The Diamondbacks’ inclusion of Ender Inciarte in the Shelby Miller trade has pushed Yasmany Tomas back into the spotlight, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Tomas’ disappointing rookie season was overlooked, to an extent, because the D-backs had three excellent outfielders with Inciarte, A.J. Pollock and David Peralta all delivering excellent contributions. That won’t be the case in 2016, as Tomas will now be asked to step up and contribute on an everyday basis. As Piecoro notes, Tomas is still young and didn’t play in 2014 as he defected from Cuba, nor had he ever faced big league pitching. Any of those factors could have contributed to his struggles, but Tomas will need to improve in the field and also show better plate discipline and increased power output if he’s to live up to the expectations that came with his $68.5MM contract.
Here’s more from the NL West…
- The Padres’ top priority is still finding a shortstop, general manager A.J. Preller tells Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Preller notes to Lin that the offseason is still relatively young. Teams do have more than two months before position players report to camp, of course, and most of the shortstop options that were available to Preller back in October are indeed still available now. (Notably, Asdrubal Cabrera has come off the board, and Brad Miller has gone to Tampa Bay in a trade — though he could of course be moved again.) Ian Desmond remains the top name on the free-agent market, though Preller hasn’t been shy about making trades in his short time as GM, and that avenue presents more options.
- In a full column, Lin notes that the Padres never made third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda a formal offer. Matsuda reportedly has a five-year offer to return to Japan, and the Padres are under the impression that he’ll do just that, Lin hears. Lin also spoke with Preller about the team’s surprising Major League deal for career minor-leaguer Buddy Baumann, and Preller also told him that Brandon Morrow will be competing for a rotation job rather than a bullpen spot this spring.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post spoke to both Rockies GM Jeff Bridich and rehabbing closer Adam Ottavino about Ottavino’s recent three-year extension. The contract turned some heads, as multi-year deals for relievers always come with risk, and on top of that inherent risk, Ottavino is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. “We believe in him, we believe in his rehab progress,” said Bridich. “We believe that the risk was a good one, based on his talent, his health prognosis and the shared interest in an extended deal.” Ottavino said that he had assumed he’d be going year-to-year, especially after the injury, so he was pleasantly surprised to be approached by the team. “I have been playing for a really long time and I’ve never had anything more than a one-year situation,” said Ottavino to Saunders. “So it feels good to know that coming back from the injury that I don’t have to be back by a certain date.” Ottavino said he knows he won’t break camp with the club and isn’t placing an exact timeline on when he thinks he should return. Bridich said Ottavino could return by June or July, though that’s obviously a very early estimate.
- Rockies shortstop prospect Trevor Story has the potential to impact the Major League team in 2016 and possibly even on Opening Day, depending on the outcome of Jose Reyes’ domestic violence investigation, writes MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Story, 23, rebuilt his stock in dramatic fashion last season, slashing a combined .279/.350/.514 with 20 homers between Double-A and Triple-A after falling off the prospect map somewhat with an ugly showing at Double-A in 2014. Story spoke to Harding about how much of an impact that Troy Tulowitzki had on his career and how much he learned from the former franchise cornerstone.
Brandon Morrow was picked up on a minor league deal and now will be competing for a spot in the rotation? I think that tells us pretty much all we need to know about Padres plans for, in Preller’s words, “retooling for 2016”. Morrow has not been very good, 4.22 career ERA, in an injury-marred career and he is being counted on to compete for a spot in the rotation? Ouch.
The Padres already weak bullpen just got a little weaker with the loss of Marcos Mateo to the Hanshin Tigers. The Padres did add Wade LeBlanc redux in Baumann, but the pen is woefully bad right now. I find it very interesting that Preller is talking about having a “more cost-effective relief corps”, not a better bullpen. Especially after they turned in the 13th best ERA in the NL last year while playing in one of the best pitchers parks in the game.
I always felt Morrow was right at the pinnacle of being an ace then something awful would happen and he’d either get injured or fielding would let him down during his time in Toronto. He’s had some terrible luck. Poor guy.
His stuff really is lights out when he’s injury free. Unfortunately that’s something that rarely happens anymore, but I really think his stuff – high mph fastball and a nasty, nasty cutter and slider with tons of movement – is perfectly suited for a lower impact role like a setup or closer.
Like Kazmir, I feel he’s always right on the cusp of re-establishing himself.
We got to see how good Morrow’s stuff is last season in his 5 starts, but then he got hurt again. I agree that a lower stress position like late inning setup would be better for him to stay healthy. unfortunately, from Preller’s comments they are apparently looking at him to take a place at the back of the rotation again.
In five starts in 2105, he was 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA. He was clearly the best Padres starter at the beginning of the year. Small sample size for sure, but he is a talented veteran.
