At Least The Weather Is Nice - San Diego Padres, 2016 and Beyond

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78 degrees and sunny. Wake up on almost any day of the year in San Diego, California and you’ll find something awfully close to that on the weather report. Describing the atmosphere and the views often makes one begin to speak poetically: blue skies, cool breezes, dazzling oceans, birds chirping, etc. In a single day you can go surfing, visit endangered panda bears at the world famous zoo, enjoy a night out in the bustling Gaslamp District, and finish it all off with a late night burrito that local residents claim is the absolute best you can get on this side of the border. Former local news anchorman Ron Burgundy of the Channel 4 News Team wasn’t being too hyperbolic when he once called San Diego “the greatest city in the history of mankind.”

Except for that baseball team, though…

The San Diego Padres began playing Major League Baseball in 1969, and in 48 seasons they haven’t done much to stamp their place in the history of the sport. Their five division titles have not amounted to much, and averaging about one playoff appearance every decade hasn’t exactly earned them a reputation as a contender. They have finished in third place or worse in 42 seasons, often by a pretty wide margin; seven of their last eight seasons, for example, have seen them finish at least 16 games out of first. Their overall winning percentage over the history of the franchise is .464. Other than Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman, there are almost no legends to speak of. Quick, can you name the Padres’ career leader in pitching wins? That would be Eric Show, who won 100 games – you lose. Second on that list? Randy Jones, whose career record was 92-105. How about the franchise homerun king? If you guessed Nate Colbert, who played for the team for six seasons and hit 163 dingers, chances are you’re either the biggest Padres fan in the world or you’re Nate Colbert himself. The historical cupboard is bare around these parts. The only heroes to be found in San Diego are the costumed ones that show up at Comic Con every summer.

Perhaps this is why, when he was hired as the team’s new general manager in 2014, A.J. Preller set out to make the Padres into a team with recognizable (and marketable) names and the talent to contend in the NL West. In an offseason that many baseball pundits claim San Diego “won,” they brought in stars such as Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Melvin Upton, James Shields, and Craig Kimbrel, and also added guys like Wil Myers, Derek Norris, Brandon Morrow, Brandon Maurer, etc. to contribute as well. These brash moves led to headlines before the 2015 season such as: “How GM A.J. Preller Rebuilt the Padres in One Offseason,” “The San Diego Padres Will be a Lot More Fun This Year,” and “Not Your Father's Friars.” Of course, we know now that the moves did not work; the overhauled roster went 74-88 in 2015, actually losing more games than they did the previous pre-makeover season. Perhaps worse, the moves cost the Padres seven of their top eleven prospects as rated by Baseball America. The present and the future were suddenly both looking bleak. Many were left wondering, “what’s Plan B?”

Today, they got their answer. Plan B arrived in the form of Luke Armstrong, the team’s newly hired general manager. Relatively young for such a position at 38 years old, Armstrong got his start working as a scout and front office assistant in the Oakland A’s organization before moving on to the complicated and multi-headed Los Angeles Dodgers front office last year. After being introduced at a press conference on the grass of Petco Park, Armstrong thanked owner Ron Fowler for the opportunity and vowed to make the franchise relevant to baseball fans everywhere. “This is such a great city for baseball,” the new GM remarked, “and we’re going to make sure everyone knows that. We’re going to bring the national spotlight back to San Diego. I’m going to work tirelessly to win the trust of everyone in the organization and the trust of all of the great Padre fans out there.”

Armstrong inherits a team that has already ditched some of those names acquired in the big overhaul and is left searching for its identity. Kemp and Shields are likely the faces of the franchise, but many other roster spots are currently occupied by guys who might as well be anonymous. The manager is 38-year-old Andy Green, who last worked as the third base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks and has never managed before. Former GM Preller is even still on board, having been given the new title of “Head of Baseball Operations” which in this case loosely translates to “Assistant GM.” He will still be involved in the decision-making process, but Armstrong has final authority on all roster moves. The new GM deflected questions about whether or not this relationship with Preller will be complicated, but it remains a situation to keep an eye on. “My focus is to put a team on the field that will win games,” Armstrong stated.

And if they don’t, at least the weather is nice.

[Skitch929]

2016 San Diego Padres season preview
April 1, 2016

New general manager Luke Armstrong has his work cut out for him in his rookie campaign. Not only did the Padres regress last year despite all the roster moves, but the perennial NL West contenders Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are expected to once again duke it out for division supremacy and this year will be joined by the new-look Arizona Diamondbacks, who underwent a huge offseason overhaul that saw the addition of former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. Most baseball writers agree the only race San Diego will find itself in is with the Colorado Rockies to avoid last place -- the official Baseball News Network season predictions list the Padres at 74-88, an exact repeat of last year's performance. Still, team owner Ron Fowler has publicly declared that he expects his team to stay around .500 throughout the year, a goal that may seem modest but is being called too lofty by some.

Armstrong also has to pick up the pieces from former GM A.J. Preller's big rebuild and decide how to best approach retooling the roster. Matt Kemp is the big name on offense, but he no longer puts up MVP-caliber numbers as he once did and is due to earn $21.5M each of the next four seasons -- should the team build around him or try to move him for perhaps younger and cheaper pieces? Starting pitcher James Shields earned the moniker Big Game James during his time in Tampa Bay and Kansas City, but there have been no big games during his San Diego tenure and he is already eligible to opt out of his contract after 2016 -- will he stay or will he go? Melvin Upton is due make $16.4M next season and his production certainly does not match that figure, but will Armstrong be able to find any suitors if he decides to shop the outfielder?

These are just some of the factors that will contribute to Armstrong's ultimate plan for the Padres. With opening day right around the corner, however, the team will begin the 2016 season with what they currently have, a roster that is expected to look something like this (2015 stats in parenthesis):


Matt Kemp needs to be the star on offense

Starting Lineup
CF Melvin Upton Jr. (.259/.327/.429, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 9 SB)
2B Cody Spangenberg (.271/.333/.399, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 9 SB)
RF Matt Kemp (.265/.312/.443, 23 HR, 100 RBI, 12 SB)
1B Wil Myers (.253/.336/.427, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 5 SB)
3B Yangervis Solarte (.270/.320/.428, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 1 SB)
SS Alexei Ramirez (.249/.285/.357, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 17 SB w/ CWS)
C Derek Norris (.250/.305/.404, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 4 SB)
LF Jon Jay (.210/.306/.257, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 0 SB w/ STL)

Bench
C Christian Bethancourt (.200/.225/.290, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB w/ ATL)
1B Brett Wallace (.302/.374/.521, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 0 SB)
IF Adam Rosales (.228/.296/.342, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 4 SB w/ TEX)
IF/OF Alexi Amarista (.204/.257/.287, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 5 SB)
OF Travis Jankowski (.211/.254/.344, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB)

Armstrong's comments: "Obviously we're expecting Matt Kemp to be 'the guy' here. The team picked him up from the Dodgers before I got here but I have the same expectations for him as they did. We're hoping Myers and Solarte hitting behind him will be big run producers. Our bench also has lots of versatility, so we should be able to mix and match our lineups all year to put the best product on the field. As long as everyone does their job, we should be alright."


James Shields is the ace of the staff, but will he opt out after this year?

Starting Rotation
RHP James Shields (13-7, 3.91 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 216 K, 202.1 IP)
RHP Tyson Ross (10-12, 3.26 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 212 K, 196 IP)
RHP Andrew Cashner (6-16, 4.34 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 165 K, 184.2 IP)
LHP Drew Pomeranz (5-6, 3.66 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 82 K, 86 IP w/ OAK)
RHP Brandon Morrow (2-0, 2.73 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 23 K, 33 IP)

Bullpen
RHP Leonel Campos (2-0, 2.90 ERA, 1.03 WHP, 68 K, 49.2 IP @ AAA)
RHP Jose Dominguez (0-2, 6.18 ERA, 2.02 WHIP, 25 K, 27.2 IP @ AAA)
RHP Brandon Maurer (7-4, 3.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 39 K, 51 IP)
RHP Kevin Quackenbush (3-2, 4.01 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 58 K, 58.1 IP)
RHP Fernando Rodney (5-5, 16 SV, 5.68 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 43 K, 50.2 IP w/ SEA)
LHP Matt Thornton (2-1, 2.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 23 K, 41.1 IP w/ WAS)
RHP Carlos Villanueva (4-3, 2.95 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 55 K, 61 IP w/ STL)

Armstrong's comments: "We expect our pitching to carry us in most games. Those guys at the top of the rotation, Shields and Ross and Cashner, should be able to keep us in a lot of contests. We picked up some good arms for the pen in the offseason and have some interesting rookies coming up there too, so we should do well in the late innings. Quackenbush earned the first shot at the closer role in spring training, and we're hopeful that he can hang on to the job all year."


Personnel
General Manager: Luke Armstrong, 38 (Unproven)
Assistant GM: A.J. Preller, 38 (Fair)
Manager: Andy Green, 38 (Fair)
Bench Coach: Mark McGwire, 52 (Unproven)
Pitching Coach: Darren Balsley, 51 (Fair)
Hitting Coach: Alan Zinter, 47 (Unproven)
Scouting Director: Mark Conner, 39 (Decent)
Team Trainer: Todd Hutcheson, 59 (Good)

Top Prospects
CF Manny Margot, AA (5.0 stars) (14th overall in MLB)
RF Hunter Renfroe, AAA (4.0 stars) (26th overall in MLB)
SP Ryan Butler, A+ (2.0 stars)
RP Luis D. Perdomo, AAA (2.0 stars)
SP Aaron Northcraft, AAA (1.5 stars)
System Rank: 14th

Financial Summary
Budget: $150,000,000 (t-20th)
Payroll: $105,790,000 (18th)
$ for FA: $15,122,096
$ for Ext: $0
Market Size: Average
Fan Loyalty: Very Good
Fan Interest: 66
Ticket Price: $17.00

[Skitch929]

April Showers
May 1, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: May 1, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	17	8	-
Arizona Diamondbacks	16	10	1.5
San Francisco Giants	10	15	7
Colorado Rockies	9	15	7.5
San Diego Padres	9	15	7.5

The first month of Luke Armstrong's career was one he likely hopes to forget. After taking two out of three games against the Dodgers to begin the year, the Padres played poorly in almost every possible department en route to a 9-15 record and a spot in last place in the NL West. They rank 10th or lower in the National League in every major hitting AND pitching category, and though the season is still very young, there are not many signs that this is just a fluke slump. "We're off to a rough start, there's no denying that," Armstrong said in a recent radio interview. "We need to do better. Our fans expect better. We're going to do what we can to get back on track here."

Matt Kemp has been the only consistent hitter for San Diego so far

Team Notes
-One positive takeaway from April is that the stars of the team are contributing at their expected levels. Matt Kemp leads the club with a .289 AVG and 5 HR, while James Shields went 3-2 with a minuscule 1.57 ERA and a solid 24:5 K/BB ratio. Perhaps with better pieces around them, the Padres would be in a much better position.
-Some areas that may already be due for such an upgrade? Plenty of spots in the lineup, where Yangervis Solarte, Wil Myers, Melvin Upton Jr, Derek Norris, and Cody Spangenberg are all hitting below .240, and at the back end of the rotation, where Brandon Morrow (0-4, 9.19 ERA) and Drew Pomeranz (0-4, 8.31 ERA) have been downright awful.
-The bullpen has been completely hot and cold. Newly anointed closer Kevin Quackenbush (3-0, 5 SV, 1.74 ERA) has been great while veterans Fernando Rodney (0-0, 2.70 ERA) and Matt Thornton (0-0, 2.38 ERA) have been solid in the middle innings. Rookies Leonel Campos (0-0, 9.64 ERA) and Jose Dominguez (0-1, 8.71 ERA) had terrible debut months though, and Armstrong would be wise to start looking around for some warm bodies to take their spots.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
Runs Scored - 74 (13th)
Batting AVG - .223 (14th)
On-Base PCT - .283 (13th)
Home Runs - 16 (t-11th)
Stolen Bases - 8 (t-10th)
Runs Against - 115 (13th)
Starters ERA - 4.41 (13th)
Bullpen ERA - 4.50 (13th)
Defensive Eff. - .687 (9th)

League Notes
4/17 - Cincinnati Reds third baseman Adam Duvall earned the first suspension of the 2016 season (2 games) for his actions following an ejection for arguing balls and strikes.
4/19 - New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira hit his 400th career home run against the Oakland A's.
4/20 - Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick passed away and was replaced by his son Ken Kendrick Jr.
4/21 - Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals suffered a damaged elbow ligament and will miss the remainder of the season.
4/21 - Journeyman catcher A.J. Pierzynski got his his 2000th career hit in a game against the Dodgers.
4/25 - Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner passed away and was replaced by his son Ted Lerner Jr.

