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Padres Sign Jered Weaver

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SUNDAY: The Padres have announced Weaver’s signing. To make room for Weaver, the club has placed righty Colin Rea on the 60-day disabled list. Rea underwent Tommy John surgery in November and won’t pitch this year.

SATURDAY: The Padres have agreed to terms with veteran righty Jered Weaver to a one-year deal, Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman tweets. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to tweet a deal was close. Weaver will receive $3MM, as Heyman tweets and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo confirms. Weaver can also receive a $250K assignment bonus. Weaver is a client of the Boras Corporation.

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[Related: Updated San Diego Padres Depth Chart]

The Padres were repeatedly connected to Weaver this winter as the team aimed to remake its rotation. After parting ways with Andrew Cashner and James Shields in trades last season and then non-tendering Tyson Ross, the Padres’ starting pitching corps looked extremely thin. The team has since added veterans Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill to eat innings, and it appears Weaver will be another arm to add to that mix.

Weaver has pitched his entire career to this point a short drive up Interstate 5 in Anaheim, and his new deal with the Padres allows the Southern California native to stay in familiar environs. The 34-year-old has generally been a reliable workhorse throughout his career, but he’s undergone a long decline in the past several seasons that culminated in a very disappointing 2016 in which he posted a 5.06 ERA, 5.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 while averaging just 83 MPH with his fastball. ERA estimators suggested he was even worse than that 5.06 ERA suggested, with a 5.64 xFIP and 5.44 SIERA. His ground ball rate also continued to drop to just 28.8%, and he led the AL in home runs allowed, with 37. A big-league deal for him is a small coup for Boras at this point.

Even as Weaver’s velocity and strikeout rate have diminished in recent years, however, he still managed to pitch 178 innings last season, and his ability to take the ball has value. He could be an asset for a Padres staff that could struggle to get through games in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colin Rea Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Padres righty Colin Rea underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). Rea had been attempting to avoid the surgery with a platelet-rich plasma treatment and rehab, but the decision was made to go ahead after he felt discomfort after a throwing session.

There had increasingly been hope that Rea would be able to return for the start of 2017, but the best case now is for him to make it back for the 2018 campaign. Of course, that would have been the expectation had he gone under the knife earlier, though perhaps now there’s a bit less wiggle room in his forthcoming rehab. Initial reports were that he was destined for a replacement of his ulnar collateral ligament in the middle of the season, but that was re-considered — influenced, perhaps, by the progress shown by Angels righty Garrett Richards in a non-surgical approach.

The 26-year-old’s situation was rather more complicated than that, of course. As has been discussed at length, Rea was sent by the Padres to the Marlins at the trade deadline in a multi-player pact. But he exited his first outing in Miami with elbow issues, teeing off a scandal of sorts that led to him being shipped back to the Padres. In related proceedings arising out of San Diego’s medical practices, club GM A.J. Preller ultimately served a thirty-game suspension for reporting issues that the organization has pledged to remedy.

Without Rea, the Padres’ rotation needs are more evident than ever. San Diego already seemed a likely landing spot for an arm or two. Without expectations of contention, expectations are that the club may look into some riskier, higher-upside assets on this winter’s player acquisition market.

Rea is set to reach arbitration eligibility before the 2019 season, so he’ll have a chance to post a platform year before hitting the arb cycle. Certainly, his earning opportunity will be limited by the inability to rack up innings in the second half of 2016 and all of 2017. The Padres will hope that he can return to health and improve upon the 4.69 ERA he posted over his first 134 1/3 major league frames.

Padres Notes: Preller, Trade Talks, Coaching Staff, Rea

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Earlier today, we checked in on the Padres’ interesting experimentation with catcher Christian Bethancourt, who not only spent time in the outfield last year but is preparing to work as a reliever in winter ball action. And last night, we learned about some roster-trimming moves. Here are a few more notes out of San Diego:

  • Padres GM A.J. Preller says that he doesn’t expect his recent suspension over medical disclosures in trade talks to have any carryover effects this winter, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. Reiterating his position that there was never any intent on the team’s part to deceive other clubs, he said that the Padres are “going to be very committed to correcting” their medical record-keeping and will “be best in class … from an admin[istrative] standpoint, a reporting standpoint, [in] following guidelines.”
  • Preller further explained that the Padres are anticipating a busy winter. The GM noted that ten rival organizations have already “check[ed] in with us” on trade possibilities since he was reinstated. The trade market figures to be “fairly active,” he said, given the weak free agent class.
  • The Padres parted ways with two coaches — Tarrik Brock and Eddie Rodriguez — but otherwise intend to keep their field staff in place, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. First-year skipper Andy Green will remain at the helm, with bench coach Mark McGwire, pitching coach Darren Balsley, hitting coach Alan Zinter, third base coach Glenn Hoffman, and bullpen coach Doug Bochtler all set to reprise their roles as well.
  • Colin Rea, whose injury in his first start with the Marlins after a summer trade played a major role in Preller’s suspension, is still working toward avoiding Tommy John surgery. He recently completed a 40-pitch bullpen session, Lin notes in the above-linked post. The hope is that he’ll at least be able to partake in live BP sessions before being shut down for the winter, with some possibility he’ll even appear in AFL or winter league action. If all goes well, Rea will hold off on a TJ procedure in hopes of enjoying a full 2017 season.

