The Padres have agreed to terms with ten top international prospects, many of them reported by MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter links: 1 2 3 4 5 6). The new Padres receiving at least $1M bonuses include Dominican shortstop Luis Almanzar ($4MM), Venezuelan shortstop Gabriel Arias ($1.9MM), Dominican outfielder Jeisson Rosario ($1.85MM), Mexican outfielder Tirso Ornelas ($1.5MM), Venezuelan shortstop Justin Lopez ($1.2MM) and Dominican shortstop Jordy Barley ($1M).
The Padres also made a number signings that appear to be smaller but still significant, nabbing Venezuelan catcher Alison Quintero ($830K, according to Sanchez), Dominican righty Jose Manuel Guzman ($400K, via Baseball America’s signing tracker), Dominican righty Michell Miliano and Venezuelan shortstop Tucupipa Marcano. All told, it looks like San Diego landed a huge haul.
All six players were ranked in MLB.com’s list of the top 30 international amateurs available. Here are a few notes from MLB’s scouting reports. Almanzar ranks No. 3 and has a good bat and the potential to have a well-rounded game, with solid defensive tools and a good arm. Baseball America’s subscriber-only scouting report praises his “calm, balanced” approach at the plate, noting that scouts are divided about whether he can stick at shortstop or will have to move to second or third. Via MLB.com, Arias (No. 5) could eventually hit for average and power and has good hands on defense, though he might eventually wind up at either third base or outfield. Baseball America describes Arias as a potential 15- to 20-homer hitter.
Rosario (No. 9) projects to be an everyday outfielder in the big leagues, perhaps with a good bat. Ornelas (No. 28) makes solid contact offensively; he could eventually play first base, although MLB.com also notes he could be a utility player, the kind of open-ended evaluation perhaps typical of a 16-year-old with an unknown future ahead. Lopez (No. 27) wins praise for his defense, although he also has an improving bat. Barley (No. 15) is very fast, with good defensive actions and a strong arm.
With these signings, the Padres obviously will blow well past their international bonus pool, which is $3,347,600. They figure to pay a 100 percent tax on their pool overage, and will not be able to sign any player for more than $300K in either of the next two signing seasons.
I wish the Mets would take this approach. Best way to replenish their farm system. Anyone know why Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. is not on top 30 list?
Cause he isn’t top 30 quality
Better to remain silent and be thought an idiot than to speak and prove it.
MLB.com doesn’t include any Cuban players like Morejon, Ona or the younger Gurriel, who have not yet been cleared as free agents by the office of the commissioner. Other outlets have excluded him because it’s clear he’ll wait until after his birthday in October to sign because he then won’t be subject to pool restrictions.
Could be his age (32)
Because BA only ranked players that are currently available. While his older brother Yulieski has been named as a free agent by MLB, Lourdes has not been yet.
Lourdes is still going through the paperwork to become a free agent.
Because he hasnt been cleared by MLB yet…only his older brother has cleared. When he does…I am sure he will be on the list.
Grats Fathers!
Stocked up on pitching during the draft, stock up on bats diring this period. Hopefully padres management lets preller see the rebuild through.
People seem to criticize preller but really the only blemish he’s had is matt kemp and his contract- even then grandal is carrying a .182/.293/.347 line this season and eflin in 4 starts has an era, fip, xfip over 5 thus far in his young career. Ross and turner had looked awful until myers decided to go off this season. And pretty much everyone else, while young, haven’t put things together since being traded.
We shall see what comes of prellers two draft classes and international classes.
I have the same feeling about Preller, as well. But he’s going to have to SERIOUSLY address the ineptness of the 25 man roster, if he really wants to sustain some longevity with his employers. I know he’s had to work harder getting prepared for the international draft, as well as the one here in the States….but in order for them to be competitive in the most difficult division in MLB, he has to realize a healthy Tyson Ross and Spangenberg, is NOT enough for them to compete, in 2017.
