Padres Press Clips Thursday, March 17, 2016

Transcription

1 Padres Press Clips Thursday, March 17, 2016 Article Source Author Page Why Andrew Cashner might finally be all he can be UT San Diego Acee 2 Green sees organizational strength up the middle UT San Diego Sanders 5 FanFest, All-Star Sunday tickets on sale UT San Diego Sanders 8 Padres working toward improved OF range MLB.com Cassavell 11 Shields, Erlin, Perdomo keep busy on off-day MLB.com Cassavell 14 1

2 Why Andrew Cashner might finally be all he can be Time for Padres pitcher to reach the prodigious potential he possesses By Kevin Acee 6 a.m. March 17, 2016 PEORIA, ARIZ. Andrew Cashner is too good to not be better. The right-hander of perpetual promise. That s the best backhanded compliment we can bestow upon the 6-foot-6 Texan. The Padres erstwhile ace walks to the mound with so much stuff and then stuff happens. I ve had an interesting career, Cashner said before a weight room workout Monday morning. I ve been hurt. I ve done well. I ve not done well. That s the beauty of baseball. It s not, What have you done? It s, What will you do this year? Indeed. What will Cashner do? Is this the year he will become the pitcher he can be? According to Andy Green, the answer to When? is Now. Said Green: He s going to have the best year of his Padres tenure this year. Besides the simple fact that Green is a sort of miniature Tony Robbins, the Padres new manager bases his projection on both a conversation and an escape. The first time he and Cashner spoke after Green was hired, Green brought up Cashner s difficulty extricating himself from precarious situations in His inability to shake off bad plays behind him, in particular, often led to disastrous results. Cashner s 4.34 ERA in 15 was the highest of his career, and his 111 runs allowed were fourth-most in the majors. Worse, that total included a MLB-high 22 unearned runs. (He d allowed a total of 15 in his previous two seasons as a starter.) Opponents batted.292 with men on,.284 with runners in scoring position and two outs against Cashner last season. 2

3 I shared those things with him based on looking at numbers, Green said. To his credit, he owned it. As a process of getting better as a pitcher, working through it, when you bring it to someone s attention, it helps him detach in the moment, evaluate it from an outside perspective like, OK, this is where I rise up, this is where I overcome what has been my Achilles heel in the past. He is going to improve this year. Toward that end, Green was pleased to witness Cashner in the first inning of his second spring start. After a third strike got past catcher Derek Norris in the first inning, Cashner followed with a four-pitch walk. He then induced an inning-ending double play and went on to complete three hitless innings. Maybe Green s optimism and even the results so far Cashner has thrown five scoreless innings in two spring starts, his third scheduled for Thursday a mirage of spring. But the thing about potential is that it comes from somewhere. Cashner has obscene ability. While taking responsibility for his lack of command and for not being able to overcome, Cashner mostly attributes his worst season as a starter to bad luck. It s easy to see his view given the inclusion of a June 1 outing against the Mets in which 12 of the 14 outs Cashner recorded came by strikeout and he didn t walk a single batter. That might be the best 4 2/3 innings a starter has ever thrown while allowing 11 hits and six runs (five earned). Honestly, that s nasty. It was one bad year, Cashner said. It was a struggle, but we can find hope in the positives. In a season in which Cashner frequently flew home to Texas between starts to be with his ill mother, he still took the mound 31 times, threw a career-high 184 2/3 innings and his eight strikeouts per nine innings were most in his three seasons as a starter. His maturation process last year was awesome, pitching coach Darren Balsley said. He went through I m not going to call it a bad season, but compared to other 3

4 seasons it wasn t real good. He never caved in. he never gave up. He took the mound for (31) starts. There are some good things that happened last year also. He grew up, and it was nice to see. You have to experience some type of failure to get better. He experienced it last year. He was very unfortunate with everything that happened to him. He didn t pack it in. He was going through a lot. He never caved in. That s going to help him this year. Good. Because, still, it is beyond the point where Cashner should be as good a pitcher as he thinks he is and many of us have said he will be. Time for the fastball to find more black than white, sail by more knees than belts and for the filthy sinker to obey gravity more often and for him to more liberally pepper his repertoire with what is a decent changeup. He agrees. Presented with the assessment that his results have not matched what his repertoire enables, he said, No doubt. The amicability, though, had its limits. His pitches will evidently be powered by a chip on his shoulder. I ve had eight years in all of pro ball and I had one bad year and y all want to talk (garbage), he said. That s why I m here; I want to prove all y all wrong, all the horse (excrement) y all say. He was smiling by the time he got finished. But it wasn t a joke. Good, it s about time he proved something. 4