Quick Hits: International Draft, Cosart, Rea, Relievers

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Ichiro Suzuki, Robinson Cano and Hall-of-Famer Jimmie Foxx are among the notable baseball figures born on October 22, but this date also marks the birthday of the boxscore.  It was on this day in 1845 that the New York Morning News printed the first boxscore summary of a baseball game, though the more familiar form of the boxscore wasn’t developed until Henry Chadwick created the modern standard in 1859.  Here’s the latest from around the game…

  • Trainers of prospects in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are considering pulling their players from upcoming national showcases for MLB scouts, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports.  The trainers are protesting the league’s proposals for an international draft in collective bargaining talks with the MLBPA.  Venezuela’s showcase is scheduled for November 16-17 while the Dominican showcase, scheduled for this coming week, appears to be more directly in question.  “No one will take their players to the event next week. There is a total boycott of all MLB events,” a Dominican trainer tells Badler.
  • Padres right-hander Jarred Cosart will need about six weeks of recovery after undergoing surgery to clean up his right elbow, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes.  That timeframe should put Cosart on track to be fully prepared for the start of Spring Training.
  • In other Padres injury news from Cassavell, the club has set a December 1 deadline for righty Colin Rea to become fully healthy.  If Rea hasn’t pitched in Arizona Fall League games, winter ball games or at least thrown some intensive batting-practice sessions against live hitters, the Padres may decide it’s time for Rea to undergo Tommy John surgery.  Rea has spent the last few months trying to fix his elbow problems without having to resort to a Tommy John procedure, instead opting for a PRP treatment and more basic rest and rehabilitation.  It was this same elbow injury that forced the Padres to re-acquire Rea after initially dealing him to the Marlins as part of the Andrew Cashner trade.
  • The Indians’ use of Andrew Miller this postseason has led to speculation that more teams could look to develop their own high-leverage, multiple-inning relievers, though Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com notes that it isn’t quite that simple.  The postseason schedule allows for much more specialization and preparation than a regular season game, as a pitcher will likely burn out if he is regularly used during the year the way Cleveland has deployed Miller in October.  Players and agents on the way up may also hesitate at a fireman role that limits their earning potential.  “But let’s face it, fifth starters make more than very good setup men, and relievers want to get paid,” a baseball official tells Gammons.  “They want to close, or they want to start.  It’s difficult to ask them to take a Miller role without Miller money.  Their agents aren’t going to allow it.”
  • While front offices are increasingly using analytics to measure players, the message of what a team actually values doesn’t always filter down to the clubhouse, Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler writes in a piece for WEEI.com.  Many players still rely on traditional stats to gauge their performance, Kapler notes, so players may be needlessly worrying about a low batting average or not driving in enough runs when their team is actually evaluating something like exit velocity of balls hit off the player’s bat.

Quick Hits: McCann, Cards’ Pen, Salazar, Rea

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We’ve long heard chatter about a possible reunion between Yankees catcher Brian McCann and the Braves, and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman provides some hints about where things stand. New York has asked for righty Mike Foltynewicz or center fielder Ender Inciarte to part with the veteran receiver, which certainly sounds like a non-starter from here. An arrangement could yet make sense, Bowman writes, but Atlanta won’t include either of those two players.

Here are a few more notes from around the game:

  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch takes a long look at the question of whether the Cardinals can mimic some of the Indians’ success in finding a top-notch relief pitcher to throw in a flexible capacity, as Andrew Miller has done for Cleveland. Goold wonders whether either Trevor Rosenthal or Michael Wacha might be positioned to function in the role that he dubs the “fixer.”
  • Indians righty Danny Salazar may not just be a part of the World Series roster; he may be able to start. Manager Terry Francona wouldn’t rule out that possibility to reporters including Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. Francona has cast doubt previously on Salazar returning at all, noting that he had yet to throw at full capacity; this time, though, he says the prized righty was able to ramp up his arm speed and “threw the ball really well.” A three-inning sim game this weekend may decide Salazar’s postseason fate.
  • The Padres are still finding cause to hope that righty Colin Rea can stave off Tommy John surgery, which he has sought to do through a combination of platelet-rich plasma treatment and rehab/rest. As AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets, the team is deciding just how to give him some postseason pitching work to help make a final decision. Rea could appear in the Arizona Fall League, take part in live BP, or even head out for a partial winter ball run. Regardless, Rea is set to throw competitively in about three weeks’ time.

