Padres Press Clips Thursday, February 2, 2017

Transcription

1 Padres Press Clips Thursday, February 2, 2017 Article Source Author Page Around the Horn: Solarte in line to start at third for Padres MLB.com Cassavell 2 Espinoza among pitching prospects with best pure tools MLB.com Callis 4 Padres Margot packs some of top tools among prospects MLB.com Callis 6 Anderson Espinoza the Padres consensus top prospect UT San Diego Sanders 9 Padres roster review: Zach Lee UT San Diego Sanders 11 Report: Padres drawing consistent trade interest in lefty relievers The Score McWilliam 13 How a tainted trade last summer still is impacting at least 3 MLB franchises Fox Sports Rosenthal 14 Can Padres take advantage of lone franchise status? Baseball America Glaser 17 1

2 Around the Horn: Solarte in line to start at third for Padres Club has options at the position, but switch-hitter's bat will be in lineup regardless By AJ Cassavell / 10:09 AM ET Earlier this offseason, when the Padres gave Yangervis Solarte a two-year contract extension with a pair of club options, they made a statement: Solarte is the third baseman for the foreseeable future, a middle-of-the-order piece who can help anchor a very young lineup. Unless, of course, Solarte isn't their third baseman at all. Make no mistake, Solarte is the clear-cut favorite to man the hot corner for the Padres in But for now at least, the club is leaving its options open as the front office mulls the possibility of moving him to second base. "Maybe [Ryan Schimpf and Cory Spangenberg] move over to third and Solarte plays second," Padres manager Andy Green said. Schimpf and Spangenberg are currently fighting for a starting job. "That's a conversation we're still internally throwing around. But the expectation right now is Soley's probably at third base." Wherever Solarte ends up playing, he has developed into a formidable presence in the Padres' lineup. He batted.286/.341/.467 with a career-high 15 homers in 109 games last season. And he likely will serve as the primary lineup protection for Wil Myers. At third base, Solarte has proven himself a capable defender, though not especially flashy. (He has done the same at second over his career -- albeit in a much smaller sample size.) Whether Solarte switches positions could depend on who emerges between Spangenberg and Schimpf. As it stands, they're the two front-runners for the second-base job, with Carlos Asuaje also fighting for a roster spot. Again, the sample sizes are small, but Schimpf has proven himself better defensively at third than Spangenberg, whereas the opposite is true at second. If Spangenberg seizes the job in camp, Solarte will almost certainly stay put. If Schimpf does, the Padres might be best served to consider flipping the two. 2

3 But for all intents and purposes, Solarte is the Padres' starting third baseman right now. He has become a fan favorite in that capacity, known for his energy and passion on the diamond. Solarte endured personal tragedy during the 2016 season, when his wife, Yuliett, lost her battle with cancer. After his return, he spoke constantly of the Padres organization as a family. After signing his extension, he noted how that played a role in his decision to commit his future to San Diego. "Coming back and having that support meant a ton," Solarte said through a team interpreter. "Just being here with my teammates... knowing that I'd be here, I could play here calmly and know that I have this family." Solarte's bat will be critical to the Padres in 2017, that much is obvious. But in the clubhouse, Green believes he's worth just as much. "He's energy, he's life. Everybody gravitates to him because of those things," Green said. "He's always smiling, he loves to be at the yard. He's one of the guys, as we go into this season, we're expecting big things from." Projected starter: Solarte Potential backups: Schimpf, Spangenberg, Asuaje Top 30 prospects: Luis Urias, No. 11; Asuaje, No. 20 3