Notable Transactions
4/10 - The New York Yankees signed free agent SP Mark Buehrle to a 1yr/$6.1M contract.
4/19 - The Kansas City Royals signed free agent SP Tim Lincecum to a 1yr/$761k contract.

[Skitch929]

Jankowski Rises
June 1, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: Jun 1, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	35	18	-
Arizona Diamondbacks	31	23	4.5
San Francisco Giants	26	28	9.5
San Diego Padres	25	28	10
Colorado Rockies	20	32	14.5

The Padres started to figure things out a little better in May. The team went 16-13 over the course of the month and won/tied 7 of the 9 series they played in, with the two losses coming to the first place Dodgers and Cubs. One of the main catalysts of the team's success was 24-year-old outfielder Travis Jankowski, who took over center field and lead-off duties when Melvin Upton Jr went down for 2-3 months with a fractured finger on May 10. When young Jankowski took over the job his slash line was .214/.258/.357, and now with about three weeks of starting experience under his belt those numbers have improved to .290/.345/.430. Travis had nine multi-hit games during the month and made an impact on the base paths, where his 7 stolen bases now lead the team. Upton isn't expected back until late July or early August, but if Jankowski continues to thrive in a starting role it's likely that Melvin will find himself coming off the bench for the remainder of the season.

Travis Jankowski has excelled filling in for the injured Melvin Upton Jr

Team Notes
-The biggest news of the month is that starting shortstop Alexei Ramirez publicly announced that he would like to be traded. Ramirez has started 52 out of 53 games at short and currently leads the team with a .299 batting average, so he certainly would have value on the market, but GM Luke Armstrong is hoping the infielder will have a change of heart. "We're not looking to trade anybody away yet," the GM said after news of Alexei's demands broke on May 14. "He's a good player but he doesn't make roster decisions. We're going to handle this."
-On the subject of trades, the rumor mill is abuzz with speculation of what will happen to James Shields. The 34-year-old has been an ace in every sense of the word, going 7-2 with a 2.18 ERA over his first 11 starts of the season, but the opt-out clause in his contract after this year looms large and many pundits are guessing he will elect to put himself back on the market to capitalize on his current success. "San Diego would be wise to get something for Shields while they still can," one anonymous NL executive told ESPN recently. For his part though, Armstrong has still not committed to selling off big league players in an effort to rebuild, telling members of the local media that "2016 is not a lost cause yet. We're still very interested in winning games."
-When the Padres do manage to win games, it is often with closer Kevin Quackenbush receiving the handshake from his catcher. The 27-year-old reliever is 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA and has saved 15 games in 16 chances in his first season handling 9th inning duties. The man they're starting to call "Quack" has even been generating All-Star buzz around San Diego, with the hashtag "#votequack" popping up every time he earns a save.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
Runs Scored - 193 (11th)
Batting AVG - .233 (14th)
On-Base PCT - .291 (14th)
Home Runs - 32 (14th)
Stolen Bases - 24 (t-8th)
Runs Against - 240 (12th)
Starters ERA - 4.06 (11th)
Bullpen ERA - 4.56 (14th)
Defensive Eff. - .688 (8th)

League Notes
5/2 - Cleveland Indians pitcher Cody Anderson suffered a broken bone in his elbow and will be out 4-5 months.
5/8 - Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch passed away and was replaced by his son Joe Ilitch.
5/17 - The New York Mets signed 2B Neil Walker to a 6yr/$108M extension.
5/17 - Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista fractured his hand and will miss 5-6 weeks.
5/18 - The Los Angeles Dodgers signed CL Kenley Jansen to a 3yr/$39.6M extension.
5/24 - Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval hit for the cycle against the Colorado Rockies in a game where he collected 9 RBI.
5/26 - New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes suffered a concussion and will miss 3-4 months.

Notable Transactions
5/19 - The Oakland A's (18-35) traded outfielder Josh Reddick (.248, 7 HR, 24 RBI) to the Philadelphia Phillies (23-28) in exchange for minor leaguers RHP Ricardo Pinto (2.0 stars), RHP Seranthony Dominguez, LHP Joely Rodriguez, and 2B Scott Kingery.
5/27 - The Atlanta Braves (20-32) signed free agent Ichiro Suzuki to a 1yr/$960k contract after the outfielder was released by Miami last month. Ichiro is 63 hits shy of 3,000 for his MLB career.
5/31 - The Colorado Rockies (20-32) traded longtime outfielder Carlos "CarGo" Gonzalez (.281, 13 HR, 44 RBI) and $4.7M cash to the Baltimore Orioles (26-27) in exchange for minor leaguers RHP Hunter Harvey (3.5 stars), LHP Chris Lee, and LF D.J. Stewart.
5/31 - The San Francisco Giants (26-28) sent recent signee SP Jeff Samardzija (5-3, 2.69) and $4M cash to the Toronto Blue Jays (28-26) for outfielder Michael Saunders (.323, 4 HR, 17 RBI) and minor league RHP Jonathan Harris.

[Skitch929]

Ups and Downs
July 1, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: Jul 1, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	55	26	-
Arizona Diamondbacks	48	33	7
San Francisco Giants	45	36	10
San Diego Padres	39	40	15
Colorado Rockies	27	51	26.5

At the halfway mark of the 2016 season, the Padres find themselves one game under .500 after going 14-12 in the month of June. The theme of the month, and perhaps the theme of the whole season, was ups and downs: San Diego went 12-6 versus sub-.500 teams and 2-6 versus plus-.500 teams, including a brutal 4-game sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals that brought Luke Armstrong's team crashing back to earth after winning 10 of their previous 13. "This was a wake-up call," Armstrong said after that series ended. "We've been having fun these past few games beating the teams we're supposed to beat, but this is a message that we're not where we want to be yet. There's still a lot of work to be done." With the Dodgers running away from the field in the NL West and the Wildcard race a fight between four teams (Diamondbacks, Cubs, Nationals, Giants) all within 3 games of one another, the work that Armstrong has to do might be retooling the organization for next season and beyond. "We're going to take a look at our team at every level and figure out how to get better," Armstrong said, a slight change in tune from his previous statements about not making any moves. Perhaps if he can find a few willing trade partners, the Padres will have more ups than downs in their future.

The high-fives haven't come consistently in 2016

Team Notes
-With the bullpen continuing to struggle, the Padres made some minor moves on the final day of the month to try and remedy the situation. 27-year old RHP Dayan Diaz (0-1, 2.16 ERA, 25 IP) and 26-year-old RHP Jose A. Ramirez (2-1, 4.26 ERA, 31.2 IP) were claimed off waivers from Cincinnati and Atlanta respectively, with the struggling Jon Edwards (5.87 ERA) and Jose Dominguez (6.26) being sent down to Triple-A El Paso to make room on the big league roster. Both Diaz and Ramirez make the league minimum salary and are not up for arbitration until after the 2017 season, so they are cheap low-risk options who almost certainly can't do any worse than the guys they're replacing.
-Earlier in June, starting catcher Derek Norris was hit on the hand by a pitch while batting and fractured a finger, resulting in a DL stint and a 5 week recovery timetable. Backup Christian Bethancourt was called on to take over the starting role and did not disappoint, hitting .271 with 3 HR and 16 RBI over the month -- better than anything Norris (.236, 7 HR, 19 RBI) was doing at the plate earlier in the year. Norris is already due back in one week, so it will be interesting to monitor the playing time situation behind the plate going forward.
-Slugger Matt Kemp is having a decent year offensively, hitting .262 with 12 HR and 42 RBI, but one number in his stat line is quite eye-catching. Kemp has struck out 93 times so far in 2016, which puts him on pace for 191 K's -- a number that would smash the franchise record of 160 set by Mike Cameron in 2007. When asked about his alarming whiff rate, Kemp was less than eager to discuss it. "It's frustrating man," he told reporters after a recent game. "Frustrating to do it and frustrating to be asked about it all the time."
-Hot corner occupant Yangervis Solarte hasn't made many headlines this year (.278/.334/.397, 6 HR, 35 RBI), but he had a game to remember on June 10 against the Rockies at Coors Field. In a contest that San Diego won 19-2, Solarte collected six hits in seven at-bats, the first time this year any Padre had more than four hits in a game.
-Checking in on last month's local darling Travis Jankowski, the speedy outfielder had an even better month in June, hitting .296 and swiping 10 bases. Jankowski now ranks third in the league with 17 steals behind only super speedsters Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon. "Once Travis gets on base, it's a lot of fun to let him loose," manager Andy Green said. Somewhere, Melvin Upton Jr. is preparing for a life on the bench.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
Runs Scored - 334 (8th)
Batting AVG - .246 (13th)
On-Base PCT - .306 (12th)
Home Runs - 62 (11th)
Stolen Bases - 49 (t-3rd)
Runs Against - 366 (12th)
Starters ERA - 4.12 (10th)
Bullpen ERA - 4.52 (12th)
Defensive Eff. - .699 (4th)

Draft Recap
The 2016 MLB Draft took place on June 6 and the Padres were fortunate enough to own 3 of the top 26 picks. Here's how they did:
Rd 1 - C T.J. Collett (4.5 stars - high school)
The top backstop in the draft, Collett offers good potential in the AVG and OPB departments and could be a 20 HR guy someday. The Padres also loved his work ethic (his scouting report called him a "baseball rat"), making him an easy choice for the their first pick.
Rd 1 - SS Garrett Hampson (4.5 stars - college)
Hampson projects as a guy who will be called "pesky" by opponents -- he lacks power but can get on base and run almost at will.
Rd 1 - 2B Bryson Brigman (3.5 stars - college)
Perhaps Hampson's future double play partner, Brigman projects to be a similar type of player as the guy drafted right before him, only with better defense and slightly less speed.
Rd 2 - CF Ryan Boldt (3.5 stars - college)
High average, low power, super speedy -- are we sensing a theme here? Boldt has already been placed at Double-A San Antonio so he could be the first member of this draft class to reach the majors.
Rd 2 - SP Dion Henderson (2.0 stars - high school)
The first pitcher taken by San Diego, Henderson in a groundball-inducing lefty who projects as a #3 or #4 starter down the line.
Rd 3 - 2B Carlos A. Cortes (4.0 stars - high school)
Cortes is awfully similar to earlier selections Hampson and Brigman, but this was a case of simply taking the best player available.
Rd 4 - LF Cory Campbell (2.5 stars - high school)
The youngest player in the Padres' draft class is 17-year-old Campbell, who may have been selected earlier if not for scouting concerns about his makeup. Still, he has the potential to be a starter someday if he can hold himself together.
Rd 5 - 2B Jaxon Williams (2.0 stars - high school)
Williams is yet another speedy infielder, though he is the last unsigned member of this class due to his high contract demands. Negotiations between the Padres and Williams' agent have broken down and it seems unlikely that he will be a member of the organization.

League Notes
6/1 - Detroit Tigers closer Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez picked up his 400th career save, making him just the sixth pitcher all time to reach that mark.
6/3 - Chicago Cubs pitcher John Lackey went down with shoulder inflammation and will miss the rest of the season.
6/11 - Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran got his 2500th career hit versus Detroit.
6/14 - Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera was diagnosed with a torn PCL and is out for the season.
6/16 - Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun fractured his ankle and will be out 3-4 months.
6/16 - Los Angeles Dodgers rookie SS Corey Seager hit for the cycle versus Milwaukee.
6/26 - For the second time in a month, Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval hit for the cycle, this time against the Texas Rangers.

Notable Transactions
6/8 - The Miami Marlins shipped 2B Derek Dietrich (.233, 3 HR, 12 RBI) to the Kansas City Royals for RP Joakim Soria (0-1, 6.04 ERA), minor-league 3B Travis Maezes, and $4.1M cash.
6/16 - The Baltimore Orioles signed SP Tim Lincecum to a 1yr/786k contract. Lincecum was released by Kansas City a week prior after sporting a 5.17 ERA through 15.2 IP.