Injury Notes: Choo, Cozart, Reynolds, Rea

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Though expectations had been that Shin-Soo Choo would be out through mid-October after surgery on a fractured forearm, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports that he may be ready to return to the Rangers for an early postseason series. Choo could be taking BP with the big league club by the weekend if he continues to progress, and would then head to the instructional league to face live pitching. Texas skipper Jeff Banister said that the team misses Choo’s presence in the leadoff spot; he could provide a nice boost if he can remain on track.

Here’s more on some injury situations around the game:

  • While the Reds aren’t officially ruling out shortstop Zack Cozart from returning this year, he is shut down for the moment, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Cozart is battling a sore knee, which is somewhat additionally concerning because he missed much of last year after requiring surgery on the joint. The 31-year-old was nearly dealt at the trade deadline, and still remains prime candidate to change hands this winter, but the second half of the year hasn’t exactly boosted his value. After a highly productive first half, the slick-fielding shortstop has limped to a .223/.291/.312 batting line with just two home runs over his last 173 trips to the plate. The tepid finish will also impact Cozart’s arbitration earning power; he’ll be entering his final arb year looking to build off of a $2.925MM salary.
  • Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds will not require surgery on his fractured left hand, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding tweets. His single season contract with Colorado is nevertheless already in the books, with the 33-year-old heading back onto the open market after the year. Over 441 plate appearances, Reynolds put up a .282/.356/.450 slash line with 14 home runs — good for approximately league-average overall production given that he played his home games at Coors Field. That’s not a terribly appealing batting line for a player who is limited to first base duties at this point, but he’ll surely still draw interest at least as a bench bat.
  • Injured Padres righty Colin Rea is nearing a throwing program, manager Andy Green tells MLB.com’s Carlos Collazo (via Twitter). The 26-year-old, who was traded to the Marlins and then back to the Padres after he suffered an elbow injury, is trying to stave off Tommy John surgery with treatment, rest, and rehab. His progress will be interesting to watch, as he’d presumably hold down a rotation job next year for San Diego if his ulnar collateral ligament allows.

Colin Rea To Undergo PRP Treatment Instead Of TJ Surgery

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Padres righty Colin Rea will forego Tommy John surgery in favor of a platelet-rich plasma treatment — at least for the time being — as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter links). The decision was reached after consultation with Dr. James Andrews.

Rea is expected to rest for three to four weeks after receiving the treatment, and then begin a throwing program in hopes of staving off a UCL replacement procedure. That approach seems to be paying dividends right now for Angels righty Garrett Richards, and it seems that Rea has elected to follow suit after prior reports suggested he’d be going under the knife.

It has been quite an eventful couple of weeks for Rea, who was surprisingly dealt to the Marlins along with Andrew Cashner. He departed in the middle of his first start with his new team, paving the way for an even more stunning trade that sent him back to San Diego and more or less unwound that portion of the transaction.

Given the timeline suggested, it seems that Rea has designs on returning to the mound in fairly short order. He obviously won’t be ready to make it back to the big leagues in the present season, but perhaps he could join Richards in competitive fall or winter action before making a final call on his surgery, with plans for a normal spring build-up in 2017 if all goes well.

There’s still plenty of risk in taking this route, due largely to the recovery timeline in the event that surgery is ultimately required. Having the UCL replacement now might make a relatively full 2018 season a reasonable target, but if he waits and then ends up having the procedure, that could be jeopardized. Given the upside of returning to action in 2017, though, it certainly makes sense at least to see how his elbow responds to the initial treatment and rest protocol.

MLB Reviewing Padres’ Medical Disclosures In Recent Deals

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Major League Baseball is taking a look at concerns that have arisen over the medical information disclosed by the Padres in at least two notable trades recently completed by the organization, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. The swaps in question occurred with the Marlins (centered around Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea) and Red Sox (for Drew Pomeranz).

San Diego, of course, already agreed to something of a do-over in the case of Rea, sending minor leaguer Luis Castillo back to Miami and accepting the return of Rea. The 26-year-old righty departed in the middle of his first start with his new club with elbow issues, and it was just announced that he’ll need Tommy John surgery, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets.

It was reported at the time that the Marlins felt they had been wronged, with San Diego agreeing to unwind that portion of the transaction while insisting on organizational innocence. Olney explains that Rea informed the Miami staff that he had been treated for elbow discomfort in San Diego, which Miami then asserted had not been disclosed.

