Padres Press Clips Wednesday, January 18, 2017

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1 Padres Press Clips Wednesday, January 18, 2017 Article Source Author Page Hoffman shouldn t have to wait UT San Diego Acee 2 Again, Trevor Hoffman up for Hall vote UT San Diego Sanders 7 Padres sign Wil Myers to six-year, $83 million extension UT San Diego Lin 11 Padres roster review: Miguel Diaz UT San Diego Sanders 14 Watch HOF announcement coverage live, noon PT today MLB.com Bloom 16 Padres lock up Myers through at least 2022 MLB.com Cassavell 19 Hoffman s HOF fate about to be revealed MLB.com Cassavell 21 Winter updates on Bethancourt, Pirela Padres.com Center 23 Padres Sign Wil Myers to 6-Year Contract NBC San Diego McVicker 24 Wil Myers, Padres finalize $83 million, 6-year contract Associated Press AP San Diego Padres Top 10 Prospects Baseball America Glaser 26 San Diego Padres Top 10 Prospects Chat Baseball America Staff Report 36 Padres roster review: Alex Dickerson UT San Diego Sanders 57 Will Padres take over Chargers blood drive? NBC San Diego Strain 59 1

2 Hoffman shouldn't have to wait Kevin Acee Contact Reporter Trevor Hoffman will stand on a dais in a blanket of summer humidity in upstate New York and stir the assembled thousands with a speech that will almost certainly pay tribute to his Marine father and his brothers and a signature pitch that took stones to throw softly and the San Diego crowd going out of its mind as Hells Bells tolled. One day. Maybe soon. It should happen on the final Sunday of this coming July. The man who was for a time major-league baseball s all-time saves leader and for whom the award for the National League s best reliever is named should be in the Hall of Fame class set to be announced at 3 p.m. PT on Wednesday. Let s get something out of the way before we get to the meat and potatoes of why the Padres blue collar closer should have his plaque in Cooperstown. Dangit, San Diego needs this. More than ever, San Diego should get to celebrate at this moment and into the summer that rare adopted native son who loved us back maybe even as much as we loved him. If the adoration wasn t symmetrically reciprocal with Hoffman, it was only because Trevor is absolutely adored in the way only an icon can be. His statue will occupy a corner of Petco Park one day not too far in the future, sharing the rare air with the bronze likeness of Mr. Padre, from whom Hoffman learned some of the enduring qualities of being a professional. Now, about the man who earned his induction with 601 career saves, all but 47 of them earned in 16 seasons with the Padres. SIX. HUNDRED. And One. 2

3 For whatever arguments against Hoffman s immediate induction which center mostly on workload and modern metrics plus a pinch of assumption the enormousness of 601 trumps all. As of Tuesday evening, with 53.6 percent of the votes accounted for (and posted on bbhoftracker.com) Hoffman was named on 73 percent of the known ballots. That is exactly two percentage points below the minimum required for induction. Last year, his first time on the ballot, Hoffman s final tally of 67.3 percent was seventenths higher than what bbhoftracker.com had as its final pre-announcement tally. What we can be assured of is that his initial percentage and his upward movement from year to year portend eventual enshrinement. Every player who got as big a share of votes as Hoffman did in his first year of eligibility ended up making the Hall at some point. Yet, why he must wait any longer than Wednesday afternoon is perplexing. He did his job the one he was asked to do better than most who ever have tried to do any job. There are just five relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame. All but one of them (Bruce Sutter) pitched more innings in his career than Hoffman. All of them pitched more innings per outing. The knock against Hoffman emanates mostly from his role as a ninth-inning specialist. Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm and Sutter all worked far more games in which they got four or more outs. And, as a for-instance, Gossage threw more than 100 innings in four seasons while Hoffman never pitched more than 88 and topped 70 just four times. Even the most ardent Hoffman booster can acknowledge there is a difference in the workload. Oh well. 3

4 Ted Williams hit.400 when infields were pocked with pebbles and gloves were prehistorically puny. Babe Ruth swatted 714 home runs without ever facing a pitcher with pigment. Why is Hoffman penalized for being a closer in the era in which he played? Especially when he was so far and away better at it for longer than almost anyone else. There is also a thought shared by many that, there are a lot of starting pitchers, even middling ones, who could be effective closers. It s just one inning every other day or so, goes the argument. John Smoltz is a Hall of Famer in part because he spent three sensational seasons as a closer in the middle of his career as a starter. (Smoltz is not included among the five relievers in the Hall of Fame due to his extensive time as a starter.) For every Smoltz, though, there are 10 Mike Jameses or Mike Adamses. If being a closer these days is so easy, why is Francisco Rodriguez the only current player even worth talking about with a chance to pass Hoffman s career total? Of course, even at the pace of 42 saves he has set over the past three seasons, the 35- year-old Rodriguez wouldn t pass Hoffman until He may well do it. Hoffman retired at 42, Rivera at 44. But Rodriguez hasn t done it yet. Hoffman is being stalled by so many silly suppositions. All we really know is Hoffman actually did it. Mariano Rivera, the Yankees closer who eventually passed Hoffman s career saves mark and retired with 652, is the only one who was clearly better in the era they shared. And there isn t the vast gulf between them that many assume. Both converted 89 percent of their save opportunities. Hoffman ranked in the top 10 in saves all but three of 16 seasons from 1994 and Rivera was in the top 10 in 11 of 17 seasons from 1997 to There was no 4

