San Diego Padres Offseason Tracker: Hottest Free Agency News, Trade Rumors
The San Diego Padres made some progress in the 2014 season, and the front office will be looking to build on that by addressing the roster this offseason.
Entering this past season, this offseason looked like it would be a big one for San Diego. However, a few midseason trades made this winter much simpler. The team traded Chase Headley, Huston Street and Luke Gregerson during the season. All of those players had the potential to be free agents this season.
Now, the team doesn't have many free agents of its own to have to worry about. However, the team does need to find a way to fix an offense that was the worst in baseball.
Stay tuned throughout the offseason to see what is going on with the Padres.
*All stats are via MLB.com
Done Deals
1 of 14
Oct. 30: Declined Josh Johnson's $4 million club option.
Dec. 3: Signed INF Clint Barmes to a one-year deal with a club option
Dec. 16: Signed RHP Brandon Morrow to a one-year, $2.5 million deal
Dec. 17: Involved in three-team, 11-player trade. San Diego Padres acquire LHP Jose Castillo, C Ryan Hanigan, OF Wil Myers and RHP Gerardo Reyes; Washington Nationals acquire RHP Joe Ross and SS Trea Turner; Tampa Bay Rays acquire LHP Jake Bauers, LHP Travis Ott, C Rene Rivera, RHP Burch Smith and OF Steven Souza Jr.
Dec. 18: Acquired OF Matt Kemp, C Tim Federowicz and $30 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for C/1B Yasmani Grandal, RHP Joe Wieland and RHP Zach Eflin, per Kirk Kenney and Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune
Dec. 18: Acquired C Derek Norris, RHP Seth Streich and an international signing slot from the Oakland A's in exchange for RHP Jesse Hahn and RHP R.J. Alvarez
Dec. 19: Acquired OF Justin Upton from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for LHP Max Fried, SS Jace Peterson, 3B Dustin Peterson and OF Mallex Smith
Dec. 19: Acquired 3B Will Middlebrooks from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for C Ryan Hanigan
Dec. 29: Acquired RHP Shawn Kelley from the New York Yankees in exchange for RHP Johnny Barbato
Dec. 30: Traded OF Seth Smith to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for RHP Brandon Maurer
Padres Free Agents
Dec. 31: OF Chris Denorfia signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs
Is Cole Hamels on Padres' Radar?
2 of 14
San Diego has already made an incredible amount of moves this offseason, but it may not be done.
According to the Philadelphia Daily News' Ryan Lawrence, the Padres have talked to the Philadelphia Phillies about southpaw Cole Hamels. The Padres are reportedly considering a package centered around newly acquired outfielder Wil Myers.
Hamels went 9-9 with a 2.46 ERA in 30 starts this season. He missed some time with a bicep injury, but he was classic Hamels once he returned.
The three-time All-Star has a career 3.27 ERA and a 1.142 WHIP in 275 career games (274 starts). The left-hander has won at least 14 games in a season four times in his career, although given his earned run average throughout his career, his win total should be much higher.
Hamels still has four years and $96 million left on his contract. He does have a no-trade clause, but the Padres are not one of the teams that he can block a trade to.
Dec. 19: Acquire 3B Will Middlebrooks from Red Sox
3 of 14
The San Diego Padres have acquired third baseman Will Middlebrooks from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for catcher Ryan Hanigan.
Middlebrooks had a very good start to his career but has struggled the past two seasons. In his rookie season, he hit .288 and slugged 15 home runs in 75 games. However, those numbers have plummeted in each of the last two years.
A year after hitting .227, the right-handed hitting third baseman hit just .191 with two home runs and 10 doubles in 63 games.
The 26-year-old has had to deal some injuries already in his brief major league career. He fractured his wrist in 2012, and he missed more than two months this season with a fractured finger and also hit the disabled list with a calf injury.
This is just the latest move in attempt to win in 2015. Middlebrooks has certainly struggled at the plate since the start of the 2013 season. However, he is still young and has yet to hit arbitration. He is under club control through the 2018 season, so the Padres have time to try to develop him.
