The Padres reinstated Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day injured list for tonight’s series opener against the Braves. San Diego also recalled Sean Reynolds for his MLB debut, a move that was first reported this afternoon. In corresponding moves, the Padres placed reliever Wandy Peralta on the 15-day IL (retroactive to July 10) with an adductor strain and optioned catcher Brett Sullivan.
Getting Bogaerts back is the most notable of tonight’s slate of moves. He has been out since late May after breaking his left shoulder. There was initially some thought that the four-time All-Star could be out of action into August. He made a fairly quick recovery, getting back to the big leagues in around seven weeks. Bogaerts made two rehab appearances in Low-A and appeared in four contests with Triple-A El Paso.
Skipper Mike Shildt penciled Bogaerts back in at second base and in the fifth spot in the batting order. The Padres will hope for much better production than he managed over the first six weeks of the season. Bogaerts was out to a .219/.265/.316 start in an even 200 plate appearances. That’d easily be the worst year of his career if he kept on that pace, but he’s only a year removed from a robust .285/.350/.440 showing.
After the Bogaerts injury, Jake Cronenworth slid over to second base. He’s back at first base tonight and figures to spend most of his time there moving forward. That’ll bump Luis Arraez back to designated hitter on most nights and chip into the playing time available to Donovan Solano. That’s not any reflection on his performance. Since the Friars selected Solano’s minor league deal on May 5, he’s hitting .286/.345/.398 through 177 plate appearances. The Colombia native has been an average or better hitter on a rate basis over the past six seasons with the Giants, Reds, Twins and Padres.
As for Peralta, he’ll miss at least the next couple weeks. The recipient of a surprising four-year guarantee last offseason, he owns a 4.50 ERA over 41 appearances. Peralta has a customarily strong 53.2% grounder percentage but has run into trouble when opponents managed to elevate the ball. He’s giving up home runs at a lofty 1.59 clip per nine innings.
If X can get right, it lengthens the lineup and makes this team that much better…
Thank you Johnny Superscout
You add nothing to the conversation. Muted.
Hopefully Peralta gets lost trying to find his way back to Petco. Another brilliant Preller move signing this guy to that contract.
Just need tatis, Musgrove and Darvish back. Though it sounds like it will be awhile on those three if it all for Musgrove and Darvish.
They are going to need to add a starter and pen help before the deadline.
Problem though, 20 teams still competing and all need SPs, Dodgers need 2 or 3.
Jack flaherty, future dodger
And like Simm said Preller has no issue using his prospect capital to get what his team needs. Flaherty is pitching like a #1 or #2 and would help increase their chances of making a deep run in the playoffs. Someone is going to pay Detroit’s price for him. There’s as good a chance as any it’s Preller.
Who would aj trade for him? He can’t trade Ethan or de vries, I would have to think a team like the dodgers where they have expendable prospects (especially at catcher) would be the front runner
What exactly is stopping him from trading Salas or de Vries?
Would Cronenworth have any appeal for the Tigers? His bat has come back from the dead, he offers positional flexibility, and although his contract is ridiculous, it isn’t too damaging in total.
I like Cronenworth. The Tigers value positional versatility and he is playing very well this year. I doubt they trade him until the offseason for just that reason but I think he would be a good add for Detroit. I won’t be surprised if they go after Kim in the offseason to play SS and kick Baez to the bench or curb.
The Tigers biggest need is a young SS but they could also look to sign someone like Kim in the offseason. I doubt Preller trades Salas or Devries, and honestly 18 year olds don’t move the needle when they want to compete next year and have the kind of gaps the Tigers have right now at the MLB level. Having said that I think Harris will shoot for the best players he can get, young or not. I could see Lesko and perhaps Valenzuela or someone else lower down the rankings. The Tigers have been successful with pitching.
Lots of teams have interesting potential packages. It’s just a matter of finding a team who matches up with what the Tigers want. As an example Atlanta has Nacho Alvarez who on paper fits what Detroit needs but Atlanta fans like Nashville Jeff point out that he could be needed to replace Arcia as soon as next year so unlikely they give him up due to an organizational need. L.A. has lots of prospects too but I doubt they give up Rushing for any Tigers putvher other than Skubal, maybe not even Cartaya and the only SS they have is 18 year old Joendry Vargas who is a long ways away. Again lots of interesting pieces in LA’s system beyond d those three.