5 one else in the top 10 in that era from the mid-90s to present day as often as Hoffman or Rivera. Longevity is a talent. Consistency is an asset that can t be overstated. Hoffman didn t have nearly the number of playoff opportunities as Rivera and did have a few memorable postseason slips.that resonates with many voters, as it should. But, again, six-oh-one. That s 123 more than third-place Lee Smith. Some say that Hoffman must wait until after Rivera is inducted. And his postseason heroics and standing atop the save mountaintop make Rivera likely to be enshrined in his year of eligibility in Making some players wait their turn has merit only because each selector is able to vote for just 10 players. That constraint means some voters feel compelled to prioritize. That could come into play this year if a voter felt strongly about nine players and then had to choose between Hoffman, in his second year on the ballot, and Tim Raines, in his final (10 th ) year before he drops off the ballot. But making Hoffman, whose saves record (601) Rivera passed, wait for a player who retired three years after he did is silly. Hoffman was dominant in his era and ranks among the best ever in his discipline s key statistic. There is no clear-cut definition of what makes a player Hall of Fame-worthy, but excellence against your peers and how you measure up against all who ever played would seem to be as good a criteria as any. And actually, the Hall of Fame s guidelines do say this: Voting shall be based upon on the player s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. And check. 5

6 We know Hoffman will get to Cooperstown. He deserves it to be now. Even more than we do. 6

7 Again, Trevor Hoffman up for Hall vote Jeff Sanders Contact Reporter Strange as it may sound, these are good times if you re pursuing the Hall of Fame under a cloud of steroid suspicion, but not so much if you re a saves specialist, even as an elite member of your generation. At least, that s the tale the Baseball Writers Association of America voters are weaving in 2017 as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens make significant gains in exit polling while the case of celebrated Padres closer Trevor Hoffman is again picked apart on all fronts. He s a compiler. He wasn t good enough to start. His greatness is manufactured, his National League-record 601 saves the product of good fortune gifting him a ninth-inning job instead of a role in the seventh or eighth. What inning you pitch, some will tell you, makes no difference. Hoffman says this: Go do it. Easier said than done. Much easier. No one had ever saved 500 games when Hoffman and his Bugs Bunny change-up zoomed past record-holder Lee Smith to reach that milestone. Then he was the first to eclipse 600 in an 18-year career that saw the converted shortstop pile up seven All- Star selections, three top-five finishes in NL Cy Young voting and more 40-save seasons than anyone but Mariano Rivera, who also accomplished the feat nine times. Of course, most view the Yankees infamous closer whose 56.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is more than double Hoffman s (28.0), according to baseballreference.com as a first-ballot inductee when he s eligible in Meantime, Hoffman with 51 fewer saves than Rivera but 211 more than any other inductee is trending just under 73 percent on the more than 200 public ballots collected by Hallof-Fame tracker Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs on Twitter) in his second year up for induction. 7

8 I think last year it was the unknown factor, said Hoffman, who s planning to wait through Wednesday s announcement on MLB Network without much fanfare just his family. You weren t sure how people viewed your career. This year is different in the sense that it s do we continue to climb or do we back off a little bit? I m optimistically hopeful. The good news for Hoffman is no one has ever debuted as well as he did a year ago (67.3 percent) without eventually reaching the 75-percent induction threshold. What s not so good is that, on a crowded ballot, the likes of Bonds and Clemens have made some 15-percent gains in Thibodaux s tracking as the value of a closer is scrutinized more and more by a constituency growing younger by the year. A great deal of that population is no fan of the save, either. In Hoffman s case, I simply cannot oblige someone who throws an inning at a time, Yahoo Sports Jeff Passan wrote in a series of Tweets upon submitting a Hoffman-less ballot in December. Yes, I am penalizing him for his job as I do others. Hoffman was great at what he did, but what he did, for me, didn t nearly have the impact on the games themselves as so many other players. Rivera, the 36-year-old Passan says, is the lone closer for which he ll vote, his noteworthy resume over 96 postseason games (0.70 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 42 saves) pushing him over the top. Of course, Hoffman pitched in just 12 playoff games (3.46 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, four saves) for the Padres. He recorded just 55 four-plus-out saves compared to Rivera s 119. His 1,089 1/3 innings pitched are also fewer than every enshrined pitcher outside Bruce Sutter (1,042 IP), whose modest 300 saves included a whopping 188 of at least four outs. Indeed, Hoffman got the job done just about as well as anyone ever has his 88.8 percent save rate is third-best among closers with at least 300 saves. It s just that the job is in question as it relates to baseball s Hall of Fame, where only one of the topfive eligible saves artists is in: Dennis Eckersely, who paired 100 complete-game wins as a starter with his 390 saves, seventh all-time. 8