4 Espinoza among pitching prospects with best pure tools By Jim Callis / 11:47 AM ET Brent Honeywell is the foremost practitioner of the screwball in the Minors. Yadier Alvarez's $16 million bonus was nearly twice as much as any other pitcher got during the international signing period. Riley Pint had the highest ceiling in the 2016 Draft. What do these three right-handers have in common? Among all the pitchers on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list, they possess the best combination of top three pitches (fastball, best breaking ball, changeup) plus control. Utilizing the scouting scale, where 50 represents big league average, we grade each of a pitcher's offerings and his ability to locate them where he wants. Honeywell (Rays, No. 31 on the Top 100), Alvarez (Dodgers, No. 49) and Pint (Rockies, No. 51) all tied for first at 240. (As we did with the position-player version of the story, we'll issue a quick disclaimer. We understand that there's more to evaluating prospects than just adding up their tools. We consider other factors, such as track record of performance and how close or far they are from reaching their ceilings. This look is intended to be more interesting than scientific.) Honeywell is notable for his screwball, which rates as a 65, and also as one of just three pitchers on the Top 100 to earn a 60 for his control. He might have the deepest repertoire on the list as well, as he employs a screwball, a mph fastball (we graded it as a 60), a solid changeup (55) and cutter and a curveball he mixes in to keep hitters off balance. A relatively unheralded second-round pick out of Walters State CC (Tenn.) in 2014, he's on the cusp of arriving in Tampa Bay after posting a 2.58 ERA with 286 strikeouts in 279 1/3 pro innings. Alvarez entered pro ball with much more fanfare after defecting from Cuba, costing Los Angeles not just his $16 million bonus, but also a matching tax penalty for exceeding its international spending pool. His arm speed and athleticism produce overpowering stuff: a 75 fastball that sits in the mid-90s and tops out in the triple digits, a 60 slider in the mid-80s and a 55 changeup and curveball. While his control merits only a 50 grade at this point, he showed more polish than expected in his pro debut and cut his walk rate to 2.5 per nine innings in low Class A late last season. Pint's profile is more similar to Alvarez's than Honeywell's. He may own the best pure stuff on the Top a 75 fastball that parks at mph and can reach 102, a 60 power curveball that he can morph into a harder 50 slider when he wants and a shockingly advanced 60 changeup with fade -- which earns 4

5 him Justin Verlander comparisons and made him the fourth overall pick last June. The caveat is that his delivery features considerable effort, detracting from his control (a 45) and command and leading to some concerns about his long-term health. Six right-handers finished close behind Honeywell, Alvarez and Pint with tools totals of 235. That group includes top-rated pitching prospect Alex Reyes (Cardinals, No. 6), who can make hitters look silly with his 75 fastball and 60 curveball; Lucas Giolito (White Sox, No. 12), who ranked first a year ago with a total of 260 before his velocity and control regressed last summer; and Michael Kopech (White Sox, No. 16), who made headlines by reportedly hitting 105 mph in a game in July. We cited Kopech as having the best fastball and Giolito as possessing the top curveball in our breakdown of the best individual tools on the Top 100. The other 235s belong to Francis Martes (Astros, No. 20), Anderson Espinoza (Padres, No. 25) and Jose De Leon (Rays, No. 33). Martes and Espinoza both feature 70 fastballs, with the former backing his up with a 65 curveball and the latter displaying a 60 changeup. De Leon is just one of four Top 100 pitchers to earn three different plus-or-better grades: 65 changeup, 60 fastball, 60 control. The highest-graded left-handers are Jason Groome (Red Sox, No. 41) and Kolby Allard (Braves, No. 53) at 230. MLBPipeline's top-rated 2016 Draft prospect, Groome has one of the best curveballs (65) in the Minors, a fastball (60) that peaks at 97 mph with armside run and more polish (55 control) than a typical high schooler. Allard, considered by many scouts to be the best prep pitcher in the 2015 Draft, has a similar profile with a better changeup (55) and a little less curveball (60). 5

