Wait, didn’t we already do a link post this week? Marketing spin: Two for the price of one. Yeah, that’s it…
- Padres build top bullpen through smart shopping (SI.com, via Brett in the comments). Tom Verducci has noticed what we’ve long known: that Kevin Towers has a gift for acquiring cheap arms. It’s weird that Verducci doesn’t dismiss the phenomenon as a function of Petco Park. Isn’t that pretty much a requirement these days?
- Speaking of potential cheap arms, here are a few minor-league free agents with interesting statistical profiles (don’t know anything about their repertoire, etc.): Lee Gronkiewicz, Dan Giese, Scott Patterson, Charlie Manning, Felix Romero, Travis Hughes. Maybe there’s nothing to these guys, but they sure did okay in the minors last year.
- Will frugal Padres shell out bucks? (San Diego Union-Tribune, via Steve C in the comments). Ah, the irony. Now that the Padres finally have payroll flexibility, the free-agent market stinks.
- Barry Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction charges (ESPN). Hey, here’s a guy who should come real cheap. Sigh. What a freakin’ moron. Not to get on a moral high horse, but it bothers me that the all-time leader in hits and the all-time leader in home runs are known cheaters. Baseball deserves better. Then again, everyone looked the other way when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were hitting all those homers in ’98, so maybe it doesn’t.
- Web based PITCHf/x tool (Hardball Times). In decidedly happier news, Josh Kalk has developed a tool that just rocks. Really, go play with it.
- Padres making pitch for Clement (MLB.com, via Anthony in the comments). Not a horrible back-end option. Just remember that this is not the Matt Clement we last saw in San Diego. The current version is 33 years old, hasn’t pitched since 2006, and hasn’t been good since 2004. Still, he’s better than Shawn Estes. Right?
- Padres talk extension with Peavy as Cy awaits (San Diego Union-Tribune, via Peter Friberg in the comments). I’ll believe it when I see it, but I sure hope the Padres and Jake Peavy are able to get something done.
Speaking of Peavy, didn’t he win an award or something?
- No doubt, it’s Peavy (San Diego Union-Tribune). My favorite part of Tom Krasovic’s article is a quote from Peavy: “You’ve got my word. I’m going to come back as hungry as ever and try to repeat this performance.” Really? You think? Because if there’s one thing that concerns me about Peavy, it’s his lack of intensity.
- Sun Rises in East; Peavy Wins Cy Young Award (Baseball Prospectus, via Richard in the comments). Joe Sheehan weighs in with his thoughts.
- Now, pay me (San Diego Union-Tribune). This article is mostly fluff but check out the photo of Randy Jones in full ‘fro. Sweet!
- San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy wins NL Cy Young Award in unanimous vote (Yahoo!). AP coverage.
Also, if you do the Facebook or Twitter thing:
And I’ve been playing around with a Wiki site for Ducksnorts. Feel free to play around with it if you’re so inclined.
Why do we need all this stuff? Look, I don’t know; I just work here, okay? Hey, it might be fun…
Winter Leagues
Wednesday, November 14
- Surprise 6, Saguaros 5 (box | recap). Will Venable, batting eighth and starting in right field, singled and struck out in four at-bats.
- Estrellas 4, Escogido 2 (box). Vince Sinisi singled in four at-bats for Escogido. Incidentally, there’s a minor-league free agent pitcher on this team who fascinates me. His name is Warner Madrigal, and I know nothing about him beyond the fact that he’s a former outfielder who struck out more than 11 batters per 9 innings in his first full season as a pitcher. Granted, it was the Midwest League, but this caught my eye.
- Navojoa 6, Culiacan 2 (box). Oscar Robles singled, walked, and struck out in five trips to the plate. Luis Cruz started in center field and finished at third base, going 2-for-4 in the process.
- Obregon 4, Mazatlan 3 (box). Brian Myrow, batting cleanup, doubled and walked in four plate appearances.
Thursday, November 15
- Mesa 6, Saguaros 5 (box). Venable, batting sixth, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Nick Hundley and Matt Antonelli also went 0-for-3, with Antonelli drawing a walk. John Hudgins (2.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) had another rough outing, although he threw a season-high 59 pitches. Will Startup worked a perfect eighth.
- Navojoa 6, Culiacan 5 (box). Robles went 0-for-3 with two walks. Cruz knocked three singles and a double in five trips to the plate.
Mazatlan 12, Obregon 0 (box). Myrow went 1-for-2 with three walks. - Magallenes 9, Caracas 8 (box). Paul Abraham worked a perfect ninth in a losing cause. Ex-Padre Eric Cyr started for Caracas.
Yes? Yes? Yes, I do believe that covers it.
With all the Peavy extension talk I wonder if they don’t get something done by the end of the off season if they will trade him during ST.
