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Shohei Ohtani: The 'Best Player in the Bleacher Report Miller 2 World' Isn't in MLB...Yet

Weaver strong; Cahill stakes rotation claim MLB.com Merkin/Cassavell 10

Flexibility now key to Weaver's delivery, longevity MLB.com Cassavell 11

Margot's knee swollen, but injury not serious MLB.com Cassavell 12

Padres option righty Vargas among 4 moves MLB.com Cassavell 14

Catcher-turned-reliever Jose Ruiz is a prospect to watch UT San Diego Lin 15

Jered Weaver feeling good after Padres debut UT San Diego Lin 17

Padres Make Roster Moves NBC 7 SD Togerson 19

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Shohei Ohtani: The 'Best Baseball Player in the World' Isn't in MLB...Yet

BY: SCOTT MILLER

Bleacher Report

March 6, 2017

TOKYO — New Year's night, a sparkling "2017" is brightly lit atop the Tokyo Tower, and the possibilities ringing in are endless. Proof? Inside apartments on the city's flat screens, a Japanese League champion and heartthrob is squatting behind a makeshift home plate in a studio attempting to receive his own pitches.

"Best baseball player in the world," one high-ranking official with a major league club flatly has declared back in the United States.

"He's…wow!" one veteran scout with a National League club exclaimed.

"All the stories you hear are real as far as the practice power and his ability to throw 100 mph," the international scouting director of another major league club said. "All the stories."

Shohei Ohtani is come back to life a century later in Japan. In leading Hokkaido Nippon Ham to the Japan title last October as a starting and an outfielder/, the Fighters won by virtue of both his power right-handed pitching and lethal left-handed swing.

He also is on deck to become the next Japanese sensation to star in the major leagues.

That's the reality.

Virtual reality, though, is what's keeping folks here glued to their big screens on this New Year's night. The television show is called ni Shiyagare, and the host is popular Japanese singer and actor Kazunari Ninomiya.

When Ninomiya takes his turn squatting behind the plate attempting to "" an Ohtani using virtual reality technology, he not only fails miserably, but he's also visibly scared to death while doing so. To him, it looks like Ohtani's pitch is coming in at 200 mph. And yet, he knows there is no hardball zeroing in on him at all.

It's nothing to hang his head about. Because soon Ohtani steps in to bat, facing himself.

At the plate is the man who crushed 22 homers and .322 with 18 doubles, 67 RBI and seven steals in 323 at-bats last season.

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On the mound is the man who went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA and 174 in 140 .

In the studio, the man who was named MVP of Japan's for both his hitting and pitching prowess swings and misses twice before he connects with a pitch.

Even Ohtani has difficulty hitting Ohtani.

"That was an eye-opening experience," he tells me later in the winter, when I finally catch up with him. "It's hard to find opportunities to actually face myself and, to be honest, my pitches felt much faster than I anticipated.

"I actually think that whole experience broadened my visions as a baseball player."

The rest of Nippon shudders.

The major leagues salivate.

Ohtani is dressed sharply for the program in a black suit and light blue tie. He has a baby face and an easy smile. He laughs a lot. Next up is a Wii-like baseball game called Pawapuro between Ohtani and Ninomiya, and the show host suggests to the slugger/flamethrower that if Ohtani loses, Ninomiya takes half of his salary, which last year was $1.83 million. More laughter.

They chat for a bit. Ohtani tells him that he feels more comfortable as a pitcher, because he is more in control. And he can focus more. But he's been hitting longer, so that comes more naturally.

The Fighters have told him they will post him after the 2017 season if he wishes—and that's one reason he continues to both pitch and hit: It makes him more marketable. He praises the Fighters profusely for allowing him this leeway. Their thinking is flexible, he says, and that's why he signed with them back in 2012. He was surprised that a team would allow him to do both, and he moved quickly when the offer was made.

The game of Pawapuro commences and, predictably, Ohtani wins. So now Ninomiya must fulfill one of Ohtani's requests—that's the deal. Ohtani gleefully orders him to walk around the set imitating a film director. He does, and everybody laughs.

Back in the States, the intrigue grows. When will Ohtani arrive? And who will sign him?

"He's a rock star," a high-ranking official for yet another club says. "No doubt about it."

______

The bad news both for Ohtani and for this month's is that the man who many believe is the world's best baseball player is on the shelf with an ankle injury. It is a blow to the WBC, which would have benefited immensely from his participation, and it is a blow to Ohtani himself because so many major league scouts and executives are jockeying for position to evaluate him, get close to him, woo him. 3

Of course, that might require getting in a bathtub with him.