[Skitch929]

All-Star Break
July 12, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: Jul 12, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	63	28	-
Arizona Diamondbacks	52	38	10.5
San Francisco Giants	51	39	11.5
San Diego Padres	42	47	20
Colorado Rockies	30	58	31.5

The Padres stumble into the All-Star break having lost 7 of 10 in July and falling further behind in the standings. The time off will be welcomed by the players looking to spend some extra time with their families, but GM Luke Armstrong will likely use the time to start working the phones and feel out the trade market before the upcoming deadline. "I think he wants to start putting his stamp on the team," one anonymous team source said. "He's still working with all the old regime's guys. He wants to go get his own guys." Meanwhile, one player will be getting a little less time off: first baseman Wil Myers (.235, 13 HR, 51 RBI) was the lone Padre chosen to represent the franchise in the All-Star game and gets the added bonus of playing in front of the hometown Petco Park crowd. "It's going to be a great experience," Myers said after finding out he was selected to his first ever All-Star game. "I've always seen it on TV but I'm excited to get to see it all up close now, and to do it here in San Diego is a real thrill."

Wil Myers, your lone San Diego All-Star

Team Notes
-The Padres were active in the annual International FA signing period, picking up the rights to SS Jose Cerna (5.0 stars, $5M bonus), LF Jose Gomez (3.0 stars, $325k bonus), and RHP Luis Gonzalez (3.0 stars, $255k bonus), all from the Dominican Republic. The 16-year-old Cerna is the gem of the group as he is considered a five-tool player with an outstanding work ethic who can play five different positions in the field.

League Notes
7/6 - The Yankees, Mariners, Astros, and Rockies all failed to sign their first-round draft picks.
7/6 - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy went down with shoulder inflammation and will miss the rest of the season. This is the second straight year he has gone down with a season-ending injury and has appeared in only ten games since signing with the Dodgers prior to the 2015 season.

2016 MLB All-Star Game Rosters
American League		National League
Manager: Ned Yost (KC)		Manager: Terry Collins (NYM)
Pos	Starters	Pos	Starters
C	Russell Martin (TOR)	C	Francisco Cervelli (PIT)
1B	Miguel Cabrera (DET) (Injured)	1B	Paul Goldschmidt (ARI)
2B	Jose Altuve (HOU)	2B	Neil Walker (NYM)
3B	Manny Machado (BAL)	3B	Matt Carpenter (STL) (Injured)
SS	Carlos Correa (HOU)	SS	Brandon Crawford (SF)
LF	Michael Brantley (CLE)	LF	Michael Conforto (NYM)
CF	Mike Trout (LAA)	CF	Andrew McCutchen (PIT)
RF	George Springer (HOU)	RF	Bryce Harper (WAS)
DH	David Ortiz (BOS)	DH	Randal Grichuk (STL)
Pos	Pitchers & Reserves	Pos	Pitchers & Reserves
SP	Chris Sale (CHW)	SP	Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
P	Nathan Eovaldi (NYY)	P	Jake Arrieta (CHC)
P	Hisashi Iwakuma (SEA)	P	Madison Bumgarner (SF)
P	Corey Kluber (CLE)	P	Wei-Yin Chen (MIA)
P	Matt Moore (TB)	P	Matt Harvey (NYM)
P	Michael Pineda (NYY)	P	Kenta Maeda (LAD)
P	Masahiro Tanaka (NYY)	P	Max Scherzer (WAS)
P	Zach Britton (BAL)	P	Noah Syndergaard (NYM)
P	Wade Davis (KC)	P	Neftali Feliz (PIT)
P	Ken Giles (HOU)	P	Jean Machi (CHC)
P	Craig Kimbrel (BOS)	P	Jeurys Familia (NYM)
P	Francisco Rodriguez (DET)	P	Kenley Jansen (LAD)
P	Huston Street (LAA)	P	Trevor Rosenthal (STL)
C	Salvador Perez (KC)	C	Travis d'Arnaud (NYM)
C	Stephen Vogt (OAK)	C	Miguel Montero (CHC)
1B	Edwin Encarnacion (TOR)	1B	Wil Myers (SD)
1B	Mark Teixeira (NYY)	1B	Anthony Rizzo (CHC)
2B	Brian Dozer (MIN)	1B	Joey Votto (CIN)
2B	Rougned Odor (TEX)	2B	Scooter Gennett (MIL)
3B	Josh Donaldson (TOR)	3B	Nolan Arenado (COL)
3B	Kyle Seager (SEA)	3B	Kris Bryant (CHC)
OF	Alex Gordon (KC)	3B	Jake Lamb (ARI)
OF	Kevin Kiermaier (TB)	OF	Hector Olivera (ATL)
OF	Mookie Betts (BOS)	OF	David Peralta (ARI)
OF	J.D. Martinez (DET)	OF	Josh Reddick (PHI)

[Skitch929]

Everything Must Go
August 1, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: Aug 1, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	71	34	-
Arizona Diamondbacks	60	45	11
San Francisco Giants	57	48	14
San Diego Padres	50	55	21
Colorado Rockies	37	68	34

If you're looking at the Padres roster today, the day after the MLB trading deadline, and wondering what the heck happened, you aren't alone. General Manager Luke Armstrong essentially hit the reset button in the two week period between the All-Star break and the deadline, executing a massive fire sale that saw the departure of many big league players and substantial salary dumps -- as well as a front office shakeup that has been making headlines. Here is how it all went down:

JULY 13
Padres get:
RHP Lucas Giolito (4.5 stars)
OF Victor Robles (4.5 stars)
OF Rafael Bautista (3.0 stars)

Nationals get:
SP James Shields (10-4, 3.34 ERA)
SS Alexei Ramirez (.294, 4 HR, 31 RBI)
OF Jon Jay (.261, 2 HR, 35 RBI)
C Austin Hedges (4.5 stars)
RHP Juan C. Arias (0.5 stars)

Analysis: Rather than contacting multiple teams about their two biggest trade chips in Shields and Ramirez, the Padres made the Nationals their one-stop shopping destination. Washington leads the NL Wildcard race and is doing everything they can to catch New York in the NL East, so adding four major-league ready players is a major plus. Shields slides in behind Scherzer and Strasburg in the rotation and softens the blow of losing Gio Gonzalez for the year; Ramirez instantly takes over the starting job at short; Jay is considered a fourth outfielder who can play any of the three positions; and the 23-year-old Hedges, who has spent most of the year at Triple-A, is expected to take the starting job behind the plate due to his defense and leadership abilities. Dramatically improving the major league squad came at a high cost, however: 21-year-old Giolito is considered by some to be the top pitching prospect in baseball, 19-year-old Robles was the Nats' second best hitting prospect, and 23-year-old Bautista projects as a ridiculously speedy fourth outfielder in the very near future. Both Giolito and Robles have been placed at Double-A San Antonio and are expected to be stars for this San Diego team when their time comes.

JULY 14
Padres get:
RP Carter Capps (1-0, 1.16 ERA in 2015)

Marlins get:
RP Fernando Rodney (2-1, 3.99 ERA, 45 G)

Analysis: A simple but sensible move for both sides. The Padres get to send the 39-year-old Rodney (who's attitude in the clubhouse was not always appreciated) out of town and clear a roster spot for younger relievers to develop, and in return acquire a dice-roll in Capps who has not pitched since August 2015 and won't pitch again until 2017 due to Tommy John surgery but has shown flashes of skill in his brief time in the majors. Miami meanwhile avoids the arbitration process this coming offseason with Capps, who is expected to earn $1.5M next year despite not pitching in a long time, and can void Rodney's $2M team option after this year and free up more cap space.

JULY 15
Padres get:
SP Sonny Gray (4-8, 4.77 ERA)
RP Liam Hendricks (4-4, 2.90 ERA, 45 G)
INF Joe Sclafani (.333/.381/.444, 24 G @ Triple-A)

A's get:
C Derek Norris (.230, 7 HR, 19 RBI)
INF Javier Guerra (5.0 stars)
OF Hunter Renfroe (3.5 stars)
RHP Ryan Butler (1.5 stars)
RHP Angel Acevedo (0.5 stars)

Analysis: The biggest major-league addition San Diego made at the deadline was Sonny Gray, the 26-year-old pitcher who is in the middle of a rough season after an All-Star campaign in 2015. Gray is up for arbitration following this year and is expected to command a high price, making him expendable for the penny-pinching and rebuilding A's, but he should be affordable enough to stick around near the top of San Diego's rotation for at least the next few years. Hendricks provides a solid arm out of the pen and is expected to serve as the setup man for closer Kevin Quackenbush, and Sclafani is a mostly unremarkable infielder who can hold down a roster spot until someone else is ready and also provide leadership in the clubhouse. In return Oakland picks up a still relatively young and cheap catching option in Derek Norris (who played for the A's before coming to the Padres two years ago) and a handful of San Diego's top prospects including Renfroe (#26 prospect overall), Butler (SD's top pitching prospect at the beginning of the season) and Guerra, who has been shooting up the prospect rankings list as a middle infielder who can hit for power and play outstanding defense.

JULY 23
Padres get:
RP Mike Morin (4-3, 3.38 ERA, 42 G)

Angels get:
SP Drew Pomeranz (2-9, 4.76 ERA)
OF Melvin Upton Jr. (.194, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
2B Carlos Asuaje (2.5 stars)
RHP Colin Rea (2.0 stars)

Analysis: GM Armstrong had been looking for weeks for a way to avoid paying Upton the $16.4M he was owed next season and finally found a taker in the Angels, who are 5.5 GB in the AL West and are desperately seeking to improve their offense that ranks next-to-last in the AL in runs scored. Upton may not be the answer to their prayers but still might be capable of providing a boost, and the Angels have not shied away from taking on bad contracts for the same reason in the past. Pomeranz also heads north where he will likely be moved out of the rotation and into the pen as a lefty specialist/long man, while Asuaje and Rea were included to soften the blow of Upton's contract. The Padres would have taken anything to dump Upton but ended up with a decent reliever in the 25-year-old Morin, who is in the middle of his third big league season and is due for arbitration in the offseason.

JULY 24
Padres get:
RHP Hansel Robles (3.5 stars)
LHP Josh Smoker (4-3, 3.27 ERA, 48 G @ Triple-A)

Mets get:
RP Carlos Villanueva (2-3, 5.44 ERA, 53 G)
RHP Elliot Ashbeck (0.5 stars)

Analysis: Villanueva's contract expires after this year and he became expendable with the acquisitions of relievers in earlier trades, so the Mets came calling looking for another piece to strengthen their #1 ranked bullpen. It cost them the 25-year-old Robles, who had a good campaign for them in 2015 but had no spot on the big league roster anymore, and the 27-year-old Smoker, who has never been out of the minor leagues despite his decent scouting reports. Both players will likely get some work in for the Pads during September call-ups and audition for a 2017 roster spot.

JULY 25
Padres get:
SP Cody Anderson (1-2, 2.89 ERA)

Indians get:
SS Alexi Amarista (.245, 2 HR, 9 RBI)

Analysis: Eerily similar to the earlier Capps/Rodney trade, San Diego picks up a pitcher who is out for the season in exchange for an expiring contract. The Indians are out of the playoff race this year so they can let Amarista walk after he provides a few months worth of guidance to the up-and-coming Francisco Lindor, and the Padres hope Anderson can shake his reputation of being fragile and earn a spot in the rotation next season.

JULY 29
Padres get:
SS Wilmer Flores (.275, 6 HR, 17 RBI)
1B Dominic Smith (1.5 stars)
3B Jeff McNeil (1.0 stars)

Mets get:
OF Matt Kemp (.271, 12 HR, 50 RBI)
1B Brett Wallace (.289, 5 HR, 16 RBI)
2B Taylor Lindsey (3.0 stars)
OF Yeison Asencio (2.0 stars)
OF Alex Dickerson (1.5 stars)

Analysis: The Padres were reportedly not shopping Kemp originally, but once Armstrong got on a roll and looked at his payroll for the current and future seasons, parting with their star outfielder became a more intriguing concept. Kemp joins a first-place Mets team which ranks 1st in the NL in home runs but 13th in AVG, so he will fit in well with their all-or-nothing style. The move means New York will have one of baseball's best outfields of Kemp, NL home run leader Michael Conforto (27 HR), and the currently-injured Yoenis Cespedes come October. Wallace can provide a decent left-handed bat off the bench for the stretch run while Lindsey, Asencio, and Dickerson offer some depth in Mets' 23rd ranked farm system. As for San Diego, they pick up a valuable piece in Flores, who can play three infield positions and hit with power and is one of the only current players who is a sure bet to be in the starting lineup next year. Smith is a powerful first baseman who Armstrong later referred to as "very underrated' and McNeil is a scrappy infielder who has never played above Double-A but has already been placed on San Diego's major league roster.