9 ALL-TIME SAVES LEADERS 1. Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith, Francisco Rodriguez, John Franco, Billy Wagner, Dennis Eckersley+, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Jeff Reardon, 367 Note: Only Eckersley is in the Hall of Fame. Other closers in the Hall of Fame include Rollie Fingers (341), Goose Gossage (310), Bruce Sutter (300), Hoyt Wilhelm (228) and John Smoltz (154). Players in bold are active. Not Lee Smith (478 saves), who is on the ballot for the 15 th and final time and trending at just 29.9 percent. Not John Franco (422), who fell off the ballot after one vote. Not Billy Wagner (422), who is well behind Hoffman after garnering just 10.5 percent of the vote in last year s debut. I feel like I need to apologize when I hear people break it down like they do, Hoffman said with a chuckle. All I ever cared about was preparing every day to compete. He did so from the start of his pitching career, which began in A-ball as a 23-year-old at Cedar Rapids in 1991 after a failed career as a hitter (.591 OPS). Hoffman pitched 27 games that year, started 11 of the 48 he pitched in the next year to build up innings and experience and was in a big league bullpen the following year. 9

10 Hoffman even saved a handful of games that year, the first in April while Bryan Harvey, the Marlins go-to man in the ninth, was away from the team. The way he approached that opportunity foreshadowed his success in his role in San Diego, his landing spot as part of the Gary Sheffield trade later that summer. It was another situation where you just tried to put your head down, Hoffman said, try to throw strikes and get outs. Hoffman got all three without giving up a hit and wasn t punished for the walk he yielded. He recorded another save for Florida in June, three more for the Padres after the trade and then 20 in 1994 as he began to emerge as one of the game s pre-eminent relievers at a time when managers were turning to their bullpens more than ever. Judging by the record contracts signed by Aroldis Chapman ($86 million), Kenley Jansen ($80 million) and Mark Melancon ($62 million), that s still the case. I know a lot of managers enjoy having someone you trust late in the game, Hoffman said. There was a lot of focus on them in my era. I know that it was important to build backwards, to say you were comfortable with who you had in the in ninth inning. Padres managers had that luxury throughout Hoffman s 18-year career. Only time will tell if that s significant enough to end this waiting game. 10

11 Padres sign Wil Myers to sixyear, $83 million extension Dennis Lin Contact Reporter Wil Myers and the Padres have reached the finish line on the largest contract in franchise history. The team on Tuesday announced a six-year, $83 million extension that includes a club option for a seventh year. According to sources, the 26-year-old first baseman will receive a $15 million signing bonus, of which $1 million is payable within 30 days of approval by the commissioner s office, $5.5 million on Nov. 15, 2018, and $8.5 million on Nov. 15, He will make $2 million in 2017 and 2018, $3 million in 2019 and $20 million from 2020 through The option for 2023 is worth $20 million with a $1 million buyout. Myers gets a one-time $1 million assignment bonus if he is traded. "He s here in the short-term, medium-term and long-term," Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said. "That was... the idea behind making the commitment. "You need guys that are plus players, and you need a lot of them to win titles and championships. He s in that mold. It s all about having him be a core piece for us in the next few years, knowing that there s going to be younger players around him in the next couple years, and hopefully a team that s going to be very competitive, with him being a big piece of it." Myers will address the media in a press conference Monday at Petco Park. I want to thank the Padres organization for giving me this opportunity, and Padres fans for their support, Myers said in a statement. I ve loved my time in San Diego and I m excited to be a part of what we re building for the future. A 2016 National League All-Star, Myers had been arbitration-eligible for the first time. The extension will cover all three years of his eligibility, plus three years of would-be free agency. If the club option is exercised, he will remain in San Diego 11

12 through his age-33 season. While the Padres have thrown the vast majority of their resources into a rebuilding effort, they believe Myers prime could align with their next run at the postseason. Quelling some concerns about past wrist injuries, Myers played a full major league season for the first time last year. In 157 games, he hit.259 with a.336 on-base percentage, 28 home runs and 28 steals. Evaluators had anticipated such production after Myers won the 2013 American League Rookie of the Year award with Tampa Bay. "You want to find guys that you can build around as young guys can come into the organization," Padres manager Andy Green said Monday. "A guy that, as a manager, I connect very well with, respect immensely. I think Wil is that type of guy. I think we re very excited about the prospect of having him for years to come." With the Padres widely expected to repeat their last-place finish from 2016, Myers should serve as the featured attraction at Petco Park. Though he turned 26 last month, he wields more experience than most of the roster. The Padres currently have eight players, with a combined salary of about $15 million, under contract for The rest of the team will make close to the major league minimum. "It s not about getting to a certain payroll level this year," Preller said. "It s about building your system, growing your team that isn t going to be average in the next few years. "You still need pieces in the major leagues that are quality ballplayers and are going to help transition those guys through and are going to be here hopefully when we get good in a few years." For his part, Myers retains room for improvement. The former top prospect reaffirmed his pedigree during the first half of last season, hitting.286 with 19 home runs. He hit just.223 with nine home runs the rest of the way. After Myers' promising rookie season, wrist ailments limited him to 87 games in 2014 and, following his trade to San Diego, 60 games in He underwent surgery that August to remove a bone spur from his left wrist. 12

13 Through 1,663 plate appearances, Myers is a career.257 hitter with 55 home runs and 44 steals. He debuted in the majors as an outfielder before undergoing a successful transition to first base last season. "We ve seen him do some really good things, obviously," Preller said. "But there s still things with Wil where we still see upside, we still see potential.... I don t think we ve really seen his full potential, and we re excited to see that here in the next few years in San Diego." Shortly after the All-Star Game in July, Myers and the Padres acknowledged mutual interest in exploring a long-term extension. Formal discussions, which began after the end of the season, had accelerated in recent weeks. "We could ve gone year to year and just see how it played out," Preller said, "but from our standpoint, we re making a commitment that he s a guy we want to grow with. "He wants to be a part of it. He really enjoyed the city of San Diego. He wants to be here the next few years, when hopefully we turn this thing around." The Padres previous contract record belonged to James Shields, who signed a fouryear, $75 million deal nearly two years ago. In June, following the dismal failure that was 2015, the team jettisoned the veteran right-hander to the Chicago White Sox, agreeing to pay much of his remaining salary. In the younger, dynamic Myers, the Padres envision a star to lead them into contention. 13