6 Padres' Margot packs some of top tools among prospects By Jim Callis / 11:13 AM ET There's a reason Victor Robles' name surfaced in trade talks when the Nationals were linked to Andrew McCutchen and Chris Sale this offseason. And there's a reason Washington wouldn't give him up, even if it meant not landing one of those All-Stars. Robles has the best all-around tools of any player on MLBPipeline.com's just-released Top 100 Prospects list. Using the scouting scale, where 50 represents Major League average, we projected Robles as a 60 hitter with 50 power, 70 speed, 65 arm strength and 60 defense in center field. That package, which equates to a.280 hitter with homers and 30 steals plus potential Gold Glove defense, helped him rank No. 8 on the Top 100, behind seven prospects who are closer to reaching their own considerable ceilings. The sum of Robles' five tools adds up to 305. For comparison's sake, Byron Buxton had the highest total on last year's Top 100 at 340, with Robles coming in second at 300. Mike Trout's sum was 335 when he was a prospect, and Bo Jackson's would have been almost certainly the highest in the Draft era. Bo knew tools. (Time for a quick disclaimer: Yes, we know that some tools matter more than others and there's more to evaluating prospects than simply adding up their five tools. This is meant to be a fun look at some of the most talented players on the Top 100, not the most scientific of analyses.) Just behind Robles in terms of all-around brilliance is another center fielder who was used as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade the previous offseason. Manuel Margot (No. 23 on the Top 100) highlighted the four-player package the Red Sox sent to the Padres for Craig Kimbrel in November

7 Margot is arguably the top defensive prospect in the Minors (we graded him as a 70), also has a sterling track record as a hitter (60) and possesses well above-average speed (70) and plus arm strength (60). His lone subpar tool is his below-average power (40), though his total still comes to an impressive 300. Mets shortstop Amed Rosario (No. 5) is the standout among infielders, coming in third overall with a tools total of 295. He stands out most for his defensive prowess and arm strength, earning 65s in both categories, but also has plenty of offensive upside with plus hitting ability and speed. He has fringy power, though that's more than most middle infielders possess. Three players tied for fourth at 290. White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada (No. 2) should be no surprise, because he received the same score a year ago and his talent helped persuade the White Sox to send Sale to Boston. Often described as Robinson Cano with more speed, Moncada is a switch-hitter with electric bat speed from both sides of the plate, well above-average speed and a strong arm. Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger (No. 13) and Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman (No. 100) also have 290s, which is notable considering where they play. Up-the-middle players usually feature the broadest array of tools, given the demands of their positions. Twenty of the 21 Top 100 Prospects who averaged 55 or better tools across the board last year were potential middle infielders or center fielders, and the same is true of 20 of 23 this time around. Bellinger and Chapman are both members of MLBPipeline's All-Defense Team, meriting 70 grades with their gloves. They also stood out on our list of superlative tools on the Top 100, with Bellinger the game's top power prospect (65) and Chapman owning the strongest arm in the Minors (75). Highest total scouting grades among Top 100: C -- Jorge Alfaro, Phillies (No. 72), 265 1B -- Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (No. 13), 290 2B -- Yoan Moncada, White Sox (No. 2), 290 3B -- Nick Senzel, Reds (No. 26): 280 7

8 SS -- Amed Rosario, Mets (No. 5): 295 OF -- Victor Robles, Nationals (No. 8): 305 OF -- Manuel Margot, Padres (No. 23): 300 3B -- Matt Chapman, Athletics (No. 100): 290 OF -- Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox (No. 1): 285 OF -- Lewis Brinson, Brewers (No. 18): 285 8

9 Anderson Espinoza the Padres' consensus top prospect Jeff Sanders Contact Reporter As difficult as it is to build consensus in these times, the three chief outlets who rank prospects ESPN s Keith Law, Baseball America and MLB.com at least agree on one thing: Anderson Espinosa is the Padres top prospect. Law was the latest, pushing Espinoza to the top of a Padres top-10 (subscription required) that looks like this: 1. RHP Anderson Espinoza 2. RHP Cal Quantrill 3. CF Manuel Margot 4. SS Fernando Tatis Jr. 5. LHP Adrian Morejon 6. RHP Jacob Nix 7. OF Hunter Renfroe 8. SS Javier Guerra 9. 2B Luis Urias 10. RHP Mason Thompson While his top-five Padres prospects all have a spot in Law s top-100, Espinoza is currently in the top spot in all three lists (MLB.com will update its again on Feb. 27). Here s a snippet from each on Espinoza, who doesn t turn 19 until March 9. Law He has a great body and his delivery works well, with the velocity coming fairly easy and with no real obstacles to command or to improving the breaking ball. Given how good his raw stuff is and that he throws strikes, it was a little surprising he didn t have better results in low-a between Greenville and Fort Wayne, but again, he was just 18, so this was like a high school senior pitching in the Sally and Midwest Leagues. 9