Sonny Gray and Wilmer Flores, new San Diego residents

In total the Padres traded away 10 players from their active roster, or a whopping 40% of the team that takes the field every day. This whirlwind of deals sent baseball pundits into a frenzy and the hot takes were coming faster than they could be digested, but the overall message was clear: Armstrong was now building the team the way he wanted it. With the last of the big-name players from former GM A.J. Preller's huge spending spree in 2014 now gone, the organization went ahead and severed the final tie to that memory: Preller himself was fired on July 31, with rumors of organizational in-fighting and name-calling following him out the door. There were anonymous reports of Armstrong and Preller butting heads over the Kemp deal, which was likely the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. San Diego moved quickly to erase the memory of Preller, swiftly announcing the hiring of new Assistant GM/President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest, who was the GM of the Marlins from 2002-2013. "We're very excited to have Larry on board," Armstrong told the media at Beinfest's introductory press conference earlier today. "We all saw what he could do while he was with Florida. He knows how to win without the benefit of a bottomless wallet, so he obviously has a good eye for talent and can help us bring in the right guys we need to win." Those wins will presumably come in the future as the dizzying array of trades essentially means San Diego's 2016 season is over. The remaining two months will be spent developing younger players and figuring out who the club will want to keep on the roster for next season and beyond. Fans in search of positivity during the potentially bleak coming months can note that the massive fire sale lowered San Diego's payroll to just $36M, meaning they will have funds available to pursue free agents in the offseason, and that the organization's farm system now ranks 6th in baseball, up from 14th at the beginning of the year when Armstrong took over the team.

Team Notes
-Amidst news of so many players being sent away, there was one report of a player agreeing to stick around: SP Andrew Cashner (5-10, 3.73 ERA) agreed to a 5yr/$40M extension on July 18. The 29-year-old right-hander has never quite lived up to expectations in his five years with San Diego but still sports a decent 3.63 career ERA and can eat innings in the middle of the rotation.
-The dismissal of A.J. Preller has many wondering if Armstrong will make further personnel changes before next season. "He just made it clear that this is his team now," one anonymous rival NL executive said. "He went and got his own players so now he'll probably want to go and get his own coaches and manager." For his part, Armstrong has only said that "no changes will be made during the season" which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for the current staff.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
Runs Scored - 425 (9th)
Batting AVG - .243 (12th)
On-Base PCT - .300 (13th)
Home Runs - 80 (11th)
Stolen Bases - 65 (3rd)
Runs Against - 476 (12th)
Starters ERA - 4.07 (11th)
Bullpen ERA - 4.40 (11th)
Defensive Eff. - .690 (7th)

League Notes
7/12 - The National League defeated the American League 3-1 in the All-Star game. Colorado Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado was the game's MVP.
7/19 - San Francisco Giants SP Jake Peavy was declared out for the year with a damaged elbow ligament.
7/28 - Miami Marlins third baseman Chris Johnson became the second player this season to get 6 hits in a single game (San Diego's Yangervis Solarte was the first).
7/29 - Atlanta Braves outfielder Hector Olivera, the team's only 2016 All-Star, hit for the cycle versus Philadelphia.
7/29 - Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez hit his 300th career home run in a win over Arizona.

Notable Transactions
7/15 - The Baltimore Orioles (48-56) sent 1B Mark Trumbo (.311, 10 HR, 31 RBI) and $1M to the Philadelphia Phillies (45-61) for SP Jeremy Hellickson (8-5, 4.26 ERA).
7/17 - The Miami Marlins (48-57) sent closer A.J. Ramos (1-6, 27 SV, 4.42 ERA) to the Milwaukee Brewers (42-61) for minor leaguers 2B Branden Kaupe (1.0 star) RHP Bowdien Derby.
7/19 - The Colorado Rockies (37-68) traded closer Jake McGee (1-3, 18 SV, 2.67 ERA) to the Pittsburgh Pirates (50-52) in exchange for minor leaguers RHP Mitch Keller (1.5 stars) and RHP Bret Helton (no relation to Todd).
7/23 - The New York Yankees (66-37) swapped 3B Chase Headley (.249, 10 HR, 45 RBI) and $3.4M over to Pittsburgh for SP Jeff Locke (4-4, 4.21 ERA)
7/26 - The Atlanta Braves (47-58) sent 2015 first round draft pick LHP Kolby Allard (3.0 stars) to Philadelphia for RP Daniel Stumpf (3-3, 3.66 ERA, 46 G).
7/27 - The Texas Rangers (44-62) acquired former All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy (.242, 4 HR, 32 RBI) from Milwaukee in exchange for minor leaguers RHP Luis Ortiz (3.0 stars), SS Juremi Profar (2.5 stars) RHP Michael Matuella (2.5 stars), and RHP Cody Buckell (1.0 stars).
7/28 - The Detroit Tigers (51-54) shipped 1B Victor Martinez (.265, 16 HR, 43 RBI) to the Boston Red Sox (58-46) getting SP Joe Kelly (5-4, 7.38 ERA) in return.
7/31 - The Chicago White Sox (41-65) traded SS Jimmy Rollins (.259, 6 HR, 24 RBI) to Baltimore for prospect RHP Vladimir Gutierrez (2.5 stars).

[Skitch929]

Are We There Yet?
September 1, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: Sep 1, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	85	48	-
San Francisco Giants	71	61	13.5
Arizona Diamondbacks	70	63	15
San Diego Padres	62	70	22.5
Colorado Rockies	50	83	35

With nothing left to play for in 2016, the Padres are just grinding out the rest of the year with an eye toward the offseason and more potential roster moves. They went 12-15 in August with their overhauled roster, still a game better than they did in July, suggesting that their new lineup of placeholders who make up the lowest payroll in the sport is no worse off than the old lineup of multi-million dollar names. Some of the new additions from GM Luke Armstrong's trade deadline bonanza have helped keep the team watchable at times: SP Sonny Gray is 4-0 with a 3.06 ERA in his first nine starts for the Padres, RP Liam Hendricks has already appeared in 25 games and sports a 2.28 ERA in his new setup role, and SS Wilmer Flores has mashed 6 HR and 18 RBI, already surpassing the numbers he put up in four months with the Mets. "The big league guys we added have been great so far," Armstrong said yesterday. "They're showing our fans that they're the real deal. If we can find more guys like them this offseason, this team is going to be in real good shape." With rosters expanding to 40 today, San Diego will have even more players to analyze before starting to form their plan of attack going into the offseason.

Top prospect Manny Margot is not among the September call-ups

Team Notes
-Although rosters have expanded, the Padres do not plan to call up any of their top prospects -- disappointing news for anyone who was hoping to see Manny Margot, Victor Robles, or Lucas Giolito in action. Margot is likely the closest to being ready but has struggled at Triple-A El Paso this year, hitting just .247 with 1 HR in 49 starts. "We don't want to rush anything with our young guys," Armstrong said. "We're counting on them to be big for us down the line, but there's no reason to hurry them along at this point."
-One young guy who has been big already is Travis Jankowski, who is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Los Angeles' Corey Seager likely has the NL Rookie of the Year locked up, but Jankowski ranks in the top three in AVG, OPB, OPS, hits, doubles, triples, runs, walks, and stolen bases among NL rookies and at the very least has forced himself into the award conversation.
-Injured pitcher Cody Anderson, who came over from Cleveland last month, appears to be ahead of schedule in his rehab from a broken elbow and has a chance to pitch for San Diego this year. Earlier diagnoses had Anderson missing the entire season.
-Record Watch! First baseman Wil Myers has been hit by a pitch 17 times this season, tying him for the Padres single-season record with Carlos Quentin in 2012. One more plunk will put him alone atop that list as either the greatest plate-crowder or pitcher-annoyer in San Diego history.

NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
Runs Scored - 535 (10th)
Batting AVG - .243 (12th)
On-Base PCT - .301 (14th)
Home Runs - 102 (12th)
Stolen Bases - 79 (4th)
Runs Against - 606 (12th)
Starters ERA - 4.16 (12th)
Bullpen ERA - 4.13 (10th)
Defensive Eff. - .690 (5th)

League Notes
8/2 - The Washington Nationals signed 3B Anthony Rendon to a 6yr/$60.8M contract extension.
8/20 - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Taylor Jungmann threw a no-hitter against the Cardinals, recording 8 K's and only 1 BB. Jungmann was traded to Philadelphia from Milwaukee on July 25 and was 1-8 with a 7.30 ERA before the trade.
8/27 - St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday collected in 2000th career hit in a game versus Oakland.

[Sundance]

That's one heck of a fire sale, but I can't really blame you. Looking forward to seeing how these trades eventually pan out!

[Skitch929]

Around the League
September 1, 2016

As we head into the home stretch of the 2016 season, let's zoom out from our focus on San Diego and check in with what else is going on around Major League Baseball.

It's been obvious throughout the year that Los Angeles is running away with the NL West and the Dodgers should be the first team to clinch their division in the coming weeks. The only race they have left is with the New York Mets, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season, for home field advantage in the National League. The Mets have been baseball's best team to this point, sporting the best rotation in the league and an incredibly dangerous offense (Matt Kemp's New York numbers: 8 HR, 20 RBI, 1.017 OPS), but they still cannot seem to shake the Washington Nationals. The Nats' core of young stars has kept them in the race all year long and at the very least they should host the NL Wildcard game. In the Central everyone's preseason pick to win it all was the Chicago Cubs, but the Northsiders have fallen behind due to a severely underachieving pitching staff after Jake Arrieta. The leader of the pack is the St. Louis Cardinals, the same old Cardinals who just seem to grind out wins every year no matter what. In the Wildcard race the Cubs will have to fend off the Giants and the Diamondbacks for the second spot, though season-ending injuries to Jake Peavy and Hunter Pence have many writing off San Francisco already.

In the American League there are far fewer dominant teams, but the Yankees are doing everything they can to fit that description. Ranked 3rd in runs scored and 2nd in runs allowed, the Yanks would be running away with the East if not for the Boston Red Sox, the AL's second best team. If the Sox aren't able to catch their bitter rivals in the division race, they still will likely get the consolation prize of hosting the AL Wildcard game at Fenway. The defending champion Kansas City Royals haven't been as spectacular as they were last year but appear to be headed back to the playoffs where they could easily go on another run behind offensive stars Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas. The AL West currently offers the worst division leader in the Houston Astros but they still appear to be playoff bound due to no significant threats behind them and the highest-scoring offense in baseball. The American League Wildcard race is an all-East affair, with the Blue Jays and Rays battling it out behind the Sox for the final playoff spot.

Award Races
National League MVP
-Kris Bryant, CHC (.287, 28 HR, 76 RBI, .881 OPS, 6.6 WAR)
-Michael Conforto, NYM (.295, 32 HR, 98 RBI, .962 OPS, 5.4 WAR)
-Bryce Harper, WAS (.298, 23 HR, 73 RBI, .977 OPS, 6.1 WAR)
A very interesting race that could really go to any one of these three stars. Conforto has the edge in traditional power numbers, Harper sports the best OPS because of his ridiculous .450 OPB, and Bryant has perhaps been the most valuable to his team's success as evidenced by his league-leading WAR. All three are on teams playing for the postseason, so their success in September and October could be what settles this.
Prediction: Conforto

National League Cy Young
-Madison Bumgarner, SF (17-4, 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 173 K, 6.4 WAR)
-Clayton Kershaw, LAD (19-3, 1.93 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 242 K, 8.5 WAR)
-Max Scherzer, WAS (17-2, 1.51 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 235 K, 7.4 WAR)
No offense to Bumgarner, who is having an excellent season, but this debate will come down to whether or not Scherzer's lower ERA (if he can maintain it) and fewer losses can trump another mind-blowing season from Kershaw. If either of them falters in their few remaining starts, the other could pull away with this race.
Prediction: Kershaw

National League Rookie of the Year
-Travis Jankowski, SD (.281, 5 HR, 39 RBI, .736 OPS, 1.6 WAR)
-Kenta Maeda, LAD (13-4, 2.68 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 144 K, 4.4 WAR)
-Corey Seager, LAD (.308, 17 HR, 84 RBI, .865 OPS, 4.1 WAR)
Jankowski has been a nice story for the lowly Padres, ranking fourth in baseball with 25 stolen bases, but the only question here is which Dodger will take home the hardware. Maeda has been great as the team's #2 starter behind Kershaw and Seager has carried the offense on his back all year despite being just 22 years old.
Prediction: Seager

American League MVP
-Jose Altuve, HOU (.327, 10 HR, 53 RBI, .819 OPS, 4.9 WAR)
-Carlos Correa, HOU (.310, 32 HR, 87 RBI, .975 OPS, 7.5 WAR)
-Manny Machado (.267, 34 HR, 97 RBI, .854 OPS, 6.8 WAR)
Did I mention that Houston's offense was good? Altuve has set the table at the top of the lineup all year and is on pace for 222 hits, while Correa has continuously cleared the bases in the middle of the lineup and has shown no fear at just 21 years of age. Machado leads the AL in HR and RBI and is another young superstar, but Baltimore's terrible season will likely hurt his chances.
Prediction: Correa