It turns Ohtani enjoys long baths. He also loves naps and likes to watch movies. At least that's what he tells the New Year's night TV audience in Japan. And while he's soaking in the tub, he's usually reading.

"He stays to himself a lot, but at the same time when you talk with him he opens right up," pitcher Anthony Bass, in camp with Texas this spring and a teammate of Ohtani's last season in Japan, tells B/R. "He's not shy. I can only imagine what he's going through. Everywhere we traveled, he was bombarded with people. Photographers. People wanting his autograph.

At the age of 22, Ohtani has achieved a level of fame that transcends baseball in Japan.Kenichi Iwamoto/Haikkado Nippon-Ham Fighters

"It was like he was LeBron James walking through the airport there. I think that's another reason he wants to come over to America. He won't get noticed as much."

Chris Martin, who pitched for Colorado in 2014 and the Yankees in 2015 before signing with the Fighters last year, chuckles.

"In Japan, the fanbase is a little more toward women, and I think they have huge crushes on these guys," Martin tells B/R. "They get to giggling. It's pretty funny to watch.

"I would just hear stories that he wasn't able to go out, that he'd have people surrounding him, asking for pictures, autographs, whatever. He kind of stuck to his room because of his status."

Both Bass and Martin agree that if anyone could star in the major leagues either as a pitcher or hitter, or both, it is Ohtani. Martin has heard comparisons to Josh Hamilton, because when Hamilton was first coming up, many people thought he could do it all, too. Bass was a teammate of Hamilton's briefly in Texas in 2015 and says the sound the ball makes coming off Ohtani's bat is similar to that off Hamilton's.

"I told him, 'You should come to the Cubs. They're a good team, they won the , and you can hit,'" Bass says. "It's hard to get anything from him when it comes to his decision and baseball. He just laughs, jokes about how he wants to be able to hit. He likes when he's not pitching to be able to contribute in another way. He feels like he pitches better when he hits regularly. That's what he says."

The young Japanese players live in dormitories in Sapporo during the season, while their foreign counterparts live outside the city in three-bedroom apartments. Bass says Ohtani is a great teammate and very approachable, even if they did need to converse through a translator.

At one point last season, Bass acquired a remote-controlled drone from a vending machine in Japan. To break the boredom of the long season and to amuse his teammates, he would sometimes fly it in the clubhouse. That piqued Ohtani's interest.

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"He'd like to play with it as well, try to land it on different teammates," Bass says. "On their heads, or on their hands. He did that a couple of times.

"We were all kind of having fun messing around. It was a cheap little drone, but it was fun."

The New Year's night television program is good fun as well, and Ohtani's sense of humor is easily evident. He is a good sport throughout.

"I, too, found it hilarious," Ohtani tells me regarding the host Ninomiya's shaky turn as during which he was visibly terrified while attempting to receive one of Ohtani's virtual reality pitches. "But I can totally understand how he feels because, to be honest, I was a little scared myself."

Teammates and scouts say he handles the increasing pressure with grace and aplomb. Maybe it's because he's so young he doesn't know any better. Maybe it's because he accepts life on its terms rather than trying to wrestle it to fit his terms.

No matter the coping mechanism, Ohtani will need it. Already, he is regarded as the best overall player set to leave Japan for the States since Ichiro Suzuki, though some are careful not to draw too many comparisons.

Takashi Ofuchi is the Fighters' amateur scout group leader. Over lattes at a posh coffee shop in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo in January, he details the differences between the two stars through a translator. "They're both smart, but it's a different smartness," Ofuchi says. "Ichiro, in our world, is like a craftsman. He's focused mainly on one thing [hitting] and has intelligence in that.

"Ohtani, when you look at him, he has more broad intelligence. If you took baseball away from him, he could do anything else. It's that kind of smartness. You can see it in his range of fans. They go from the elderly to the young, men and women. Ichiro mainly has men fans.

"If Ichiro were the type of person who would look back at each of his chances in the batter's box, Ohtani would be the type of person who, if he didn't hit the ball, he wouldn't mind."

That doesn't mean he doesn't care. Both Bass and Martin rave about his work ethic. And when you play two different positions, there's twice as much work to do.

During the , his was clocked as high as 102.5 mph. And during an exhibition series in November against the Netherlands in preparation for the WBC, he blasted a home that still has people talking.

"Over in Japan, power is limited, and velocity is limited," Martin says. "He's a rare breed. People really enjoy watching it. I enjoy watching it. It's impressive."

At 6'4" and 189 pounds, Ohtani is, Bass notes, "kind of a man amongst boys in Japan, particularly when he's on the mound."

