The Padres are interested in acquiring Athletics closer Andrew Bailey to replace Heath Bell, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). It remains likely that the A's will trade Bailey, Olney writes.
The Rangers, Mets, Blue Jays, Mariners and Reds are also interested in Bailey, one of Billy Beane's main offseason trade chips. The 27-year-old right-hander posted a 3.24 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 41 2/3 innings in 2011 after recovering a forearm strain that sidelined him early in the season. MLBTR projects a $3.5MM salary for Bailey in 2012.
Luke Gregerson, Ernesto Frieri and Josh Spence are projected to return to a Padres bullpen that also included Bell, Mike Adams and Chad Qualls six months ago. San Diego obtains two compensatory draft picks for losing Bell, who agreed to a three-year, $27MM deal with the Marlins yesterday.
Why? Put Gregerson as the closer. A good closer is a luxury. Not a need. They need offense. And if they don’t want to pull in the fences, then build the team the same way the Twins did for so many years. Gap hitters with speed and defense.
I completely agree with you except for the Gregerson at closer. They need to bring in a “cheap” short term closer, possibly Capps or Lidge, to bridge the gap until Gregerson, Brach or Quackenbush are ready for the closers role. If Byrnes puts Gregerson in the closers role right now he would just be going down the same road he went down in Arizona by having a bad bullpen. I like Gregerson, but he is not ready to be a closer yet.
Quackenbush. This is the funniest name I’ve seen in a long time, I went to fangraphs to make sure it was real and was pretty damn impressed with his numbers, 45% strikeout rate is insane.
And I believe he signed for $5,000 when drafted.
Lol the Twins. Their approach is only good enough to get into the playoffs, in the past ten years they had 6 playoff appearances and made it past the first round one time. They are like the Jets of baseball.
The Padres traded their successor to Bell when they let Adams go. Now it comes down to Frieri, Gregerson, Thatcher, and Spence. Rauch and Capps will come cheap and they want to rebuild some value, since they had forgettable 2011’s.
Capps benefits from NL parks, as his forty saves for the Nats indicates. Rauch is an extreme fly ball pitcher and Petco Field would benefit him. In small parks, he gets hammered, but in huge fields, he enjoys success.
I was actually referring more to the gap hitters and defensive approach Jacks was talking about.
& the Twins also had……………. some pretty good pitching
Gregerson as closer? Are you kidding me? Luke has been shakey as the 7/8th inning guy.
Ok. Not Gergerson. But is that the only thing you got out of that post?
They can acquire some offense and get Bailey.
This seriously makes no sense. GO SIGN A HITTER!
And while you’re at it, maybe move in your fences.
I find it sort of odd to see the Rangers being “interested” in Bailey after signing Nathan.
A lot of people aren’t 100% after they get back from tj. That’s probably all it is.
It never hurts to try to improve as much as possible. The Rangers can’t/don’t need to improve their offense, so they’re looking at bullpen and SP help.
Not sure how wise it’d look if they gave up Martin Perez or some other prized prospect(s) for the privilege.
Well they did give up two of their top 10 prospects for Mike Adams so they certainly aren’t shy.
If Byrnes gives up any of the farm systems top tier talent to get Bailey he should have his head examined. You let Bell walk because you are building for 2-3 years down the road and then trade for a closer who will be too expensive to have on your club by the time you are hopefully competitive, makes no sense. I would much sooner see a Hudson for Street trade which has been rumored. Sure Street makes a lot more money than Bailey, but getting rid of Hudson would make that pill a lot easier to swallow and Street has only one year left on his contract.
I don’t think this makes any sense either, I’d throw Frieri into the closers role and let Spence and Gregerson pitch the 7th and 8th, they probably have a half dozen guys ready to be inserted in the bullpen. Gregerson isn’t reliable enough to close because if his slider isn’t working he’s borderline worthless.
Then again it’s not like the Padres are going to spend the money to acquire a good bat.
I could see them signing someone like Brad Lidge with Brad Brach pitching important innings before the season is out. Brach’s got better stuff then the other pen options, though others have things going for them a well. Could very well see Brach the closer in 2013, and I view him as a more likely option in that role then Gregerson or Frieri.
I wonder if they would deal Headley for Bailey. Or prospects? Man, the Padres need some relief help but they desperately need some run production!
That’s what I was thinking. Unless it’s Headley for Bailey, I don’t understand this. The Padres can stick Guzman at 3rd until Gyorko is ready if Headley goes. Byrnes had better not be trading away any of the farm system.