14 Padres roster review: Miguel Diaz Jeff Sanders Contact Reporter Sizing up the Padres 40-man roster, from A to Z, heading into the 2017 season. MIGUEL DIAZ Position: Right-handed pitcher Acquired: 2016 Rule-5 draft (Brewers) via a trade with the Twins; Originally signed December Opening Day age: 22 Contract status: Added to the 40-man roster in December; won t be arbitration-eligible until after 2019 at the earliest Key stats (low-a): 1-8, 3.71 ERA, 3 saves, 91 strikeouts, 29 walks, 1.18 WHIP,.226 avg. against, 94 2/3 innings (26 games, 15 starts) Stat to note 0 Innings above A-ball in his career Trending Up Although an elbow injury prevented him from building on his stellar 2014 rookie ball campaign (10.1 strikeouts per nine innings), Diaz pushed his inning total from a mere 20 1/3 in 2015 to 94 2/3 innings last year in his first taste of full-season ball. He struck out 8.7 batters per nine innings, posted the second-lowest WHIP of his career and lowered his hit rate to 7.9 per nine innings, also the second-lowest of his career. Even with his ERA ticking up from 2.21 in 2015 to 3.71 in 2016, Diaz s stuff a mid-90s fastball with late action, a slider and a change excited the Padres front office enough to trade up to the No. 1 spot in the Rule 5 draft to nab him outlook Like Luis Perdomo last year, Diaz s best chance of sticking in the majors the entire year as a Rule 5 draft pick is in the bullpen. He ll have to remain on the active roster a 14

15 minimum of 90 days (non on the disabled list) if the Padres want to continue his development in the minors after the 2017 season, although there s always a chance that circumstances advance his rate of improvement as it did for Perdomo while finishing 2016 in the rotation. 15

16 Watch HOF announcement coverage live, noon PT today By Barry M. Bloom / 8:41 AM ET NEW YORK -- Today is the big day. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announces its Class of 2017, selected in a vote last month by the eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. As many as five candidates -- and possibly six -- could be elected according to the public ballots amassed online, with Tim Raines and Jeff Bagwell looking all but certain, plus Ivan Rodriguez, Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman hovering around the 75-percent threshold. Even Edgar Martinez has made huge gains from last year and is within reach of election. The results of the 73rd BBWAA Hall of Fame election will be revealed at 6 p.m. ET live on MLB Network, and simulcast live on MLB.com beginning at 3 p.m. The Class of 2017, along with MLB Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig and Braves vice chairman John Schuerholz, will be inducted July 30 behind the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. Those executives were voted in last month by the 16-member Today's Game Committee. "I guess I'm anxious," said Bagwell, the former Astros first baseman in his seventh year on the ballot. "I just want to get it over with. This is the first year I've kind of been keeping track of it and just looking. I'm excited about it." The Hall these days keeps the calls to the new electees as close to the public reveal as possible to avoid any leaks before president Jeff Idelson opens up the white envelope on camera. The votes will be tallied on Wednesday, and only an accountant, a representative from the Hall and Jack O'Connell, the longtime secretary-treasurer of the BBWAA, will be in attendance. O'Connell makes the calls and considers it his greatest honor. This year, Ryan Thibodaux -- who has gained prominence for keeping tabs on public votes -- has tracked more than 200 ballots -- almost 50 percent of the ballots expected to have been cast by the Dec. 31 deadline. Last year, 440 were filed when Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected. Bagwell was short of the 330 votes needed by 15, Raines by 21 and Hoffman by

17 The 200-plus ballots already counted this year are hardly a small sample size. Raines and Bagwell, who are both tracking at around 90 percent, have to feel good about their chances. Rodriguez, Guerrero and Hoffman are all hovering around 75 percent among public ballots and seemed destined to get in at some point soon, if not this year. Martinez, the slick designated hitter for the Mariners, is tracking just below them. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, each plagued by the shadow of performance-enhancing drugs, are both at around 60 percent -- a leap of almost 30 percent from where they finished only two years ago. In recent years, percentages for position players go down and closers go up by as much as 5 percent when all the non-public ballots are counted. That bodes well for Hoffman, the all-time leader in the National League with 601 saves, in his second year on the ballot. Next year, all the BBWAA ballots will be made public a week after the election. "I saw a column where I had about 60 percent of the vote among younger writers," Hoffman said. "It wasn't a huge backing by them. So, I hope [the recent voting trend] stands true." The news for Raines is very promising. The left fielder, one of the top basestealers and leadoff men in Major League history, is in his 10th and final year on the writers' ballot. Guerrero and Rodriguez -- one of the top catchers in Major League history -- are making their ballot debuts. Guerrero, a slick fielding right-fielder and powerful hitter, would be the first native position player from the Dominican Republic elected. Pitchers Juan Marichal and Pedro Martinez are the only Dominicans with their plaques hung in the red-brick Hall of Fame Museum on Main Street in Cooperstown. Both Raines and Guerrero began their careers with the Montreal Expos and are most identified with that team, which already boasts the late Gary Carter and Andre Dawson in the Hall. Guerrero also played six seasons for the Angels, one of five teams still not represented by a single player in Cooperstown. Raines, who played for six teams, including the 1996 and '98 World Series-winning Yankees, said his heart belongs to the Expos, the team for which he played his first 13 seasons. If elected, he will go in wearing an Expos cap. "Montreal means everything to me," he said. "The fans took me in as a son. I love Montreal. They appreciated the way I played the game. They let me know it. I feel like it helped me as a young guy. It 17