10 Baseball America (No. 1 Espinoza, No. 2 Margot, No. 3 Renfroe, No. 4 Quantrill, No. 5 Morejon, No. 6 Urias, No. 7 Nix, No. 8 CF Michael Gettys, No. 9 RHP Dinelson Lamet, No. 10 1B Josh Naylor) (Yordano Ventura was) a common comparison for Espinoza in terms of size and raw stuff, but Espinoza does it easier and possesses superior makeup and maturity that should help him surpass the Royals righthander. He has all the tools to become a front-of-the-rotation ace and will look to solidify that profile atop high Class A Lake Elsinore s rotation to begin If he stays healthy and all goes according to plan, Espinoza should be in line to make his Padres debut by 2018 as a 20-year-old. MLB.com (No. 1 Espinoza, No. 2 Margot, No. 3 Renfroe, No. 4 Naylor, No. 5 Quantrill, No. 6 Morejon, No. 7 Guerra, No. 8 RHP Chris Paddack, No. 9 LHP Eric Lauer, No. 10 Gettys) Because of Espinoza's small stature, big stuff and precocious command, he draws some extreme comparisons to Pedro Martinez. With little effort in his delivery, he usually works at mph with his fastball. Both Espinoza's tight curveball and sinking changeup are more advanced than those of the typical teenager, showing the potential to become plus pitches. 10

11 Padres roster review: Zach Lee Jeff Sanders Contact Reporter Sizing up the Padres 40-man roster, from A to Z, heading into the 2017 season. ZACH LEE Position: Right-handed pitcher Acquired: Selected off waivers in December 2016 (Mariners); Originally a 1 st - round pick in 2010 (McKinney HS, Texas) 2017 Opening Day age: 25 Contract status: Won t be arbitration-eligible until 2020 Key stats (AAA): 7-14, 6.14 ERA, 107 strikeouts, 39 walks, 1.57 WHIP,.314 avg. against, 148 innings (27 starts) Stat to note 22 The number of home runs that Lee allowed while pitching for the Dodgers and Mariners Triple-A affiliates in 2016, four times as much as he allowed while posting a 2.63 ERA in the minors in Trending Down Once the No. 28 overall pick by the Dodgers, Lee s best minor league season 2015 (see above) gave way to a brief MLB debut in which he allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. Then Lee struggled without 2016, was traded from Los Angeles to Seattle and now finds himself in San Diego in search of momentum lost. He s posted an ERA above 5.00 in two of his last three seasons, allowed opposing hitters to bat.314 against him last year and was designated for assignment in December outlook Once a top prospect, Lee gets a chance to revive his career in what figures to be a freefor-all for the Padres rotation this spring. Luis Perdomo, Christian Friedrich, Clayton Richard, Jhoulys Chacin and Trevor Cahill are among the 11

12 favorites, while Lee is among a handful of longshots Tyrell Jenkins and a number of minor league signees who could fill out the Triple-A El Paso rotation if their bids fall short. 12

13 Report: Padres drawing consistent trade interest in lefty relievers by Bryan Mcwilliam 3h ago With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in less than two weeks, teams throughout the big leagues are seeking ways to improve their clubs before things get underway, and two of the more popular targets are possessed by the San Diego Padres. The Padres have been drawing consistent trade interest in two of their left-handed relievers, Brad Hand and Ryan Buchter, reports FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. With teams looking for ways to add lefty relief help to their bullpens without having to pay a premium price for those remaining on the open market, Hand and Buchter seem like viable options. Both of the southpaws were valuable members of the Padres pen last season. PITCHER G IP ERA WHIP SO Ryan Buchter Brad Hand Both pitchers are under long-term control - Hand for three years, Buchter for five - so the Padres aren't interested in trading either of them unless they receive legitimate prospects in return, sources told Rosenthal. Lefty relievers have done well on the open market so far this offseason, with Aroldis Chapman, Brett Cecil, Mike Dunn, Marc Rzepczynski, and J.P. Howell all securing major-league deals, but it appears clubs aren't as interested in spending cash on the remaining players in free agency. Southpaw relievers Jerry Blevins, Craig Breslow, Chris Capuano, Boone Logan, Javier Lopez, and Travis Wood all currently remain unemployed, although most of them have received interest. 13

