (albeit imagined in this case by me). The reality is still that the team either needs to make that offer at a price that Headley will accept and will at the same time help the team reach its on-the-field goals or start looking for ways to move on that will provide a different route to its goals.

The right-hander seems likely to go under the knife for a second time.

San Diego Padres' starter Josh Johnson may require Tommy John surgery due to consistent discomfort in his throwing elbow, according to an industry source familiar with the situation. Johnson is currently waiting on the results of some tests and will likely see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion this week, but Tommy John surgery currently seems like the most likely scenario for the right-hander, according to sources. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports noted earlier tonight that the Padres were becoming increasingly worried about the possibility of Johnson needing Tommy John.

Johnson, who signed a one-year, $8M deal with San Diego this offseason, has been sidelined since the end of March with a strained right forearm and has not appeared in a game yet this season. He had Tommy John surgery back in 2007, and has struggled to stay healthy throughout his entire nine-year major league career.

Johnson's contract includes a $4M option for 2015 that will automatically trigger if the 30-year old makes less than seven starts this season. That clause was put in the deal as an insurance policy due to Johnson's injury history.

San Diego has been ravaged by pitching injuries so far this season, with Cory Luebke going under the knife while Johnson, Burch Smith and Joe Wieland have all dealt with arm troubles as well.

I do not advocate sending anyone down just yet, but if the A's did decide that they want a change based on poor performance, who do you think it should be?

• Optional major-league waivers are required when optioning a player who is more than three calendar years removed from his first appearance on a major-league roster.

• This procedure allows a club to send a player to the minor leagues while keeping him on the 40-man roster. Because optional waivers are revocable, players usually clear in this scenario. In the unlikely event a player is claimed, his club may not option him to the minor leagues, and any subsequent waiver request during the "same period" becomes irrevocable.

Josh Reddick. Option available.
Debut: July 31, 2009. 3-year mark (July 31, 2012)
Athletics/RedSox 2009-2014

Optional Waivers Needed

• Josh Reddick will most certainly be claimed. Because of this, the A's will most likely not waste everyone's time with trying to optionally waive him, then pulling him back. If he loses favor, Craig Alan Gentry may become more of a third OF than a fourth.

Eric Sogard. Option available.
Debut: September 14, 2010. (Sept 14, 2013)
Athletics 2010-2014

Optional Waivers Needed

• Sogard is in the same boat as Reddick. He's good enough for other teams in the West to not let the A's get away with trying to optional waiver him.

Evan Lee Scribner. 2014, Option available.
Debut: April 26, 2011.  (April 26, 2014)
Athletics/Padres 2011-2014

Optional Waivers will be needed after April 26th.

• If Scribner gets recalled to the A's, and the A's then send him down again, he will have to pass through optional waivers. The A's may (much more likely than Reddick and Sogard) attempt to slip Scribner through optional waivers, but if he is claimed, they probably try and work out a trade or just lose him.
• ( It is also possible but not likely Scribner may have to pass through optional waivers in AAA on his three year anniversary date). From my research he does not, but I'm not 100 percent on that rule.)

Where does all this leave the A's? I do not advocate sending anyone down just yet, but if the A's did decide that they want a change based on poor performance, Reddick and Sogard; even though they have options, really do not.

The A's can try to option Reddick/Sogard with seemingly little consequence as optional waivers are revocable (once), but other teams in the West (Texas especially) probably would (and absolutely should) block the A's from doing this, and Texas could also time it right to steal optional waiver players away a smaller percentage of the time. Having as deep a roster as the A's have means other teams should absolutely be taking shots at the A's 26th best player. And the 27th. All year long.

All else being equal ( which they are not) Barton is the best choice, at this point in time, to try and send down for the DFA sneak and keep. His 2014 start has been bad enough, and he costs twice as much as a normal D.F.A. player off the scrapheap. Even with SSS of just a few weeks, the A's could have a good chance of slipping him through waivers for the 23rd time.

Now that Barton has gone from say ( 60/40 would be claimed)  to say (40/60 he would not get claimed), I am now fine with the A's trying to slip him through and bring someone else up with his continued extreme struggles the next week or two.