As far as the drafts go…I got no problems with any of the kids he drafted in either of the drafts…I really dont. Unlike a lot of players/pitchers who follow their dads into MLB, I think Cal Quantrill has the stuff to be a very big deal. And I feel the same way about the lefty he got from Boston (Logan Allen?…projected to be another Lester), as well as this other big lefty, Lauer, that he just drafted a few weeks ago.
Nomar Mazera, OFer for Texas, is a kid who Preller was scouting when he was 14/15 years old. He was 6 ft, when he was 16….he’s 21 now, and is 6’4″ and is a big reason why Texas is playing so well. So, AJP DEFINITELY has a “type” of player that he likes…and they seem to fit the mold that a Carlos Correa, comes out of.
as far as the international scouting goes, I dont think your casual Padre fan, cares or even knows much about Preller’s long scouting history. And thats really a shame, because these young 16 year olds that he signed, arent going to crack the bigs for another 4 yrs. There may be a couple that get on a fast track, to break thru sooner….but if these young guys arent called up in two yrs fans are going to be screaming for Preller’s head, and wondering out loud “well, what happened to all those kids from that international draft?”….they wont understand how long it takes for those same kids to develop. Its not like making a bowl of Ramen noodles..just add water, and microwave it.
and Mike Dee, needs to understand that….those kids taking a handful of yrs to develop, shouldnt be cause for AJ to lose his job. Thats just fans being impatient. It has nothing to do with them knowing something Preller doesnt know..
this kid, Almanzar, he just signed, looks like a franchise player…but there are a couple of other kids they snatched up, who I think may be better than Almanzar, before its all said and done. Almanzar, looks more refined, RIGHT NOW…but sometimes that just means that other kids are developing at a little slower pace.
I like the kids he got in this intn’l draft…I think he did a great job. Now, if he can sign Jorge Ona and Adrian Morejon, Preller will have done better than anyone could have anticipated. That kid, Ona, has a wayyy better bat than Almanzar…which is kinda scary, when you think about how much Almanzar has been hyped.
Agreed 100%. I like what Preller has done. He jettisoned players from old regimes while they had value and is bringing in what he wants. He drafted quantril and lauer, but he drafted a decent numbet of hs players and like the international guys they need time to develop too.
We wont see the full fruits of prellers efforts until 2020 at the earliest cause these 16-18 year olds he has stockpiled need time.
For the most part the roster for 2017 is set. OF would be renfoe jankowski and margot if they trade kemp and upton, dickerson can be the 4th OF. INF maybe try bethancourt at 3rd, they need a ss maybe move spangenberg to ss and sign a guy like descalso or barney to play 2nd, myers at 1st with solarte and wallace as super utility guys, hedges behind the plate plus a backup if they trade norris and they need to revamp the pitching. Ross and Rea are pretty much set, unless ross is traded over winter, but rea is a 4 or 5 and they need 3 maybe 4 pitchers. Depending if they call up kelly and rodriguez and how they look in september and maybe going after an arm like felix doubront in FA.
So really they need a ss or 2b, 3-4 pitchers, and a back up catcher.
Signing 16 year olds and having what was widely called the worst draft in MLB is not exactly something that will keep Preller around. Winning sooner than 2020-2022 when these kids he signed today are available to help our team would. Grandal has contributed more to wins in terms of WAR than Kemp over 2015 and 2016 and he is $18 million per year cheaper. Even with Myers having a good season, that was a horrendously bad trade. A middle of the rotation starting pitcher and top 10 overall prospect PLUS 3 other players for Myers is a bad deal.
“The worst draft in MLB” yeah that’s an exaggeration. The Padres got high risk high reward players, the organization obviously values them so why don’t we wait a few years before we start criticizing.
Speaking of impatient fans here’s Padsfans
1. Wasnt even close to worst draft in the mlb. Just cause you think so doesnt hold much weight.
2. LOL so you’re saying grandal whos got a better WAR would offer more to the club and actually produce more wins LOL. Yeah, no, it wouldnt. Matt kemp is sports a wRC+ of 92. Grandal 78 LOL. Grandals ONLY saving grace is hes a excellent pitch framer. Otherwise hes as bad defensively at catcher as kemp is in right field. Cant throw guys out, cant block well. His pitch framing wouldnt equate to more wins LOL. But yeah hes cheaper.
