Happy 48th birthday to Bip Roberts, who joined the Padres via the Rule 5 draft and went on to play seven seasons in San Diego. Some news from the modern-day Friars…
- Josh Byrnes' rise from low-paid Indians intern to the Padres' new general manager is profiled by MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- Prospect Alvaro Aristy, who signed with the Padres in July 2008 for a $1MM bonus, has been discovered to have lied about his age and name, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Aristy's real name is Jorge Leandro Guzman and he is about two and a half years older than his claimed age (16) when he signed with the Padres. Guzman is now 22 and still a prospect in the club's system. The Padres were able to recoup about $900K of their bonus from an insurance claim.
- Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses such topics as the Padres' front office shakeup, how Byrnes has learned from his previous stint as a GM in Arizona and who the Padres might retain on their 40-man roster during his weekly live chat with fans.