If he makes it through, he is still all those original good things mentioned, sitting in AAA, waiting for a hot streak to help the A's. Remember though, Barton would be claimed on normal waiver rules, and those are not revocable.

Who do you replace Barton with in SAC? The most likely candidates :

The Favorite.

Mike D. Taylor
.995 OPS
.226/.415/.581...walks and power. The A's feel he is not a good platoon player. But if they want more offense in the outfield, or (DH I guess) they could go this route.

Good Argument.

Nathan Samuel Freiman
.726 OPS
.900 OPS vs LHP

Even if Freiman is a better platoon choice on offense at 1B, I felt from day one, Nate Freiman should play every day at 1B in AAA to develop his defense and develop his hitting vs RHP.  I would rather have Moss play every day or have Callaspo cover 1B than deviate from that plan for at least a few more months and probably longer.

Injured. 
Steven Vogt-
Oblique- day-to-day
Last played 4-08-14

He is not a viable option at this time. With the Vogt injury, keeping Barton rather than Vogt to start the year has already worked out for the A's as far as depth is concerned. The A's got a free dice roll that Barton would start off hot. Enough free rolls and they will hit on a few.

An another Vogt note, the A's may not be able to take advantage of Vogt options next year, as he will then be an optional waiver player.

OF/1B Shane Aaron Peterson (.874 OPS, 130wRC+), in perhaps his swan song year for Oakland, and OF Jacob Dwayne Goebbert, (180wRC+) would be candidates later in the season (assuming Samual BabsonFuld is claimed the next few days, which I do).

Well Athletics Nation. Who do you want to D.F.A.? Who would you call up? Did something I say change your mind?

Must Read:

Decent Exposure. Is Barton the second most important non-starter on the A's by Total Probable Exposure Prevented?speedchaser9 makes a great case. But if Barton is such a player, the easiest way to improve the A's could be to replace Barton not by a player from AAA, but with a (relatively minor) trade getting someone that fits the A's even better than him.

Get to know a little more about one of the newest Yankees.

Dean Anna had never been invited to big league camp before he was traded from the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees this past offseason. He'd spent the 2013 season hitting very well in the Pacific Coast League, known for its hitter-friendly environment, but his big chance came when he switched coasts in return for right-handed relief pitcher Ben Paullus.

This spring Anna hit .262/.367/.286 in Grapefruit League play, making his way onto the Yankees' Opening Day roster as an infield option off the bench to primarily serve as the backup to Derek Jeter. Anna was kind enough to answer some questions for me about the process of becoming a Yankee and give fans a little more insight into one of the newest members of the team.

How did you find out about making the team?

The last few days of spring training everyone gets called into the office and I was called in and Joe Girardi told me I'd made it.

When did it click for you that you had a chance to make the team?

When I was traded to the Yankees from the Padres over the offseason.

What was the biggest adjustment involved in moving from the Padres organization to the Yankees?

The game is the same, so there isn't really an adjustment. The stage is bigger, so you have to control your emotions.

Who was your favorite baseball player and team growing up in Illinois?

I was a Chicago Cubs fan. Ryne Sandberg was one of my favorite players.

What's the most vital piece of advice you've been given as a professional player?

Stay humble and even-keeled.

What do you think is the strongest part of your game?

My versatility. The fact that I can play a lot of positions to help the team.

What is your pre-game routine like?

I get to the field pretty early and make sure I get in a good lunch. After lunch, I go to hit and then back to my locker to relax before going to lift. It's usually about game time after that.

Our last update on Josh Johnson's injury came from GM Josh Byrnes' interview with Darren Smith on March 25th.  Byrnes said that Johnson's velocity had dropped off in the 5th inning of his last Spring Training start and afterwards experienced swelling in his elbow.  Byrnes said the good news was that he had felt better everyday since.  He explained "Sometimes these symptoms are nothing,  sometimes they're Tommy John, sometimes they're more flexor mass, more of a muscular issue."

Unfortunately Johnson's symptoms have not improved and depending on which media source you read the injury is either in his elbow or his forearm.  With each article that's written it sounds more and more like Johnson might need a second UCL repair surgery.

