Odds and Ends

Summarizing a bunch of stuff I should have treated before but never seem to get to....

1. The Hardball Times article. Chris Jaffe sends out periodic emails with interesting factoids about the Padres. One of his recent posts was on the 10,000 anniversary of the 1984 NLCS Game 4, affectionately known as 'The Steve Garvey Game'. Worth the read if you have the time.

2.  Remaining off-season acquisitions not involving a re-signing:

• Reds traded their farm system to get Mat Latos.  Evaluation:  GOOD.  Like the acquisitions of Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal, Brad Boxberger should be a horse out of the bullpen shortly, and if Edison Volquez can recapture his 2008 form what a steal he'd be.
• Signed Carlos Quentin for $7M.  Evaluation:  LIKELY GOOD.  Quentin's power to left will play at Petco.  His defense is somewhat questionable, and will likely limit him to LF, meaning Kyle Blanks and Jesus Guzman just got bumped. 
• Signed Huston Street for 3 yrs/$22M 1yr/$7.5M.  Evaluation:  MEH PLUS.  Street replaces the departed Heath Bell.  I thought he was ancient but he's only 27 (turns 28 in August); it just SEEMS like he's been around forever.  Street will not make anyone pine for Bell - he is a capable closer, having racked up 84 saves the last 3 years with Colorado - however I'd have preferred they spend that kind of money on another hitter vice a closer. UPDATE:  Colorado is paying $500K of his salary this year and paid the $500K buyout of his option year for next year.

3. On 8 March the Padres agreed to terms with every player on the 40-man roster who did not yet have a 2012 contract in place, as well as a few other people. Cot's Baseball Contracts does not have 2012 contract details for most/all of them, so I'm making a wild assumption here, but I believe everyone signed for something around the league minimum (~$450K. I'd love to work for $450K sign me up to a league minimum deal).
Here's the list - RHP Anthony Bass, Brad Brach, Andrew Cashner, Ernesto Frieri, Erik Hamren, Nick Vincent; LHP Jose De Paula, Cory Luebke, Juan Oramas, Josh Spence; IF Everth Cabrera, James Darnell, Logan Forsythe, Guzman, Andy Parrino, Edinson Rincon and Jeudy Valdes; OF Blanks, Rymer Liriano, and Blake Tekotte.
I can't believe we have Guzman for the league minimum.

4. As spring training progresses (and as expected) the Padres are reassigning players in camp to other parts of their system. On 12 March they optioned Tekotte to AAA Tucson; Oramas, De Paula, Hamren, and Rincon to AA San Antonio; and Liriano to A Lake Elsinore. They also moved Robbie Erlin and Jason Hagerty to minor league camp. Last Friday Spence and Vincent were optioned to Tucson as well.

Spence's option was surprising, although none of the other moves were. Spence threw 29 2/3 innings last year out of the 'pen, posting a 132 ERA+. He was spectacular after coming up and did taper off as the season progressed, but proved himself a usable part of the bullpen. His option-ing bodes well for Joe Thatcher's recovery from injury and readiness to start the season on the major league roster.

I thought Bud Black would break camp with two LOOGYs. With Spence getting sent down that's not going to happen.

5. Then there's Carlos Quentin's knee surgery, but I hope to discuss that as its own post tomorrow.

No game today; Pads will play 2 split-squad contests tomorrow.

Information in this post was pulled from San Diego Padres press releases.