As for the bullpen, so what it 2016 is a year of developing young players and flipping veterans on the rebound? Is Guerra, Margot, Renfroe, Gettys, etc. ready to rock this year? No. Give them all another year to ripen and bring them up when the time is right.
I think A.j has been dead in the water since he took over. It might take a while before he gives San Diego a championship (if ever). He doesn’t seem to have the “know how”. still, first season. Only time will tell. I could be completely wrong…. Or completely right.
I think you’re right. The thing that gets me about the Padres offseason last year is that there was no Plan B; apparently there was no thought given to the 2016 season and beyond. They went all-in in acquiring Kemp, Upton, Kimbrel, Shields, Myers, Norris, etc., and now, a year later, the team is left with an aging expensive Kemp, a declining Shields, an oft-inured Myers and a productive, but poor defensive catcher in Norris. Has the Pads not done all of that, they would have been much, much better off with Joe Ross, Tre Turner and the financial flexibility that was eaten up by Kemp and Shields. What the Padres should do is try very very very very hard to trade Kemp and Shields (which will require eating some money) and, also, they are going to have to very seriously consider trading Ross. But, of course, all of that will require the kind of forward-thinking that has been so severely lacking to date.
I love the Padres but the front office lacks one thing: a consistent strategy and the will to pursue it. Are we buying the best team money can buy in order to win now, or are we developing the best farm system in the league?
I am fine with rebuilding as long as we are committed to a strategy. I know…we used to have a great farm system, but we didn’t have the patience to make it pay (think Rizzo.)
Last year we were all in, this year we are not. I just hope we’ll pick the long term strategy to develop the best talent, and then when that talent shows itself, capitalize on it instead of trading it away to save money.
Appreciate your opinion brooktown geezer but I though that all Padres fans were in love with the “gunslinger” approach of the ROCK STAR GM as he was being heralded on the coast.
Guess you have to be in the game for awhile and achieve some success before being the next IT guy in baseball.
Not this Padres fan. I though many of the moves would prove to be disastrous, especially Kemp, and I hate to say it but, it looks like I was right.
I was not a fan of Preller’s moves from the start. After signing a washed up backup shortstop, the next thing he did was the trade for Kemp. That was a horrendously bad move for 2015 and even more so going forward. Kemp is past 30 which means his decline in performance is pretty much a given. He hit the 7% decline that is average for players from 30 years old and on almost on the head in 2015 in terms of batting average and his decline in SLG and OPS was even higher. Even if he continues to give the Padres the same offense in 2016, his MLB worst defense will make him worth just slightly above replacement level players. We could have done so much better.
To me all the moves in 2015 were PR related moves, not moves intended to make the team better long term.
To say all of them were PR moves is a stretch, at best.
The acquisition of Norris for one-pitch starter with serious questions about his durability and a reliever with a vague sense of what direction the ball is traveling when it leaves his hand was an inarguable win (even though we seem to agree on Norris’s defensive limitations).
And while certainly Myers’ injury last year was frustrating, it’s still true that he was and is the best player involved in that trade. I’m going to miss watching Ross develop for the Padres (I liked him in Ft. Wayne, I liked him in Elsinore and I liked him on Field 8 at Peoria), that’s a trade that can be called lots of things, but a PR move is certainly not one of them.
As already noted, I think we’re in agreement on the Kemp trade.
I also don’t think you can complain much about the Upton trade. Yes he was a one-year rental, but they gave up Fried, who will be trying to be ready for a spot in High-A this spring if he’s healthy, and three miscellaneous parts (no offense to Mallex, who’s a nice kid but didn’t have a starting spot in the San Antonio outfield last year, much less a regular starting gig awaiting him in the majors in the future).
Yup!
I would think that a declining Shields and Kemp on the payroll through 2018 and being locked into BJ Upton for 3 more seasons puts the next contending Padres team in 2019, at the earliest, if they choose to go the rebuilding route. That sounds like pretty much what you are saying too.
Upton is signed for two more years, not three. Just as he was the last time you incorrectly asserted that and I corrected you.
trading bad contracts will only get you back bad contracts unless you can convince the Dodgers Management to jump back into the water on Kemp and BIG JGAME JAMES. There isn’t enough money that you can eat to make a trade work.
Your Rock Star GM should have looked into the future and tried to figure out how not to look like many of the old and aging teams paying big money to players who achieved with another franchise. MLB is always paying for what a player DID rather than what they WiLL DO!
If they could package Kemp with Ross, they might get “even money” back….Ross’ value might offset Kemp’s negative. Dodgers are already saddled with that situation, so they probably won’t bite. Nats are a possibility (remote)……more likely an AL team that could DH Kemp (Orioles?)