Padres' Josh Johnson could need Tommy John surgery - Yahoo Sports

Johnson will visit Dr. James Andrews this week for a second opinion. It would be Johnson's second Tommy John surgery as well as his second elbow surgery within the six months, after he had bone spurs removed in the offseason. While Johnson could try to rehab the injury, attempts to do so since spring training have failed, and rarely do second opinions lead to suggestions against surgery.

Johnson to have Dr. Andrews inspect forearm | padres.com: News

Does Byrnes think Johnson will pitch for the Padres this season?

"I'm not sure," he said. "We'll know more next week."

Ailing Johnson to meet with Dr. Andrews | UTSanDiego.com

If Johnson makes seven or fewer starts, the Padres can pick him up for $4 million in 2015.

Many fans are piling on the Padres since they've had so many players who've needed Tommy John Surgery in the last few years.  I was eavesdropping last night on a Twitter conversation between our own Wonko and Will Carroll about identifying risk of Tommy John.

@wonkosd Very easy to see on ultrasound

— Will Carroll (@injuryexpert) April 16, 2014

I'd hope that the Padres are doing all their possible research on these players, but I also understand that they are a team that will have to take some significant risks on players in order to compete.

We'll probably know more next week after Johnson gets his second opinion from Dr. Andrews.

When the Padres AAA team, the El Paso Chihuahuas pranked Jeff Francoeur convincing him that his teammate Jorge Reyes was deaf, I sensed it was only a matter of time before there was a backlash from the politically correct crowd. 

The baseball team, the fake deaf pitcher, and the 'idiot' who defended him: not funny | Lilit Marcus  | theguardian.com

They've all succumbed to the narrative of "co-workers hilariously prank the new guy", and ignored the more accurate version: "coworkers spend a month treating the new guy like absolute shit while also making fun of disabled people"

I disagree with Marcus's "more accurate version".  The team wasn't making fun of disabled people.  They were making fun of Jeff Francoeur who is not disabled, unless you consider gullibility an impairment.

So why, exactly, is Francoeur being called an idiot? Because he tried to be compassionate to a colleague, or because he respected someone for his achievements beyond a supposed disability?

It's clear that Marcus doesn't understand why the prank is funny to some.  She questions why Francoeur is being called an idiot.  Is it because he is so compassionate toward a deaf teammate?  The answer is no.  It's because his teammate is obviously not deaf and is terrible at hiding the fact that he's not deaf and yet Francoeur is still oblivious.

I'd be on Marcus's side if the team was mocking deaf people, but I don't see that as the case here.  I think one of the commenters, Greenlake, sums it up pretty neatly.

Maybe, I'm off base though.  Let me know.

Depending on who you ask, pinch hitters are either the unsung heroes of competitive teams or affirmative action for fatties that couldn't cut it in the AL. As a distinctly "National League" type role for a bench player, pinch hitters are often deployed in key strategic moments within a game, where a single at-bat could potentially turn the tide and help change a game's outcome. These high-pressure situations lend themselves to particular types of players who embody the requisite mental fortitude and desirable skillsets needed to excel in this role. With the trend towards generalism and versatility in position players, the late-inning hitting specialist is rapidly disappearing.

There are several different archetypes for pinch hitters.  Many Padres fans will think of sluggers like Matt Stairs, who belted a record 23 pinch hit home runs in his career.  Others will remember the more subdued style of Lenny Harris, who's 804 career pinch hits will probably never be surpassed.  Others still will think of Kevin Towers' several experiments with the pinch hitter position - a strategy that usually consisted of former quasi-stars like Tony Clark or Cliff Floyd thrust into the role.  These familiar tropes appear to be slowly eroding in the new data-driven era of the sport, where rosters are constructed on overall value and production rather than situational excellence.

