As the Padres continue to build out their rotation with affordable, veteran arms, the organization is considering a move on righty Jered Weaver, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter).
San Diego has parted ways with a variety of notable pitchers in recent months, which left the team with a skeleton crew entering the offseason. But the club has already reached a pair of modest, $1.75MM deals with Jhoulys Chacin and Clayton Richard, each of whom appear likely to occupy rotation slots.
Despite those signings, the rotation currently projects to feature at least three largely unproven arms. Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource lists Luis Perdomo, Christian Friedrich, and Paul Clemens as the next starters in line on the Friars’ depth chart. Needless to say, that mix leaves plenty of room for addition.
Unlike rebuilding rivals such as the Braves and Phillies, each of whom committed significantly more cash to add their own short-term starters, the Padres are seemingly on the look for true bargains. San Diego is also said to be eyeing former staff ace Jake Peavy, who struggled last year with the Giants and will turn 36 during the 2017 season. The club surely has some interest in others as well.
Weaver, 34, ended his season with a minor back injury after giving the Angels 178 innings over 31 starts, but it seems that he fully expects to continue pitching. While he still commands the ball, and drew plaudits for taking the bump every fifth day, Weaver was more vulnerable than ever in his final season with Los Angeles. He surrendered a career-high 5.06 earned runs per nine with 5.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9. And those disappointing results came despite a continuation of his long history of outperforming the expectations of ERA estimators, which took rather a dim view of his 2016 effort (5.62 FIP, 5.64 xFIP, 5.44 SIERA).
Never a flamethrower, Weaver has seen his average four-seam fastball velocity decline from the ~90 mph range all the way down to 84 mph in 2016. Opposing hitters made hard contact at a 34.7% clip and hit homers on 12.7% of the flies they put in play against Weaver, both of which were career-worst numbers for the former Halos ace, who also generated grounders at a personal-low rate of 28.8%.
All told, it’s tough to see much reason to believe that Weaver can regain his form of old, though perhaps with some tweaks he can still represent a plausible back-of-the-rotation option. Given the rough platform year, it likely won’t take much of a commitment for the Padres or another organization to find out. Certainly, San Diego and others will place at least some additional value on Weaver’s pedigree and respected status around the game.
I’m rooting for Mat Latos and Jake Peavy signings, personally. Maybe they can dig up Heath Bell while they’re at it.
The San Diego Nostalgia Padres
Well played good sir
Speaking of nostalgia Padres, I wonder what Sean Burroughs is doing nowadays.
He is playing 3B in the Atlantic League after a few years fighting mental disease and addiction.
Wow! That unfortunate, but at least he’s still playing the game. Thanks Pads Fans!
member Padres?
I mean giving Mat Latos a deal would be much better than Weaver. Weaver can barley hit mid-low 80’s with his fastball. And Mat isn’t even 30 yet. Had a good start to his career in SD. I want it to happen. Can probably get back to where he used to be, take over this poor rotation. Great idea
If I were a team i’d rather have the cheaper Weaver who throws in the mid 80’s, than the diva with the massive ego who throws in the 90’s. Probably not the best guy to have in a clubhouse full of young guys who are just beginning their career.
Weaver was 82-84 with his FB last year. High school kids through that hard. He hasn’t been effective for the past 3 seasons. Rather just skip both Weaver and Latos. If we are going to get a retread, rather see it be Peavy. At least he can walk in with a Cy Young in his hands.
He won 18 games in 2014
Wins are the worst stat to try and describe whether a pitcher is good or not.
@Padsfans
*Throw
Weaver has 1 losing season out of 11 seasons. He won 12 games last year and went .500 with declining velocity, what does that tell you?
It tells me that he got run support. You can’t just throw out wins and losses to explain how a guy with a 5+ ERA is good.
@drewbacca1 Are you asserting a guy that has 11 MLB seasons and has 1 losing season out of 11 is bad? He pitched most of last season injured, and no, he didn’t get significant run support.. Beat Texas 3-1 6ip 1 run, Beat CWS 3-2 7ip 1er,
beat OAK 2-0 9ip 0ER SHO, Beat BOS 2-1 5.2 ip 1er ND, Beat TOR 6-3 5.2ip 1er, Beat CIN 4-2 6.1ip 2er, Beat Texas 3-2 6.2ip 2er, Lost to TOR 0-5, 6ip 2er, Beat TEX 5-4 6ip 4er, Beat OAK 2-1 5ip 0er ND. In a few other games of course he got some run support, but you can see in the games I’ve detailed, he didn’t.. Anyone that wins 12 games with a bad back and still goes .500 is not a bad pitcher, and any pitcher who has been in MLB for 11 seasons and has had 1 losing season is way above average.