18 means a lot that the fans were behind me from Day One. It means a lot to a player. As players, you want to be welcomed, you want people to come out and see you perform. As a player, you love to hear what the fans think about you." Hoffman, who had 552 of his saves in 16 years for San Diego, would be the third Padres player in the Hall, following Dave Winfield and eight-time NL batting champ, the late Tony Gwynn. Bagwell, who spent his entire 15-year career in Houston, would be the second Astros player to get into the Hall, joining his teammate Craig Biggio, who was inducted in Biggio said he will be watching. "What happens when you know that you're on that cusp, and you're knocking on the door, the anxiety and excitement goes to a different level," said Biggio, who missed by a scant two votes in 2014, the year before he was elected. "That's the craziest thing in the world. You don't control it. You submit your resume, and then hopefully people like your resume. You're like, 'Here's my resume. Here's where I played.' That's why it's so hard percent is a big number, when you think about it." 18

19 Padres lock up Myers through at least 2022 By AJ Cassavell / January 17th, 2017 SAN DIEGO -- It's official: The face of the Padres is set to remain in San Diego for at least six more seasons. Wil Myers and the Padres finalized a six-year extension on Tuesday worth $83 million, the most lucrative contract in Padres history. The deal -- which covers three of Myers' arbitration years and three years of free agency -- also includes a $20 million team option for the 2023 season. "I want to thank the Padres organization for giving me this opportunity, and Padres fans for their support," Myers said in a statement. "I've loved my time in San Diego and I'm excited to be a part of what we're building for the future." In his first fully healthy season at the big league level, Myers was the Padres' best all-around player in He batted.259/.336/.461 with 28 homers and 28 steals, earning an All-Star nod and finishing as a Gold Glove finalist in his first season at first base. The Padres view the 26-year-old Myers as a piece to build around. Over the past year, the Friars have invested heavily in their farm system, and they feel Myers' prime will intersect nicely with the emergence of a crop of talented youngsters. "Hopefully you're buying the prime years of Wil's career, from 26 to 31," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "He's a player that obviously showed last year he's got All-Star-caliber potential. He's a guy that can be part of a nucleus of a championship-type team. That really made [the extension] attractive for us and Wil. He's a guy that's still a young player, has a lot of baseball left in the prime of his career -- but a guy that lines up with our younger guys coming up." "He's passionate about what we're building here in San Diego, loves being a part of the community," Padres manager Andy Green said on Monday. "I think you want to find guys that you can build around as young guys come into the organization.... Wil is that type of guy. We're very excited about the prospect of having him for years to come. There's still limitless potential within Wil that he hasn't tapped yet." With $83 million guaranteed, Myers surpasses James Shields (for whom he was once traded) as the recipient of the largest contract in Padres history. Myers will be paid $22 million over his three would-be arbitration years -- including a $15 million signing bonus. He'll then receive $20 million per year over the 19

20 next three seasons and has a $1 million buyout structured into the 2023 team option. If he is traded, Myers would also receive a $1 million assignment bonus. The announcement came days after the Padres locked up third baseman Yangervis Solarte for the longterm as well. With the two signings, Preller and the Padres have avoided all potential arbitration hearings for a third consecutive offseason. "From an ownership standpoint, when we have talented players, they're going to do their part to keep them in San Diego, to grow and build a championship club," Preller said. "When it's the right time here in the next few years, we'll get guys to supplement what hopefully is a talented nucleus that we're growing from within." Myers came to the Padres in December 2014 as part of the three-team deal that sent Joe Ross and Trea Turner to Washington. He earned the American League Rookie of the Year Award with Tampa Bay in '13, before playing only 147 games over the next two seasons because of wrist issues. He burst back onto the scene last June, taking home NL Player of the Month honors while batting.327/.429/.765 with 11 homers. The summer surge earned him a starting spot in the All-Star Game at Petco Park. "Part of being a fan, you want to root for guys that make you want to turn on the TV every night, guys that make you want to come out to the ballpark," Preller said. "I think Wil last year -- definitely in the first half of the season -- showed he was that kind of guy." 20