Sabermetric-minded teams tend to favor players with skillsets that are quantifiable with volumes of data - the more data there is to support a player's skillset, the more resistant that claim is to sample-size variance and confounding variables.  Pinch-hitting data is small-sample by nature.  Furthermore, since pinch hitters are often employed in "big moments" in a game's trajectory, a hitter's performance has extra tendency to activate our own cognitive biases.  These phenomenon together make it difficult to evaluate pinch hitters effectively, however we can still isolate the skillsets that made the game's most effective pinch hitters so successful:

Patience

On the whole, relievers tend to be more wild than starting pitchers.  High-leverage relievers in particular tend to rely on overwhelming velocity or movement on their bread-and-butter pitches.  Many of the best pinch hitters to suit up for the Friars were adept at working the count and laying off of bad pitches.  Matt Stairs, John Vanderwal, Dave Hansen, and Mark Sweeney all had career walk rates in excess of 12%.  To put that number in perspective, the 2013 Padres managed to draw a free pass in only 7.6% of their plate appearances.

The trade-off of this patience is that the deep counts tend to result in an elevated number of strikeouts.  Strike outs can take the proverbial wind out of the sails of a budding rally, but a when a pinch hitter forces a deep count from a fireballing reliever hopped up on adrenaline, he wears them out and gives his teammates a chance to scout and time the pitcher's fastball.

Fastball Hitting Ability

Patience is somewhat useless if it doesn't end in a walk or get you a fastball to hit.  Unfortunately Pitch F/X stats were not kept until 2002, but between that time and the end of his career Matt Stairs did as much damage on fastballs as the entire 2013 Texas Rangers roster.  This adds to the list of baseball's timeless axioms: #475: don't talk about a no-hitter while it's in progress.  #476: when you enter the game, the ball will find you.  #477: don't throw Matt Stairs a two-strike fastball.

Pinch hitters tend to face late-inning relievers, who tend to rely much more heavily on plus-fastballs.  When Edgar Gonzalez was miscast as a major league baseball player pinch hitter, the lesser Gonzalez often fell behind in the count early on fastballs and rarely recovered.  Players who would otherwise make decent role players could still struggle in the pinch hitter role.

Makeup

Call it clutch, call it composure, call it swag (#lmao #yolo #kony2012).  Most people walking this earth don't have the nerves to handle this kind of high-pressure job - especially knowing that even the best are going to fail most of the time.  Lenny Harris, widely regarded as the greatest pinch hitter of all time, was a career .269 hitter.  On the surface there is nothing special about that batting average.  But if you put a .269 hitter in Lenny Harris' shoes, he won't hit .269.

Just like how most relievers are not cut out to be closers, most hitters are not cut out to enter night after night with the game on the line, against the other team's best relievers.  To some extent, all hitters are groomed to deal with more failure than success - even Mike Trout makes an out 60% of the time - however, failure in high-leverage situations carries a kind of gravitas that strikes at players in a more fundamental way.  A pinch hitter who strikes out with the winning run on base in the 9th might be called again in a similar situation the next night.  Hitters groomed for this role need to develop a special type of resiliency to failure, and a thick skin that allows them to work unfazed in big moments.

Scouting the Current Roster

Tommy Medica and Kyle Blanks are two bat-first prospects on the peripheries of the current roster.  Both are basically useless in the field - limited to first base or short stints in the outfield corners.  Both have exciting bats and have impressive minor league track records coupled with some major league success.  As a result of this, there has been considerable fan pressure to provide them with at-bats on a team that often is perceived as offensively-challenged.

Thrusting either into the pinch-hitter role at this point is tempting but misguided.  Younger players almost never break into the league as bench bats, and when they do their development curves are seriously disrupted (see: Belt, Brandon).  Inexperienced players just don't have the job-specific work ethic, confidence, or inertia to immediately take on one of the game's most difficult jobs without room for error or practice.  Baseball is a game of repetition and execution.  For young players to develop into contributors, the first concern in their development is accumulating the maximum number of repetitions against quality competition in the shortest period of time.  Giving a young guy spot starts and a pinch hitting appearance every third day isn't going to allow him to develop the habits necessary to become a great player.

