sign in sign up
<<
Home , Cal Quantrill, Eric Lauer, Jonathan Aro, Josh Naylor, Manuel Margot, Matt Strahm

Padres Press Clips Friday, January 19, 2018

Article Source Author Page

Padres mailbag: Is a run at next? SD Union Tribune Lin 2

Resilient, cancer-free 'not close to being done' SD Union Tribune Miller 6 on road back

Padres roster review: Matt Strahm SD Union Tribune Sanders 10

Top prospects highlight Padres' non-roster invitations to SD Union Tribune Lin 12

Prospects Tatis Jr., Urias among Padres' NRIs MLB.com Cassavell 14

Nos. 1, 6 lefty prospects reside in Friars' system MLB.com Cassavell 16

New Medicine Chief Catherine Robertson Personalizes UCSD Health Buschman 18 Athlete Care at UC Health

1

SD UNION TRIBUNE

Padres mailbag: Is a run at Christian Yelich next?

Dennis Lin

Hello, Padres fans. I hope the offseason finds you well. It has been an odd winter, lacking the level of activity -watchers crave before and catchers report. In this mailbag, we won’t bore you with much talk. (The stalemate between agent Scott Boras and the Padres/Royals figures to continue until someone ups their offer.)

The latest, shiny attraction is not a free agent. outfielder Christian Yelich reportedly wants out, and the Padres have plenty of prospects. Let’s get a bit more specific. do the Padres see a Yelich trade as a fallback if Hosmer doesn't sign?

“Fallback” may not be the most fitting descriptor — if Hosmer signs elsewhere, the Padres will not view a different notable acquisition as a necessity — but the question is worth pondering.

The team’s owners would love to contend for the playoffs in 2019, though they realize 2020 is more realistic. Regardless of the exact target, the Padres will need some help from outside the organization.

Splurging on the open market is generally unwise for a small-market franchise, but at the right price, Hosmer could be an exception. The 28-year-old is young for a free agent, and the Padres have not faced a lot of competition in the bidding process. They might not get a similar shot with next winter’s crop, which will be populated by older and, in many cases, more widely coveted players.

Not signing Hosmer would shift more attention to the trade market, where Yelich is an obvious candidate. The Marlins have shipped away three of his friends, leaving the 26-year- old disgruntled and seeking his own exit. Agent Joe Longo recently told ESPN.com that his client’s relationship with the Marlins is “irretrievably broken” and “attempting to include him moving forward is going to be uncomfortable for both sides.”

2

An outfield featuring Yelich and would be dynamic, but major hurdles exist. Pressure from Yelich will not force the Marlins to make an immediate move or to accept anything less than a massive return. The player is under team-friendly contract at $43.25 million over the next four seasons, and more than a dozen other clubs have expressed interest.

Would the Padres surrender Fernando Tatis Jr., MacKenzie Gore or Michel Baez as part of a deal for Yelich? The answer is almost certainly a no, but that is the likely starting point — Peter Gammons reported on MLB Network that the Marlins have asked Atlanta for Ronald Acuna, arguably the top prospect in baseball.

The Padres probably would be better-served to continue auditioning their existing outfielders, like , who has some intriguing tools. One problem: Cordero and most of his teammates remain unproven. Yelich, on the other hand, already has accomplished a lot before his 27th birthday.

For now, a Hosmer signing feels far more likely than a trade for Yelich, even as the Padres aren’t eager to raise their offer to the former.

Barring an acquisition, who are the favorites for opening day outfield starters?

Margot is a lock in center field. is the favorite in right field, but his job isn’t nearly as secure as Margot’s. His late-season demotion in 2017 reinforced that fact.

The tightest competition should occur in left field. Based on his work last year, Jose Pirela is the frontrunner, but he hasn’t been nearly as impressive as Cordero in winter ball. Alex Dickerson needs to stay on the field to make it a three-man race. and Matt Szczur will attempt to break camp in a reserve role.

Any word on Alex Dickerson recovery??