American League Cy Young
-Wade Davis, KC (6-2, 37 SV, 2.24 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 11.9 K/9)
-Michael Pineda, NYY (15-6, 2.95 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 124 K, 3.3 WAR)
-Aaron Sanchez, TOR (14-3, 3.15 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 159 K, 2.1 WAR)
Pineda has been the best pitcher on the best team in the AL and leads his league in wins, so he is likely the favorite going into September. A lousy month from him could open the door for Sanchez though, who should not be too distant of a second on the ballot. Davis has had a great year closing out games for the defending champions but hasn't been quite as dominant as past Cy Young relievers, so this is primarily a two-horse race.
Prediction: Pineda

American League Rookie of the Year
-Byron Buxton, MIN (.276, 11 HR, 54 RBI, .740 OPS, 3.8 WAR)
-Matt Duffy, HOU (.263, 19 HR, 59 RBI, .792 OPS, 2.4 WAR)
-Byung-ho Park, MIN (.229, 23 HR, 72 RBI, .679 OPS, -0.2 WAR)
Park has the dominant power numbers but is on pace to strike out an MLB-record 228 times in one season, so he probably won't be taking this one home. His teammate Buxton debuted this season after being one of baseball's hottest prospects the past few years and the speedy outfielder did not disappoint, also adding 20 SB to his listed numbers above. Duffy had significantly less fanfare coming up as a 20th round draft pick, but he has been a good asset to that dangerous Houston lineup and has a chance to steal the award from his more-famous counterpart.
Prediction: Duffy

[Skitch929]

That's a Wrap
October 3, 2016

MLB Standings - Updated: Oct 3, 2016
NL WEST	W	L	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	98	64	-
San Francisco Giants	88	74	10
Arizona Diamondbacks	85	77	13
San Diego Padres	74	88	24
Colorado Rockies	68	94	30

The 2016 season has mercifully come to an end. The Padres finished the year at 74-88, the exact same record they had in 2015 under now-fired former GM A.J. Preller. So are they any better off under the new regime? GM Luke Armstrong has made consistent talking points out of the improvement of the farm system--up from 14th to 4th as ranked by Baseball America--and shedding the big contracts of Shields, Kemp, and Upton to free up major cap space going into free agency. "Last year this team won 74 games with an expensive roster and not a lot of room to improve," Armstrong said earlier today. "This year we won 74 and have the financial flexibility to add talent anywhere we see fit. I hesitate to agree with you writers that we're going through a rebuilding phase, because if there's someone out there who can help us win now, we want to go get them. The difference now is we're not going to overspend on just anyone to try and make a splash. It has to be the right fit."

Tyson Ross has been named San Diego's 2016 team MVP

Team Notes
-Padres players have voted SP Tyson Ross as their team MVP of 2016. The 29-year-old hurler did not put up gaudy numbers but was consistent as could be all year long, finishing 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA and tying the league lead with 35 starts. Ross is up for arbitration in the offseason and is expected to be San Diego's highest paid player in 2017 barring any free agent signings.
-Deadline addition Sonny Gray definitely enjoyed his first two and a half months in San Diego. The 2015 All-Star returned to form after being traded, going 6-0 with 2.64 ERA in 16 starts for the Padres and improving his K/BB ratio from 3.2:1 in Oakland to 5.2:1 here.
-Fellow newcomer Wilmer Flores also played well for his new squad, finishing with 11 HR and 36 RBI -- numbers that would project to 30+ HR and 100+ RBI over a full season. If he can stay at this level next year and beyond, the Padres may have found themselves their new middle-of-the-lineup threat.
-Record Watch 2.0! Wil Myers was hit by a pitch four more times in September, raising his season total to 21 and giving him the San Diego single-season record. He also finished the year with 161 strikeouts, one more than Mike Cameron in 2007, so he also "earned" that title as well. Myers led the team in HR (22) and RBI (87) but the strikeouts are certainly a problem and his selfish behavior started to ruffle some feathers in the clubhouse by the end of the year, so some are beginning to wonder if his future in a Padre uniform may be in doubt.

FINAL NATIONAL LEAGUE RANKINGS
Runs Scored - 630 (11th)
Batting AVG - .240 (14th)
On-Base PCT - .299 (14th)
Home Runs - 119 (12th)
Stolen Bases - 99 (4th)
Runs Against - 739 (12th)
Starters ERA - 4.14 (12th)
Bullpen ERA - 4.06 (10th)
Defensive Eff. - .690 (5th)

League Notes
9/2 - Already down Jake Peavy and Hunter Pence, the San Francisco Giants lost catcher Buster Posey for the remainder of the year due to a strained abdominal muscle.
9/7 - Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista his his 300th career home run. Three days later his season ended due to a ruptured finger tendon.
9/25 - Miami Marlins All-Star pitcher Wei-Yin Chen threw a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves with 8 K's and 1 BB.
9/29 - Déjà vu -- Toronto slugger Edwin Encarnacion hit his 300th home run, and less than a week later suffered a quad strain and was ruled out for the playoffs.
9/29 - The Los Angeles Dodgers signed SP Alex Wood to a 5yr/$48.4M extension.

Playoff Matchups
NL Wildcard - Chicago Cubs (90-72) @ Washington Nationals (94-68)
Jake Arrieta (19-7, 2.65) versus Max Scherzer (20-2, 1.70). Kris Bryant (.285, 37 HR, 100 RBI) versus Bryce Harper (.294, 29 HR, 92 RBI). Get the popcorn ready.

NLDS - #1 New York Mets (104-58) vs wildcard winner
The Mets have a trio of aces in Syndergaard/deGrom/Harvey and a trio of star outfielders in Conforto/Cespedes/Kemp. Whoever wins the wildcard better say their prayers.

NLDS - #2 Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64) vs #3 St. Louis Cardinals (95-67)
These teams are no strangers to battling each other in the postseason, and the bad blood from previous years always has a chance to carry over. Can Clayton Kershaw (22-5, 2.10) finally exercise his postseason demons, or will the Cardinals find yet another unexpected hero to vanquish the Dodgers one more time?

AL Wildcard - Toronto Blue Jays (90-72) @ Boston Red Sox (90-72)
Down their two most-feared hitters in Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto limps in Boston to see if R.A. Dickey (11-12, 4.51) can end David Ortiz's farewell tour for good. Boston counters with David Price (15-10, 4.01) who will try to silence the Jays' depleted lineup.

ALDS - #1 New York Yankees (93-69) vs wildcard winner
The Yanks had only one player record more than 66 RBI this season (Teixeira, 98) but shut down opponents all year long thanks to their pitching staff that allowed the second-fewest runs in the American League. Cy Young candidate Michael Pineda (17-9) awaits whichever AL East foe comes to town.

ALDS - #2 Kansas City Royals (86-76) vs #3 Houston Astros (83-79)
A rematch of last year's highly entertaining ALDS will feature Kansas City and their MLB-leading .267 team AVG trying to repeat history, with Houston and their AL-leading 779 runs looking to avoid being bounced in the first round two years in a row.

[Skitch929]

2016 Playoffs
October 30, 2016

NATIONAL LEAGUE WILDCARD
Chicago Cubs 8, Washington Nationals 1
Cubs win series 1-0
Jake Arrieta and Max Scherzer both came out of the game after six innings with the Cubs leading 2-1 before the Nats bullpen imploded and allowed Chicago to put the game well out of reach. Addison Russell and Miguel Montero each went deep as the Cubs beat the Nationals for the seventh time in eight games this season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WILDCARD
Toronto Blue Jays 12, Boston Red Sox 7
Blue Jays win series 1-0
No Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, no problem. The rest of the Jays lineup picked up the slack and clubbed four home runs including three against Boston starter David Price, who was knocked out of the game after just 2.2 IP. Troy Tulowitzki had a pair of homers and knocked in five runs.


NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Gm 1: New York Mets 6, Chicago Cubs 3
Gm 2: New York Mets 5, Chicago Cubs 3
Gm 3: Chicago Cubs 2, New York Mets 1
Gm 4: Chicago Cubs 8, New York Mets 7
Gm 5: New York Mets 13, Chicago Cubs 1
Mets win series 3-2
The top-seeded Mets are moving on after winning the most entertaining series of the divisonal round. The home team won every game of this matchup and four straight exciting close games were followed by an absolute thumping in the finale. David Wright was named MVP of the series for hitting .500 with 3 HR.

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Gm 1: Los Angeles Dodgers 5, St Louis Cardinals 3
Gm 2: Los Angeles Dodgers 9, St Louis Cardinals 5
Gm 3: St Louis Cardinals 3, Los Angeles Dodgers 2
Gm 4: Los Angeles Dodgers 5, St Louis Cardinals 1
Dodgers win series 3-1
Super-ace Clayton Kershaw got the postseason monkey off his back by beating the Cardinals in game 1 and dominating them in game 4 without picking up a decision. St Louis pitcher Carlos Martinez took the loss in both of those games and his team couldn't recover. Joc Pederson was the series MVP (.429, 2 HR, 4 RBI).

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Gm 1: New York Yankees 5, Toronto Blue Jays 4
Gm 2: New York Yankees 2, Toronto Blue Jays 1
Gm 3: New York Yankees 3, Toronto Blue Jays 1
Yankees win series 3-0
Excellent outings from the Yankees' top three starters and three straight relief appearances from Andrew Miller (1 win, 2 saves) swept the wildcard Jays right out the door. The bottom third of New York's lineup went 0-for-29 in the series but their pitching was just too dominant. Outfielder Brett Gardner was the MVP of this one for getting on base at a .615 clip.

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Gm 1: Houston Astros 9, Kansas City Royals 6
Gm 2: Houston Astros 7, Kansas City Royals 4
Gm 3: Houston Astros 6, Kansas City Royals 5
Astros win series 3-0
History will not repeat itself this year as the Astros bounced the defending champion Royals in straight sets. Houston out-homered the champs 9-1 over the three game span and no KC starter could make it beyond the sixth inning. Young Carlos Correa took home the series MVP for his .385/.500/.692 slash line.


NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Gm 1: New York Mets 6, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Gm 2: New York Mets 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Gm 3: Los Angeles Dodgers 9, New York Mets 5
Gm 4: New York Mets 10, Los Angeles Dodgers 5
Gm 5: New York Mets 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Mets win series 4-1
In a rematch of last year's NLDS, the Mets once again came out victorious thanks to their overpowering offense that was too strong even for Clayton Kershaw in the series finale. New York hit 9 HR in the series including 3 by series MVP Lucas Duda and now move on to their second straight World Series.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Gm 1: New York Yankees 5, Houston Astros 2
Gm 2: New York Yankees 2, Houston Astros 0
Gm 3: New York Yankees 4, Houston Astros 0
Gm 4: Houston Astros 12, New York Yankees 2
Gm 5: Houston Astros 9, New York Yankees 0
Gm 6: Houston Astros 11, New York Yankees 0
Gm 7: New York Yankees 5, Houston Astros 4
Yankees win series 4-3
It was nearly 2004 all over again for New York as they came this close to surrendering another 3-0 series lead. Houston absolutely destroyed the Yanks in their three wins but fell short in Game 7 when closer Luke Gregerson gave up two runs in the bottom of the 9th, his only inning of work in the series. Colby Rasmus was named series MVP in a losing effort (.400, 5 HR, 13 RBI) but it is the Yankees who will be moving on to the Fall Classic.


WORLD SERIES
Gm 1: New York Mets 9, New York Yankees 1
Gm 2: New York Mets 2, New York Yankees 1
Gm 3: New York Yankees 11, New York Mets 5
Gm 4: New York Mets 6, New York Yankees 4
Gm 5: New York Mets 2, New York Yankees 1
Mets win series 4-1
The rematch of 2000's Subway Series went the other way this time as the Mets vanquished the Yankees in five games to win their first title since 1986. The Yanks just couldn't get anything going against the Mets' brilliant rotation, including World Series MVP Noah Syndergaard who went 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 14 K in 15 IP.

