Padres Press Clips Wednesday, January 25, 2017

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1 Padres Press Clips Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Article Source Author Page Padres continue to monitor offseason market MLB.com Cassavell 2 Padres release 2017 promotional schedule UT San Diego Sanders 4 Peter Gammons: The Padres pillar in San Diego grows stronger than ever Gammons Daily Gammons 6 Myers eager to be part of Padres resurgence Padres.com Center 9 Padres roster review: Brad Hand UT San Diego Sanders 11 1

2 Padres continue to monitor offseason market Club hasn't ruled out late acquisitions before camp starts By AJ Cassavell / 11:52 AM ET SAN DIEGO -- It's time to begin familiarizing yourself with the Padres' 2017 roster. According to general manager A.J. Preller, it probably isn't going to change much between now and Feb. 14, when pitchers and catchers report to the Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona for Spring Training. "In general, we're pretty close to this being the group that we're going to go into Spring Training with," Preller said. "If we end up signing another guy or two, so be it. We're still looking -- you're always looking from a pro scouting standpoint. But more or less, this is the group we're going to go in with, I think." Of course, this is A.J. Preller we're talking about. In his three years as general manager, he hasn't been one to shy away from a deal. But it's hard to see where, exactly, the Padres could still make a big splash. The two areas they're still looking to address are largely depth concerns. They'd like to add a shortstop to compete with Luis Sardinas for the starting job. And they're open to adding another starting pitcher to the mix of nine candidates currently competing for five jobs. "There's always opportunity to add somebody," Preller said, "even as you get into camp." Padres fans should know that well. Last year, Christian Friedrich signed on March 3. He went on to lead the team in starts and is a favorite for a rotation spot entering the 2017 season. Two years ago, Preller waited until one day before the season to pull off a trade with Atlanta for closer Craig Kimbrel. This time around, the Padres could very well add a starting pitcher in the latter stages of free agency. They've been rumored with veterans Jered Weaver, Doug Fister and fan-favorite Jake Peavy. But on the trade front, a move for a shortstop appears far likelier. "It's going to be an area we continue looking at as we get into Spring Training," Preller said. "My guess is before Spring Training, we're probably going to stay with the group that is, with Sardinas and [Allen] Cordoba and Dusty Coleman. That crew will come in and have the chance to compete. But realistically, 2

3 it'll be something that we'll still be looking at in Spring Training, comparing what's out there, most likely via trade, versus what we have in-house." Of course, just because the Padres probably won't make a major splash, doesn't mean they've got their Opening Day roster figured out. In fact, the opposite is true, as plenty of questions need to be answered before the season opener in Los Angeles on April 3. Who starts at second? Who cracks the rotation? Who wins the available outfield jobs? "There's a lot of questions to answer," said Padres manager Andy Green during Monday's press conference to announce Wil Myers' extension. "But there's a lot of interesting baseball players that are young and under team control for a long time, that have talent." 3

4 Padres release 2017 promotional schedule By Jeff Sanders Contact Reporter The Padres 2017 promotional schedule includes four postgame firework nights, two laser shows and a number of fan giveaways, from opening day T-shirts, hoodies, replica jerseys and hats, the team announced Tuesday. The bulk of the promos occur after Saturday home games, billed as Baseball Night in San Diego. Single-game tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Feb. 15 at while season ticket members can purchase additional single-game tickets through their online account in a pre-sale that begins Wednesday. The entire promotional schedule is below. BASEBALL NIGHT IN SAN DIEGO PROMOS April 8 (Giants): Postgame Laser Show April 22 (Marlins): Padres Hoodie (Toyota) May 6 (Dodgers): Postgame Fireworks Show; Reusable Bag (MLB Network) May (D-backs): Padres Fedora (COX) June 3 (Rockies): Padres Sunglasses (Knockaround) June 10 (Royals): Padres Replica Jersey (FOX Sports San Diego) June 24 (Tigers): Padres Beach Mat (Mission Federal Credit Union) July 1 (Dodgers): Postgame Laser Show July 15 (Giants): Postgame Fireworks Show July 29 (Pirates): Padres Hat (National University) Aug. 19 (Nationals): Padres Hall of Fame Giveaway Sept. vs. (Dodgers): Postgame Fireworks Show Sept. 23 (Rockies): Postgame Fireworks Show; Padres Team Photo and 2018 Schedule 4