The Pads would definitely have to eat at least a 1/4 of Kemp’s remaining contract (gets it down to about to about $16.3 Million a year), which would be doable for a club. Would have to think that the Angels might be a fit, or some other AL team.
I’m unclear how getting Myers, Norris and Shields for 2015 was a sign they were trying to win, but having Myers, Norris and Shields for 2016 is a sign they’re waving the white towel. That’s true to a lesser degree with Kemp, only because he was a dumb acquisition at the time. But if you were excited about him 12 months ago, he’s still exactly the same guy today.
In my opinion, the primary thing Preller needs to do during this offseason is move Norris for a shortstop. He has value right now and he is a horrible catcher both defensively and calling games.
Kemp and Shields will not bring much in return even if the Padres eat some of their contracts. They are very tradable and given the current market and the contracts given so far this offseason, their contracts should not be a big detriment in moving them, but it will impact the return.
I think Norris probably does wind up going via trade, and I won’t be upset to see him go either. He did calm his glove down a lot receiving the ball somewhere around June of last year, which made him slightly less infuriating to watch behind the plate, but they only nudged him into the range of decent defensively. I’d much rather get Hedges back there.
I still think you hold on to Shields. I suspect it’ll be easier to move MUpton for a pitcher on a bad contact than it will to move Kemp for anything, and they just have to hope that Kemp takes to a move to DH after it comes to the NL in next winter’s CBA.
It’s actually crazy and really hasn’t been talked too much about how Tomas jumped straight into the bigs after not playing the year before and never having faced big league pitching or been exposed to the MLB daily grind and he still put up not-horrible numbers, when you consider all that. Talk about a really obvious breakout candidate for 2016, going to keep an eye on him in fantasy in case he slips down the draft board, as he could really explode next season.
Well, I guess it depends on your perspective…..273/9/48 is a pretty lousy investment at 10MM/yr.
He knew, as well as team management, that he would have adjustments due to his lack of playing for a full year. Adding to that he, just like all the Cuban ballplayers signing for HUGE money these days, have never played against the caliber of players that MLB players face on an everyday basis whether in the minors or majors. Most if not all of them are HUGE gambles.
This is just another example of paying for mediocrity whether he picks it up this year or next, 10MM paid for performance they could have gotten out of a good Triple A player.
Most 6 yr contracts pay off in the first 3-4 years and turn into “dogs” by the 6th year…..because you sign a guy in his prime and he declines. Tomas “just turned 24” when he signed his contract. By the time his contract is near the end, he’ll be in his prime, and $10 million will be a bargain for a “league average player”…..and Tomas should be producing well above that level at the point. Yes, it’s a gamble, but it’s a better option if you are going to take that chance.
I think it’s a very large stretch to say that Tomas will be a well above league average player at any point. While I can see some power potential, he doesn’t look like he will ever take many walks which will limit his bat some. On top of that, he already looks like a DH at age 24, which doesn’t bode well for him playing in the NL. I think it’s a surprise if he has even 2 or 3 average seasons during this contract, even though I could see his bat becoming average or slightly above average.
I see Tomas as another Mark Trumbo.
Nothing wrong with becoming “another Mark Trumbo” as long as it’s not about the injuries. Tomas will never be a defensive asset, so you just have to hope the power shows up. If he can hit 20-25 HR’s and bat .255…..he’s worth that money. Personally, I do value offense over defense, so we make look at things from the opposite side of the story. No worries. ….
Well I respect your right to an opinion KBARR888, but I think your logic is a bit twisted.
If he is average to below average for the first 3-4 years of a 6 year contract, management just threw 30-40MM out the window with the wash water. And, his contract value establishes a precedent for what he will be willing to accept on a new contract when this bad one expires.
Why would you be willing to accept a mediocre performance for any length of time from a ballplayer who isn’t hurt, and is 24 while waiting for him to potentially blossom fr somebody else.
I do think its 50/50 whether you see an improvement, or actually a degradation based on his contract length. Just no incentive to do anything differently.
Anyone know what the Rockies are trying to do? I’m stumped.
The owners are making money….apparently.
That’s probably the plan…..lol
You know that they are probably going to trade CarGo, and possibly Dickerson, at least by the July trade deadline. A lot depends on Reyes’ ability to be “on the field or not”. If he’s suspended for 45-60 games, they’re screwed in the infield. Trevor needs another half-season in the minors, I think. Go on twitter and search for “Purple Row”…..that’s a Rockies based group.
Exactly what they should be doing: Trading hitting for pitching and keeping the good pitchers they have. What’s your complaint?
The Reds need hitters, not pitchers.
Did I complain? I said I don’t understand what they are doing. Every year they just seem content to sit in last place and they aren’t in a rebuild. So what are they doing?
No idea. They had/have a good young core of position players. A very potent offensive lineup. But yet they just sit on their hands and act like perennial rebuilders.