21 Hoffman's HOF fate about to be revealed By AJ Cassavell / 11:26 AM ET SAN DIEGO -- Like the ninth inning of so many games in which he pitched, Trevor Hoffman's 2017 Hall of Fame push is coming down to the wire. Live coverage of the announcement begins at 12 p.m. PT Wednesday on MLB Network and MLB.com, and preliminary results have Hoffman hovering right around the 75 percent threshold required for enshrinement. His case is one of the most fascinating on the ballot, and there won't be any indication of the final result until his name is -- or isn't -- called. In recent years, social media has diminished some of the drama surrounding the Hall of Fame announcement. Many writers divulge their ballots early, giving fans a glimpse into the potential results. But in the case of Hoffman -- who finished with 67.3 percent of the vote last January -- the early returns have only served to add to the suspense. Ryan Thibodaux's ballot tracker keeps tabs on Hall of Fame voting trends, accounting for all ballots released to the public. With 235 ballots on file -- just over half of the overall total -- Hoffman has received 72.7 percent of the vote. "It's going to be a couple of percentage points either way," Hoffman told MLB.com recently. "It's going to be a little nerve-racking, no doubt about it." Among returning voters, Hoffman has been added to 29 ballots and was dropped from eight. He missed by 34 votes last year, which would seem to put him on the verge of election this time around. One key number worth watching, however, is Hoffman's inclusion among first-time voters. With a younger generation of writers more prone to lean on advanced metrics like WAR, Hoffman has been named on only eight of 13 first-year ballots. Accounting for all those factors, Thibodaux estimates that Hoffman needs to gain 17 votes among the 214 or so ballots that have not been revealed. 21

22 "To me, it's not something I kind of have to have," Hoffman said after the ballot was unveiled in November. "If I'm around family, and it turns out the right way, and I get a call, I'm sure it will be fantastic." Judging by historical trends, it's overwhelmingly likely Hoffman reaches the Hall eventually. It's his second year on the ballot, and every player who has received at least 50 percent in his first try was eventually enshrined in Cooperstown. The case for Hoffman is clear. He pitched 18 seasons in the big leagues, 16 of which came in San Diego. During that time, Hoffman racked up 601 saves, second only to surefire Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. And among relievers with at least 1,000 innings, Hoffman ranks second in save percentage (88.8), eighth in ERA (2.87), fourth in ERA+ (141), second in opponents' batting average (.211), second in WHIP (1.06) and first in strikeout rate (25.8). "I was actually surprised he didn't get in on the first ballot," said former Padres general manager Randy Smith, who brought Hoffman to San Diego in a 1993 trade with the Florida Marlins. "I thought he was a first-ballot guy. It's going to be very close this year. In my mind, the wait's going to be very short. If he doesn't get in this year, it's going to be next year." The numbers back Smith's assertion. Since 2000, eight players have received 67.3 percent or higher without hitting 75. Seven reached the Hall in the following year, with Jack Morris as the lone exception. But an induction ceremony this summer would be especially meaningful to a city reeling from the loss of its NFL team. No, Hoffman's enshrinement would not offset the effects of the Chargers' relocation to Los Angeles. But, after a difficult week, it would give local fans a reason to cheer for a beloved sports figure. "I'm incredibly hopeful... there's an announcement that Trevor is in the Hall of Fame," Padres manager Andy Green said. "This city would enjoy that kind of news to celebrate. He's as beloved in this city as anybody." 22

23 Winter updates on Bethancourt, Pirela Catcher playing left field and pitching in Panama By Bill Center / San Diego Padres 10:46 AM ET Christian Bethancourt has played 10 games -- seven as a left fielder and three as a relief pitcher -- in Panama as he begins an effort to become a hybrid catcher/pitcher/outfielder. Hitters are 2-for-11 against the 25-year-old Bethancourt as a pitcher. He hasn't allowed a run in three oneinning appearances, with two strikeouts and no walks. His fastball has ranged from 93 to 97 mph. Bethancourt has not caught in his native land, but he is starting in left on days he is not scheduled to pitch. As a hitter, Bethancourt is 4-for-31 with the Caballos de Cocle, with a double and four runs scored. He has a.229 on-base percentage. Meanwhile, Jose Pirela doubled in three at-bats and scored the game's only run Tuesday night as Zulia defeated the Caribes, 1-0, to advance to the championship round of the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs. Pirela is hitting.286 with two home runs in the playoffs. He is playing left and hitting second, third and fifth in Zulia's batting order. Infielder Fernando Perez is still active in the Mexican Pacific League playoffs, although he has been playing part-time with Hermosillo over the past week. Perez, a product of Otay Ranch High, is hitting.417 (5-for-12) in the playoffs. Three other Padres prospects remain active in the Australian Baseball League. Second baseman River Stevens has hit safely in nine of his past 10 games (14-for-37) to raise his season batting average to.342. That is the third-highest average in Australia. Stevens also ranks 10th with a.388 on-base percentage. Catcher Marcus Greene Jr. is hitting.310 in Australia, and he is tied for the league lead with six homers and is fourth in RBIs with 23. He is 13-for-31 (.310) over the past 10 games. Right-hander Zech Lemond has a 1.20 ERA over 15 innings in 10 appearances in Australia. He has allowed 10 hits and six walks while striking out

24 Padres Sign Wil Myers to 6-Year Contract By Laura McVicker Padres fan favorite Wil Myers has signed a six-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday. The contract keeps the first baseman in San Diego through the 2022 season with a club option for the 2023 season, the Padres said in a news release. Myers had the best offensive season for a right-handed hitting Padre in the Petco Park era, clubbing 28 home runs with 94 RBI, 28 doubles and stealing 28 bags. Myers was the cleanup hitter for the National League in the All-Star game and became a fan favorite. It was unclear how much the contract cost the Padres, but talks were reportedly in the 6-year, $80 million range. 24