Thanks to roster-flux, there is no cemented bench player in the two ostensible pinch hitter roles.  Theoretically, the jobs were supposed to belong to Chris Denorfia and Seth Smith - experienced players with exploitable platoon splits, and excellent fastball-hitting ability.  With the absence of Carlos Quentin and Cameron Maybin, both of these players have seen their roles pushed closer to the everyday level, which promises to expose some of the weaknesses in their games.  If Smith and Denorfia are allowed to return to their situational roles, they can provide excellent value to the team from a sabermetric standpoint and be used to great effect from a situational one.

Bud Black's favorite ninja, Alexi Amarista, has also been employed off the bench in an attempt to serve as a kind of spark plug for the offense.  He is far from the typical pinch hitter archetype, and is the owner of some unimpressive traditional stats.  However, he is Bud Black's Swiss Army knife off the bench since he can play almost anywhere on the diamond and has uncommonly good bat control.  Despite being a relatively weak hitter, he strikes out about half as often as the rest of the team - making him a great candidate to hit behind runners or move them into scoring position.  In an ideal world, I don't think Amarista is Budbot's first option off the bench, but he certainly has his uses

Finally, although Yasmani Grandal and Yonder Alonso are both pegged as young regulars at this point in their careers, they both possess many of the requisite offensive skills to one day make good pinch hitters.  Alonso fits into the bat control mold with the added perk of decent walk numbers and a good sense for fastballs.  Fans are still waiting to see if the power aspect of his game will ever develop, but his advanced approach is unlike most hitters with his experience level.  Grandal is an on-base machine who also sports above average bat control.  He has flashed power-average potential already, but his main skill is his patience at the plate.  Since entering the league he is in the top-5 in bb%, ahead of Jose Bautista and Adam Dunn.  While they're games are not perfect, Grandal and Alonso are already showcasing a type of acumen that is normally the province of far more experience players.  While I personally believe they will pan out as everyday players, they could one day prove worthy of a roster-spot based on their situationally valuable tools.

Outlook

It certainly appears that teams are less likely to devote entire roster spots to late-era Mark Kotsay types who project to see just 150 or so plate appearances a year.  Thanks to renewed emphasis on defensive value, the trend has been towards more generalized (and typically more athletically gifted) bench players who can fill in for injured starters for longer periods of time rather than the bat-only fossils of yesteryear.  These players can log more meaningful playing time and generate a more descriptive body of work with their statistical profiles.  However, the value of timely hitting will always be high, even if it is more difficult to scout and evaluate.  As front offices continue to try to race eachother to the next great market inefficiency, there may be a renewed interest in players with the skillset required for late-inning heroics.  Finding and developing these players will be challenging, but the payoff is always tremendous.

The Padres won't be getting their first sweep of the season against the Rockies this series. But a series win or tie are still in play, and tonight Andrew Cashner will try to build on an already fantastic start to his 2014 season.

In watching Cashner pitch this season, it is clear why Bud Black chose him as our Opening Day starter. In three starts, he's gone 21 innings while keeping opponents to only three runs on 10 hits and seven walks. He has also collected 22 strikeouts, half of which came in his most recent start. Last Friday against Detroit, Cashner pitched the second one-hit shutout of his career, going the full nine frames while only allowing three baserunners (a hit and two walks). This performance came just five starts after his previous one-hitter, when he took a perfect game into the 7th inning and faced the minimum 27 batters in his effort.

Cashner got a good showing of run support in his start against the Tigers, but that hasn't been the case for him and the rest of the rotation this season. Over his first two starts, the Padres failed to put a single run on the board, so despite only allowing three runs through 12 innings of work Cashner wasn't able to pick up a win. It'll be interesting to see how the right-hander fares against this Colorado team, considering his history against them. In nine lifetime appearances (four starts) against the Rockies, Cashner is 0-3 with a 7.16 ERA.

His opponent, on the other hand, has had a lot of success against the Padres in his career. Jorge De La Rosa has posted a 1.88 ERA while going 3-0 in his last four starts against the Padres. His last loss to San Diego, on the road or at home, dates back almost four years. But the southpaw has yet to find his stride this season. In his first three starts of the year, he has given up a combined 15 runs (14 earned) in just 13 innings of work.