Dickerson underwent back surgery in late June. Since that procedure ended a season that never began, the left fielder has been able to take a gradual approach to his preparation.

Dickerson recently started hitting on the field again. He expects to be 100 percent in spring training.

Good morning @sdutdennislin. will the Padres have a 6 man pitching rotation? 3

General A.J. Preller said last weekend that the Padres will continue discussing the possibility of a six-man rotation in the lead-up to spring training. Those discussions will extend into March. With young arms that will require protection not only this year but in the years to come, the team will carry six starters more often than it has in the past.

At this juncture, it also seems unlikely that the Padres roll with more than five starters on opening day. The main drawback of that type of setup is it limits what a manager can do, and unfortunately for San Diego, the roster does not include a two-way talent such as Shohei Ohtani.

The Padres still have more than enough infielders and more than enough outfielders. They’ll have to resolve both areas before they consider a six-man rotation, which should become a reality at some point during the season.

Four-part question: Is Headley pretty much a lock to start at 3B? Or does Spangenberg get the job, with Asuaje at 2B? Also, what is the team's outlook on Villanueva? He was impressive last year. Do you see him making the 25 man roster?

If Chase Headley is on the opening-day roster, he’ll start at third base. He is the club’s most experienced position player, and he will make $14 million in the final year of his contract. (He received a $1 million assignment bonus because he was traded.)

That would leave and to compete for the second-base job, with prospect Luis Urias not far from his major league debut. It would leave third baseman Christian Villanueva, who warrants a continued look after launching four home runs in a brief September cameo, on the outside looking in. None of this would be ideal.

I still expect one of Headley, Spangenberg and Asuaje to be traded before the season begins. For now, the Padres can hang on to their depth, a guard against the injuries that inevitably will crop up throughout the spring.

Are the Padres convinced tatis Jr. is most valuable at ss or is 3b in consideration?

There’s no question that Tatis would provide the most value if he can stick at shortstop. The Padres have maintained a belief that he can and will do just that, but their thinking is tinged with at least a little optimism. 4

Tatis, who turned 19 on Jan. 2, is already 6-foot-4. Should he grow any taller or add a significant amount of bulk, he will encounter some difficulties playing a premium position in the field.

That said, more than a few scouts think Tatis has the aptitude to join the ranks of good, tall major league shortstops. Carlos Correa and Corey Seager seem to be doing OK, and Tatis possesses comparable athleticism.

An eventual move to third base wouldn’t hurt too much. Tatis’ bat profiles well at either position.

5

Resilient, cancer-free Randy Jones 'not close to being done' on road back

Bryce Miller

Hanging in the home of former Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones is a game-worn jersey from 1975, the season he piled up 20 wins and paced the National League with a 2.24 earned- run average.

Above the cursive “a” and “d” in Padres rest a collection of brown smudges more than four decades old. The jersey reminds Jones of his exceptional athletic past, along with his stubbornly unaccommodating medical present.

Those stains prod memories of what he tucked inside his lip before each of his 285 career starts.

“That’s chewin’ tobacco, yeah,” said Jones, newly 68, surveying the speckled memento of his playing youth. “I used to spit all over myself. You’d have tobacco juice in your throat all the time. That can’t be good for you. That’s where it started.”

The throat-cancer diagnosis Jones kicked to the curb last May caused him to shed nearly 45 pounds. Radiation treatments essentially robbed him of his taste buds, leaving him unsure if he’ll ever savor a full meal again. A “super virus” he’s still unable to shake caused him to undergo a vocal cord biopsy the day after Christmas and makes every swallow painful.

Jones remains cancer-free, but knows he’s battling through one of life’s 10-pitch at-bats.

“You’ve got to deal with what life gives you,” Jones said this week, overlooking the orchard he lovingly tends that pumps out plums, apricots, pears, oranges, limes and enough other backyard bounty to stock a small grocery store.

“I’m still going through it. You can hear it in my voice. I’m not close to being done.”