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He cut an indelible presence off the mound in Japan, too, last summer. Ohtani's face was everywhere. Billboards. Newspapers. Television.

"We'd be walking through the airport, and people would do takes and start following him," Bass says. "They'd want to take pictures. He'd have to kind of box himself in with a group of teammates so people would stay away. Security would even come over to keep people moving so they wouldn't block the walkway."

No matter the attention, Ohtani remains pretty chill about life. "This may sound like a cliche, but I do not feel pressure at all when it comes to playing baseball, and this is being 100 percent honest," Ohtani says. "Playing baseball is genuinely fun for me, and I enjoy every moment of my time on the field, whether it's practice or game time."

______

Two questions hang over Ohtani in this pre-courting stage with major league clubs: when and where?

While the first requires an answer only Ohtani can offer, the second is a bit more complicated.

Multiple sources told B/R they could have envisioned Ohtani signing for $200 million or more, but the new international rules cap teams from spending more than $5 million on international free agents unless the international player they sign is 25 or older and has played at least six professional seasons. Ohtani is 22 and has played four.

Some in the industry think his talent is so exquisite that he should be grandfathered in under the old rules as a true international free agent. MLB sources firmly declare that is not going to happen, and though the timing may be unfortunate, Ohtani will be governed by the new rules just like everybody else.

So, will Ohtani post after the 2017 season? Or, might he wait until after the 2019 season for what surely would be a financial windfall?

"Personally, the new CBA rules do not mean much to me, and it is not going to stop me from going over to the States," Ohtani tells B/R. "The only thing that worries me is the other young players that might try to go overseas after me. I don't want to set the bar too low for them and have to get underpaid because of my decision."

His will be a precedent-setting case on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

What he ultimately decides to sign for will influence some of those who come after him.

And assuming MLB does not bend the rules and Ohtani can score only $5 million if he opts to sign in the States after the 2017 season, well, that means it will not only be the , Boston Red Sox, , Texas Rangers and other deep-pocketed clubs

6 who will have a chance to sign him. It means mid- to small-market clubs may be able to box others out.

One B/R Japanese source thinks the could even have an inside track, and given their working relationship with the Fighters, maybe that's not out of the question.

Interestingly, the Padres this spring quietly hired Seiichiro Nakagaki as director of applied sports science, a position in which he will aid in strength and conditioning on the minor league side. Nakagaki is close with Texas ace and joined the Rangers' organization from Hokkaido in 2012, when Darvish signed with Texas as a free agent. Ohtani idolized Darvish as he was growing up, so much so that he was given the ace's old number, 11, by the Fighters when he was drafted as an inducement to sign with them.

Ohtani would love to continue as a two-way player, but the economics surrounding may limit his options.

"If he gets -, -area money, do you want a guy running around the bases and playing in the when he doesn't pitch?" asks one longtime international scout. "Certainly, he could pinch hit coming off the bench, like [ manager] Joe Maddon used those guys last year. It would be like having an extra player. He's a good runner, a 70 runner (on the scouts' 10 through 80 scale, with 80 being the highest). You add some value that way, but, again, it gets back to if you invest all that money."

Echoes another high-ranking official with an American League team: "He's going to get all of this money, but what happens if he goes on the DL with an oblique strain and he was your No. 2 starter?"

"I think he'll end up pitching, but I think some team is going to let him do both," one NL scout predicts. "The conclusion I'm hearing from a lot of people who have seen him is that, in the end, he's probably a pitcher."

As always, it likely will come back to the money and market. The near-consensus from multiple sources holds that a smaller-market team with less external pressures that signs him for fewer dollars, such as the Padres, perhaps could afford the flexibility to allow Ohtani to both hit and pitch. Whereas, if it is the Yankees or Red Sox or Dodgers who get him, the high-profile signing, pressure to win and external noise surely would lead them to negotiate with Ohtani that he plays only one position.

It was only a little more than four years ago, of course, that another team in another country was faced with these hard questions. And when representatives from the Fighters first met with Ohtani on Sept. 26, 2012, according to the club's internal notes obtained by B/R, he told them that his desire was to bypass Nippon Professional Baseball and sign with a major league team right out of high school.

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When the Fighters nevertheless made him the No. 1 overall pick in the NPB draft in October 2012, Ohtani reiterated: "I am determined to go to the major leagues. There isn't any possibility of me accepting the offer."

"I want to have the skills of a top major league player," Ohtani told Fighters representatives in a meeting a week later. "I want to be a pioneer."

That changed a month later, however, when Masao Yamada, the club's general manager, explained how difficult statistically it is for young players to succeed in the majors and floated the idea that Ohtani could both hit and pitch for Nippon Ham.