Tune in at 7:10 tonight to see if Cashner can keep his hot streak going and turn in another dominant outing, and if our Padres can put up a better offensive performance this time out.

While it's pretty difficult to follow up a one-hit, complete game shutout, Andrew Cashner still excelled on the mound tonight. The ace lowered his ERA to 1.27 for the young season, allowing just a single earned run over 7.1 innings. It wasn't his cleanest game, as he also allowed 9 hits, but he had backup from his offense. The Padres hit Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa for 3 runs while picking up a fourth run off Tommy Kahnle just for good measure.

Things didn't start as well as they finished, with Justin Morneau taking Cashner deep to right field in the top of the second. That was the last lead the Rockies would get, as Tommy Medica immediately responded with a home run of his own. The game would stay tied until the bottom of the fifth. Alexi Amarista singled, moved to first on a bunt from Cashner, and then went on to third courtesy of Everth Cabrera's single. He scored on a passed ball, but didn't need the help. He would have scored ahead of Cabrera on Chris Denorfia's double to right. Amarista and Cashner would repeat the process in the bottom of the seventh, before Amarista scored again on Denorfia's RBI single.

A leadoff single from Carlos Gonzalez in the top of the eighth turned a little dangerous when Cashner tried to pick him off. He blew the throw, allowing CarGo into scoring position with nobody out. A ground out from Troy Tulowitzki moved him to third, and then he scored on Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly.

That was where things ended, as Joaquin Benoit wrapped up the eighth and Huston Street picked up his fifth save of the season. With the series split guaranteed, Ian Kennedy will try to pick up the series win and bring the team's record back up to .500. First pitch at 3:40 PM. If you make it out to the park, you'll be able to hear the sweet sounds of Bobby Cressey on the organ.

Friar Fever led the comments, and tied for the rec lead with Jodes at 3.

The breaks went the Padres' way for much of the night as they topped the Rockies

This could have been a very different game. There were a number of moments when the character of the game could have shifted in the Rockies' favor; unfortunately, those moments went the Padres' way.

Jorge De La Rosa pitched five solid innings and one shaky one. The bad inning in question was the fifth, when he gave up two runs, but you could probably chalk that up to bad luck. Two of the three hits in the inning were infield knocks that just eluded the defense. The first run scored on a passed ball (we can't even blame that on Wilin Rosario, as Jordan Pacheco was again catching for DLR). Chris Denorfia's subsequent double was the only hard hit ball in the frame.

Those two runs (and a Tommy Medica home run in the second) were all that Andrew Cashner needed. Cashner is a tough nut to crack; he throws his fastball in the mid to upper 90s and it darts this way and that like a pigeon on crack. He allowed only two runs, both off the bat of Justin Morneau. In the second inning, Morneau blasted a change up into the sand box in right center, and in the eighth he brought Carlos Gonzalez home on a sacrifice fly.

But the Rockies had their chances, and they came oh so close to converting them. In the third inning with two men on Cargo lined a bullet to right field that Xavier Nady barely tracked got to. Michael Cuddyer smashed a liner to second base with two men on, but Jedd Gyorko snagged it. And most painful of all, Pacheco grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. If any of those chances had gone the Rockies' way, the entire complexion of the game would have changed.

So it goes. DLR's final line was six innings and three runs allowed, with four Ks and one walk. Despite that interminable fifth inning, it was his best outing of the year. Nolan Arenado made another unbelievable diving play to get Jorge out of that fifth inning. Chad Bettis worked a dominant eighth inning, including a filthy change up to strike out Will Venable. It's nice to see Justin Morneau display some power; he went three for three with a double and a dinger.

But a loss is a loss. The Rockies drop to 7-9. They'll attempt to split  the series tomorrow.

A series win is on the horizon, but the Padres have one more challenge to get through before they can celebrate. Today they'll close out their four-game set against the Rockies with Ian Kennedy on the mound against Franklin Morales.

Kennedy is coming off a start against the Tigers in which he gave up four runs in the first four innings before settling down and shutting them out for two more innings. Overall this season, he's allowed eight runs on 16 hits in 17 innings of work, issuing three hits and collecting 16 strikeouts. He has a 3-2 record with a 2.25 ERA in his last eight starts against Colorado, and he's found great success pitching at Petco Park since he joined the team last Summer, so hopefully he can continue those trends and help the Padres get on top in today's matinee game.

