Seanez Set to Return, Could Wells Be Next?

Rudy Seanez, one of last year’s bullpen anchors, is expected to rejoin the Padres before Friday’s game against the Reds at Petco Park. The Boston Red Sox, who signed Seanez to a hefty contract following his career year, designated the veteran right-hander for assignment last week, clearing the way for his return to San Diego. Right-hander Scott Cassidy, effective early in the season, also will be back with the big club when rosters expand on Friday. Between those two and sidewinder Cla Meredith, the Padres and their fans can be grateful to the Red Sox for helping the Pads build a strong bullpen.

As for David Wells, rumors have him coming to San Diego for Triple-A catcher George Kottaras. I hope that this is wishful thinking on the part of Boston writers desperate to cast the Red Sox in a positive light to rabid fans and not a reflection of reality. If everything in this article is to be taken at face value, then I hope the Dodgers are able to land Wells for one of Matt Kemp, Andy LaRoche, or James Loney (preferably Kemp or LaRoche — I’d love to see those guys out of the division).

I get the whole “he plays in a big market on the East Coast so he must be better than anyone you can offer” angle they’re trying to work here, but I still don’t see how one month of a broken-down 43-year-old left-hander with name recognition is worth anyone’s top prospect. Peter doesn’t see it either. That said, if there’s one thing I learned from the Mark Loretta for Doug Mirabelli fiasco it’s that we cannot dismiss seemingly ridiculous rumors.

If the Padres were to make a deal for Wells, wouldn’t it make more sense to offer up one of the spare bats at Triple-A they don’t plan to use but who could come in handy? Jon Knott immediately leaps to mind. Heck, why not Terrmel Sledge or Jack Cust? <sarcasm>Moneyball’s all about walks, right?</sarcasm> Cust has plenty of those (137 in 131 games at last count).

I guess my first choice would be to see the Padres pick up Wells on the cheap. It’s possible the guy has enough left in the tank to be useful down the stretch as a replacement for the Chan Ho Park/Mike Thompson spot in the rotation. My second choice would be to see the Dodgers pay through the nose to get him. Ask me again in five minutes, and those could be reversed. Put it this way, as long as the Padres don’t give up a top prospect (e.g., Kottaras) to get Wells, I’ll be reasonably happy wherever he lands.

193 Responses »

  1. at 43 (going on 44) he’s going to help us next year? No sale.

  2. Well, today’s actually the Aztecs’ first game, so… it technically is football season (and XX is the Aztec’s station, as well).

  3. #97: Again, he’s a lot more likely to do it than Thompson. Or, I’d say, Woody.

  4. Also, how much is David Wells worth above our existing options at starting pitcher? How frequently can we just skip the number 5 starter anyway (making him a replacement for one start each by each other pitcher)? In the playoffs he’s not substituting for Thompson, he’s substituting for Clay Hensley, most likely. And then how many wins can Kottaras add in the future, or as trade bait for a good third baseman? This is such an awful deal. I am sitting in my dorm room just praying that nothing happens.

  5. 104: Ben, we have 2 days off, but they’re both in the first half of September (7 and 11). With Peavy, Young, and Woody all having lost time to injuries this year, going to the 4 man now doesn’t seem like a great idea. Especially Peavy, you want him rested going into the playoffs.

    I don’t like the price of Kottaras, but I do like Wells. I’d have liked Maddux more.

  6. I dunno, Maddux has very little history of success in the post-season.

  7. Maddux has a 3.22 ERA in the playoffs, Boomer’s 3.04. Mad Dog can’t help it that the Braves could never score.

    But I’d have been happier with Maddux because he was available for all of August instead of just September. Those extra starts not being made by Thompson would have helped.

  8. Whatever TW. Facts schmacts. Perception is reality, baby!

  9. Here is one thing we are not talking about…maybe we should be:

    “Manager Bruce Bochy has anointed Russell Branyan as the Padres’ starting third baseman. Walker is reduced to the role of a utility player, the North County Times reports.”

  10. CM: source?

  11. Ha thats untill branyan has a 4K game

  12. Now it’s getting ridiculous. From SOSH again:

    ESPN reporting Dodgers and LaRoche+another prospect right now. Not finalized.

  13. One more note…

    Betamit is hitting .237 in the month of August, with 7hr’s, 14 RBI’s and 26K’s.

    Todd Walker/Russ Branyan are hitting .329 for the Padres this month, with 3hr’s, 10 RBI’s, and 6 k’s. Plus we still have Linebrinks 10.2 IP giving 4 ER’s (~3.77 ERA) and 10 k’s.

    Still would have pulled the trigger on the Linebrink/Betamit trade, but in the short run we are holding our own.

  14. Wooooooo!!!! Please let that Dodger trade happen. Wow, that would be such an awesome trade. Go Dodgers! Finish this thing up! Toss in Kemp if that will get the job done!

  15. Friarfan…that would be “North County Times reports”.

  16. Bediment was more of an 07, 08, 09 move.

  17. Steve…You are right…and that is why we should have pulled the trigger!!

    What is SOSH??

  18. re:117 sons of sam horn message board which is the place to be for any Red Sox information. Reportedly..curt schilling posts there quite often..

  19. SOSH = Sons of Sam Horn??

  20. No I don’t

  21. SOSH = Sons Of Sam Horn, a Red Sox message board. hardcore discussions and analysis. Schilling has indeed posted there from time to time.