.png?w=256)
Dec.19: Acquire Justin Upton from Braves
4 of 14
The San Diego Padres have acquired outfielder Justin Upton from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for left-hander Max Fried, shortstop Jace Peterson, third baseman Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
Upton had 29 home runs, 34 doubles and 102 RBI to go with his .270 average in 2014. He has 162 home runs in the last seven seasons. The 27-year-old has a career slash line of .274/.354/.476 and has 164 home runs in his eight-year career.
The right-handed slugger has a good mix of average and power. His bat will fit in nicely in a completely revamped San Diego offense, alongside Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Derek Norris.
Don't forget that Upton played for the Arizona Diamondbacks early in his career, so he has some experience in the NL West. He has a career .291 average with 10 home runs and 11 doubles in 46 career games at PetCo Park.
Upton will make $14.5 million in 2015 and is set to become a free agent after next season. That didn't seem to worry the Padres too much, as they will at least have some time to try to lock him up between now and then.
This offseason, Upton was one of the top bats available (via trade or free agency). The Braves were hoping to get a huge haul in return for him. While they did get quite a few players back in return, they likely realized that their potential trade partners were dwindling and decided to pull the trigger on a deal now.
San Diego fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about next season—and beyond. The team has acquired Upton, Kemp and Norris without having to give up any of its starting pitchers or Austin Hedges.
With this move, the Padres have given Kemp some legitimate protection. It will be interesting to see what the lineup looks like next season, but there's going to be a lot more runs scored by the Padres.
Dec. 18: Acquire Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers
5 of 14
New Padres general manager A.J. Preller was hellbent on making a big splash this offseason and he's done just that, acquiring two-time All-Star and former MVP candidate Matt Kemp, C Tim Federowicz and approximately $30 million from the Dodgers in exchange for a package of young talent.
While Federowicz is more than a throw-in, the prize of the deal is, of course, Kemp.
Kemp reminded everyone in 2014 that, when he's healthy, he's still a force to be reckoned with. He hit .287 with 66 extra-base hits (25 home runs) and 89 RBI over 150 games.
He seemed to get stronger as the season rolled along, hitting .309 with 35 extra-base hits (17 home runs), 54 RBI and a .979 OPS after the All-Star break.
But he brings with him a spotty injury history, one that limited him to a total of 179 games between the 2012-13 seasons, and its fair to be concerned that having to cover more ground in the spacious confines of Petco Park could be hazardous to his health.
Over 234 career plate appearances at his new home, Kemp owns a .322/.372/.495 slash line with 22 extra-base hits (seven home runs) and 34 RBI.
His arrival immediately upgrades what was the most inept lineup in baseball last season, and a heart-of-the-order of Kemp, Seth Smith and Carlos Quentin has the potential to be quite potent—assuming the trio can remain on the field.
Due $107 million over the next five years, the $30 million that the Padres received in the deal makes his contract a bit less of an issue than it would have been otherwise.
Dec. 18: Acquire C Derek Norris from the A's
6 of 14
The San Diego Padres have acquired catcher Derek Norris from the Oakland A's, according to the New York Daily News' Mark Feinsand. Per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the A's received right-handers Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez and the Padres also received right-hander Seth Streich and an international signing slot.
This deal comes just moments after the Padres' deal for Matt Kemp was finalized, which meant that Yasmani Grandal was no longer on the roster.
The 2014 season was the first that Norris played "every day." He appeared in 127 games this season and made the AL All-Star team. He hit .270 with 10 home runs, 19 doubles and 55 RBI.
The 25-year-old has yet to hit arbitration and is under team control through the 2018 season.
Streich, 23, went 9-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 22 starts in High-A in 2014. He struck out 116 batters and walked just 22 in 114 innings. The right-hander is 23-13 with a 3.37 ERA and a 1.267 WHIP in 262 career innings in three years of professional baseball. Streich was drafted out of Ohio University in the sixth round of the 2012 draft.