As fans we often overvalue our prospects and I think some GMs do as well. Prospects are just maybes. Preller is the poster child for spending his prospects to get MLB assets. LA does that too. It will be interesting to see who bites and pays up. If there are no packages that fit their needs then they should just QO him and either get th pick around #35 next year or get him for about a $20 million salary.
Preller has said he is not eating any money or attaching any prospects to trade Jake Cronenworth. But if you are willing to take the entire contract and send back a lottery ticket it can probably get done.
To me it should easily be worth a lottery ticket to someone like the Tigers with low payroll right now. The guy can hit and they need that. Would that type of move free up enough payroll so SD could take on other players at positions of need at the deadline?
1. I don’t see it as being “worth it to a team like the Tigers with a low payroll” but not to a team with a higher payroll. For me, a guy either has trade value or he doesn’t. Preller has said he considers Cronenworth a positive asset and if he comes up in trade talks he will treat him as such. It won’t be an Eric Hosmer arrangement.
2. Cronenworth is helping the Padres win games so unless they tank in the next 2 and a half weeks it’s more likely to happen in the offseason.
Padres have about $9 million room under the CBT threshold.
Yes it’s a sellers market atm. My guess is a few others will decide to sell.
It will come down to who is willing to trade away prospects. Preller isn’t shy in that category.
They can get by with Vasquez, King, Waldron, Cease. Jackson Wolf, Johnny Brito, Tommy Nance should get a chance before they decide to pursue top end pitching or depth pitching.
I don’t think they can survive the grind with those dudes.
The problem is the padres offense runs hot and cold. When it’s hot they can win games with those guys. When it cold they need a guy who goes out and throws 7 innings 1-2 run ball. Padres aren’t getting enough of that to slow the 5 game losing streaks. They need a stopper.
Padres are over .500 and have had 4, 5 game losing streaks already this season. That’s got to be a damn record before the allstar break on a team still over .500.
Welcome back X!
Solano is the most underrated player in baseball
That’s a bit of a stretch. He’s a really nice utility player who hits for pretty good contact. He has an average glove and no power or speed.
Not really much to be underrated. But he’s a versatile solid player to fill a lineup.
Yeah solano is the type of guy every team needs. No team is healthy all the time and he keeps the bottom from falling out when guys are out.
Not so much the most, but definitely underrated.
No power? Dude hits a lot of doubles. Home runs aren’t everything. I’ll take Donny Barrels in a clutch situation over a guy who strikes out 30-40% of the time any day.
None more years of this guy. Has to a poster child for the long long extended out contracts of recent years. 11,12,13,14,15 years. These are the dumbest contracts in the history of the game.
Tatis’s contract is perfectly fine for the number of year. 14 years and expires his age 35 season.
It’s really the manny and Xander deals. Paying huge money to guys that will both cross 40 is pretty insane. Of course you can add in Darvish but his was a shorter deal but he was already old.
Simm, I look at it as a deferral of money similar to Ohtani. However, instead of paying Manny and X not to play at age 50, they are paying them to play below their averages at age 40.
It can work if they: (a) make playoffs regularly over next 5 years; and (b) have a couple of young guys on the cheap to produce and move those guys to the bench.
Or you can just defer until they are 50.
Yes they added years to those deals to lesson the aav for tax reasons. That made some sense at the time. Of course they had to win for it to work out. Once these dudes hit 35 plus in years old the window will look a lot tougher with all that money still tied up.
Perhaps they will still win in that window but it’s not gone to plan yet. Then when you look at the pitching holes the only way to really sure that up is trading some of those young guys they will need to rely on when the other guys who are making a ton of money still age.
The padres are at a crossroad if you ask me.
Option 1 – Do they sell more of the farm to compete while their big money guys are still close to their primes?
Option 2 – Do they just ride it out and hope for the best?