That’s the in Jones, staring down an opponent until the job is done. Health roadblocks make the challenge thornier, but he refuses to back away from projects that include the Randy Jones Run/Walk for Independence on Feb. 17 in Crown Point Park. 6

The event raises money for Home of Guiding Hands, an El Cajon-based organization that benefits those who are developmentally disabled in the San Diego area.

Jones worked with the group all the way back to the days when he debuted permed hair and a perplexing sinkerball. One time, kids at the home tackled a project selling red apple ice plants for landscaping. He was working on a new home near Poway and needed something to anchor a hillside and thwart erosion.

Soon, a truck arrived at the home. They had 300 flats to sell. Jones bought them all. They pulled together 300 more. He bought those, too.

“I needed something like that and wanted to help them,” he said. “I just thought it was overwhelming, what they did. They find someone a job at McDonald’s, you learn how to ride a bus and all of that.

“They find you what you can do, not what you can’t. You live a life.”

That last thought resonates with Jones. Cancer causes perspective to sneak into the cracks and crevices of the everyday. Fruit dangling from the trees suddenly smells a little sweeter, the sun feels a little warmer, the grandkids’ smiles shine a little brighter. The heart cuts through the haze.

Jones remembers the contrasting feelings while driving back from a central trip with his hunting spaniel, R.J., in November 2016. It’s wasn’t unusual for his tonsils to swell up from time to time, but antibiotics always did the trick. Until this time.

When Jones reached Los Angeles on the way back, he began to worry. Something wasn’t right. He walked into his doctor’s office on Monday. A CT scan followed.

“I wasn’t in my truck 10 minutes and my doctor called and said, ‘Turn around. I need to see you right now,’ ” Jones recalled. “That’s when I knew I had cancer. I remember, I was on the 15 (freeway), I got off on Miramar Way, did a U-turn and said, ‘OK, here we go.’ ”

The radiation treatments battered his immune system. In October, “the cold from hell” took hold as he lost his voice for six weeks. It frustratingly lingers, still.

Jones peeked at the chew-stained jersey. Any regrets? 7

“Sure,” he said. “But hindsight, what are you going to do?”

These days, Jones gnaws on an herbal concoction he nicknamed “ground-up asparagus,” a no- tobacco, no-nicotine substitute. He works with a trainer at the gym a couple of times a week. His throat can’t tolerate something cold, like ice cream – and eating without the benefit of taste aggravates.

“Every once in a while I’ll taste a bite out of nowhere, then it’s gone,” Jones said. “I might have the first two bites of a steak and think, man that tastes good. Then everything’s gone. I’d say 95 percent of what I eat, I can’t taste.

“If that’s what you need to be to be cancer-free, so be it.”

The weight tumbled off, dropping to a low of 162. Now, Jones hovers around 170 — a familiar benchmark.

“That’s my old pitching weight,” he said. “I always bragged that one of these days I could get down to my old playing weight, but I didn’t know I was going to do all of this. I got a whole new wardrobe.”

Hopefully, that new wardrobe will include a Padres jersey as a special instructor at spring training in Peoria, Ariz.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “We’ll see, though. You don’t want to take any steps back.”

Don’t count him out. He’s helping Home for Guiding Hands. He’s running his charity golf tournament. He’s tending the orchard. He’s chasing around the grandkids.

Toeing the rubber. Again.

==

Randy Jones Run-Walk for Independence

The annual 5K that raises money for El Cajon-based Home of Guiding Hands — an organization that aids the developmentally disabled — is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., Feb. 17, in Crown Point Park. 8

Early-bird rates for those who register by Feb. 1: $30 for adults; $25 for students, seniors and military.

To register: www.randyjonesrunwalk.org

9

Padres roster review: Matt Strahm

Jeff Sanders

Sizing up the Padres’ 40-man roster, from A to Z, heading into the 2018 season.