5 *-Subject to availability of each item ADDITIONAL PROMOS/GIVEAWAYS April (Giants): Opening Day T-Shirt (Sycuan Casino) April 23 (Marlins): 2017 Padres & Puppies Calendar* (Petco) *-First 15,000 fans in attendance 5

6 Peter Gammons: The Padres pillar in San Diego grows stronger than ever January 24, 2017 by Peter Gammons The first time the ad for The Founder ran, the first thought wasn t about a Big Mac or McRib sandwich, it was about who would play Doug Rader taking the lineup card up to home plate in a chef s hat, the night after Ray Kroc called his newly-owned Padres a bunch of short order cooks. Or who would play Bob Sykes, who after being traded from the Padres to the Cardinals told St. Louis writers, tradition in St. Louis is Stan Musial walking through the clubhouse, tradition in San Diego is Nate Colbert coming in trying to sell you a used car. The Fightin Friars survived and stayed, which the WHA Mariners, NBA Rockets and Clippers and NFL Chargers did not. They finished first in 1996, won a pennant in 1998 that Larry Lucchino and owner John Moores turned into the elegant but not ostentatious Petco Park, and this week, when Trevor Hoffman fell five votes shorts of the Hall of Fame, requiring a year of anticipation to next January s announcement, Padres General Manager A.J. Preller credited Hoffman as the biggest reason we have Petco and the Padres are where they are. Where the San Diego Padres are now may be last in the National League West and predicted to be there again in But go back to last July. I remember walking the downtown and the waterfront on the Saturday before the All Star Game and recounting that in 40-something years of All Star Games, I had never experienced such a pregame weekend buzz as there was that weekend. Of course, San Diego itself, the streets and restaurants and building that followed Lucchino s vision when they moved in-town from their out of town, and out of date Qualcomm Stadium in 2004, is a place people who live in the Northeast dream of every January. The Padres had always seemed trapped in a corner surrounded by water to the west, Mexico to the south, desert to the East and the Dodgers and Angels to the North, as well as one World Series game won since they began as an expansion team in But, now, beware the Mighty Pads with this thought: what they will be and the angle of their ascension come September. Preller and owner Ron Fowler made the splash before the 2015 season with the acquisitions of Matt Kemp, James Shields, Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, et al, a splash that saw them lose more games than they had in But the splash got nearly 2.5M fans into Petco. Then came the All Star Game in the 2016 season and another 2.4M. No one is saying that 2017 is going to see the Padres challenge the Giants and Dodgers in the National League West, likely not the Diamondbacks and Rockies, who could be the most improved and most dangerous sleepers, respectively, in the National League. Hey, no one has much of an idea who will pitch games for them this season. 6