The Mets celebrate their first World Series title in 30 years

[Skitch929]

San Diego Padres 2016 Season Review
October 31, 2016

The Padres got disappointing performances out of almost all their everyday players in 2016, contributing to their next-to-last National League rankings in team batting average and on-base percentage. Travis Jankowski was the team batting champion at just .273 and Wil Myers led the way in OPB (.340), HR (22), and RBI (87), but he also set the franchise record for strikeouts in a season. The only positive news on offense all year was the success of Wilmer Flores over the final two months of the season; relegated to a platoon player for the Mets, Flores blossomed as an everyday player for San Diego and should be one of the new faces of the franchise moving forward. Corner outfielders should be the top need addressed in the offseason, as Jabari Blash was terrible in a starting role and Rafael Bautista did not look ready for the big leagues during his September call-up. The fates of Yangervis Solarte and Cory Spangenberg are up in the air, as the organization feels that each infielder has enough potential to get another shot at a starting job but their 2016 numbers suggest they should not be regular members of the lineup.

Though their rankings were far less than favorable (12th in runs against), the Padres' pitching staff should be seen as the strength of the team going into the offseason. Sonny Gray was an absolute star after coming over from Oakland in July and will likely be counted on to be the club's ace next season. Team MVP Tyson Ross had a pretty solid year considering the team's struggles and longtime Padre Andrew Cashner should be a bounce-back candidate in 2017 after losing a disappointing number of games. Newly acquired Cody Anderson struggled in his handful of appearances coming back from a broken elbow but should be an upgrade over soon-to-be free agent Brandon Morrow and his 18(!) losses, and top prospect Lucas Giolito has a real shot to open 2017 on the big league roster to round out the rotation. In the pen, Kevin Quackenbush was a nice surprise in his first year as the team's closer, though midseason acquisition Liam Hendriks is expected to compete for that role next year. Mike Morin and Brandon Maurer look like good bets to return to the 'pen next season, and Hansel Robles' success during his September call-up suggests that he'll be in the mix as well.

Minor League Report
It was a rough year for San Diego's minor league affiliates as no team managed to earn a winning record. Top-rated prospect Lucas Giolito finished the year by making his first start at Triple-A El Paso and as mentioned above has a shot to make the major league roster next year. Number one hitting prospect Manny Margot spent the majority of the year at Triple-A but struggled to find success and is considered not quite ready. Top draft pick T.J. Collett hit .303 at Single-A Tri City and fellow first-rounder Garrett Hampson has already worked his way up to Double-A San Antonio. Infielder Jose Rondon hit .273 with 53 RBI at Double-A before hitting .417 in 10 games with the big league club in September, so the 22-year-old has a shot to climb the organizational ranks and carve out a bigger role at a higher level going forward.

[Skitch929]

San Diego Padres 2016 Offseason Preview
October 31, 2016

Before the champagne in the New York Mets locker room was dry, the San Diego Padres made their first offseason move. First-year manager Andy Green and his bench coach Mark McGwire were fired from their positions, surprising approximately no one around the league. Green and McGwire were hired by former GM A.J. Preller, and current GM Luke Armstrong has been systemically removing all traces of the former regime since the massive fire sale that went down before the trade deadline. "The organization wants to thank Andy and Mark for steering the ship this year," Armstrong said in a released statement. "I wish them the best going forward." He now has the opportunity to fill the team's personnel roles with coaches of his choosing for the first time since accepting the job.

Andy Green and Mark McGwire are out after one season in San Diego

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Budget: $140,000,000 (t-21st)
Payroll: $55,377,500 (28th)
$ for FA: $58,300,500
$ for Ext: $46,300,500
Market Size: Average
Fan Loyalty: Very Good
Fan Interest: 72
Ticket Price: $17.00

RETIREMENTS
None

CONTRACT OPTION DECISIONS
None

ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
SP Sonny Gray (10-8, 3.65 ERA, 34 GS) - $6.82M arbitration estimate
SP Tyson Ross (13-9, 3.84 ERA, 35 GS) - $11.55M arbitration estimate
RP Carter Capps (DNP in 2016) - $1.8M arbitration estimate
RP Liam Hendricks (7-8, 3.38 ERA, 83 G) - $1.7M arbitration estimate
RP Brandon Maurer (4-3, 3.43 ERA, 60 G) - $800K arbitration estimate
RP Mike Morin (5-7, 3.69 ERA, 74 G) - $950K arbitration estimate
RP Kevin Quackenbush (6-5, 39 SV, 2.85 ERA) - $2.8M arbitration estimate
1B Wil Myers (.230, 22 HR, 87 RBI) - $3.45M arbitration estimate
3B Yangervis Solarte (.257, 14 HR, 71 RBI) - $1.4M arbitration estimate
SS Wilmer Flores (.279, 17 HR, 53 RBI) - $2.4M arbitration estimate

PENDING FREE AGENTS
SP Brandon Morrow (5-18, 4.76 ERA, 30 GS)
RP Matt Thornton (4-0, 3.97 ERA, 70 G)
2B Adam Rosales (.203/.258/.263, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 118 AB)

PERSONNEL
With Green and McGwire packing their bags, the consensus around the organization is that the rest of the coaching staff should not get too comfortable. Every position will be analyzed and no job is safe. Ousted Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle (see below) is rumored to be at the top of San Diego's new manager wishlist, but with five other teams also in search of a new skipper they'll likely have to shell out the big bucks to get his attention. Other potential candidates are former MLB managers Art Howe, Tom Lawless, and Ryne Sandberg, and current Oakland A's third base coach Ron Washington.


Elsewhere around the league...

Notable Retirees
RF Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees (.280, 399 HR, 1471 RBI, 2370 G)

Notable Voided Contrats
P Clay Buchholz (12-10, 3.91 ERA w/ BOS)
P Wade Davis (7-3, 43 SV, 2.13 ERA w/ KC)
P Jaime Garcia (10-12, 4.26 ERA w/ STL)
P Gio Gonzalez (1-0, 2.51 ERA, 3 G w/ WAS)
P C.C. Sabathia (7-5, 4.39 ERA w/ NYY)
1B Kendrys Morales (.284, 26 HR, 77 RBI w/ KC and MIA)
1B Carlos Santana (.255, 25 HR, 89 RBI w/ CLE)
OF Jay Bruce (.255, 21 HR, 69 RBI w/ CIN)
OF Matt Holliday (.269, 13 HR, 71 RBI w/ STL)

Notable Transactions
10/31 - The Oakland A's traded catcher (and former Padre) Derek Norris to the Chicago Cubs for prospects OF Eddy Martinez (3.0 stars) and OF Kelly Dugan.

League Personnel Moves
-Atlanta Braves (65-97) fired manager Fredi Gonzalez.
-Chicago Cubs (90-72) manager Joe Maddon retired.
-Milwaukee Brewers (70-92) fired manager Craig Counsell and immediately replaced him with bench coach Pat Murphy.
-Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79) fired manager Clint Hurdle and immediately replaced him with bench coach Dave Jauss.
-San Francisco Giants (88-74) manager Bruce Bochy retired.
-Washington Nationals (94-68) manager Dusty Baker retired.

[Skitch929]

2016 Offseason Update #1
November 14, 2016

The Padres made another big splash just a few days into GM Luke Armstrong's first offseason with the team. First baseman Wil Myers was placed on the trading block on November 1 and within hours the phones were blowing up like a Jerry Lewis telethon. The St. Louis Cardinals came forward with the best offer, and after some back and forth negotiating the two sides were able to sign off on the biggest trade in baseball since July's Matt Kemp deal.

Padres get:
SP Michael Wacha (16-8, 3.35 ERA, 179 K, 196 IP)
OF Randal Grichuk (.260, 21 HR, 100 RBI)
OF Tommy Pham (.261, 6 HR, 40 RBI)

Cardinals get:
SP Cody Anderson (2-5, 4.58 ERA, 37 K, 53 IP)
1B Wil Myers (.230, 22 HR, 87 RBI)
SP Rafael de Paula (1.0 stars)
SS Elvis Sabala (1.5 stars)

By trading away their best (only?) power threat for another young pitcher, the Padres are making it clear that they plan on winning games by keeping opposing teams off the board and not getting into slugfests. Wacha has won 33 games the past two seasons and will likely slot in as the #2 starter behind Sonny Gray, giving San Diego a formidable combo at the top of the rotation. Grichuk was named to the All-Star Game last year before falling off considerably in the second half but is still a far better corner outfield option than anyone else currently in the Padres organization. Pham is a career platoon player who has a shot to earn the other corner outfield spot and play every day in San Diego if they do not sign anyone else to compete for the job. On the St. Louis side, acquiring Myers makes a lot of sense when you consider the team just voided the final year of Matt Holliday's contract. Myers can play first or in the outfield and though his strikeouts must be worked on, his power numbers suggest he could be hitting his stride at the age of 25. Anderson is a bit of a gamble for the Cards as he was for the Pads when they acquired him in July; he's got a lot of talent, but can he bounce back from the broken elbow that cost him most of 2016 and find success again?

Overall, the move means that San Diego's starting pitching is now by far the strength of the team. The projected rotation of Gray/Wacha/Ross/Cashner/Giolito should be feared up and down the NL West. On offense though, the Padres will need to bring in some help. The departure of Myers means the team's reigning home run leader is Yangervis Solarte, who hit all of 14 dingers in 2016. Wilmer Flores showed a lot of potential as a middle-of-the-lineup threat, but the team will need to bring in some bats via free agency or more trades to provide some much needed power.

Wacha Wacha Wacha: goodbye Myers, hello Michael

Team Notes
-The search for a new manager didn't take very long. Less than a week after firing Andy Green, the Padres announced that Ron Washington had been hired as the club's new skipper. The 64-year-old Washington managed the Texas Rangers from 2007-2014 and led the team to five winning seasons, three playoff appearances, and two division titles. Washington served as the third base coach for the Oakland A's last year but is happy to be back in the dugout. His contract runs through the 2020 season.
-The new skipper will be joined by an entirely new personnel staff in 2017 as well. Every incumbent coach has been replaced in hopes of forgetting last year and getting better results moving forward. The new bench coach is Joe Pettini, who served under Tony LaRussa in St. Louis for a number of years and knows what it's like to win. Instructing the Padres' revamped pitching staff will be Doug Henry, former MLB relief pitcher and most recently the bullpen coach for the Kansas City Royals, and coaching the hitters will be Leo Gomez, who played for the Orioles and Cubs in the 1990's and managed in the minor leagues in 2011. The new scouting director is Norio Yamaguchi, who will be working in Major League Baseball for the first time after earning 23 years of experience scouting in Japan, and rounding out the staff is new team trainer Stan Conte who has an excellent reputation for preventing injuries.


MLB Awards
(times won in parenthesis)
AL Gold Glove
P Mike Fiers, HOU (1)
C Salvador Perez, KC (4)
1B Yonder Alonso, OAK (1)
2B Ian Kinsler, DET (1)
3B Manny Machado, BAL (3)
SS Andrelton Simmons, LAA (3)
LF Alex Gordon, KC (5)
CF Kevin Kiermaier, TB (2)
RF George Springer, HOU (1)

NL Gold Glove
P Julio Tehran, ATL (1)
C Francisco Cervelli, PIT (1)
1B Freddie Freeman, ATL (1)
2B D.J. LeMahieu, COL (2)
3B Nolan Arenado, COL (4)
SS Adeiny Hechavarria, MIA (1)
LF Starling Marte, PIT (2)
CF Billy Hamilton, CIN (1)
RF Jason Heyward, CHC (4)

AL Silver Slugger
C Russell Martin, TOR (2)
1B Prince Fielder, TEX (4)
2B Brian Dozier, MIN (1)
3B Josh Donaldson, TOR (2)
SS Carlos Correa, HOU (1)
LF Michael Brantley, CLE (2)
CF Mike Trout, LAA (5)
RF George Springer, HOU (1)
DH Edwin Encarnacion, TOR (1)

NL Silver Slugger
P Clayton Kershaw, LAD (1)
C Yasmani Grandal, LAD (1)
1B Joey Votto, CIN (1)
2B Neil Walker, NYM (2)
3B Kris Bryant, CHC (1)
SS Corey Seager, LAD (1)
LF Michael Conforto, NYM (1)
CF Dexter Fowler, CHC (1)
RF Bryce Harper, WAS (2)

Manager of the Year
AL: Joe Girardi, NYY (2)
NL: Terry Collins, NYM (1)

Reliever of the Year
AL: Zach Britton, BAL (1) = 8-3, 43 SV, 1.21 ERA, 12.1 K/9 (2nd: Andrew Miller, NYY; 3rd: Wade Davis, KC)
NL: Jeurys Familia, NYM (1) = 7-3, 47 SV, 1.21 ERA, 13.1 K/9 (2nd: Trevor Rosenthal, STL; 3rd: Kenley Jansen, LAD)