Per MLB.com, Streich was ranked No. 10 in Oakland's farm system. The young pitcher has a fastball that can hit 95 mph but could use some work on his secondary pitches (curveball and changeup). For a pitcher of his age, he has fantastic control of his pitches. However, he still could benefit from tuning all of his pitches.
San Diego has undergone a massive overhaul on the offensive side lately, and Norris just adds some depth to a much improved lineup. Not only did the Padres get a very good catcher in the deal, but they also got a promising young pitcher. This deal is the latest of several fine moves by a club that is inching closer to contending.
Dec. 17: Padres Reportedly Land Wil Myers in 3-Team Trade
7 of 14
The San Diego Padres have acquired outfielder Wil Myers in a three-team, 11-player trade.
San Diego teamed up with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Washington Nationals to complete a complex trade. Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan has the details of the trade:
Padres Get: LHP Jose Castillo, C Ryan Hanigan, OF Wil Myers and RHP Gerardo Reyes
Rays Get: LHP Jake Bauers, LHP Travis Ott, C Rene Rivera, RHP Burch Smith and OF Steven Souza
Nationals Get: RHP Joe Ross and SS Trea Turner
San Diego had already acquired Matt Kemp, but it wasn't done trying to upgrade its offense.
Myers was taken by the Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 2009 draft. He was the main piece that the Royals traded back in 2012 for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis.
The 24-year-old outfielder had a strong first year in the majors in 2013. He hit .293 with 13 home runs and 23 doubles in 88 games as a rookie. However, he fell victim to the sophomore slump.
In 2014, Myers hit just .222 with six home runs and 14 doubles in 87 games. He did miss a lot of time with a wrist injury, so that explains part of his struggles. He hit just .213 with one home run after coming back from injury, so the injury likely had a lingering effect.
Myers will have all offseason to get healthy for next season. At his age, one poor season isn't a huge concern. The Padres are hoping that he can rebound next season and have a bright future with the club.
In this deal, the Padres got a potential star in exchange for young prospects in Trea Turner (Padres' No. 5 prospect, per MLB.com) and Joe Ross (No. 8). Now, the club is just hoping that Myer can live up to the hype that he had around him just a few years ago.
Myers wasn't the only player the Padres landed in the deal.
San Diego swapped catchers with the Rays, getting Hanigan in return. Hanigan is one of the best defensive catchers in all of baseball and has behind the plate for two no-hitters. During his most of his time with the Cincinnati Reds, he was a solid contributor with the bat. However, injuries have hurt his numbers the past two seasons. The 34-year-old hit just .218 with five home runs and nine doubles in 84 games last season.
Castillo, 18, has a 5.60 ERA in 15 career games (three starts) in the minors.
Reyes, 21, has a 4.09 ERA in 20 career relief appearances in the minors, spanning 33 innings.
Overall, this deal looks pretty good for the Padres. They have acquired Kemp and Myers and haven't had to give up their entire farm system. If both players can stay healthy, they could form a pretty good duo in the lineup—even at Petco Park.
San Diego also has a surplus of outfielders at this point, so this likely won't be the last move the team makes this offseason. If the Padres can trade an outfielder or two and address other areas of need, they could be one of the biggest winners of the offseason.
Dec. 18: Re-Sign Josh Johnson to 1-Year Deal
8 of 14
The San Diego Padres have re-signed Josh Johnson to a one-year deal, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. Per Heyman, the deal will be worth just under $2 million, with incentives that could reach $8 million.
The Padres took a risk by giving Josh Johnson $8 million for the 2014 season. That risk backfired early on, as the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery back in April. Now, the team has decided to cut its losses by declining (per the Padres' Twitter account) the $4 million club option on the pitcher.
Over the past four seasons, Johnson has made a grand total of 56 starts. He has made more than 16 starts only once in those four seasons, which was in 2012. That year, he went 8-14 with a 3.81 ERA in 31 starts with the Miami Marlins.
Corey Brock of MLB.com reported that Johnson has begun throwing recently.
Seth Smith: Potential Trade Candidate
9 of 14
If the Padres do in fact complete trades for Matt Kemp and Wil Myers, they will be able to try to deal some of the other outfielders currently on their roster.