7 If you are a Padres fan, climb into your time machine and go back in time to the 1991 Indians, fenced in a 80- something thousand seat city-state known as The Mistake on the Lake. They lost 105 games, and cost John McNamara his managerial job. But McNamara had let two 24-year old college players, Charles Nagy and Albert Belle, establish themselves. By September, Sandy Alomar was catching, a 20-year old named Jim Thome came out of the minors, as did 22-year old Carlos Baerga, and a creative, energetic GM named John Hart worked 24/7 to build the organization and make traded. Three years later, they were when The Strike hit. In 1995, they won 100 games and lost the World Series to Atlanta and Tom Glavine s unforgettable one-hitter. Dick Jacobs built The Jake, and they sold it out every night for years. There was a very important element here:when Hart and Jacobs were building, the Browns had snuck out of town, the Cavaliers played in the suburbs and the beloved Barons were in Minnesota, half of the North Stars. The Indians were the only show in town. Years later, when the Browns were recreated and the Cavaliers not only moved town but won it all, it became an entirely different baseball market, one that seemed so revitalized by the Indians great run last season. Now return to the present. The area near Petco is booming. It s a prime convention area. The buildings and climate change have turned Petco into an offensive stadium. And, like the Browns, the Chargers, as JD Souther says, have run like a thief in the night. People here are ticked off about the Chargers, says Padres General Manager A.J. Preller. He avoids building expectations, but proudly points back to a prospect game in September in which the Padres hosted the Rangers in a game of minor leaguers, this after an in-season adjustment that saw Preller trade Shields, Kemp, all-star Drew Pomeranz, Melvin Upton, Fernando Rodney and Andrew Cashner. The expectation was for a crowd in the hundreds. They drew close to 7500, and one Ranger official says it was worth it just to see Cal Quantrill and Anderson Espinoza pitch. Quantrill, son of the former major leaguer, was a first round pick last June out of Stanford, following Tommy John Surgery; start with the genes of a man who was as tough as they come, they moved onto the rink he built in the back yard of their Ontario home so Cal could play hockey, then move forward to his being arguably the best college pitcher in the draft. Then move to the 19-year old Espinoza, one of the best prospects in the game, acquired for Pomeranz from the Red Sox. Quantrill and Espinoza are not going to be opening the season in Petco, although Quantrill could make a September cameo. But they are elite starting pitching prospects in an era when the top ten starting pitchers average $22.5M. They will probably open the season with 22 year old Manny Margot, acquired from Boston in the Craig Kimbrel deal, in center. They should have 25-year old Hunter Renfroe, who hit 30 homers in the minors, in right. At first, Wil Myers is 26 and an all-star. The catcher will be Austin 7

8 Hedges, 24, with a chance to be a premium defender. The farm system is considered one of the five best in the business, Preller has a history dating back to his Rangers days as a creative international force, and the aggressiveness in finding and trading for young talent is clearly evident up and down the system. Watch these Padres as we watched the Indians in I remember exactly where Jim Thome first introduced himself to me that spring training, and, in September, seeing Thome, Alomar, Belle, Kenny Lofton and Baerga in the lineup and feeling what was building. A year from now, Thome likely will have been voted into the Hall of Fame. If so, Thome probably will be going to Cooperstown with Trevor Hoffman. Two months before the ballots with their names go out in the mail, up and down the streets near the park and the water Padres fans will be watching Margot and Hedges and Quantrill and Carlos Assuaje and names to be learned later, realizing this is rapidly becoming the Padres town and what that monopoly is going to mean to the comparative payrolls of the N.L. West. A lot of us walked those streets and that waterfront at the winter meetings of 2015 and again last July thinking, come January, remind me why I don t live here. With the monopoly s revenues, there are going to be a lot of players who look at the young talent and think why wouldn t I live there. 8

9 Myers eager to be part of Padres resurgence Accepting six-year deal shows first baseman believes in future By Bill Center / San Diego Padres January 24th, 2017 As Wil Myers was speaking about his extended commitment to the Padres on Monday afternoon, the sun broke through the clouds outside Petco Park -- a sign, perhaps, that brighter times are ahead for the team. That point quickly became part of Myers' passionate address to the media -- and a group of younger Padres' prospects sitting in the back of the room -- after officially signing the richest contract in franchise history. "The vision you have, I am behind," said Myers as he turned to Padres' general manager A.J. Preller then to executive chairman Ron Fowler. Myers agreed to a six-year commitment to the Padres at a time when the Padres are rebuilding for the future. Over the last year, the Padres have added scores of young prospects to their system. Many of those prospects, however, are three, four, five, even six years away. Many veterans coming into their prime opt for greener pastures during such a time. Not Myers. And that speaks volumes -- about the player and the organization. During his comments, Preller noted that Myers has been studying the backgrounds of the younger prospects the Padres have been stockpiling, among them the 21-year-old shortstop Allen Cordoba that the club recently claimed off waivers from St. Louis. "Wil had already studied Cordoba when he asked me about him," said Preller. "Wil is in alignment with the front office and the field staff. He wants to be a part of what is going on and our future." Of course, we already knew that Myers embraced the concept of being a San Diegan. We saw that last July after he was named the club's All-Star Game Ambassador -- which happened before he was named to the National League All-Star Team. 9