3. Depending what myers brings back hes been more valuable to the padres than turner and ross have been to the nationals. Myers is looking at a 30 30 season. Preller sells high on him durong the deadline or winter he could bring back more than the padres gave up just like preller got for kimbrel.
I’ll say it again. The Kemp trade would have been worth it if Kemp were making as much as Grandal. But he’s making like $18m more. The “But yeah he’s cheaper” thing makes all the difference in the world.
And what could the padres have spend that 18 million on to make the team better without sacrificing draft picks and that would sign with the padres? Just cause you have the $$ doesnt mean players will come.
0.4 WAR would not have cost us $18m to replace on the free agent market.
Good day.
As a lifelong Padre fan, I really feel like this team has a bright future. I know it’s way to early to tell with these guys but Let’s Go!!!!!!
Nice job Preller.
Wouldn’t really call kemp a blemish he finished top 5 in rbis in the nl last year an is having a good year this year as well i think he’s a guy people just love to blame
He’s not having a good year. He’s having a terrible year and he had a terrible year last year. And the Padres owe him $18m.
if he drives in 100 plus, and hits 20 plus hrs, thats a “terrible year” that a lot of teams may want. On the other hand, I dont mince words..and I know a bigoted comment when I smell one, dude…dont try it
fine…I get it..you dont like him. And its VERY CLEAR why you dont..and it dont have nothin’ to do with his stat line.. But dont act like the guy isnt producing, at all. Myers is having a way better, regarding peripheral stats and even the more popular stats. But to say, “(Kemp) is having a terrible year” speaks to a beef you and other clowns, have with him. It doesnt have a thing to do with the guy’s body of work, in SD or LA for that matter. He got his money…what do you have?…oh, thats right!…two nickels, to rub together.
so, dont think you’re fooling anybody with that “he’s having a terrible year ” crap. Where is your opinion about Cashner and his “terrible year”?…
Preller and his employers knew before Matt got to SD, his defense was lacking..and they knew hias range sucked. But at the end of the day, HE DID NOT ASK TO BE TRADED TO THIS SORRY TEAM!…and if you arent too lazy to look up the player profiles, look around the game, to find a number of other guys, getting MORE than what he’s making, and they arent producing SQUAT.
My god… I just lost 20 IQ points.
Ok, they can have him!
He did have a terrible year last year. His defense was so bad that he basically lost a game with his glove for every game he won with his bat. Cashner has been pretty bad the last year and a half as well.
Those guys getting paid more than Kemp to not produce are also hated by their teams’ fanbases.
Kemp isn’t good. Can’t play defense, has drawn like 7 walks all season against 80 strikeouts, can’t run anymore. I do like what Preller did today, but there are plenty of blemishes on his record so far:
The Kemp trade, of course. It doesn’t matter how poorly Grandal is playing, he’s cheap and Kemp is an albatross contract. Zach Eflin’s had a rough beginning to his major leage career but his AAA numbers this season were fantastic.
Signing James Shields: he was already regressing and the return for him, after eating half his salary, wasn’t much at all.
Alexei Ramirez. Why? Hell, if you’re going to punt a position just throw Clint Barmes or Alexi Amarista back out there.
Trading Gyorko for Jay. Jay has had a nice little fourth-outfielder season but Gyorko could still be something useful, and Preller didn’t save any money on that deal.
Trading Ross and Turner. Wil Myers is finally putting it together so this one doesn’t hurt so much, but Turner would be the Padres’ starting shortstop right now and Ross would be the team’s #1 starter.
Not cashing in Tyson Ross. This on’s tricky because he couldn’t know how badly Ross would get hurt this season, but all the warning signs of serious injury were there. Ross is probably done for the year and the trade haul if he ever gets right figures to be much less.
Really, was one year of Justin Upton, a year the Padres won 74 games – three less than the year before – really worth it?
Jace Peterson, Mallex Smith, Matt Wisler have all shown that they can be productive major leaguers. Not stars, mind you but major league regulars.