According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, Seth Smith is a potential trade candidate.
Smith had a nice rebound season in 2014. He hit .266 with 12 home runs, 31 doubles and five triples in his first season with the Padres. The 32-year-old has a career slash line of .265/.347/.453 in his eight seasons in the majors.
The veteran can play either of the corner outfield positions.
For what he brings to the table, Smith is a pretty good bargain. He will make $6 million in 2015, $6.75 million in 2016 and has a $7 million team option for 2017.
Padres Willing to Listen to Offers on Starting Pitchers
10 of 14
Update: Monday, Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. ET
The Texas Rangers are talking to the Padres about San Diego's starting pitchers, according to MLB.com's TR Sullivan. Per Sullivan, the Rangers are more interested in Tyson Ross than Andrew Cashner because of Cashner's health concerns and road numbers.
--End of Update--
As the Padres look to improve their offense, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that the club is willing to listen to offers on its starting pitchers. That means Ian Kennedy, Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner are all "available."
Kennedy went 13-13 with a 3.63 ERA in 33 starts with the Padres. The 29-year-old is under club control through the 2015 season.
Ross had a breakout season in 2014, which was highlighted by his first career All-Star selection. The 27-year-old had a 13-14 record but posted a 2.81 ERA in 31 starts, spanning 195.2 innings. The former second-round pick has a 3.56 ERA in 68 career starts.
Cashner has been very productive since coming to San Diego. The 28-year-old went 5-7 with a 2.55 ERA in 19 starts this year. He threw 123.1 innings, including two shutouts.
Each pitcher has shown a lot of promise. Now, the Padres may see what kind of value each one has on the market.
Dec. 2: Padres Non-Tender SS Everth Cabrera
11 of 14
A year after making the NL All-Star team, Everth Cabrera has been non-tendered by the Padres.
The 28-year-old hit .232 with three home runs and 13 doubles in just 90 games in 2014. In 2013, he posted a slash line of .283/.355/.381 in 95 games.
Carbrera hasn't been able to stay in the lineup, and with the drop in production, San Diego decided to move on.
Nov. 12: Padres Get Negotiating Rights to Korean LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim
12 of 14
San Diego has posted the highest bid for Korean southpaw Kwang-hyun Kim and have exclusive negotiating rights with him. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that the Padres posted a big of $2 million.
Kim's Korean team, SK Wyverns, has accepted the Padres' bid, according to Yonhap News' Yoo Jee-ho. The Padres now have 30 days to reach a deal with the left-hander. If they are unable to do so, he will return to his Korean club. If the two sides reach an agreement, SK Wyverns will receive the $2 million from San Diego.
Carlos Quentin: Potential Trade Target
13 of 14
The Padres may look to deal Carlos Quentin this offseason, according to Dennis Lin of UTSanDiego.com.
Although the club may want to deal him, doing so may not be easy for several reasons.
Quentin hit just .177 with four home runs and six doubles in 50 games this past season. He does, however, have 154 home runs in his nine seasons. He has a career slash line of .252/.347/.484.
The outfielder's lack of production this year isn't the only thing that makes a trade tough.
The 32-year-old has had a lot of trouble staying on the field. He has played in more than 100 games only three times in his nine-year career and has topped out at 131 games. Over the past three seasons, he has played in a total of 218 games. Going to the American League—so he could DH—would obviously help him stay healthy.
In order for a trade to happen, Quentin would have to waive his no-trade clause.
Quentin will make $8 million in 2015 and has a $10 million mutual option (with a $3 million buyout) for the 2016 season.
Tim Stauffer: Free Agent
14 of 14
Tim Stauffer has spent his entire career in San Diego, but he is now a free agent.
The 32-year-old went 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA in 44 games—including three starts—this year. He set a new personal best by striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings, and he allowed just 0.6 home runs per nine innings this season.
San Diego's bullpen ranked No. 2 in all of baseball this year with a 2.73 ERA. Stauffer was a big part of the bullpen's success, especially in the second half of the season. Now, he will get a chance to test the market.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