10 Myers was omnipresent in his ambassador role. Overnight, he became the face of a franchise in transition. And he has the credentials to support his critical role. Last year, in his first compete season, Myers batted.259 with 29 doubles, four triples, 28 homers, 28 steals, 94 RBIs and 99 runs scored. He became the first Padres player to have 25 or more doubles, homers and steals in the same season. Room for improvement? Definitely. But he's moving forward from a solid base. And he thinks the Padres are doing the same. Monday, Myers was both eloquent and concise Monday afternoon as he discussed the Padres' present and future. "The guys we have here, it's something special," said Myers. "I know there's not a lot of household names yet. But I do believe and trust in this process. I'm a big believer and trust the process that we have going on here. "I want to be part of this." And the Padres clearly want Myers to be part of their future -- both on and off the field. As a player, Myers should just be coming into his own. As a leader -- both in the clubhouse and the community -- Myers has already shown what he can do. What better face of a San Diego franchise than a smiling one who is happy to be here. 10

11 Padres roster review: Brad Hand Jeff Sanders Contact Reporter Sizing up the Padres 40-man roster, from A to Z, heading into the 2017 season. BRAD HAND Position: Left-handed pitcher Acquired: Selected ff waivers in April 2016 (Marlins); Originally a 2 nd -round pick in 2008 (Chaska, Minn., HS) 2017 Opening Day age: 27 Contract status: Signed to a $1.375 million contract for the 2017 season; Will be arbitration-eligible for a second time in 2018 Key stats: 4-4, 2.92 ERA, 1 save, 111 strikeouts, 36 walks, 1.11 WHIP,.193 avg. against, 89 1/3 IP (82 games) Stat to note 37.9 The percent of breaking balls sliders and curves thrown in 2016, a careerhigh and nearly double the 20.7 percent rate thrown in 2015, according to brooksbaseball.net. Better yet, opponents slugged.217 against Hand s breaking pitches.205 against the slider and.375 against the curve compared to.360 against his fastballs and against his change-up. Trending Up Hand s 2016 ran the gamut, from discarded from the Marlins opening day roster to emerging as arguably the Padres most valuable pitcher upon the team selecting him off waivers in April. A starting pitcher most of his career, Hand spent all season in the bullpen, pitching in a big league-best 82 games while setting careerhighs in strikeouts, ERA, strikeouts per nine innings (11.2), strikeouts per walk (3.08), hits per nine innings (6.3) and FIP (3.07). Although clearly effective against all hitters, Hand used as a full-time reliever for the first time was especially devastating against left-handers, limiting them to a.125/.221/.200 batting line while 11

12 fanning 34 percent of them. Hand s about-face comes a year after he fashioned a career-worst 5.30 ERA while bouncing between the Marlins rotation and bullpen outlook As successful as Hand was in the bullpen, the organization has considered extracting even more value out of last year s waiver wire diamond by shifting him to the rotation. Of course, they re also conscious about not messing with a good thing, as Hand combined with Ryan Buchter, Brandon Maurer and now Carter Capps is a key piece in a bullpen that is the strength of these rebuilding Padres. The latest offseason additions (Jhoulys Chacin, Trevor Cahill) and flirting with Jered Weaver even suggests that, for now, that is how the Padres will use Hand in 2017 despite his previous stated desire to start again. 12