There were some other dumb moves – wasting time on Will Middlebrooks, trading a very useful Seth Smith for a bad reliever, throwing Cameron Maybin away when he’s actually been pretty good for the last season and a half and still only 29. But none of these is particularly egregious. Maybin and Smith weren’t going to be part of the next good Padres team. Acquiring an interesting pitcher for free this offseason (Dan Straily) and releasing him the next day only to end up having to start Luis Perdomo in real major league games.
The good stuff: Today. Drafting Quantrill. Trading Rodney for what looks to be a very good future bullpen piece. The return from the Sox for Craig Kimbrel was astounding.
I don’t know if the offseason of 2014/15 was Preller’s doing- his way to make a splash as the new hotshot GM in town – or a directive from above, but the encouraging thing is that that reckless approach to team-building and roster construction appears to have been replaced by a commitment to rebuilding from the ground up as he’s gone on in the job. As a Padres fan, it will be miserable to watch the major league team for the next few years, but I hope he gets a full endorsement by the team to put a plan in place and execute it.
Agreed for the most part but Jay has actually been productive as our starting CF, Gyorko is still making an out in 71% of his plate appearances and Preller saved tons of money with that trade.
Really? The transaction as listed showed the Padres sending cash to the Cards with Gyorko. Maybe it doesn’t equal out, but it wasn’t a big cost savings.
. Anyway, Gyorko has contributed 1.0 WAR to the Cards in 52 games this season, while Jay has contributed 1.1 WAR for the Padres in 66 games.
. Gyorko is 5 years younger.
Padres sent 7.5 million dollars to the Cards in the Gyorko-Jay trade.
Yes and Gyorko was owed over $30m total.
Yeah, I guess you’re right. I thought his contract was just 25 million for 5 years. So yeah, The Padres will save around 15 million dollars after dealing Gyorko, throwing in the money and taking on Jay’s contract. The 15 million is about what they spent on the J2 guys, so that’s where the money went. Well, and paying down Shields’ contract.
1. Jace Peterson has been productive since he was called up after being demoted this year. Proves nothing that hes been productive for 30 or so games, idk how long hes been up. He melted down last year and was demoted and sas awful at aaa this year.
Matt wisler is sporting an xfip of 4.88 after one of over 5 a ear ago. His sub 7 k/9 doesnt make for a productive pitcher.
Mallex smith has no room with jankowski margot and renfoe knocking on the door. Granted he was traded before margot got here, but he would of lost out to them.
2. He got middlebrooks for ryan hanigan….. yeah what a really big waste of time there and gave up SO much.
3. He got years of maurer cheap for 3 of smith. An xfip of 3.85 and 4.05 this year is hardly useless. Hes cheaper than smith is and has more years of control.
4. Any links as to what he was offered for ross? Cause he was offered junior lake for kennedy by the cubs. Without knowing what he was offered hard to fault preller for not trading ross. Course had he traded ross for scraps youd complain he traded their best asset for nothing.
5. Cameron maybin cant stay healthy. Hes useless to you when hes hurt. Hes already missed 40 something games this year for the tigers. He misses 60+ what good is it to have a guy whos only good for at best 3/5 the season?
Well, Wisler is better than Rea or Perdomo or Shields was this season or…well, you get the point. Maybin was healthy in 2015 and missed a month of this season after getting his hand broken by an errant pitch. He has been injured often. So has Wil Myers. So has jon Jay. So has Andrew Cashner. So has Brandon Morrow. I’ll take the guy who is productive when healthy always.
mallex Smith is probably a fourth outfielder, but a team needs four outfielders, no? Renfroe has huge red flags at AAA, Any of the four outfielders you mention are better than Matt Kemp. So is Seth Smith. So is Cam Maybin..
Maurer just isn’t good. He leaves everything up in the zone right now. Watching him pitch is excruciating..
Middlebrooks was free, yes, but a roster spot has value. No reason for a losing team to have given him that spot. He’s very much like Alexei Ramirez is in 2016 – a pointless player for a losing team to have on its roster. Ramirez didn’t cost the Padres anything either, except four million dollars.