Regardless of how you try to spin his win-loss record (I personally believe it’s not a good way of evaluating a pitcher) Weaver is not the pitcher that he once was. He’s a shell of his former self, and his only value now comes as being an innings eater, though his fastball velocity is quite concerning.
It means he CAN Pitch.
Writing off W-L as the product of high run support and calling it a day is just as bad of an evaluation of a pitcher. It’s a generalization. You need to know the pitcher’s tendencies you’re speaking of and need to be able to decipher whether or not a pitcher’s ERA is the product of a few really bad outings sandwiched between several good ones. Here’s Weaver has never gotten good run support from the Angels offense. Even in his prime years when he was competing for the Cy Young Award. He’s an example of a pitcher that has always grinded it out and can actually win 18 games despite poor run support. There is still something to be said about a pitcher’s ability to accumulate wins regardless of run support. Just throwing wins and losses in a box and saying every pitcher’s record is entirely dependent on run support is just lazy evaluating.
Jamie Moyer reincarnated
Latos isn’t know for being a good clubhouse guy though & when you are rebuilding you need to be careful what type of veterans you infuse into your culture because you don’t want negative stuff to rub off on the young guys. I remember his wife was really big on social media & would say some controversial stuff during his first stint in SD, I just feel like the risk/reward isn’t high enough to take a flier on Latos.
It’s a weird dynamic because when you know you are going to be really bad, sometimes choosing guys with better character & makeup even if the skill set or potential isn’t a great as another available option is just a better decision. Let’s face it Latos & Weaver aren’t that good anymore but even if Latos is a tick better which he is, what impact is that going to have on a team who will finish in last place anyway? Go for the high character guy & hope it rubs off on the young pups.
It’s funny how things come full-circle but the Padres did this for Peavy when he was a kid. Put him in a rotation with veteran guys passed their prime like Greg Maddux, David Wells, Pedro Astacio & it seemed to help him with his development. Luis Perdomo is in those shoes now, whoever we bring in hopefully can continue to help him develop into what many padre fans hope to be their ace of the future.
Weaver isn’t exactly known for his good temperament either.
The rookies liked and respected him. It was his relationship with the sports reporters in post game interviews which was prickly.
Yeah I don’t think they’d want a loose cannon like Latos in that clubhouse.
Nor Weaver
Personally, I hope they consider signing former Cy Young winners Randy Johnson and Greg Maddox.
San Diego’s rebuild is actually better than Philly’s or Atlanta’s
In what way? Look at that rotation!
They’re in the earlier stages though. I don’t know if they’re better off then the other two, but they have a bright future
I think all 3 are fairly close but the difference maker will be Phillies spending power
Yes and the Padres are loading up in international players/prospects, $35 mil worth (actually about $65 mil with the penalty). Their low minor teams and instructional leagues will be packed. We’ll have to see how it works out starting in 3 – 4 years.
Trea Turner is a Nat.
Atlanta’s rebuild is the most overrated rebuild I’ve ever seen. If not for Swanson, they’d in even deeper trouble.
Not really they have a ton of pitching. If even 3 of their pitchers turn out to be anything they’ll be fine. And they still have albies, demeritte, smith,and Swanson on the position player side.
For the minimum to $1 million, he could eat some innings until the kids are ready. Just a loyal Padre fan and an optimist:)
Thinking Weaver could provide innings is just unimaginable. He doesn’t last long enough to even get to the mid innings relievers. Maybe if you were going to let him pitch long relief… To save the bullpen, the starters need to occasionally go 7-8 innings, occasionally, and 6-7 usually. I just don’t see Weaver being able to supply that.
He threw 178 innings last year, thats above average. Don’t know what your talking about
Throwing 178 innings of the quality he put up actually hurts the team. There’s gotta be some AAA pitcher the Padres can get for free.
In 31 starts. To average 6 innings a start, he’s 8 innings short. Seems like he’s good for 5-6 innings, and that’s not what you want from your starters.
@stymeedone Weaver had 13 games out of 31 starts where he went less than 6 innings, that means he went more than 50% of his games at 6ip or more. For 2017 he’s have to improve that stat, but everyone knows he wasn’t himself in 2016, but he still managed .500, it isn’t bad. Weaver has had 1 losing season out of 11, and even with his declining velocity he can still pitch.. .500 and 12 wins is far better than many other pitchers around the league.