25 Wil Myers, Padres finalize $83 million, 6-year contract The Associated Press Jan 17, 2017, 4:52 PM SAN DIEGO (AP) -- First baseman Wil Myers and the San Diego Padres finalized an $83 million, six-year contract on Tuesday, the largest deal in the team's history. The 26-year-old Myers hit 28 homers and drove in 94 runs last season and also stole 28 bases. ''He's got all sorts of potential,'' Padres general manager A.J. Preller said on a conference call. ''He can be the nucleus of championship-type team.'' Myers, who had been eligible for salary arbitration, receives a $15 million signing bonus, of which $1 million is payable within 15 days of the deal's approval by the commissioner's office, $5.5 million on Nov. 15, 2018, and $8.5 million on Nov. 15, He gets salaries of $2 million apiece in the next two seasons, $3 million in 2019 and $20 million in each of the final three years. San Diego has a $20 million team option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout. Myers gets a suite on road trips and would get a one-time $1 million assignment bonus if traded. ''Hopefully you're buying the prime years of Wil's career,'' Preller said. ''You need some core pieces that are going to be there.'' ''Our plan is we try to invest in guys we think are going to be here for the future. There is going to have to be some patience. There are going to be some young guys on the field this year. It's going to be fun to see how that group grows together in the next few years,'' he said. Myers would have been eligible for free agency after the 2019 season. The deal tops a $75 million, four-year contract pitcher James Shields signed before the 2015 season. Myers was an All-Star last season when the game was played at Petco Park. His production tailed off after the break. ''What he showed the fans of San Diego the first half, the great ones do that all year long,'' Preller said. ''He's excited to put together two halves. I don't think we've really seen his full potential. It's the first time he's been through the grind of 162 games.'' Myers was called up midway through his rookie years and then had two seasons that were interrupted by a wrist injury. ''He wants to be here the next few years when hopefully we turn this thing around,'' Preller said. Myers will hold a news conference at Petco Park on Monday. 25

26 2017 San Diego Padres Top 10 Prospects January 16, 2017 By Kyle Glaser Everything that could go wrong for the Padres did go wrong in the major leagues in The Padres not only suffered their sixth straight losing season, but posted their worst record in that time with a mark. First-year manager Andy Green injected energy and optimism into the clubhouse, but it wasn t enough to overcome the calamities that struck the franchise. After a 16-4 shellacking at the hands of the Mariners on May 31 that dropped the Padres record to 20-33, executive chairman Ron Fowler publicly called the team miserable failures on their flagship radio station. And so began a fire sale, with veterans James Shields, Matt Kemp, Fernando Rodney, Melvin Upton, Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz all traded by August, starting the latest rebuilding process in a franchise history full of them. Even the fire sale didn t go smoothly. Major League Baseball suspended general manager A.J. Preller in September for 30 days after ruling he did not properly disclose relevant medical information to the Red Sox in their July trade of Pomeranz. Another trade with the Marlins was modified after righthander Colin Rea, one of the players the Padres traded, suffered a torn UCL in his first start with Miami. The two parties reworked the deal to return Rea to the Padres and promising righthander Luis Castillo to the Marlins. Things got even worse after the season, when team president and CEO Mike Dee was fired without explanation. With the front office in disarray and the major league product delivering its worst performance this decade, the season s lone positives could be found on the farm. Homegrown prospects such as outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Michael Gettys, second baseman Luis Urias and righthanders Jacob Nix and Dinelson Lamet all took significant steps forward in their development. Offseason acquisitions such as outfielder Manuel Margot, second baseman Carlos Asuaje, lefthander Logan Allen and righthander Enyel de los Santos showed promise. Most importantly, the midseason trades of veterans yielded an intriguing haul of prospect talent, led by righthander Anderson Espinoza, first baseman Josh Naylor, righthander Chris Paddack and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. The Padres furthered bolstered their system with three of the 2016 draft s top 25 picks, and then shattered spending records during the international signing period. San Diego spent upwards of $60 million signing international amateur talent, including penalties for overages, and brought in eight of the top 50 international prospects in the class, including three of the top six. The injection of talent from all avenues turned the Padres system into one of the game s deepest. Now, the team must develop it to end years of poor performance and reverse the entrenched skepticism in San Diego. 26

27 1. Anderson Espinoza, rhp image: Born: March 9, B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 160. Signed: Venezuela, Signed by: Eddie Romero/Manny Padron (Red Sox). n rather than present tools. Background: While some teenage international standouts fly under the radar, Espinoza is one whose promise has been evident for some time. Considered the top available pitcher by a wide margin in the 2014 international class, he signed with the Red Sox for $1.8 million. If Espinoza felt any pressure from the lofty expectations he never showed it, zooming all the way from the Dominican Summer League to low Class A in 2015, his age-17 season, and ranking as one of baseball s top prospects one year after signing. The Red Sox were reluctant to part with him but ultimately did in a one-for-one swap for Drew Pomeranz two days after Pomeranz pitched in the 2016 All-Star Game as a member of the host Padres. Scouting Report: The lean Espinoza is not physically intimidating but possesses a strong lower half and electric arm speed that allows him to nonetheless pitch with elite velocity. He is not dissimilar from fellow 6-foot flamethrower Yordano Ventura in that regard. Espinoza s mph four-seam fastball possesses so much late tail away from lefthanded batters that Padres broadcaster and former major league pitcher Mark Grant confused it for a two-seamer a mistake made by others before him and Espinoza commands it masterfully to both sides of the plate. His main secondary pitch is a mid-80s changeup that is above-average on a bad day and simply fantastic in the words of one opposing scout on a good one. His upper-70s curveball lacks consistency but still flashes plus with 11-to-5 movement. Spotty command of his breaking pitches led to Espinoza getting hit more often at low Class A in 2016 than his pure stuff indicates he should, and he also struggled with trying to be too fine at times rather than attacking hitters. He admitted being a bit shell-shocked after being traded and struggled in his first few outings in the Padres system, but he adjusted and finished strong with 10 strikeouts and just two runs allowed in his final two starts at Fort Wayne. He continued that with a dominant inning in the Padres futures game at Petco Park on Oct. 7, where he struck out two Rangers batters. His exceptional performance on a big stage at Petco was nothing new for Espinoza, who draws raves for his ability to reach back and find something extra in big moments. He possesses exceptional makeup and intelligence, signified both by his poise on the mound and the fact he learned English almost fluently by age 18, less than two years after first coming to the U.S. 27