I can find no links about what Ross would have commanded on the trade market. It’s an extreme seller’s market this season, of course. I’m quite sure in the offseason, with two years of control left, Tyson Ross would have fetched quite a bit more than Junior Lake, who is a minor-leaguer. Ross is miles better than Ian Kennedy. Unfortunately, Tyson won’t be fetching much of anything in the near future, as he probably won’t be pitching again this season.
While I can’t find a link to any actual trade proposals for Tyson Ross, what I can find is many, many people within baseball who believed Preller should have traded Ross before he broke down completely, because of all those sliders.
1. Rea has an xfip of 4.61 compated to wislers 4.88 this year. Not better than rea. Perdomo is a rule 5 pick that is 22 and has a live arm. Hes in the rotation due to injuries. And he’s sporting an xfip of 4.25. Again wisler hasnt pitched better than perdomo either.
2. Maybin will be missing 60+ games 3 of the last 4 years if he misses 60 this year, already missed 40.
*jon jay only missed 60 games 1 season ago after playing 4 straight of 110 or more. He also has played 68 thus far, between august and september he can push 103+ games this year.
*Wil Myers, unless he gets hurt,has missed 60 games 2 of the last 4 seasons. He played in 64 minor league games and 88 mlb games his rookie year.
*brandon morrow was a cheap free agent addition for like 3-5 mill. Preller bought him on the cheap and gave up nothing to get him.
*cashner had been a stalwart for the padres prior to this season. 2 out of the last 4 seasons he had 25+ games started.
3. Between renfoe jankowski margot dickerson what room was there for mallex smith looking at what they have now? Also renfoe has been demolishing ttiple a and dropped his k rate 3%. We shall see how he does at the major level.
4. Well if you dont know what was offered then stop complaining about it. If you knew ross and his slider would destroy his arm dont you think mlb execs would be hesitant to trade for him for that very reason? Doubt preller got anything close to what ross is actually valued at despite 2 years of control.
To be fair, Renfroe’s drop in K rate is encouraging but his walk rate is pretty lousy. And everyone in El Paso is raking – it’s an extreme hitter’s park in an extreme hitter’s league. James Loney was hitting 342 there before San Diego sold him to the Mets.
As for the other points,, I don’t think those minor differences in xFIP are enough for me, plus, there’s other stats that interest me more than xFIP. Perdomo, for example, has given up 10 homers in 53 innings and has a K/BB ratio of less than 2/1. I give him a pass because he shouldn’t be in the majors. Rea also has a not-very-impressive K/W ratio. He might be equal in value to Wisler.
Having 2 of 4 seasons with 25+ starts actually sounds very much like the profile of an injury-prone pitcher.
Well defensive metrics says you’re wrong. I kinda see how he’s bad at fielding now… Those “spectacular catches” he makes – I just noticed they are horrible routes (went to a Pads game). Also, I wouldn’t call this a good year for Kemp, he can’t even get on-base (that OBP…) to begin with, and RBIs mean nothing in these days. I would agree that they like picking on Kemp tho for his contract when there’s other horrible contracts.
Word is the Pads are the favorites to sign two really nice Cuban kids too. Future looks bright.
Preller is restoring my faith. I hope a couple of these kids turn into cornerstone pieces as faces of the franchise. This is a good start for us. The draft, this signing period and a couple trades for prospects before the trade deadline would take the sting off this injury plagued season. Go Padres!
Why pile on Kemp? He is a 20 homer and 100 rbis. His defense is not great but not as bad as reported. We gave up a lot for Myers but he could be a 30 homer and 100 rbi guy. Yeah, Ross, Turner and Bauer was a lot to give up. Let’s just enjoy Will Myers as he is playing to his potential.
Kemp can’t get on base, has the worst OF defense in baseball by a longshot and we have the “opportunity” to pay him $18m a year through 2019 for all this. Myers is good and all but we just gave up way too much in prospect capital for him.
The mets don’t Have Logan White working for them. #DialedIn