***he’d ….damned keyboard
Pads doing a good job signing inexpensive veterans to short-term make good deals. If one pans out they can move him at the deadline and get something descent in return. And your team will be pretty terrible over all so you can still get a top pick. It ain’t pretty when it’s done right, but it works.
I agree, it would be another smart rebuilding move if they can strike a deal with Weaver. A good way of looking at this upcoming season will be seeing how high they can get their draft position to go!
It makes a ton of sense for both sides.
The Padres side being, they get another cheap veteran arm to eat innings & be a leader on what will be a very young ballclub. I like his & Peavy’s demeanor on the mound, how they are always barking at themselves and expecting better results, that type of stuff rubs off on young guys, regardless if the numbers aren’t what they once used to be.
Weavers appeal would be a guaranteed rotation spot which he might not get anywhere else in the league at this point, & the ability to stay in California. Long Beach State to Anahiem to San Diego, won’t have to uproot his family, hour & a half drive down the 5 freeway.
Rather have Peavy it would be nice to see him retire a Padre but don’t really want either as far as what they can contribute on the mound.
I have to imagine they can find someone better than Weaver at this point in his career. I know a lot of people think he is just there to eat innings, but if his career continues as it has over the last 5 years, he may not even be able to do that.
I would think Tyrell Jenkins would be a good rotation pick for the Padres as well. He seems to fit the same makeup as Clayton and Jhoulys.
Never heard of him.
Drafted by Cardinals, traded to Braves in Shelby Miller/Jason Heyward Trade, just sent to Texas on another and outrighted by Texas.
I wish we still had a like system purely because of your name and mention of tyrell jenkins
Second that
+1
Well somebody has to compete with Chacin to be the Padres Opening day starter..
and Bethancourt 😉
best comment in this thread and sadly probably has more talent than any of the other pitchers on the staff.
I really hope he does well as a pitcher. His success in a hybrid role could open the door so that other teams give it a shot (obviously excluding Shohei Otani). A player who can occupy that many roles should interest every team.
That’s pathetic
They could start the game out with him behind the plate and then when the starter gets tired in the 6th, they can just sent Bethancourt out to the mound to finish out the inning instead of calling the bullpen.
Man, if people have a problem with games and pitching changes taking too long imagine how much fun they’d have with a catcher removing all his gear, waiting for another catcher to get out to the field, then warming up – which would take way longer because he hasn’t been throwing in the bullpen for ten minutes…I don’t quite see that scenario ever happening.
Weaver looks bad from the standpoint of the new analytics, and scouts think he’s done, too. How does anyone, especially anyone actually in the business of baseball, think he would be worth a contract. Randall Simon would be a better choice!
Try 1 losing season out of 11, last season went 12 wins and .500 pitching hurt. You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about when it comes to baseball. Weaver is a pitcher and he knows how to pitch. Of course he’s not going to win every game, but he’ll win many because he’s been a winner all his life in baseball bar 1 season out of 11, which is enough to give him a go.
Considering him only because Jamie Moyer declined.
I approve of the rebuild and understand not wasting money on high dollar pitching…but Weaver? At least get someone young with upside or a not too old bounce back candidate – but Weaver? It is going to be a very long long season indeed.
Just an innings eater
But he is now showing that he isn’t exactly super healthy and with him going on the DL last year with a rather bad injury, I think the Padres could go look elsewhere for an innings eater.
Uuugghhh…just resign Edwin Jackson. Latos would be fun to have back too. I don’t care about his attitude. I think he could still turn it around.
Latos is on Rangers
I hope they sign him. It would be fun watching the teams in the NL west mash against him.
^Yeah I honestly think Weaver is one of the worst pitchers in baseball who is going to get a starting job out of spring training.
I bet half of us commenters could get a hit off of his stellar 81 mph fastball.
I bet you couldn’t.
@oceansnake84 A pitcher that has a 150 – 93 record is “one of the worst pitchers in baseball”? Give me a break…..He won 12 games last year, and still went .500 injured which is far better than a lot of other pitchers around the league………..
Obviously he’s had a good career but at this point he is one of the worst pitchers in baseball you don’t even have to dig too deep past the article. The 5.44 SIERA and the fact that he throws more changeups than his 4 seam fastball should tell you that.
Peavy
He’s not even the best available option in his family.
I don’t really see the appeal of vets like Weaver for the Pads right now. Unless its Peavy and you’re trying to use nostalgia to sell tickets, you might as well just throw Zach Lee and Jarred Cosart out there every fifth day to eat innings. At least younger arms like that have a very slim chance at regaining some value, with Weaver he’s only going to get worse.