MATT STRAHM

• Position: Left-handed pitcher • 2018 Opening Day age: 26 • Bats/throws: L/R • Height/weight: 6-foot-3 / 185 pounds • Acquired: From the Royals in a July 2017 trade • Contract status: Earned $538,900 in 2017; won’t be arbitration-eligible until 2020 at the earliest • Key stats: 2-5, 5.45 ERA, 37 Ks, 22 BBs, 1.50 WHIP, .236 opponent avg., 34 2/3 (24 games, 3 starts)

STAT TO NOTE

• 10.9 – per nine innings over 251 1/3 innings in the minors, including 11.6 in 94 innings between the Royals two A-ball affiliates in 2015. For his career, Strahm has a 3.75 -to-walk ratio over parts of five minor league seasons.

TRENDING

• Idle – A 21st-round pick out of Neosho County Community College (Kan.) in 2012, Strahm rose from throwing 82 mph to pushing his as high as 96 mph in relief in the Royals’ system. He missed all of 2013 and most of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery but earned his first big league call-up by July 2016. Strahm fanned 30 of the first 88 big league batters he faced to open 2017 as the Royals’ second-best prospect, according to , only to have a torn patellar tendon in his left knee end his season in July. In fact, Strahm was on the shelf when the Padres acquired

10

him, left-hander and teenage infielder Esteury Ruiz for right- handers and and left-hander . He’d allowed 10 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in his three starts for the Royals last year, but Strahm’s stuff – a mid-90s fastball with late-riding life, mid-80s change-up and a hard curve – allowed the Padres to dream on his upside whether he landed in the rotation or .

2018 OUTLOOK

• Strahm was expected to miss nearly four months of baseball activity after his July procedure, so he is expected to be healthy to open camp. He’s an option to compete for a role in either the rotation and/or bullpen this spring, although General Manager A.J. Preller said at FanFest that he expects plans for Strahm to crystalize after conversations with staff leading up to the start of camp.

11

Top prospects highlight Padres' non-roster invitations to spring training

Dennis Lin

A number of the Padres’ top prospects and a few retreads are among 24 players who have received invitations to major league spring training. Camp opens next month, offering opportunities to make impressions or, in some cases, extend careers.

Several of San Diego’s brightest minor league talents will inhabit the clubhouse at the Peoria Sports Complex, signaling the progression of a deep farm system. They include shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., second baseman Luis Urias and starting pitchers , Joey Lucchesi, Jacob Nix and .

Right-handers and Chris Young will occupy the other end of the spectrum, leading the eight invitees with big-league experience. Both veterans will attempt to recapture former success after signing minor league deals to return to the organization.

The non-roster list contains other intriguing names. Besides the prospects already mentioned are first baseman , reliever , outfielder , catcher Austin Allen and Brett Kennedy.

Recently arrived on minor league deals are right-handers Jonathan Aro, Michael Mariot and Robert Stock, catcher Raffy Lopez and outfielder Shane Peterson.

Much of the attention, though, will rest on San Diego’s youth movement.

Tatis, who turned 19 on Jan. 2, emerged as one of baseball’s best prospects last season. Though he likely remains at least a season away, he figures to seize a chance to compete alongside established players.

Urias, one of the minors’ most advanced hitters, could make his debut sometime this year, though the Padres first have to settle a remaining surplus of infielders. The 20-year- old and Tatis could team in a preview of San Diego’s double-play combination of the future.

12

Like Urias, Quantrill, Lucchesi, Nix and Lauer could impact the major league team sooner than later. All four are long shots to break camp with the club, but could earn call-ups before 2019.

The burgeoning arms in the system partially explain the Padres’ approach to this offseason. The front office has not given out a major league deal to a starting pitcher, instead opting for inexpensive acquisitions. Ross and Young fit the mold, and will join others in competing for rotation jobs.

Pitchers and catchers report to the Peoria Sports Complex on Feb. 14. The full-squad report date is Feb. 19. The Padres open their Cactus League schedule Feb. 23 against the .