  22. Wells trade thread:
    http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?showtopic=11316&st=20

    When Schilling went to the Red Sox he used to post there a lot. I think he still does but mostly in a restricted area of the site. He once did a Q&A about his preperation and thought process on the mound, it was one of the most interesting “insider” pieces I’ve ever read.

  23. ESPN breaking news: David Wells has been traded to the Padres.

  24. God, Sox fans really have an inflated sense of importance:

    “Are we just being set up to be disappointed when it turns out to be Kottaras?”

    Screw you buddy.

  25. Sorry Coronado. You had that within the quotes. It looked like you were quoting a site that was grabbing from other sources. I was interested to read that article.

  26. 1090 reporting that Wells is a padre, have not reported what the Pads gave up.

  27. This feels like we’re all waiting for an AIDS test result

  28. Nice Anthony…

    If it is Kotarras straight up, I am selling the rest of my tickets for the rest of the year…I only have a couple games left. Anyone interested?

  29. Not that I have experience with this personally, Anthony, but yes, I agree.

  30. From the article in #132:

    David Wells was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday night and then promptly traded to the San Diego Padres, ESPN reported on Thursday.

    He was sent to San Diego for minor league catcher George Kottaras.

    —–

    XXSports is reporting it the PTBNL or Cash considerations…Probably George Kotarras.

    —-

    It will be interesting to see how this plays out…either way, I have tickets for September 1, 22, 24 for sale. 3rd row, right next to Western Metal Supply building. Catch a HR, see how fast DR really is…They really are great seats!

  31. The Padres just traded their best prospect for one month of a number 4 pitcher, who could in fact go on the disabled list at any minute. Who is going to displace Hensley for starts in the postseason. Well, I’m on the bandwagon. Fire Kevin Towers.

  32. Kottaras would have to go as a PTBNL, right? Cash considerations? I hope we’re not sending money to the Red Sox too.

  33. The only thing I can hang my hat on is that Kotarras never looked like a top line catcher to me…but what do I know, I am just a Fantasy Baseball Champion.

    I hope I have been right about Kotarras…I really hope this is not a Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell type of deal…

  34. Look at the bright side, I already have the David Wells page up:

    http://www.padresnation.com/players/davidwells/davidwells.html

  35. I’ve stood up for him in the past but not anymore… FIRE KEVIN TOWERS NOW!!!

    This has seriously got to be a joke.

  36. I agree with the post earlier that said if he wins us a couple games this month and wins us a playoff game then the deal is worth it. Kottarras is barely in the top 50 or 100 prospects in baseball. Just because he was one of OUR top prospects, doesn’t make him a future all-star. He’s hitting .233 in AAA for gods sake which is a hitters league.

  37. If that’s really what the deal turns out to be then I agree. Even if Wells goes 5-0 down the stretch it’s a bad deal. Kottaras could have fetched more in the off season, when Wells will be retired.

  38. My last 2 cents on this…then I am out.

    I guess that Wells wins 3-4 games for us down the stretch and wins one in the playoffs…

    Kotarras becomes a good bench guy who plays some OF and C, but never becomes an all-star.

    Is it worth it? Probably on the surface, yes…but I still believe that we could have used him to get a better player in the off-season.

    Either way, my last 3 games are officially for sale…face value. Love my seats…you will to.

    P.S. I will renew next year and will root on my Pads…

  39. ESPN.com is reporting that the trade occurred, but “details on what the Red Sox will get from the Padres were not immediately available.”

    They also say that Wells will start on Saturday. That bumps Peavy.

  40. re: 141… CM if that is how this turns out, then it’s a very good trade for the Padres. That one win could turn out to be the one that gets us out of the first round of the playoffs.

    I thought it was a bad trade until I hear that Kotarras is hitting .233 in Portland…that isn’t very good.

    Could the Padres have gotten more for him in the offseason?? Maybe…we’ll never know for sure….as long as Wells can help us for the next month, I think it’s a good deal.

  41. Listen. Wells was scratched now.. .I really think his value has rocketed down because either a desperate team will overpay OR he will be given to at fair value..

    all this Matt Kemp, LaRoche, Kottaras stuff has to be crap. Jack Cust shuold do the trick because he can DH and Ortiz is down among many others.

  42. Mark O, don’t go there…

    Kottaras v2006:

    AAA: .224/.294/.383 in 107 AB
    AA: .276/.394/.451 in 257 AB

    v2005:

    Hi-A: .303/.390/.468 in 337 AB
    AA: .287/.397/.457 in 101 AB

    Which of those is not like the other? Kottaras is a VERY NICE prospect.

  43. re:134…Hensley wouldn’t have started in the playoffs anyways. We would’ve gone with Jake, CY, and Woody in the first round…and quite possibly those same 3 if we make it out of the first round.

    Either way..I’d rather have David Wells the way he’s been pitching lately over either Woody or Hensley.

  44. Only MSNBC is saying that Kottaras is the other half of the deal yet and they site their source as ESPN, who on their page says that they can not confirm the other side of the deal…

    Hmmmm.

  45. Mark O, I think you’re underestimating Hensley and his 1.82 ERA in August, his 1.25 whip and his 9 walks v. 21 strikeouts and count that one of those starts in theree was against the top team in the NL (Mets)

  46. I’m holding out hope that Kottaras isn’t in the deal. But SOOO many sources (who, of course are all siting eachother) are saying George is in there… I’m thinking where’s there’s smoke there’s fire. We’ll see… I’m out – I’ll post more tonight.

  47. PTBNL or cash considerations. You’ll be seeing it soon…