5 Green sees organizational strength up the middle Shortstop now one of the strengths of the Padres farm system By Jeff Sanders 1:27 p.m. March 16, 2016 Updated, 1:45 p.m PEORIA, ARIZ. The first off-day in the Padres schedule would have afforded Andy Green the opportunity to get a real good look at the minor league portion of the organization Wednesday if the Padres new manager wasn t already committed to helping his wife pack up their Phoenix-area home in preparation for their upcoming move to San Diego. Good thing Green has already had an extended look at several of the organization s top prospects, both in a January mini-camp in San Diego and in impressive cameos in the Cactus League. There s a lot to like, Green said. You ve got Hunter Renfroe coming in right field. Manny Margot s coming in center field. I m a fan of Javy Guerra in the limited look I ve had of him and Ruddy Giron, watching him down in minor leagues. I ve ventured down there when I ve had some free time to watch these guys play because they re our future. We ve got a lot of strength in those areas. Especially up the middle. Once a glaring weakness as the previous regime signed a slew of journeymen to minor league deals to back up Everth Cabrera, shortstop is emerging as a strength in the system, with Guerra, Giron and Jose Rondon all among the Padres top-five prospects, according to Baseball America s assessment of the system. Signed under former farm director Randy Smith s watch, No. 4 Giron enjoyed as breakout season (.285 avg./.335 OBP/.407 SLG) as an 18-year-old at low Single-A Fort Wayne. Though Rondon, ranked No. 5 in the system, arrived in the A.J. Hinchorchestrated Huston Street deal just ahead of General Manager A.J. Preller s hire, the system s top prospect Guerra after hitting.279/.329/.449 with 15 homers and 68 RBIs in 116 games joined the organization in a trade that further strengthened the system up the middle. 5

6 In addition to Guerra, the Craig Kimbrel trade fetched center fielder Manuel Margot (No. 2 per Baseball America), left-hander Logan Allen (No. 8) and second baseman Carlos Asuaje (No. 13). As far as the youth on the big league side of camp, Margot s showing in Cactus League play (.318/.348/.545, 5 RBIs, 1 SB) was providing plenty of buzz before he was optioned to Triple-A El Paso Tuesday. Here s a look at how the Baseball America s top Padres prospects have fared in big league games thus far: Renfroe (No. 3): 4-for-16, double, RBI and two runs; Giron (No. 4): 0-for-2; Rondon (No. 5): 3-for-9, double, triple and three runs; CF Travis Jankowski (No. 6): 4-for-22, two RBIs, three steals, four runs scored; RHP Colin Rea (No. 7): One earned run in nine innings, three strikeouts, five walks; Asuaje (No. 13): 1-for-6; CF Michael Gettys (No. 10): 0-for-1; RHP Cory Mazzoni (No. 12): three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings; RHP Tayron Guerrero (No. 16): Three earned runs in three innings; OF Alex Dickerson (No. 22): 2-for-15, two RBIs, two runs scored; We feel like we've continued to grow, Preller said of the farm system early this spring. You see it in some of the bodies and the way some of the minor league guys have gotten after it in mini-camps. Ultimately it has to show up on the field throughout the year, but ultimately the preparation we've done going into the year, I think that's going to pay off with our players coming through the system and playing well. Minor work The off-day didn t disrupt the Padres pitching schedule. In an intra-squad minor league game, right-hander James Shields pushed his pitch-count up to 59 over 3 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out three, walked one and allowed three hits in his third start the spring. Shields, the Padres No. 2 start this year, was reportedly more under 6

7 the weather than he let on in his previous start in which he allowed three home runs in one inning. Left-hander Robbie Erlin followed Shields with 1 1/3 scoreless innings (one hit, one strikeout). Right-hander Luis Perdomo allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over two innings. He struck out two and threw roughly 30 pitches. 7