14 How a tainted trade last summer still is impacting at least 3 MLB franchises Ken Feb 2, 2017 at 1:06p ET When Major League Baseball suspended Padres general manager A.J. Preller last September, it was for his failure to disclose required medical information in a trade that sent left-hander Drew Pomeranz to the Red Sox for right-hander Anderson Espinoza. Preller did not receive additional discipline for allegedly engaging in similar conduct in a separate deal with the Marlins; the teams made a second trade to address the Marlins concerns, with the Padres taking back injured right-hander Colin Rea. That chaotic two-tiered transaction, however, had a lasting effect not just on the Marlins, but also on the Phillies and other clubs, according to major-league sources. The impact of those frantic few days between the initial trade last July 29 and the second one on Aug. 1 offer additional insight into why some in baseball still believe that Preller s suspension for 30 days without pay was too light. The Marlins, according to major-league sources, wanted to undo their entire sevenplayer trade with the Padres after Rea suffered a major elbow injury in his first start after arriving from San Diego. The commissioner s office offered the Marlins the opportunity to rescind the deal, just as it later offered the Red Sox the opportunity to undo Espinoza for Pomeranz, sources said (the Red Sox declined; they were in a pennant race at the time, and Pomeranz was healthy enough to pitch). The Marlins, however, were under the impression that the commissioner s office preferred them to seek a remedy from the Padres, sources said. That, ultimately, was the path the Marlins chose, sending Rea back to the Padres for pitching prospect Luis Castillo, who also was in the original deal. In the first exchange, Castillo, right-hander Jarred Cosart, reliever Carter Capps and first-base prospect Josh Naylor went to the Padres for Rea and right-handers Andrew Cashner and Tayron Guerrero. The Marlins Plan B, if they had nixed the deal, was to trade Naylor to the Phillies for right-hander Jeremy Hellickson and market Castillo for a controllable starter before the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, sources said. The Phillies, sources said, had agreed 14

15 on Hellickson-for-Naylor, only to lose out when the Marlins kept their deal with the Padres mostly intact, enabling Naylor to remain with San Diego. A complete voiding of the initial trade, as the Marlins understood it, would have been complicated by the fact that Cashner already had pitched for them, allowing one earned run in six innings in a 5-4 victory over the Cardinals on July 31. The Marlins initially pursued Cashner and Rea to satisfy their goal of acquiring two starting pitchers one short-term asset (Cashner was a potential free agent) and one long-term (Rea was under control for five-plus seasons). Once Rea was injured he missed the rest of the season and underwent Tommy John surgery on Nov. 10 that plan went awry. The Rea-for-Castillo exchange was announced approximately three hours before the non-waiver deadline. By that time, it was too late for the Marlins to flip Castillo for a controllable starter. It also was too late for the Phillies to move Hellickson; they had told clubs they were heading in another direction and could not resuscitate those talks, sources said. The Marlins went the rest of the season with Cashner as their only major-league piece from the Padres deal. They were within 1.5 games of the second NL wild card on Aug. 21, but faded from contention even before ace right-hander Jose Fernandez s tragic death in a boating accident on Sept. 25. Meanwhile, the fallout from last year s deadline continues: *The Marlins finally traded Castillo for a controllable starter on Jan. 19, sending him and two other prospects to the Reds for right-hander Dan Straily. *The Padres kept the three other players they acquired from the Marlins: Cosart, who is projected to be part of their 2017 rotation; Capps, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time of the trade but is expected back this season; and Naylor, a gifted left-handed hitter who is the No. 4 prospect in the Padres talent-rich farm system, according to MLBPipeline.com. *The Phillies retained Hellickson when he accepted their $17.2 million qualifying offer, but face little choice but to trade him before this year s non-waiver deadline, presuming they are out of contention and Hellickson is healthy. 15