Option 3 – Do they decide the plan hasn’t worked and try to rebuild. While trying to trade any of the big money guys would be very difficult given their age, salaries, injuries and no trade clauses. Along with the guys listed in option 4?
Option 4 – is they could trade everyone that isn’t on a long term deal. Then try again next year. I’d imagine they could get some quality prospects back if they decided to punt on the season and trade…Cease, King, Arraez, Profar, Kim, Suarez, morejon, higgy, and solano.
My guess is they will go with option 1. If that fails though I think we will see a complete attempt to rebuild. One that likely includes the firing of Preller.
Though I wouldn’t be shocked if they went any of these routes. I think the route will be decided ultimately by where they stand a week or so before the deadline. If the current skid continues I think they will at least do option 4. If they are close to a payoff spot still they pick stick it out with buying.
Yeah not looking good for playoffs this year. I think if your #1 fails they will just go for it again next year hoping for better results ( and health). But I doubt #1 means a splashy move at TD, though it wouldn’t surprise me if one of Snelling or Lesko might be dealt. I just hope they’re not traded for a two month rental.
Brew- they could do that but I’m not sure preller survives them failing again this year. If they remove preller then a new guy could look to do a total rebuild. That’s usually the case when new guys take over because they are afforded the time to do so.
It’s hard to tell with AJ. I actually think his decisions this year have been fine if not savvy during this payroll reduction period. So maybe he has a longer leash than we think.
I don’t see a big rebuild anytime soon, they want badly to keep the fans engaged and selling out games and all the direct and ancillary revenue that comes with it. But if the bottom drops out and they’re just awful, of course it could happen. I hope not.
Brew and Simm – I think a version of Option 1 going like Brew said, deal from 6-30 on the list for getting what I’d call a solid 4 – I could go with Flaherty on rental status or Fedde type.
We also have to at least recognize the Padres attitude over the past 3-6 years for at least making moves and deals to put a playoff caliber team out on the field – injuries being part of the game derailing 2021 and now, maybe 2024. I’d argue even costing Padres against Phillies in 22.
Long time Padre fans and fans of a lot of other teams would love the problem facing the Pads in 5 years as a cost of having a shot for 5 years.
What they need to do can’t be answered by the fans because we don’t really know about Joe and Yu.
I’d go get Crochet (using sparingly u til playoffs) and Flaherty if they aren’t coming back. Prospects be damned.
Long- That would be truly going for it. Crochet will like cost one if not two top 4 prospects. Flaherty will cost another or several guys in the 5+ range.
They also need one help, if the rangers sell a guy like Yates would be perfect.
Yeah, I’m thinking Snelling can be packaged with 3-4 others for Crochet and I agree, that is going for it and hopefully not necessary because Yu and Joe are both back in 3 weeks.
Flaherty or a Fedde – some variation on maybe 2 out of the 6-12 range and more at back.
All depends on bidding wars.
I’m undecided because I don’t know status of Yu and Joe. I think SD can survive thru July with all of the off days if they come back without making a big splash trade – just get a guy to avoid running Mazur out there and yes, a BP piece but the starter add frees up Vásquez and Brito for BP.
Also, a starter add or return of injured guys, addresses the overuse of BP. The fact that SD plays less games than any other team the rest of the way helps rest a BP too.
I think I’ll just wait and see what AJ does – fully believing AJ will do something – before I get too worked up. If Joe and Yu aren’t coming back, he has more rope to trade is my thought.
They should have a feel for 1 or both of them in another week – Joe thru off the front of the mound yesterday and we’ll, they know what they are looking at with Yu to evaluate.
Simm1 hour ago
Brew- they could do that but I’m not sure preller survives them failing again this year.
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That’s the angle I’d be looking at. Over the past 4 years, the Padres have been #11, 3, 6, and 2 in payroll, but have played only .513. His development is phenomenal, but the results v the money, is not there.
IMHO, you close your eyes and stay the course. If you make the playoffs, all is well. If you don’t, but make it in 2025, all is well. If you miss in both years, you’d have Cease and King to trade off, maybe Arraez if he starts hitting again.
@ Joe B. Preller might not survive, but I think with all the long-term invested contracts and the 3rd best attendance in MLB, they will be inclined to try to win next year and beyond. I sort of agree with you IMHO.
