The Padres have agreed to terms with right-hander Chad Qualls, according to a team press release. The contract is for one year with a team option for 2012. Qualls will earn $1.5MM next season and it will cost the Padres $1.05MM to buy out the 2012 option, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link). Qualls is represented by Hendricks Sports.
We heard last week that the two sides were close to a deal, and with its finalization, Tampa Bay picks up a supplementary round draft pick as compensation for Qualls. (San Diego doesn't lose any picks, as Qualls was a Type B free agent.) The Rays now have 13 of the first 90 picks in the 2012 amateur draft.
Qualls, 32, began last season as the Diamondbacks' closer, but struggled finishing games and found himself traded to the Rays at the deadline. He posted a 7.32 ERA, a 2.33 K/BB ratio, and a 13.0 hits/9 rate in 70 appearances with Arizona and Tampa Bay last season. Qualls was said to be looking for a one-year contract so he could rebuild his value for a larger deal next winter.
The Padres offseason confuses me. They trade A-Gon, showing that they can’t contend now, yet then they sign or trade for a bunch of mediocre veterans as if they can compete this year. What’s going on here?
Every team does those signing. Every team wants to compete. They have plenty of guys that are good. Just because they traded Agonzo doesn’t mean they don’t want to compete
Of course they want to compete. Heck, the Pirates and Royals WANT to compete. However, dealing Gonzalez pretty much makes competing a long-shot.
The players want to compete, the ownership of those teams does not.
it’s not a matter if they wanna compete or not, it’s if they actually can lol…which isn’t the case for the padres.
While they gave up the superstar in Adrian they upgraded a lot of other weak positions (the entire middle of the field). While I doubt they will win 90 games again I bet they are close to .500. Some times it isn’t so much about winning the division but staying competitive so you don’t alienate your fan base.
Also, shipping Agon off to Boston was more about what they got in return vs unloading his contract. There was no way we were going to keep Agon, it was only a matter of time before he left one way or another.
The Mets confuse me, period.
the Padres have done a good job with pitching reclamation projects like this – especially with a big stadium like Petco
Trading A-Gon was never about wanting to compete now versus later. They were never going to be able to afford him after this season. Rather than let him walk they did the smart thing and traded him for the best package they could get when everyone knew he was gone after 2011 at the latest.
They then upgraded on holes they had, like Eckstein at 2B, Harriston/Ecab at SS, Maybin in CF, Harrang to fill in for losing Judy, platoon for C/loss of Yorvit and then filling losses to the pen and 1B.
If they don’t have young kids to fill these spots right now or kids that have the ability to fill them now then who should they fill the holes with?
Tampa Bay is primed to have the best draft in MLB history. I am madly, madly jealous of that franchise.
Thank you..Nice to see someone that appreciates what the rays are doing. So tired of all the fans here that don’t support the team to begin with, bitching about how we’re “giving away” all our good players…not only are we about to have possibly the best draft in MLB history, we got some great prospects from our trades too. This franchise may be LOADED for the next decade.
Its crazy to see how good their pitching staff is right now, and some of there position players. They have a good minor league system, and they might have the best draft in MLB history. They are stacked and have a great franchise
did you need to repeat everything they just said?
I agree. Your Sox look like they’re ready to make a run at the series this yr. though. Wish you guys luck. A Gon and C.C. may be the best 2 pickups of the offseason.
being a lifelong Padres fan, I can appreciate what TB has done, where they are headed, but they will not have the best draft in MLB history. They may, but they won’t. The MLB draft is such a crapshoot, even moreso than ever now since signablility is such a huge issue.
In fact, I would put money down that they don’t end up having the best draft of the year.
So how can you be so sure that they won’t have the best draft in history if it is a crap shoot?
I understand your point, but don’t directly contradict one assumption with another statement.
The draft is, indeed, a crap shoot, but with the amount of picks the Rays have, the depth of the draft, and the talent of their scouting department, the Rays really are primed to have one of the best drafts in history.
As a Padre fan, I think the Padres are set up nicely in this upcoming draft, but the Rays draft could be historical. The only problem they may have is siging all of these picks if they pick players on ability and not signability. In the past the Rays have been very willing to spend on the draft, but with this many picks they may find it difficult to find the funds to sign them all. It’s cases like this that makes you wonder if baseball would be better off allowing teams to trade draft picks like the other major sports.
Don’t see it happening. The Rays payroll as of right now after the arbitration cases for Upton and Sonnanstine is right around $28 million. From what the front office is saying they are trying to allocate around $16-$17 million to sign those draft picks, which most sources agree is right where they need to be. That leaves them roughly $5 million to try and sign someone like Lastings Milledge or Russell Branyan since Manny will most likely have too high of a price tag. They’ll probably try and pick up a veteran reliever also from those released during spring training. Unfortunately it looks like Kyle Farnsworth may be our closer until Jake McGee is ready.
The Rays front office has said they are willing to spend 16-17 million on the draft, WOW!!!!! That’s as much as they used to spend on their entire Major League payroll. Being a Rays fan next June is going to be mind blowing. With their scouting system, this draft may set them up for 10-15 years. Good luck Tampa, now give this team a new stadium already.
No kidding. A single team is poised to draft 10-12% of the best 100 or so players available in one of the strongest draft classes in recent memory. That is amazing.
Now if only they can get a decent stadium at a decent location…
The Trop itself isn’t THAT bad..but yes, the location sucks.
I also don’t see the fascination in naming your team after types of fish.
As opposed to what, birds??
Okay now the Diamondbacks can score a lot runs off of him
more like he will rebuild value in garbage-innings at petco and then kevin towers will jizz his pants over yet another middle-of-the-road reliever and try to re-acquire him for the dbacks.
The DBacks have had their last days with Qualls, TRUST ME. They can’t stand him here, and he will never be back.
adf
Titles are all about Pitching & Defense…Pads have a great Pitching Manager,Pitching Coach,Young Arms, Petco..A good chance that this guy bounces back & Jed will look Brillant.
the dude has nowhere but to go up after that horrible season last year.
In baseball, there’s no such thing as “nowhere to go but up”.