16 The new collective-bargaining agreement prevents players from receiving a second qualifying offer. Hellickson will not be eligible for draft-pick compensation; the Phillies will need to move him to get any kind of return. Their efforts do not figure to be as complicated if they try again. 16

17 Can Padres Take Advantage Of Lone Franchise Status? February 01, 2017 By Kyle Glaser The Padres are about to wade into unfamiliar territory. With it will come potentially lucrative business opportunities. With last month s announcement the NFL s San Diego Chargers were relocating to Los Angeles, the Padres became the only major professional sports franchise in San Diego. As such, San Diego becomes the lone MLB-only market in North America. All other 29 MLB teams share their markets with at least one other major professional sports team from the NBA, NFL, and/or NHL. In the view of David Carter, the executive director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California s Marshall School of Business, that puts the Padres in an opportunistic position. There s a potentially very important business development part of this, Carter said. Now that (the Padres) have the market to themselves, it will really help them with gaining advertisers and sponsors trying to reach sports fans and consumers. An NFL fan is not exactly the same as a baseball fan, but any time you have fewer competitors in the marketplace, the better opportunity for you to move the needle in terms of advertising or sponsorship, whether that s radio or selling suites and signage in venue. That, and they now have the ability to capture some of that disposable income fans were spending on the Chargers and divert some of that through some great marketing and other campaigns. Even if it s just a little bit, it can be a boon for the Padres. San Diego is the first MLB-only market since Baltimore from , in between when the Colts left for Indianapolis and the NFL returned with the Ravens in Other sports leagues have had varying success with single-team markets. The NBA has seen long-term competitive and financial success with the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz, but less so with the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings. The NHL s San Jose Sharks have fared well, but the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes (the league s only U.S. single-team markets) are largely at the bottom of the league in terms of long-term success and revenue. The Jacksonville Jaguars have long been a flop as the only single-team market in the NFL. From a Padres perspective, from a baseball perspective, it s a different dynamic (than other sports) because you re talking about so much more inventory, so many more games at Petco (Park), Carter said. It puts a lot of increased focus on the franchise in terms of their ability in the community. They have a lot more room to be an integral part of the community. They don t have to share that space with other franchises. It gives them a chance to message what they stand for, what they re all about, without a lot of clutter in the marketplace. The Padres do have a leg up on the aforementioned single-team market franchises. All of them were expansion franchises in markets with no previous major professional sports team experience. The Padres have been in San Diego since 1969 and have a long-held imprint in their market that spans generations. 17

18 That existing community foothold and the allure of Petco Park has them set up for the road to success, Carter said, although he added the franchise has to be wary of taking it for granted. I think the corporate experience, the fan experience at Petco despite a losing record has been a really compelling one, Carter said. People think very favorably of the location of the venue, they enjoy the Gaslamp District, the food and beverage options, especially compared to what was going on at Qualcomm Stadium. From that standpoint, winning matters a tremendous amount, but also, great customer service matters a lot. (But) the notion that We don t have to try because we re the only show in town I think that s a pretty dubious route to take and fans see through it, he added. Any business resting on their laurels, especially if the laurels are not strong, that s a failing strategy going forward. Taking for granted that you have the market to yourself would be just as detrimental as not performing in the market now that you have it all to your own. Major League Baseball declined comment on the Padres transition to being the lone major sports franchise in their market. For their part, the Padres issued a statement from chairman Ron Fowler and managing partner Peter Seidler shortly after the formal announcement the Chargers were relocating. We are deeply disappointed by the news that the Chargers are leaving San Diego, the statement said. The Chargers are a community treasure, and we have always believed that San Diego is better off with the team here. That said, we know San Diego will continue to grow and become an even more vibrant community. If they play their cards right, the Padres will play an integral part in making that happen and stand to reap the rewards. They should have been preparing for either of those eventualities, the Chargers staying or leaving, Carter said, so, they should be well into the planning of how to activate now that they have the market to themselves. Read more at 18