The Padres have won five of their last seven, improving from a 2-6 record to a 7-8 record going into this afternoon's matchup. They've gone back and forth with the Rockies between 3rd and 4th place in the NL  West standings this series, and today they find themselves one game under .500.

Morales will try to keep them below the .500 mark and get the Rockies back above the Padres in the division standings. Morales won a spot in Colorado's rotation out of Spring Training. The Rockies moved the lefty to the bullpen after two less-than-stellar starts (nine runs on 16 hits in 11 2/3 innings), and he made one relief appearance, giving up only one walk and striking out two in an inning of work on Sunday. But Rockies starter Brett Anderson suffered a broken finger and had to exit the game on Saturday, opening up a spot in the rotation again for Morales to try and redeem himself as a starter.

The southpaw made one career start against the Padres in his rookie year in 2007 and held them to one hit in six scoreless frames. Since then he's pitched 14 relief innings against San Diego, compiling a 6.28 ERA.

See how the series ends this afternoon at 3:40 PDT. B Cres is making his season debut up in section 311/313 so make sure you go up and say hi to him if you're going to the game, and tweet him (@Bobbycressey) your song requests for him to play on the organ.

Final game of this four game set starts at 4:40 Rockies time.

One week ago the Colorado Rockies were leaving Coors Field after winning a series against the White Sox in which no game was decided by less than six runs. Tyler Chatwood was set to join the rotation and Jordan Lyles strong start to the season was forcing Franklin Morales back to the bullpen. The Rockies had climbed back to .500 on the season and were only waiting for Jhoulys Chacin to return to make the rotation even stronger. What a difference a week makes.

The Rockies lost Brett Anderson (to a broken finger) and four of six games on this road trip. Morales, who had one shutout inning in relief on the trip, will be starting now at least until Chacin makes his return in a couple of weeks. Despite the bad outcomes, there are some positive things from this road trip. Last night was the first game decided by more than one run on this trip and, without a couple of implosions by Rex Brothers, the team could have had a winning road trip.

A win today will make this trip a 3-4 excursion which, when have the trip was spent in San Francisco, almost feels like a small victory. Unfortunately for the Rockies they will be facing Ian Kennedy who has had some success against them since coming from the Yankees to the NL West in 2010. In fifteen starts against the Rockies he has a 2.80 ERA, however the Rockies did get a win against his team last year in his only decision.

Morales, who has had only one start in his career against San Diego, does not have a strong history against the Padres. In fourteen games, he has posted a 6.28 ERA and garnered two losses and zero wins. The Rockies need to take advantage of their opportunities and start a winning streak as they return home.

Lineups:

Colorado

1. Charlie Blackmon (L) CF

2. Michael Cuddyer (R) RF

3. Corey Dickerson (L) LF

4. Troy Tulowitzki (R) SS

5. Justin Morneau (L) 1B

6. Wilin Rosario (R) C

7. Nolan Arenado (R) 3B

8. DJ LeMahieu (R) 2B

9. Franklin Morales (L) P

San Diego

1. Everth Cabrera (S) SS

2. Chris Denorfia (R) RF

3. Jedd Gyorko (R) 2B

4. Xavier Nady (R) LF

5. Yasmani Grandal (S) C

6. Tommy Medica (R) 1B

7. Will Venable (L) CF

8. Alexi Amarista (L) 3B

9. Ian Kennedy (R) P

GO ROCKIES!

Billboard Magazine is doing a series where musicians preview their "hometown" baseball team.  The San Diego Padres ended up with the Christian rock band Switchfoot, specifically brothers Tim and Jon Foreman. I'm not familiar with their music at all, so I'm getting to know them through this article.

The brothers don't get off to the best start in my eyes since they're from Boston and haven't totally and completely rejected their allegiances to the Red Sox.  San Diego has far too many Boston transplants for my liking and they never stop talking about their teams, ever.