Why not trade from the farm system to get better at the Major league level? it will depend on who we give up of course. But if one of them is Simon Castro I would be okay with that. Maybe Darnell and Brach?
Because the Major league club is not going to contend for at least 2 years. They should keep as much talent stashed away as possible and then when the team is ready to contend, mayeb trade away a propsect or two. Moorad and Byrnes, and Hoyer before him, know that the only way this franchise can have long term success is to have a pipeline of talent from the minors. Its taken some major trades and 3 very good drafts to stock the system, now is not the time to be trading any of it away.
It might be unlikely at this point to pencil them in as contenders next year or 2013, but to rule them out isn’t wise. This division is unpredictable to say the least, and not particularly tough either.
Oakland could use outfield help, but so could the Padres. Maybe Oak would be interested in Jesus Guzman, Kyle Blanks, Will Venable or James Darnell.
Guzman will not be playing much third if any on the MLB level. At least not under Byrnes.
I would live Michael Choice. Dreaming.
I would rather see Guzman stumble around 3rd base next year, when the Padres won’t be contending, then for them to rush Gyorko and possibly ruin his confidence. Not sure why Byrnes would be opposed to having Guzman at 3rd, he had Reynolds at 3rd in Arizona and he isn’t a gold glover either.
As for Choice, I too would like to see him in a Padre uniform, but what would you suggest the Padres trade for both Bailey and Choice?
I doubt the A’s would trade Choice at this point, unless it was in a deal for an established middle of the order bat, which the Padres don’t have to offer.
“….for an established middle of the order bat, which the Padres don’t have.”
Fixed it for you.
(I’m also a Padre fan, so please don’t take offense.)
No way the A’s trade choice
Jesus Guzman? The same Jesus Guzman that was in the Oakland organization 2-3 years ago?
Yep.
Yep.
I just asked Bill Center the same question in the online chat.
Nice. What was his response?
Unfortunately he didn’t field the question.
Byrnes would be an idiot to trade Headley straight up for Bailey.
I don’t see this happening at all. Beane is apparently asking a lot for Bailey and while the Padres do have some prospect the A’s would want, the sheer stupidity involved in Byrnes sending Oakland any of those prospects for a closer would be beyond baffling. That’d be venturing into Bavasi or Reagins’ territory in bad GMing.
Amen to that my man. If its not Headley for Bailey, which it won’t be, then Byrnes should stop talking to Beane right now. The Padres need to keep as much talent at the Minor league level as possible.
how long is bailey under team control?
As an A’s fan… I’d hate to see Bailey go….but if you include Jedd Gyorko in the deal then by all means, Padres can have him!
I think the Pads will trade Headley before they trade Gyorko. I would rather see them make a run for Gio instead of Bailey.
If its Bailey for Gyorko, then Byrnes should be fired tomorrow. Gyorko is exactly the type of hitter who could excel at Petco.
It sounds to me like Byrnes has some prospects that he doesn’t want going forward. If they want Bailey they can giver the A’s the best package. By restocking their relief pitching the Padres might be able to compete in the West since it is a pitching heavy league. It is the easyest division to make a move to the top. Look what they did a few years ago.
While it was a good run the Padres made a couple years back, you have to remember they did that with Gonzalez, so unless one of their bats really blossoms soon, another run is highly unlikely in the next 2 seasons.
sheesh. as bad as it is being a mets fan, at least we have at least one hitter and don’t have to deal with minaya anymore…poor san diego
terrible idea for the Pads, this must be Minaya’s influence
i would like cameron maybin and will venable
OH HELLLZ NAW
You can have Vill Wenable though.
And I would like Trevor Cahill, Jemile Weeks, Gio Gonzalez, Michael Choice, and Grant Green.
I want Josh Hamilton and Roy Halladay!
ill take maybin and another prospect
LOL
Maybin is a fixture for the next five years in SD, he is one of the untouchables along with Latos
Byrnes already said Jesus will not play 3B, however i like the trade rumor O Dog for Street, they both make the same salary, good trade off for both teams. Also rumors abundant for the OF from the WSox Quentin for one of our regulars or one P from AA.
I do believe Byrnes will make several trades and maybe one FA move most likely the FA move will come in Jan. hopefully a SP or Veteran IF in a utility role and good off the bench. For sure i see a RP in a trade and a power OF who has a good RISP and OBP, I would hope Harang accepts Arbitration but still need one more SP FA. We definitely have the extra monies if we are in fact going to a $54MM payroll.
i’d be ok with this trade if it centered around one of our outfielders like venable or denorfia and maybe included a prospect that isn’t too prominent in the club’s plans like sawyer carroll