8 FanFest, All-Star Sunday tickets on sale Online registration for opportunity to purchase home run derby, All-Star Game tickets open through April 20 By Jeff Sanders 10:49 a.m. March 16, 2016 Updated, 6:54 p.m. While tickets for All-Star Sunday and FanFest went on sale Wednesday morning, nonseason-ticket holders hoping to purchase entry to All-Star Week s premier events the home run derby and the game itself will have to register online for the opportunity to purchase full-ticket strips. According to Major League Baseball, only Padres season ticket members at this time are guaranteed the opportunity to purchase ticket trips. Registration is open through April 20 at allstargame.com. Padres season-ticket holders have already been able to purchase strips for access to all the July 8-12 All-Star Week events. Tickets for All-Star Sunday which includes the All-Star Futures Game and the All- Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game start as low as $25. Each ticket comes with a single-admission ticket for the Friday, Monday or Tuesday FanFest slots. A $10 ticket that can be used for any FanFest time slot is being offered through the first 48 hours of the launch of ticket sales (10 a.m. Wednesday). FFAS is the promo code for this online-only discount. Otherwise, tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under (2 and under are free), senior citizens and military personnel. More information is available at padres.com. The Padres entire release on today s sale follows: Major League Baseball announced that fans will be able to purchase tickets for All- Star FanFest and All-Star Sunday, including the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, beginning today at 10:00 a.m. PT. For 48 hours following the launch of tickets going on sale, a Flash discount featuring a $10.00 FanFest ticket good for any time slot will be offered. The promo code for this 8

9 discount, which is valid online only, is FFAS. Tickets for All-Star FanFest and All-Star Sunday can be purchased at the official website of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game (allstargame.com), the Padres official website (padres.com), the Padres Advance Ticket Windows at Petco Park, and by calling FanFest. Mastercard, the preferred card of Major League Baseball, is an accepted form of payment. MLB ALL-STAR FANFEST MLB All-Star FanFest at the San Diego Convention Center, which opens on Friday, July 8th and runs through Tuesday, July 12th, is the world s largest interactive baseball theme park with more than 40 attractions for fans of all ages. Throughout the show floor, fans will have the chance to take photos and get autographs with former Padres players, MLB legends and Hall of Famers; practice their baseball skills during clinics taught by former and current MLB players; swing like their favorite Major Leaguers in the batting cages; view a collection of MLB trophies and take a photo with the Commissioner s Trophy, presented to the World Series Champion; explore exhibits from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and more. MLB All-Star FanFest attractions are included in the price of admission, and the only additional costs are for concessions and memorabilia. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for children ages 12 and under (children two and under are admitted free), senior citizens and military personnel. FanFest tickets are sold on a timed-entry basis, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early to get preferred entry times. MLB ALL-STAR SUNDAY Single game tickets to MLB All-Star Sunday are offered at a range of prices beginning as low as $25. Included in the price of an All-Star Sunday ticket is one single admission ticket to All-Star FanFest for Friday, Monday or Tuesday. All-Star Sunday includes the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. The SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game showcases top Minor League prospects and has featured current Padres Wil Myers (2011, 2012), Melvin Upton, Jr. (2004, 2005) and more. Other players who have competed in both the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the MLB All-Star Game include Kris Bryant, 9

10 Miguel Cabrera, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw, Andrew McCutchen, Mike Trout and more. The All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game will feature stars from film, music, television, digital and more teaming up with Hall of Famers and MLB and San Diego baseball greats to compete in a six-inning exhibition game immediately following the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. Past celebrity participants have included Snoop Dogg, Jon Hamm, Olivia Holt, Jimmy Kimmel, Macklemore, Maya Moore, Jerry Rice, Rob Riggle, Chris Rock, Jordin Sparks, Kate Upton and more. The game has also featured a collection of Hall of Famers including Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Ozzie Smith and more. MLB All-Star Week includes the 87th MLB All-Star Game at Petco Park (July 12th), Gatorade All-Star Workout Day featuring the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 11th), All-Star Sunday featuring the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game (July 10th), All-Star FanFest at the San Diego Convention Center (July 8th 12th), plus a lineup of additional events taking place around the city. For more MLB All-Star Week information, please visit 10