Play Ball: Switchfoot Previews San Diego Padres' 2014 Season | Billboard

"Both have Red Sox allegiances from being partially raised in Boston, though being San Diego residents, they most closely identify as Padres fans."

The preview itself is light fare as you'd expect.  It does seem like they follow the team though, since they know that Chase Headley hasn't been living up to expectations and that Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin are both injured.  Though I guess you could say that about almost any season in the past few years and be right more often then you are wrong.  They mention Seth Smith and he's new, so they've got that going for them.

In the end, they conclude that the Padres have a chance because really all teams have at least some chance this early in the season.

For me, anything is possible and we’ve been close before and who knows, maybe this is our year.

An interesting factoid, they played a gig at phone company ballpark and had to agree to not wear Padres gear, but they did it anyway.  That earned them some points in my score book.

The Giants were playing the Padres and they had a strict contract that we had to sign that we wouldn’t wear any Padres paraphernalia. My brother snuck in his socks; I think that went under the radar.

On a side note, I remember seeing a pretty sweet 78 away jersey at the Padres garage sale for a cheap price, I turned it over and it said Switchfoot across the back.  Needless to say I didn't buy it.

Ian Kennedy took a no-hitter into the sixth inning today, but a combination of quiet bats and sloppy defense still led to him being tagged with the loss. The Padres offense picked up just four hits in Franklin Morales's six-inning stint. One of those was Xavier Nady's solo shot to left field that led off the fourth inning and provided San Diego's sole run.

The wheels fell off of Kennedy's gem in the top of the seventh, starting with a one-out double down the third base line courtesy of Corey Dickerson. That was followed by a walk to Troy Tulowitzki. Then Justin Morneau hit a long fly ball to right field, Chris Denorfia got a bad jump on it, and it fell for a double, scoring Dickerson to tie the game. Tulowitzki scored from third on a ground out to Everth Cabrera. Cabrera looked to stop Tulo, but there was no chance of a play at home. The third run came on a single from Nolan Arenado.

The Padres split the series and fall to two games under .500. The offense will try to rebound behind Tyson Ross as the Giants come to town tomorrow. First pitch is at 7:10 PM.

Unsurprisingly, Friar Fever led the comments again while picking up 4 recs.

Franklin Morales holds on long enough for Rockies' offense to find a way to score.

There was much trepidation here at Purple Row for the final game of this road trip.  Luck and umpires' strike zones had been going against the Rockies for the past week and facing Ian Kennedy with Franklin Morales on the mound did not provide a lot of confidence amongst fans, but that is why they play the game.

Morales was effectively wild early before settling down after giving up a home run to former Rockie farmhand Xavier Nady.  His excess of pitches early only cost him from going farther in the game though as he ended up with five strikeouts to only one walk and one run in six innings.

Ian Kennedy was also throwing a gem, frustrating Rockies' hitters with a no-hitter until the sixth and a shutout until the seventh.  However, Corey Dickerson, filling in the three spot for Carlos Gonzalez, got things started in the seventh and the Rockies scored three quick runs to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Rex Brothers recovered from his struggles earlier in the week to have a successful inning without giving up more than two balls to any hitter.  Boone Logan held in the eighth and LaTroy Hawkins got help from a double play to continue his perfection in save opportunities.

A quick note to fellow fans.  I apologize for not being invovled on the game thread as the internet from Tropicana Field in Tampa was horrible, likely due to all of the Yankees fans who showed up.  On a side note, I was able to watch a triple play turned by New York and see Jeter in his final year...but I had to wait to see the Rockies' game.

Rowcall:

AZRockie, Annie Savoy, Asauce, BostonTransplant, BubbaFan, Chacinisthefuture, Chrysicat, Colsportsfan, Drew Creasman, ES46NE10, Kevin V. Minor, Nephelimdream, NoDo Joe, Northsider1964, PurpleToPurple, RhodeIslandRoxfan, RockyMountainWay91, SDcat09, Sjamb, WalkInRight, butterfly2, chickenfoof, dmoneyrox, dyzz, goldenInGolden, holly96, idj2, nightninja13, papality

Graph:

Source: FanGraphs