Rookie of the Year
AL: CF Byron Buxton, MIN = .265, 15 HR, 69 RBI, 24 SB (2nd: Matt E. Duffy, HOU; 3rd: Joey Gallo, TEX)
NL: SP Kenta Maeda, LAD = 17-6, 2.62 ERA, 182 K (2nd: Corey Seager, LAD; 3rd: Socrates Brito, ARI)

Cy Young Award
AL: CL Zach Britton, BAL (1) = 8-3, 43 SV, 1.21 ERA, 12.1 K/9 (2nd: Corey Kluber, CLE; Andrew Miller, NYY)
NL: SP Max Scherzer, WAS (2) = 20-2, 1.70 ERA, 281 K (2nd: Clayton Kershaw, LAD; 3rd: Jake Arrieta, CHC)

MVP Award
AL: SS Carlos Correa, HOU (1) = .300, 37 HR, 105 RBI, 23 SB (2nd: Mike Trout, LAA; 3rd: George Springer, HOU)
NL: SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD (2) = 22-5, 2.10 ERA, 291 K (2nd: Max Scherzer, WAS; 3rd: Michael Conforto, NYM)


Notable Transactions
11/3 - The Los Angeles Dodgers traded OF Carl Crawford (.280, 6 HR, 25 RBI) and minor league SS Jefrey Souffront to the Los Angeles Angels for 1B C.J. Cron (.250, 23, 77 RBI).
11/4 - Chicago Cubs signed ace SP Jake Arrieta to a 4yr/$76.9M extension with an opt-out clause after the second year.
11/4 - New York Yankees signed SP Michael Pineda to a 5yr/$68.1M extension. Pineda won a career-high 17 games in 2016.
11/4 - Arizona Diamondbacks signed SP Shelby Miller to a 5yr/$61.4M extension with a player option in the final year.
11/4 - Houston Astros signed SP Dallas Keuchel to a 6yr/$85.4M extension. Keuchel won the Cy Young in 2015 but had a down year in 2016 (12-14, 4.07) and will try to bounce back next season.
11/4 - Houston Astros signed SP Collin McHugh to a 5yr/$37.9M extension. McHugh teams up with Keuchel to give Houston a dominant one-two punch for at least the next five years.
11/4 - Boston Red Sox signed SS Xander Bogaerts to a 7yr/$87.7M extension. The 24-year-old Bogaerts hit 22 HR with 101 RBI in 2016 and smacked 196 hits for the second straight year.
11/4 - Toronto Blue Jays signed SP Marcus Stroman to a 6yr/$53.4M extension. The Jays' up and coming ace won a career high 12 games in 2016.
11/8 - Baltimore Orioles signed 3B Manny Machado to a 7yr/$144.5M extension. Machado set a career high with 36 HR and led the American League with 109 RBI this season.

League Personnel Moves
11/6 - Washington Nationals hired manager Steve Liddle to a 1-year contract. Liddle last worked as third base coach and bench coach for the Minnesota Twins from 2002-2012.
11/13 - Atlanta Braves hired manager Tom Lawless to a 4-year contract. He was last seen as the Astros interim manager in 2014.
11/13 - San Francisco Giants hired manager Art Howe to a 5-year contract. The 69-year-old Howe last managed the New York Mets from 2003-2004.

[Skitch929]

Offseason Update #2
November 24, 2016

The Padres continued to revamp their roster for the coming season, shipping away more young/cheap talent and prospects for players who can contribute right away at the major league level. GM Luke Armstrong pulled the trigger on two trades, one big and one not-so-big, which changed the team's projected lineup and altered their focus heading into free agency.

NOVEMBER 15
Padres get:
RP Tony Zych (5-13, 14 SV, 3.97 ERA, 75 G)
OF Boog Powell (.260, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 SB, 27 G)

Mariners get:
RHP Luis D. Perdomo (3.0 stars)
RHP Leonel Campos (3-1, 2.65 ERA, 40 G @ AA/AAA)

Perdomo was San Diego's second-best starting pitching prospect going into 2016 and had a solid year at Double-A San Antonio (11-10, 3.33 ERA), so he figures to find a role for Seattle's big league club sooner rather than later. Campos began the year at the major league level for San Diego but struggled mightily (8.36 ERA) before finding his rhythm in the minors. Zych was never able to fully lock down the closer role in Seattle (as evidenced by his staggering 13 losses out of the pen) but has loads of talent and will be in the mix for either setup or closing duties come spring training. Powell was okay in his September debut for the Mariners and now figures to compete with Travis Jankowski and Tommy Pham for playing time in the outfield.

NOVEMBER 16
Padres get:
1B Jose Abreu (.258, 29 HR, 86 RBI)
2B Carlos Sanchez (.266, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 66 G)
OF J.B. Shuck (.306, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 18 G)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (5-1, 3.89 ERA, 58 G @ AAA)
C Omar Narvaez (1.0 stars)

White Sox get:
C Christian Bethancourt (.247, 9 HR, 45 RBI)
OF Jabari Blash (.184, 9 HR, 38 RBI)
OF Nick Schulz (1.5 stars)
SS Diego Goris (1.0 stars)

In serious need of power, the Padres acquire Abreu from the desperately rebuilding White Sox to take over first base duties. Though his batting average, home run, and RBI totals have declined in each of his three years in the majors, Abreu still gives San Diego that much needed threat in the middle of the batting order. And with a remaining contract of $34M over 3 seasons, the team felt he was more affordable than similar options in free agency. The rest of the Padres' haul is basically guys who have a shot at making the big league roster next year but will all have to compete for it: Sanchez and Shuck are the best bets but play positions that are already crowded, Kahnle is likely destined to stay in the minors, and Narvaez is low-tier option at catcher. That position will be in flux now due to the departure of Bethancourt, who came on strong after being given the starting job and is mainly known for his fantastic defense. He gives the Sox a Yadier Molina-type backstop and is highly affordable seeing as how his first arbitration hearing won't be until after 2017, a factor that played a lot of significance in the team's interest in him. Chicago also adds Blash, who was simply not ready for starting duties last year but has decent power potential, and the prospect combo of Schulz and Goris who will need to work their ways up the minor league ladder. The biggest selling point for Chicago in this deal was being able to shed a big contract, as they are not expected to compete again for a few seasons and need to start selling off veterans for young and inexpensive players they can rebuild around.

Christian Bethancourt's smiling face has been sent to Chicago in exchange for Jose Abreu

Team Notes
-Arbitration has come and gone, and the Padres had a 50% success rate. The team won the cases of RP Carter Capps, SS Wilmer Flores, RP Brandon Maurer, RP Mike Morin, and 3B Yangervis Solarte, but lost the cases of SP Sonny Gray, RP Liam Hendriks, RP Kevin Quackenbush, SP Tyson Ross, and SP Michael Wacha. Every player listed except Mauer and Morin is now in the top 10 of the highest paid players on the team.
-The Padres did not offer extensions to SP Brandon Morrow, RP Matt Thornton, or 2B Adam Rosales, so they have all become free agents.

International Free Agents
Ten players have declared for international free agency, though only one is expected to make teams whip out their checkbooks. Akiyoshi Komiyama is a 28-year-old outfielder from Japan who should become very rich in the coming weeks due to his 30+ HR potential and his throwing arm that has scouts comparing him to Yasiel Puig. He won't have the highest batting average or on-base percentage, but Komiyama should be an instant threat in whatever lineup he joins. He is expected to command at least $18M/yr on the open market.

Baseball News Network's Top Free Agents
1) SP Stephen Strasburg, 28. Rumored demands: $38.3M/yr, 10 yrs.
2) 1B Edwin Encarnacion, 33. Rumored demands: $31M/yr, 6 yrs. Interested teams: BOS, CLE, STL, TOR
3) C Francisco Cervelli, 30. Rumored demands: $25.6M/yr, 9 yrs. Interested teams: HOU, NYY, MIL
4) 1B Carlos Santana, 30. Rumored demands: $23M/yr, 8 yrs.
5) RF Jose Bautista, 36. Rumored demands: $19.7M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: TOR, LAA, BAL
6) LF Matt Holliday, 36. Rumored demands: $19.7M/yr, 4 yrs.
7) CL Wade Davis, 31. Rumored demands: $18M/yr, 6 yrs.
8) LF Akiyoshi Komiyama, 28. Rumored demands: $18M/yr, 7 yrs. Interested teams: TEX
9) RF Josh Reddick, 29. Rumored demands: $18M/yr, 9 yrs.
10) CL Brett Cecil, 30. Rumored demands: $16.3M/yr, 7 yrs.
11) 3B Justin Turner, 32. Rumored demands: $16.3M/yr, 6 yrs.
12) CL Jonathan Papelbon, 36. Rumored demands: $15.3M/yr, 5 yrs.
13) CF Carlos Gomez, 30. Rumored demands: $14.6M/yr, 6 yrs. Interested teams: DET
14) 3B Adrian Beltre, 37. Rumored demands: $13.75M/yr, 6 yrs. Interested teams: MIL, SF
15) LF Michael Saunders, 30. Rumored demands: $12.7M/yr, 6 yrs.
16) SP Clay Buchholz, 32. Rumored demands: $11.5M/yr, 5 yrs. Interested teams: HOU, CHC, BAL
17) LF Nori Aoki, 34. Rumored demands: $11.3M/yr, 4 yrs.
18) 1B Mark Teixeira, 36. Rumored demands: $11M/yr, 4 yrs.
19) SP Gio Gonzalez, 31. Rumored demands: $10.5M/yr, 1 yr. Interested teams: CWS, CLE, LAA, TOR
20) SP Jon Niese, 30. Rumored demands: $10.5M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: PIT, TOR, ARI, STL
21) SS Alcides Escobar, 29. Rumored demands: $10M/yr, 4 yrs.
22) SP Jaime Garcia, 30. Rumored demands: $9.7M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: PHI, MIL, COL, NYM
23) RF Seth Smith, 34. Rumored demands: $9.5M/yr, 2 yrs.
24) RP Aroldis Chapman, 28. Rumored demands: $9.2M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: SEA
25) 1B Kendrys Morales, 33. Rumored demands: $9M/yr, 3 yrs.

[JustinM]

Watching this intently. I hope you don't mind that I cribbed a bit for my own dynasty report. I like this a lot.

[Skitch929]

Originally Posted by JustinM

Watching this intently. I hope you don't mind that I cribbed a bit for my own dynasty report. I like this a lot.

Go for it! I'm sure I've taken bits and pieces from a bunch of other dynasty writers along the way too. I hope your Pittsburgh squad has better luck than the one in my universe where Hurdle was canned after 2016! Thanks for reading!

[Skitch929]

Offseason Update #3
December 14, 2016


Former Marlins infielder Martin Prado is coming to San Diego on a 2-year deal

San Diego kicked off the first portion of free agency by signing five new players to major league contracts. Though not marquee players by any means, these guys will help provide much needed depth and veteran presence in the clubhouse. Meet your newest Padres:

SP Wily Peralta (9-11, 5.36 ERA, 164.2 IP) - 1yr/$764k
Most experts predict that top prospect Lucas Giolito will claim the final spot in the big league rotation next year, but if for some reason he doesn't or somebody gets hurt, Peralta will be the primary backup plan. Far from spectacular, Peralta is at least serviceable (31+ starts in three of his four complete seasons) and can give San Diego a chance in the absence of others. He will likely start the year at Triple-A El Paso.

2B Jean Segura (.260, 6 HR, 41 RBI, 11 SB) - 1yr/$764k
The infield is becoming quite crowded in San Diego, but the organization likes the fact that Segura can play multiple positions and has proven that he can succeed at the big league level. Still just 26 years old, the former All-Star is a solid candidate to be one of the Padres' top bench options in 2017.

C Dioner Navarro (.246, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 74 G) - 1yr/$868k
With no real catching options on the current roster, the Padres chose to go the veteran route and bring in Navarro to compete for the starting job. Though he is far removed from his one All-Star season in 2008, Dioner will only be expected to be not terrible and build a decent rapport with the team's strong pitching staff. If he's not up to the task, San Diego will turn to...

C Wilson Ramos (.266, 11 HR, 47 RBI, 108 G) - 1yr/$1.3M
...their other backstop signee. Ramos is the early favorite to win the starting gig thanks to his better defense, power potential, and leadership ability. He still won't be counted on to do a ton of heavy lifting on offense, so anything close to last year's numbers will do just fine.