13

MLB.COM Prospects Tatis Jr., Urias among Padres' NRIs

Club releases list of 24 players invited to Spring Training

AJ Cassavell

SAN DIEGO -- Padres general manager A.J. Preller has never been one to shy away from challenging his best prospects. He made that much clear once again on Thursday, when the club announced its non-roster invites to Major League Spring Training.

The list features 24 players, including four highly touted pitching prospects and top middle infielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias. In total, eight of San Diego's 14 top prospects will take part in big league camp.

Among the veterans included are shortstop Dusty Coleman and right-handers Tyson Ross and Chris Young. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to Peoria, Ariz., on Feb. 14, with the first full-squad workout slated for Feb. 19.

"We talk a lot about accelerating the progress of the gifted," Preller said. "Big league Spring Training, for a lot of these [young] guys, is the next part of that process."

Tatis might be the most intriguing inclusion, even though there's almost no chance he will earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 19-year-old is believed to be the Padres' long-term answer at shortstop, and he turned heads across the last season, setting a franchise record with 21 homers at Fort Wayne before his promotion to Double-A.

Tatis should pair with Urias to form what some believe will be the club's double-play duo of the future. Urias, of course, is a bit further along in his progression. He's in big league camp for the second time, and he has an outside shot at a roster spot. (At the very least, Urias will be looking to impress for a potential midseason callup.)

On the mound, top prospects Cal Quantrill (No. 2), Eric Lauer (No. 8), Joey Lucchesi (No. 9) and Jacob Nix (No. 14) are all with the big league club for the first time. None are likely to contend for a rotation place, however, and with 10 other starters in big league camp, their stay might not last long.

That said, they'll each get to pitch early in camp while innings are still available. Those appearances will be viewed as auditions for a possible midseason callup.

14

"It's a chance for them to get acclimated to the big league level, show what they can do," Preller said. "Some of those guys in that group have shown they're advanced for Minor League pitchers. We want to challenge them to show that they're Major League pitchers."

As for the veterans -- the ones with a realistic shot of cracking the Opening Day squad -- Coleman finds himself on solid footing. On paper, he's the best available option to win the backup shortstop job.

Ross and Young, meanwhile, are among 10 legitimate contenders for the five available rotation places. Three of those spots are likely to go to , and Luis Perdomo.

Here's the full list of San Diego's NRIs:

Pitchers Jonathan Aro Adam Cimber Brett Kennedy Lauer Kyle Lloyd Lucchesi Michael Mariot Nix Quantrill Ross Robert Stock T.J. Weir Trey Wingenter Young

Catchers Austin Allen Raffy Lopez Stephen McGee

Infielders Coleman Josh Naylor Tatis Urias

Outfielders Shane Peterson Franmil Reyes 15

Nos. 1, 6 lefty prospects reside in Friars' system

Gore, Morejon earn high rankings in MLB Pipeline's updated list of southpaws

AJ Cassavell

SAN DIEGO -- Looking for baseball's elite left-handers of the future? Look no further than the San Diego farm system.

MLB Pipeline unveiled its updated list of the game's best lefty pitching prospects on Tuesday night, and a pair of 18-year-old Padres farmhands rank among the top six. MacKenzie Gore, the club's first-round pick in last June's Draft, is rated as the game's best young southpaw, while Adrian Morejon checks in at No. 6.

Gore, selected No. 3 overall last summer, was one of the most highly touted high school arms coming out of the Draft. In his senior season at Whiteville High School in North Carolina, he posted an absurd 0.19 ERA and 158 strikeouts to just five walks.

He's since erased any doubt whether his dominance would translate to the professional level. In rookie ball, Gore posted a 1.27 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP.

Meanwhile, Morejon spent 2017 between two Padres Class A affiliates in Tri-City and Fort Wayne. As one of the youngest hurlers in both leagues, Morejon posted a 3.86 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP.an. 10th, 2018

Perhaps more than anything, the combo of Gore and Morejon represents the Padres' recent success in the two avenues for acquiring amateur talent.