Now, per the report, it seems that questions have been raised about Pomeranz’s health. Boston parted with highly-regarded pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza to get him, but the Sox now believe they’ve learned elements of Pomeranz’s medical history that ought to have been revealed by the Pads.

Importantly, in the case of Pomeranz, the Red Sox are not seeking any modification of the agreement. It doesn’t appear as if there’s any real ongoing issue there, then, apart from the league’s general review of San Diego’s practices. Olney notes that it’s not clear whether any sanctions could be considered.

As Olney also discusses, these swaps seemingly point to the need for a more formalized process for exchanging medical information between organizations. The question of health disclosures is also under consideration with regard to the amateur draft, and perhaps both discrete but related topics could be on the table as collective bargaining talks continue.

Marlins Trade Colin Rea Back To Padres Following Elbow Injury

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12:57pm: The Marlins announced that Rea has indeed been traded back to San Diego in exchange for Castillo. In essence, then, last Friday’s swap boils down to Miami acquiring Cashner and Guerrero in exchange for Cosart, Naylor and Capps.

12:52pm: The Marlins will be getting Castillo back from the Padres, tweets Rosenthal.

12:49pm: In a fairly stunning bit of news, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Marlins will send right-hander Colin Rea back to the Padres (links to Twitter). Rea left his Marlins debut with an elbow injury and was quickly placed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow sprain. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Marlins were “absolutely livid” and felt as though they were traded damaged goods by the Padres. Rosenthal notes that the exact structuring of the deal isn’t exactly clear, but the Padres will effectively trade Rea back to San Diego in a separate deal and keep Andrew Cashner, who came to Miami along with Rea in Friday’s seven-player trade.

Rea fired off 3 1/3 shutout innings in his Marlins debut, allowing just a lone hit and no walks with four strikeouts before departing with the aforementioned elbow injury. It’s not clear precisely how Miami will be compensated in this instance, as the swap is virtually unprecedented in nature. The Marlins sent first base prospect Josh Naylor, hard-throwing Class-A righty Luis Castillo, injured reliever Carter Capps and right-hander Jarred Cosart to the Padres in that deal in exchange for Rea, Cashner and right-hander Tayron Guerrero.

Pitching Rumors: Ervin, Hellickson, Buchholz, Logan

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The Blue Jays are still in the market for a starting pitcher before tomorrow’s non-waiver deadline. One name being discussed at this time, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (on Twitter), is Ervin Santana. Morosi doesn’t specify whether that means that the Jays are discussing Santana internally or they’re presently in talks with the Twins about their top starter, but it’s worth noting that Santana turned in another strong outing today in front of scouts from several clubs (via 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson, on Twitter). Santana allowed an earned run (three total) on six hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts in six innings against the White Sox. He wasn’t helped by his defense whatsoever, as four errors made behind him drove up his pitch count, but he looked fairly sharp all the same. The Twins have said they don’t plan on moving Santana unless receiving a strong offer, but he is one of the more appealing starters on a thin trade market.

Some more rumors pertaining to the ever-intriguing market for pitching…

  • ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the Giants’ interest in Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson has been overstated (Twitter link). San Francisco isn’t currently in the mix for Hellickson, says Crasnick, despite prior connections. As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes, Hellickson left his last start after bruising his hand at the plate, but the issue seems to be a minor one. Zolecki notes that, in addition to the Orioles — who could be out of the market after acquiring Wade Miley — clubs including the Blue Jays, Tigers, and Marlins have sent scouts to watch Hellickson’s recent outings.
  • The Marlins have talked with the Red Sox about righty Clay Buchholz, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). But Miami wasn’t enamored of Boston’s asking price, Heyman says, so it’s doesn’t appear as if there’s any traction between the sides at present. Miami seemingly addressed its rotation needs with the acquisition of Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea, but the latter was lost in the middle of his first start for his new team to an elbow sprain and is already headed to the DL.
  • With the Rockies’ recent run of success moving the club to the fringes of the NL Wild Card race, the team seems to have taken its best trade assets off of the market. Colorado is still willing to entertain offers on lefty Boone Logan, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter, but at this point it’s not even clear if he’ll be dealt. As we explained in our breakdown of the market for relief pitching, Logan could be one of the best rental relievers available — he carries an outstanding 17.1% swinging strike rate and finally has the results (2.40 ERA) to go along with the swing-and-miss stuff that he has displayed over his three years in Colorado. As the Rockies depth chart shows, the team does still carry two other southpaws in Jake McGee and Chris Rusin, but the former has fallen far shy of expectations in 2016 while the latter is more of a swingman or long reliever than any kind of shutdown pen lefty.
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