3B Martin Prado (.263, 12 HR, 64 RBI) - 2yr/$12M
The only multi-year signee so far, Prado is a solid contact hitter who rarely strikes out and can play in the infield or outfield. As of now Yangervis Solarte is expected to keep his job at third base, Prado's primary position, so 33-year-old Martin will push Cory Spangenberg at second base or be in the mix with the grab bag of newcomers for the left field spot. Either way, his bat and his versatility will likely help Prado find his way into the lineup more often than not.

Team Notes
-While these signings help build depth and fortify the Padres roster, they are rather unspectacular and many fans are wondering if GM Luke Armstrong is going to make any big splashes in free agency the way he has on the trade market. While a superstar like Stephen Strasburgh is far out of San Diego's price range, the team is reportedly chasing international free agent outfielder Akiyoshi Komiyama to provide another big power bat to the lineup. The Japanese import has already toured the city of San Diego and apparently has the Padres at the top of his list, though with the Winter Meetings set to kick off today the organization is being cautious about other teams trying to swoop in and steal him away.


Notable Trades
11/24 - Chicago White Sox traded RP Dan Jennings (1-0, 3.04 ERA, 82 G) to the Houston Astros for prospect SS Gilbert Lara (2.0 stars).
11/30 - Minnesota Twins traded RP Jeremy Jeffress (1-7, 33 SV, 2.77 ERA, 67 G) to the New York Mets for 3B Eric S. Campbell (.143, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 91 G). Jeffress is expected to the setup man for Jeurys Familia next year.
12/7 - New York Yankees shipped CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.259, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 63 G) to the Houston Astros for RP Luke Gregerson (6-1, 3.94 ERA, 54 G). Gregerson gave up the walk-off win to the Yanks in Game 7 of the ALCS.
12/14 - Cleveland Indians sent former #3 overall draft pick SP Trevor Bauer (4-7, 5.74 ERA) to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for prospects SP Franklyn Kilome (1.5 stars) and LF Cornelius Randolph (1.5 stars).
12/14 - The Chicago White Sox continued their rebuilding efforts by sending closer David Robertson (2-13, 30 SV, 5.23 ERA) to the Toronto Blue Jays for a big prospect haul of 3B Brian Lizardo (1.0 stars), SP Mitchell Traver (1.0 stars), SP Travis Bergen (0.5 stars), SP Shane Dawson (0.5 stars), and SP Jose Espada (0.5 stars).

Notable Signings
12/2 - Houston Astros signed C Francisco Cervelli (.291, 12 HR, 79 RBI) to a 7yr/$168.8M contract. Baseball News Network ranks Cervelli as the third best catcher in baseball (behind only Buster Posey and Salvador Perez).
12/3 - St. Louis Cardinals signed 1B Edwin Encarnacion (.263, 33 HR, 96 RBI) to a 4yr/$101.6M contract. The move indicates that former Padre Wil Myers will be moved to the outfield for the Cards.
12/4 - Houston Astros signed SP Jon Niese (9-11, 4.33 ERA) to a 3yr/27.3M contract.
12/9 - Colorado Rockies signed 1B Carlos Santana (.255, 25 HR, 89 RBI) to a 5yr/$90M contract. Santana led the American League with 97 BB last season.
12/9 - Seattle Mariners signed 1B Kendrys Morales (.284, 26 HR, 77 RBI) to a 2yr/$14.2M contract. Morales previously played for Seattle from 2013-2014.
12/10 - Houston Astros signed C A.J. Pierzynski to a 1yr/$6.4M contract. The move was called confusing by baseball pundits due to the team's earlier signing of Francisco Cervelli.
12/11 - New York Yankees signed 3B Adrian Beltre (.278, 17 HR, 83 RBI) to a 2yr/$25.4M contract. The move presumably moves Alex Rodriguez into the DH spot for the remainder of his career.
12/13 - Los Angeles Dodgers signed 3B Justin Turner (.262, 13 HR, 53 RBI) to a 2yr/$28.7M contract. Turner has been with the Dodgers since 2014..
12/14 - New York Yankees signed CF Carlos Gomez (.249, 23 HR, 71 RBI, 19 SB) to a 5yr/$56M contract.

Baseball News Network's Top Free Agents
1) SP Stephen Strasburg, 28. Rumored demands: $35.8M/yr, 10 yrs. Interested teams: NYY, PHI, WAS, MIL
2) RF Jose Bautista, 36. Rumored demands: $19.7M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: LAD, TOR, LAA
3) CL Wade Davis, 31. Rumored demands: $18M/yr, 6 yrs.
4) LF Akiyoshi Komiyama, 28. Rumored demands: $18M/yr, 7 yrs. Interested teams: SD
5) RF Josh Reddick, 29. Rumored demands: $18M/yr, 9 yrs. Interested teams: NYM, BAL
6) LF Matt Holliday, 36. Rumored demands: $17.7M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: TB, TOR
7) CL Brett Cecil, 30. Rumored demands: $16.3M/yr, 7 yrs.
8) CL Jonathan Papelbon, 36. Rumored demands: $14.3M/yr, 5 yrs.
9) LF Michael Saunders, 30. Rumored demands: $13.2M/yr, 6 yrs. Interested teams: SF, CWS, TEX
10) SP Clay Buchholz, 32. Rumored demands: $12M/yr, 5 yrs. Interested teams: WAS, CIN, TEX, BAL
11) LF Nori Aoki, 34. Rumored demands: $10.8M/yr, 4 yrs.
12) 1B Mark Trumbo, 30. Rumored demands: $10.7M/yr, 5 yrs. Interested teams: PHI
13) SS Alcides Escobar, 29. Rumored demands: $10.5M/yr, 4 yrs.
14) 1B Mark Teixeira, 36. Rumored demands: $10.5M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: BOS, MIL
15) SP Jaime Garcia, 30. Rumored demands: $9.7M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: SEA, TB, PIT, CHC
16) SP Gio Gonzalez, 31. Rumored demands: $9.5M/yr, 1 yr. Interested teams: TEX, OAK, STL
17) RP Aroldis Chapman, 28. Rumored demands: $9.2M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: SEA
18) SP Edinson Volquez, 33. Rumored demands: $9M/yr, 4 yrs. Interested teams: TEX, SF, MIL, MIN
19) RF Seth Smith, 34. Rumored demands: $8.5M/yr, 2 yrs.
20) CL Brad Ziegler, 37. Rumored demands: $6.8/yr, 4 yrs.
21) RP Neftali Feliz, 28. Rumored demands: $6.8M/yr, 3 yrs.
22) RP Ryan Webb, 30. Rumored demands: $6.7M/yr, 4 yrs.
23) RP Koji Uehara, 41. Rumored demands: $6.5M/yr, 1 yr.
24) RP Mark Melancon, 31. Rumored demands: $6.3M/yr, 4 yrs.
25) RP Mike Dunn, 31. Rumored demands: $6.3M/yr, 5 yrs.

[Skitch929]

Offseason Update #4
February 3, 2017

The beginning of the MLB preseason is here which means spring training and a brand new season are right around the corner. Many teams made big moves to increase their chances of winning a title (hello, Houston Astros) but the San Diego Padres stood pat and made no more trades or signings. The team was in on the Akiyoshi Komiyama sweepstakes but his price was driven too high by the big-market Dodgers and eventual winner Yankees, so the Pads had to drop out. "We were high on Komiyama," GM Luke Armstrong said in a recent radio interview. "He's going to be a good player in this league, but we didn't feel it was the right move to dedicate that much salary cap space to him and potentially tie our own hands in future contract negotiations." San Diego is still in the market for a lefty arm to add to their bullpen and has been in contact with free agent Boone Logan, but otherwise their roster seems to be set as they approach spring training. "We're looking forward to playing baseball again," Armstrong continued. "We may not have made a ton of headlines with our moves but we brought in a lot of new guys and I'm looking forward to watching them all bust their humps to make this team a winner."

International free agent Akiyoshi Komiyama was too expensive for San Diego

Hall of Fame Inductees
RF Vladimir Guerrero (.318, 449 HR, 1496 RBI, 2590 H) (1st year of eligibility)
LF Manny Ramirez (.312, 555 HR, 1831 RBI, 2574 H) (1st year of eligibility)

Notable Trades
12/15 - In a trade only newsworthy because of a name, the Washington Nationals sent prospect RP Mariano Rivera Jr (0.5 stars) to the Chicago White Sox for RP Sean Nolin (3-4, 5.82 ERA, 51 IP).
12/16 - Miami Marlins traded SP Wei-Yin Chen (15-9, 3.07 ERA) to the Tampa Bay Rays for prospects 3B Kevin Padlo (4.0 stars), 3B Juan Carlos Arias (1.0 stars), and RP Ian Gibaut (0.5 stars). Chen was an All-Star and pitched a no-hitter last year.
1/22 - Milwaukee Brewers traded RP Michael Blazek (3-3, 4.97 ERA) to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for prospects SP David Palladino (1.0 stars) and SP Anyelo Gomez (0.5 stars). Blazek led all of baseball by appearing in 102 games last year and is only the second pitcher in history to appear in 100+ games in a season (Mike Marshall 106, 1974).

Notable Signings
12/16 - Colorado Rockies signed LF Colby Rasmus (.233, 28 HR, 85 RBI) to a 2yr/$8.4M contract. Rasmus set a career-high in homers last year and will now try to top that playing at Coors Field.
12/20 - Toronto Blue Jays signed RP Greg Holland to a 1yr/$5.2M contract. Holland did not pitch in 2016 due to Tommy John surgery but earned 125 saves as Kansas City's closer from 2013-2015.
12/25 - Los Angeles Angels signed SP R.A. Dickey (11-12, 4.51 ERA) to a 1yr/$2.6M deal. Many thought Dickey was on the verge of retirement but the 42-year-old is coming off his sixth-straight 200+ IP season
12/26 - Toronto Blue Jays signed 1B Mark Teixeira (.222, 34 HR, 98 RBI) to a 2yr/$17.4M contract. He will be counted on to replace the power production of the departed Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista.
12/30 - Houston Astros signed SP Stephen Strasburgh (13-8, 3.38 ERA) to a 7yr/$210M deal. The contract is tied for the third-largest ever given to a starting pitcher and means that the Astros are spending $378M on their projected Opening Day battery of Strasburgh and Francisco Cervelli.
1/2 - San Francisco Giants signed RF Jose Bautista (.217, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 85 G) to a 2yr/$42.2M contract. Bautista's season was marred by injuries last year but he is still a significant threat in the middle of the order.
1/2 - On the same day their formerly beloved outfielder left down, the Toronto Blue Jays helped ease the sting when they signed LF Matt Holliday (.269, 13 HR, 71 RBI) to a 2yr/$43.2M deal.
1/4 - Oakland A's signed RF Jay Bruce (.255, 21 HR, 69 RBI) to a 3yr/$7.2M contract.
1/5 - Previously thought to be in the middle of a full-on rebuild, the Chicago White Sox signed RF Josh Reddick (.239, 18 HR, 59 RBI) to a 6yr/$94.M deal.
1/5 - Seattle Mariners signed LF Nori Aoki (.315, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 13 SB) to a 2yr/$17.2M contract. Aoki will play back-to-back seasons for the same team for only the second time in his career.
1/10 - New York Yankees signed SP Jaime Garcia (10-12, 4.26 ERA) to a 4yr/$55.2M contract. The former Cardinal will round out the rotation for the defending AL champs.
1/10 - Los Angeles Angels signed RP Aroldis Chapman (3-3, 2.61 ERA, 63 G) to a 2yr/$14.8M deal. Chapman is expected to become a closer once again after spending last year as a setup man for the Yanks.
1/18 - Baltimore Orioles signed RP Wade Davis (7-3, 43 SV, 2.13 ERA) to a 1yr/$13.6M contract. Davis tied for the AL lead in saves last year but will now serve as the setup man to closer and Cy Young winner Zach Britton.
1/23 - New York Yankees signed LF Akiyoshi Komiyama to a 5yr/$114M contract. The Japanese import is expected to be one of the top power threats in the league.
1/28 - Detroit Tigers signed SP Clay Buchholz (12-10, 3.91 ERA) to a 4yr/$73.6M deal. He will be counted on to be the team's new ace as Justin Verlander continues to fade.

Notable Extensions
1/13 - Kansas City Royals signed 3B Mike Moustakas (.275, 30 HR, 96 RBI) to a 3yr/$63.4M extension through the 2020 season.
1/17 - San Francisco Giants signed 1B Brandon Belt (.265, 28 HR, 96 RBI) to a 5yr/$116M extension through the 2022 season.

League Personnel Moves
12/19 - The Chicago Cubs finally filled their manager vacancy when they hired Matt Merullo on a 1-year contract. Merullo previously managed Baltimore's rookie-level minor league team.