Not saying Weaver is the right vet but veterans are important in rebuilding, someone has to show the kids the ropes and set a good example of what a professional should be.
No one is paying to see Jake Peavy
Since weaver has nothing to lose velocity wise, maybe it’s time to give weighted balls a try to get that velo up. This guy could be pretty damn good again if he could average 88 on his FB. At 34 he’s not too old to believe he couldn’t have another 3-4 good years with better velo
It’s a little surprising he’s only 34 considering he throws as fast as a 50 year old Jamie Moyer. Seems like his back is to blame and if that’s the case the velocity isn’t coming back
Actually, what’s more interesting is that his career arc is exactly the same as that of his brother. Jeff was also washed up by his early 30s. Genetics?
Now I’m saying that I like the idea of Weaver, however, I distinctly remember MANY commenters saying how Fernando Rodney was “finished” and the Padres shouldn’t take a flier on him. Of course the likelihood of Weaver regaining what he once was is probably astronomical, but I believe Balsley has the ability to work miracles with a pitching staff and wouldn’t be surprised if he could do it with Weaver. Just saying…
calos perez is ABL.remember him?
You know what’s really sad? Jered Weaver has made more than twice as much money in his career as Rickey Henderson. I know, different eras and all that, but still…
Looks like all these guys they have signed and rumored to sign will be trade bait by the deadline…… So who cares
Exactly
Weaver won’t admit he is hurt and if he is signed he will be hurt after the second start
Come on, give the guy more credit than that. He pitched all season last season hurt and still won 12 games and went .500
I’d prefer Peavy if they’re going to make this kind of signing. At least he has the whole hometown hero thing going for him in San Diego. Unless of course Preller is trying to rectify the mistake our owners made back in 2004 when they wouldn’t let Towers draft Weaver with the first pick.
Hometown Hero! San Diego does not care about Jake Peavy trying to hold on with Padres.
Yea he’s Hersheiser that’s a hero
Jared Weaver can increase his fastball speed easily! I’m a Kinesiologist and his problem is that his upper shoulder rotation has slowed down and his pitching arm is doing too much of the work. When his left arm is extended (when the lead foot steps out for the throw) he needs to pull it in quicker with a nice tight elbow tuck ——— like when an ice skater pulls their arms in while spinning and it speeds their rotation — same principle! This increases the speed of the shoulder rotation and the energy and speed with the shoulder rotation is added to the right arm. With split second timing, the right arm jerks back, the lat muscles go on stretch and contract explosively and the right hand speed fires off like the end of a cracking whip!
At 6’5″+ and his long arms, He could gain the fast ball back —- but, can he control it? After 3 years of throwing wrong and wondering where his fastball went …….. he might not get the control back ………… He should try it…… because — He’s finis if he does not.
Bring back Rob Beck and the epic beard! Oh wait he’s dead…
Wanna make the fans at least a little happy in this rebuilding time? Bring back Jake Peavy! Guaranteed to spark more interest in one move! I’ll come back just to see him, signed my ball 10 years ago.. NEVER FORGET
I hope this happens. I’d love to see Peavy AND Weaver added to the Pad’s. This would be the best situation for Weaver to continue his career, staying in Southern Cal. and throwing in a pitcher friendly park. As an alternative to starting, I wonder if Weaver would entertain the idea of throwing from the bullpen. He still has nasty movement on his breaking ball, can locate as good as anybody, and his down velocity would really throw hitters off after seeing a SP throwing 10+ mph higher than him.
Most of all, his best innings are always when hitters are seeing him for the first time through the lineup—probably because it takes an AB or two to adjust to his lower velocity. From what I’ve read over the past couple of years, hitters still have a hard time adjusting to Weaver’s velocity—being that it is drastically slower than other SP’s and his fastball actually looks faster because of how slow his changeup is. I would love this signing.
Why bother. He hasn’t been good since his fluke year then he got like 85mil for 5 years. He was always average. He’ll probably get the league minimum of 8mil somewhere with a lot of incentives.
Jered Weaver finished in the top 5 for AL Cy Young in 3 separate years. That doesn’t make him a great pitcher, but it does show that he had more than “[1] fluke year.” Not to mention, he finished one of those years in the top 3 of AL Cy Young voting during his previous contract—not receiving said contract as a result of one “fluke year.”
Why is it San Diego’s goal to get worse?
Ha