Happy Halloween! To the links…

• Sabathia’s free agency could set up a big payday for Padres ace (San Diego Union-Tribune). Reader Nick G. sends us an update on the Jake Peavy “story” from Tom Krasovic. Quoth Peavy’s agent, Barry Axelrod:
  

  Making this about money is not my style, nor Jake’s style. I think we proved that. But at the same time, I don’t think Jake should have to sacrifice anything.

  I don’t doubt Axelrod’s sincerity, but these millionaires need to let go of that whole “it’s not about the money” thing. Even if they believe it, and even if they’re correct in believing it, nobody wants to hear about Peavy’s “sacrifice.” Don’t get me wrong, the guy is entitled to whatever the market will yield. But I’d love to hear his camp say something like, “We want more money, end of story.” Stop apologizing and just do it.

• The Plan (It Might Be Dangerous…). Paul DePodesta talks about the Padres’ plan (yes, they do have one). DePo on developing big-league players:
  

  Unfortunately, the attrition rate is gruesome. Out of the entire pool of drafted and signed players, only about 18% of them ever get even one day in the big leagues, and only about 7% of them actually accumulate three years in the Major Leagues. It’s even scarier if you examine the rounds — fewer than 50% of 1st round picks get three years in the big leagues, and from rounds two through five that number drops to about 15%.

  To vastly oversimplify, if you draft and sign 14 guys, one of them will make it. I’m not much of a gambler, but those don’t seem like good odds to me.

• Padres’ Kulbacki working through injuries (MiLB.com). Lisa Winston pens a nice piece on minor-league outfielder Kellen Kulbacki, who started 2008 with a bad hamstring and ended it with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder (he’s expected to be ready for spring training). Quoth Kulbacki, on his slow start following the hammy injury:
  

  When I got back into it at Fort Wayne, I wasn’t 100 percent yet and I was worried because it was cold there and I didn’t want to get hurt again. My swing didn’t feel comfortable yet either so I was battling a lot of things and when I got up to Lake Elsinore I realized I was putting a lot of pressure on myself rather than focusing on the things I needed to.

• Prospects making progress in Peoria (Padres.com). Corey Brock at provides an update on Padres prospects in instructional league. Jeremy Hefner, Adys Portillo, Blake Tekotte, Edinson Rincon, Brian Joynt (who impressed me with his power this past summer despite a lack of pedigree), Nick Schmidt, and Matt Bush are among those mentioned. Portillo, a 16-year-old pitcher signed this past summer for $2 million, draws praise from Grady Fuson for his approach and poise. Schmidt is pitching in the Dominican Republic and Bush has been shut down due to a sore triceps but is expected to be ready for spring training. [h/t Baseball in Fort Wayne]
• Interview: Carlos Gomez, MLB scout (Hardball Times). Chris Jaffe interviews pitcher-turned-writer-turned-scout (and friend of Ducksnorts) Carlos Gomez. Readers may remember Gomez as the gentleman who expressed concerns about Nick Schmidt’s delivery back when Schmidt was still in college.
• Freese Named Cards Minors Player of the Year (Scout.com). Dustin Mattison chats with David Freese, the minor-league third baseman shipped to St. Louis in the Jim Edmonds deal. It’s good to see Freese doing well in his new organization. Stuck behind Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley, he wasn’t going to get a shot here in San Diego.

More links are available at the Ducksnorts delicious page, which I update as often as practical. Rock on!

Tagged as: adys-portillo, attrition rate, barry-axelrod, Baseball, blake-tekotte, brian-joynt, carlos gomez, chris-jaffe, corey-brock, david freese, edinson-rincon, fort wayne wizards, grady fuson, hardball times, jake peavy, jeremy hefner, jim edmonds, kellen kulbacki, lake elsinore storm, lisa-winston, matt-bush, nick-schmidt, padres, paul depodesta, san diego union tribune, st louis cardinals, tom krasovic