They could make a viable run at WC by improving adding a decent RP and a rental SP (such as Anderson or Quantrill), without sacrificing key prospects in doing so. Assuming the Braves are 1st WC team, there are 8 teams still realistically vying for the last 2 WCs in the NL. The Pads probably shouldn’t sell the farm for such low odds.
@LT. The Pads go up against two all-star starters (Lopez and Sale) Saturday and Sunday before the AS break. Then after the AS break they go on the road to play Cleveland, Washington (who have a chip on their shoulders), and Baltimore. Then they have a series with the Dodgers to round out the month.
I don’t mean to be negative but by the trade deadline, it’s fairly likely the team will be below 0.500. Getting swept by the Rockies and Angels and Mets and losing 5 in a row four times this year has really come to haunt them.
I seriously doubt at the TD they will be in position to make a big trade that involves one of their top 4 or 5 prospects. I’d question that logic if they do, regardless of any new news on Yu and Musgrove. And as a general rule, TD trades are usually at the disadvantage of the buyer.
Brew – can’t say that I disagree with any of your points. They have played well against better teams as a rule – this the .500 record to offset those bad runs against the bad teams. So far, leading the season series against LA and I think for now, against Atl (probably not after the weekend). Better on the road even.
It will interesting for sure. One thing to consider is AJ may make that trade over the AS break so while you end of the mont lh equation may play out, won’t keep him from upsetting it by acquiring an arm before it happens.
Appreciate the different angle.
Brew, SD got one they needed last night for sure. I was looking ahead at schedule concern for rest of July and while the Pads have it brought, the teams ahead of them in playoff chase all have just as thought if not tougher schedule during that same time so hopefully, that part evens out. SD has the most off days.
I’d love to beat Sale today. RV seems to just be at the point where he has to avoid the 1 inning getting away from him. Looking at his starts lately he has been pretty good except for a stray inning. Maybe he is on the cusp as that may be mental more than physical.
@LT They could sure use more of that from Cease, a losing streak busting performance. And credit to the reliable bullpen trio. Today will be a tough one to win, but they’re an inconsistent team that rarely does the expected. Like when they beat Ranger Suarez a month ago when things seemed grim.
Vasquez usually keeps them in games. But RP on Pads for innings 5-7 might be worst in baseball, so odds are low they can beat Sale
Not according to Fever Pitch Guy
If there are “none more years” left, what’s the problem?
Fever Pitch Guy is in his glory. Sox should have signed Bogaerts instead of the error-ridden Rafaela. Boo hoo!
“My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts”
FWIW, I liked Bogaerts as a person/teammate kind of guy. But at his age, the fact that his days at SS were quickly coming to an end, and his hitting stats depended largely to hitting at Fenway, even at a reasonable contract, maybe $175M/7, it still didn’t feel like the right move.
2 for 4 in his first game back, Bogey looked good. Rest of team not so much.
Congratulations Wandy Peralta on reaching ten year of MLB service time and qualifying for a full pension! It’s a big deal that the teammates of the player celebrate with and honor the qualifying player.
@Oscar. I think it was David Peralta that reached 10 yrs, Wandy has a couple years to go still
A question why do people on this site and others always try to trade Ha-Seong Kim, a two month rental, to rebuilding teams? Like do they just not know that Kim is a rental? Do they not realize that rebuilding teams don’t trade for rentals unless it’s a “take this dude off our hands and we’ll throw in a prospect or two” arrangement which the Padres obviously aren’t doing with Kim?
At this point for just two months of Kim, even playoff bound teams are unlikely to show interest. He’ll play out the season in SD and they won’t try to extend him.
Kim is playing MLB average offense 100 OPS+ and is on pace for 3.7 WAR. That is very good for a utility guy and nearly double MLB average.
I believe that they will try to extend him long term at a salary around what he made this year plus incentives.
I’m assuming Kim’s market will be at a salary much higher than what he’s making now. The demand from other teams ( for a dedicated starting SS not as a utility guy) will be high. And long term the Pads have De Vries incoming.