28 The Future: Ventura is 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 Club W L ERA G G Greenville (LoA) Fort Wayne (LoA) Manuel Margot, of image: Born: Sept. 18, B-T: R-R. Ht.: Wt.: 180. Signed: Dominican Republic, Signed by: Manny Nanita/Craig Shipley (Red Sox). Background: The Red Sox signed Margot for $800,000 as a 16-year old international free agent in 2011 and watched him stand out at every level as he ascended their system. He was a Top 100 Prospect when the Padres acquired him and three other players for closer Craig Kimbrel after the 2015 season. Scouting Report: Margot possesses strong wrists and exceptional feel for the barrel, allowing him to make consistent hard contact. His plus speed helps his bat play up, turning singles into doubles and doubles into triples, and his control of the strike zone was uncanny for a player his age at Triple-A. The sum of all of that profiles Margot as a plus offensive player, even with fringe-average power. Margot dramatically improved his reads and routes throughout 2016, which combined with his superb raw speed and athleticism, turned him into one of the top defensive outfielders in the upper minors. His above-average arm also took a huge leap forward in 2016, with corrected footwork leading to more strength behind his throws to the point he led the Pacific Coast League with 18 assists. The Future: Margot has everything you want in a top-of-the-order center fielder and will begin to fill that role with the Padres in Club AVG OBP SLG A 28

29 El Paso (AAA) San Diego (MLB) Hunter Renfroe, of image: Born: Jan. 28, B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 220. Drafted: Mississippi State, 2013 (1st round). Signed by: Andrew Salvo. Background: Renfroe was a hometown hero at Mississippi State, where he anchored the Bulldogs lineup and led them to the College World Series as junior. The Padres drafted him 13th overall after that season in 2013 and he signed for $2.678 million. Scouting Report: Renfroe s carrying tool has long been his mammoth raw power, but up until 2016 it was largely to his pull side and came with a 25 percent career strikeout rate. He closed his stance and shortened his stroke in 2016 at Triple-A El Paso and had his best season yet, hitting 10 of his Pacific Coast League-leading 30 home runs the opposite way and cutting his strikeout rate to 20 percent as he rolled to the circuit s MVP award. He continued to mash after his first big league callup in September with four home runs in 11 games including a titanic blast onto the roof of the Western Metal Supply Co. building, beyond the left-field wall at Petco Park. Renfroe s improved feel to hit and massive power comes with a double-plus arm in right field and the athleticism to hold down the position ably. The Future: Renfroe s aggressiveness will keep his strikeouts high and his walks low, but the swing adjustments he has made give him a better chance to annually reach his 30-homer potential. He will be the Padres Opening Day right fielder in Club AVG OBP SLG AB El Paso (AAA) San Diego (MLB) Cal Quantrill, rhp 29

30 image: Born: Feb. 10, B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 165. Drafted: Stanford, 2016 (1st round). Signed by: Sam Ray. Background: The son of former Blue Jays all-star reliever Paul Quantrill was drafted by the Yankees in the 26th round out of high school. He instead went to Stanford, where he became the first freshman pitcher to start Opening Day since Mike Mussina in Quantrill pitched just three games as a sophomore before requiring Tommy John surgery, which kept him out all of his junior season as well. Undeterred, the Padres drafted him eighth overall and signed him for $3,963,045. Scouting Report: Quantrill displayed no ill effects from surgery once he got into the Padres system, showing a mph fastball and diving mph changeup that was considered the best in the 2016 draft class. His slider showed vast improvement by sitting mph with late bite to become an above-average offering. Quantrill s command remains shaky post-surgery, but he was around the strike zone with all of his pitches during his pro debut. He possesses the poise and pitchability expected from the son of a former major leaguer, and his competitiveness earns raves. The Future: Quantrill hasn t pitched a full season since 2014, so the Padres will manage his workload carefully in 2017 at low Class A Fort Wayne Club W L ERA G G AZL Padres (R) Tri-City (SS) Fort Wayne (LoA) Adrian Morejon, lhp image: Born: Feb. 27, B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 195. Signed: Cuba, Background: Morejon jumped on the international radar when he was named MVP of the 15U World Cup in 2014 while pitching for the Cuban national team. His biggest moment came in the gold medal game, when he threw 124 pitches in a complete-game, 6-3 victory against the U.S. 30