11 Padres working toward improved OF range Jay, Upton battling for CF; focus on defensive positioning should help in expansive NL West By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com March 16th, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- Playing outfield in the National League West is no walk in the ballpark. The division's expansive stadium dimensions can wreak serious havoc on defenders, and the Padres learned that the hard way last season. San Diego's outfield defense was worth minus-18 Defensive Runs Saved in 2015, which ranked 25th in the Majors. In a division with five of the game's 13 most spacious outfields, that simply wasn't going to cut it. Spring Training: Schedule Tickets More info "It is [different in the NL West]," said Padres first-base coach Tarrik Brock, who is also in charge of the club's outfielders. "Now the drop steps, the positioning, the reads, the jumps -- all of that is very important, but it becomes even more important." The NL West has the largest outfield area of any division in baseball, and it's really not even close. Even the "hitters' parks" -- Coors Field in Denver and Chase Field in Phoenix -- are massive. In fact, Petco Park's 90,800-square-foot outfield is actually the smallest in the division. Here's a look at the approximate total outfield dimensions for each division last year, according to FanGraphs: 1. NL West: 465,500 square feet 2. American League Central: 457, NL East: 454, NL Central: 449, AL West: 446, AL East: 440,300 Over the past year, the Padres have gone a long way toward making sure they have as many of those 465,500 square feet covered as they possibly can. They scrapped their plan to use Wil Myers in center field, moving him to first base instead. They've brought the rangy Jon Jay on board, and they've given more playing time to Melvin Upton Jr. 11

12 Manager Andy Green hasn't decided whether Jay or Upton will start in center, but both are upgrades over the club's tenuous center-field situation last season. Recently, Jay has received more reps in center, but the battle is ongoing. Below is a breakdown of the range of putouts made by Jay and Upton in Both spent approximately the same amount of time in center field -- about one-third of a season, which isn't really enough to make any definitive assessments. But from the data, via Statcast player tracking, it appears Jay has better range coming in and going back, while Upton has him beat on balls in the gaps. Presumably, whoever doesn't win the center-field job will move to left, a prospect that thrills the new Padres skipper. "That's the potential for a Gold Glove-caliber left fielder over there," Green said. "You've got a true center fielder in center and a true center fielder in left." Then there's right field, where Matt Kemp's defensive struggles in 2015 were well documented. But San Diego feels a large part of that was due to poor defensive positioning on the part of the club. Sure, Kemp's range has steadily declined over the past five seasons. But there's a way to counteract that by positioning Kemp against his defensive weaknesses, and the Padres feel they didn't do a very good job of that last season. "It's really just putting the guys in the position that they feel comfortable with so that they can defend the baseball at a high level," Brock said. 12

13 San Diego has also stressed the importance of quick reactions this spring. Outfielders have worked extensively on the first three steps of their routes -- in Brock's mind, the most important part of any play. Brock and the outfielders go through a number of daily exercises to reinforce those positive reactions. In one drill, outfielders are given a direction and must react quickly but only take a step or two. (There is no ball to chase down at the end.) In another drill, players are on their toes and must turn their body in the correct direction, rapid-fire, all while making sure their footwork remains consistent. "We've really done a lot," Kemp said. "Tarrik has come up with a lot of drills that help with footwork and getting jumps and opening up your hips. It's just about getting to the ball a lot faster." Said Green: "We've been working hard on that first step, because every outfield needs to be covered, no matter how expansive it is. But it's more obvious [in the NL West]. You go to Colorado -- I've played left field in Colorado, and I felt like I was on an island all by myself." Both Green and Brock stressed the importance of synergy. Before every contest, the Padres' coaching staff game-plans for its opponent, and a big part of that meeting consists of Brock studying the plan of attack for that night's starting pitcher. During the game, Brock carries a thick blue binder filled with spray charts of opposing hitters. His job is to combine that knowledge with the strengths of his outfielders and the strategy of his pitchers in order to optimize the Padres' defensive setup. "We're all on the same page as far as defending the baseball," Brock said. "From there, it's just letting the guys go out and trust the work they put in. "Outfield positioning is so crucial. We can single-handedly put a pitcher in a bind where he's throwing more pitches trying to get out of an inning because we weren't in the right spot.... And in the outfield, when we make a mistake, it means multiple bases." 13

14 Shields, Erlin, Perdomo keep busy on off-day Trio gets innings in during Minor League scrimmage By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com March 16th, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres had an off-day Wednesday. Manager Andy Green's precise instructions were to "enjoy your family, your friends or a round of golf." ButJames Shields, Robbie Erlin and Luis Perdomo were back at the office. Shields pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a Minor League scrimmage -- an outing which keeps him in line to start the Padres' second game of the season. He threw 59 pitches, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three. Erlin, who is fighting for one of the club's two available rotation spots, also pitched scoreless ball, allowing just one hit in 1 1/3 innings. Rule 5 Draft pick Perdomo, meanwhile, allowed two earned runs in two innings. At 22, Perdomo is the youngest of the Padres' four Rule 5 Draft picks on the roster. He has never pitched above Class A. 14