No team has had more early Draft picks than the Padres over the past two seasons. They put those selections to good use, acquiring righty Cal Quantrill and lefties Eric Lauer and Joey Lucchesi -- all of whom rank among the organization's top 10 prospects. Gore is the crown jewel of the bunch.

Morejon, meanwhile, was part of the club's unprecedented 2016-17 international signing class, in which Padres ownership committed north of $80 million, including taxes. (It's a commitment that likely won't ever be duplicated, given the new restrictions on international spending in the collective bargaining agreement.)

Morejon signed with the Padres in July 2016 for $11 million (while costing the organization another $11 million in penalties.) That investment could pay big dividends down the road. Morejon is ranked behind Oakland's A.J. Puk, the Yankees' Justus Sheffield, Atlanta's Luiz Gohara and Tampa Bay's Brendan McKay, who round out the top five lefty prospects. (McKay was drafted one pick behind Gore last June.)

16

MLB Pipeline will continue unveiling its top prospects by position over the next couple of weeks. With one of the Majors' deepest farm systems, it's a safe bet a few more Padres will rank among those lists.

17

UCSD HEALTH New Sports Medicine Chief Catherine Robertson Personalizes Athlete Care at UC San Diego Health Heather Buschman

Catherine M. Robertson, MD, has been named chief of Sports Medicine at UC San Diego Health. Robertson, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in treating injuries of the shoulder, knee and hip, will further enhance UC San Diego Health’s reputation for customizing innovative, evidenced-based care for all athletes — from the weekend warrior to elite, professional and Olympic athletes.

Robertson is head team physician for the , where UC San Diego Health is the Official Health Care Provider, and the lead physician in the health system’s partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee. She also serves as team physician for the San Diego Sea Lions women's professional soccer team and all UC San Diego Tritons sports teams. She previously served as a team physician for the San Diego Chargers.

“Dr. Robertson is a fantastic surgeon and colleague. She tailors surgical procedures to best suit her individual patients and their unique bodies, injuries and goals — and her patients love her for it,” said Steven Garfin, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “We are very fortunate to have her leading our sports medicine program.”

Robertson is known for using minimally invasive techniques to treat complex ligament, tendon, cartilage and meniscus injuries and restore joint function. She is one of few physicians in Southern California with specialized training in hip arthroscopy (minimally invasive hip surgery).

“I’m passionate about keeping patients active, improving their quality of life and optimizing performance,” Robertson said. “As I continue to lead the sports medicine program here at UC San Diego Health, I’m looking forward to expanding our breadth of care as we add skilled specialists and develop our sports medicine program as the best in the region.”

In addition to her clinical expertise, Robertson conducts research on cartilage restoration and regenerative medicine, sports injuries, and biomechanics of the hip and shoulder. She has published a number of scientific articles related to these topics, presented at national meetings and authored several book chapters.

Robertson earned her medical degree and completed residency training in orthopedic surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Prior to returning to UC San Diego Health in 2009, she completed a nationally renowned sports fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New 18

York. There, she performed complex arthroscopic reconstructions of the knee, shoulder, elbow and hip, and gained considerable experience in the field of women's sports medicine.

Robertson is a Southern California native. She was a competitive youth equestrian and soccer player. Today, she stays fit running, skiing and scuba diving.

The Sports Medicine team at UC San Diego Health is on the leading edge of innovation, with access to advanced surgical and medical diagnostics and procedures, including emerging technologies in cartilage restoration and transplantation, regenerative medicine, advanced imaging techniques and other areas of translational research. Patients also benefit from a multidisciplinary team that includes orthopedic surgeons, family, sports and internal medicine physicians, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, certified athletic trainers, and a sports dietitian who work together to create treatment plans customized to each patient’s specific needs. As San Diego’s only academic medical center, UC San Diego Health is also home to the oldest primary care sports medicine fellowship program in the U.S., training more sports care physicians than any other program.

19