The Matt Clement we saw in San Diego was not very good either, which was annoying:
1999: 94 ERA+
2000: 83 ERA+
his only good years were in Chicago, ’02-’04
Sorry for my rant on Keith Law.
re: Now, pay me … hmmm … I didn’t find that piece fully at all … it’s good to be reminded that a player’s salary is not as simple as “I’ll hold out for as much as I can” versus “I’ll just take what they offer” … there are other factors in the contract-dance … “union solidarity” … bleh … I don’t like the sound of that, but it’s real, it’s there, it’s a factor … and I must admit that the alternative is the owners getting a bigger and bigger piece of the MLB revenue pie, and that’s not appealing to me either … I think what this article has done for me is make me realize that the Padres have to decide if they are willing to pay Peavy “market value” … there’s just no way to duck that … and it seems there’s 2 barriers to doing so (ie. reasons they may choose not to): 1) they really don’t want to risk that high of a percentage of payroll into any one player, or 2) they really don’t think Peavy himself is a good long-term health-risk.
I do appreciate Sullivan’s bottom line: It’s not only about the money. Just mostly.
4 … typo alert … “fluffy” came out as “fully” … odd …
3 … now don’t be backin’ down, Jack … we like the passion!!!
#2: Good point. At least there was the threat of his improving back then.
#4: Yeah, “fluff” might have been overly harsh. I just didn’t see much new here.
I still dont agree with him but calling him a phony may have been a little harsh.
#7: Thanks, Jack. I agree that Law a) is doing an honest job and b) is misinformed about Matt. The good news is, Matt can influence his own future more than Law can.
Hey, no worries, Jack. I think it must be extremely difficult to be related to a public figure and have to read others opinions about your loved one.
Why I don’t like Josh Rosenberg: He just said outside of A-Rod, Matt Holliday is arguably the best player in baseball. (A caller compared SD and Peavy to Colorado and Holliday.)
It is tough Pat but what upsets me is there is no merit to what Law says because if he has seen matt play it was maybe once how do you form an opinion on any athlete without watching him play for a while. His first comment this year was Matt couldnt hit , Matt showes he can so Law changes it to he cant field
woo hoo, facebook.
“Lee Gronkiewicz, Dan Giese, Scott Patterson, Charlie Manning, Felix Romero, Travis Hughes. Maybe there’s nothing to these guys, but they sure did okay in the minors last year.”
travis hughes never could make it with Tampa Bay…but hey thats a hard division.
i’d take a spring training invite/minor league deal on any of these guys just to see em in spring training to see if they are any good. couldnt hurt right?
actually now that im looking, scott patterson, if hes the reliever for the yankees that u are referring to, just got the call up to the 40 man roster, so hes not available.
and rotoworld.com is reporting Travis Hughes could get a Major League deal rather than a minor league deal
“Free agent Travis Hughes picked up his 12th save in the VWL by pitching a scoreless inning Thursday.
Hughes has allowed one run and posted a 19/4 K/BB ratio in 19 1/3 innings. He finished with a 1.91 ERA for Triple-A Pawtucket last season, so the former Nationals reliever could be a candidate for a major league deal this winter.”
“Yankees purchased the contract of RHP Scott Patterson from Double-A Trenton.
The 28-year-old Patterson gets his 40-man spot after all. He earned it by posting a 1.05 ERA and striking out 92 batters in 77 1/3 innings, most of them coming at Double-A. If he had better stuff, the Yankees would have taken a look at him in September, if not before. Still, it’s worth the roster spot to see if he can succeed in middle relief.”
#13: Pretty much. If they suck, thank them for their time and move on.
#14: Ah, thanks for the update. I was working off a list published by BA a few weeks ago:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=644
yeah i was going off that list too, its a bit off i think, had a couple people on the wrong squad and whatnot, a couple of guys got repeated on different teams as well.
but its nice they(baseballamerica) even do all that. i saw some pretty intriguing names on there
10 … re: Holliday … I don’t agree with it either … but Josh Rosenberg (whoever he is, link?) is not alone in that evaluation … I was floored by this at BA … National League Best Tools … as compiled from surveys of National League managers
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/features/264582.html
… Matt Holliday a better hitter than Albert Pujols? … no … No … NO … I don’t think so …
11 … re: how do you form an opinion on any athlete without watching him play for a while? If you’re being paid to do just that, then you do just that … you do what you can based on what you know and what you have seen in the past … ESPN must think he’s doing a good job of it … “we” must think he’s doing a good job of it because we keep talking about what he’s written … ie. in general, a lot of folks must think what he writes is informative and/or entertaining … I know I do … AND … along the lines of what GY says in #8 … what Keith Law says doesn’t matter nearly as much as what is true … nor as much as what the real MLB decision makers (particularly the Padres FO in this case) think …
yordany ramirez was just signed by the astros.
Yordany Ramirez-OF-Astros Nov. 16 – 4:38 pm et
Astros signed outfielder Yordany Ramirez to a one-year contract.
It’s quite a surprise to see Ramirez land on a 40-man roster. The 23-year-old hit .269/.298/.385 in 286 AB for Single-A Lake Elsinore and .315/.353/.433 in 127 AB for Triple-A Portland last season. The A-ball line better describes him as a hitter. He is a terrific defensive outfielder, so if he comes along offensively, he could have a career as a reserve. He’s a long shot, though. The Astros will have him open the year in Double- or Triple-A.
rotoworld.com
How does this sound:
Chase Headley and some low-level pitching prospect for Tim Lincecum & Kevin Frandsen. It fills the g’nats need for a 3rd baseman and our need for a somewhat useful, short-term 2nd baseman (until Anotonelli is ready) and a SP with a lot of upside.
19: Sorry that should be Antonelli.