According to the club's internal notes, "Ohtani smiled and seemed interested in the suggestion."

"After seeing Ohtani succeed both hitting and pitching, we felt, in a way, with humans we try to make categorizations," Ofuchi tells B/R.

"If you become a professional baseball player, you're either a hitter or a pitcher. It's a set way of thinking.

"But if a person has the possibility to do everything, we need to look at that person and his talent and bring his skills along all at the same time. It's like Michelangelo and Einstein. They could do art and science, everything."

In other words, why put boundaries on genius and creativity?

"As a scout, I have to look at the person and his abilities and see if this high school player was capable," said Ofuchi, who is entering his 12th season as a Fighters scout and was instrumental in helping convince Ohtani to sign with the club.

"Ohtani is the player who changed my way of thinking."

______

The first time Ofuchi ever saw Ohtani play, it was Ohtani's second year in high school, and he was "tall, but thin and not that strong." He was a famous player at the time, but he wasn't a "major" player, the scout says. He just didn't stand out much.

But that changed by Ohtani's final year in high school, at the Spring Koshien—a national high school invitational tournament that ranks as one of sport's most popular attractions in Japan. Facing fellow high school phenom Shintaro Fujinami, who now pitches for the Hanshin Tigers, Ohtani walloped a that Ofuchi still vividly recalls today.

"Speaking technically, it was very beautiful," Ofuchi says. "I had never seen anything like it before. I thought it was perfect."

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That was a far cry from what he thought of Ohtani's pitching at the time. Ohtani's control was erratic because his "pitching form" (i.e. mechanics) "was not completed," Ofuchi recalls. According to the scout, his arms were too long and his balance wasn't good.

But those batting skills…"perfect."

So, too, were his manners. Ofuchi still recalls a plane flight the two took shortly after the Fighters had drafted Ohtani four years ago. As they were disembarking from the plane, Ohtani graciously handed Ofuchi his sports jacket.

"For a high school student to do that in Japan … it's not what everyone does," Ofuchi says. "At that moment, I felt even if he became rich with money, it won't change him. He acts formal to adults and elders, and it is a kind and humble thing to do."

Now, the intrigue surrounding Ohtani is growing sharper by the day. For the $20 million posting fee—the money a major league team must pay to the Fighters for the right to negotiate a free- agent deal with Ohtani whenever the team posts him—the majority of MLB clubs are expected to show interest. Meanwhile, the tea-leaf reading is underway. One scout says he thinks the fact the Fighters are trying to build a new stadium to replace the Sapporo Dome is an indication they will post Ohtani after this season—they need the cash.

Whenever they post him, the race will be on in earnest.

"I never thought a professional team in Japan would let me do both hitting and pitching before I was drafted, so I can only imagine that it would be a tougher decision for an MLB team to let me do both," Ohtani tells B/R. "Personally, I would love to do both in the MLB, too, but, ultimately, it is going to be the organization's decision, so I would have to leave that up to them."

"He's a front-line starter," one longtime international scout says. "At the same stage, he is emotionally and physically more mature than Darvish was. He has a better fastball and better command of his fastball. He's a real good athlete."

Yet, says one club's international scouting director, "with that kind of tool set, you're going to want to explore all your options. I don't think it's too crazy to explore both."

Adds an MLB executive: "You cannot downplay the physicality of the player, the athleticism combined with that size and strength. The only thing that I would caution, I do think that we forget that Nippon Professional Baseball is not the major leagues. … And that's not diminishing this player's ability or future abilities."

In other words, to those who may take it for granted that Ohtani may step right into the majors and blast 40 home runs, whoa, slow down.

"I just wonder how he's going [to adjust]," continues the executive. "Over there, there's not a lot of real travel. They get Mondays off. It's pitching every seven days instead of every five [for a

9 starter]. He can adjust; I don't think anyone's going to question that. It's just the idea of … I read somewhere where someone said he could play three days a week and pitch every fifth."

That's great in theory, the executive says. But when the season's grind begins…

"Whatever market he goes into, yes, he's going to be the guy, but he's not going to get hounded as much as he's hounded over there from the media, tabloids, etc. That experience has taken place. Now, failure? He's had a little, not a lot. All indications are he's a smart young man, and credit to Nippon Ham. They've done a good job with him. They've protected him in some ways and demanded from him in others."

As of this winter, Ohtani had yet to hire a western agent who will ultimately steer him into the major leagues. Representatives of Scott Boras have been spotted in Japan. If fellow Japanese star , the Yankees' starter, advises Ohtani, that could play well for his guy, Casey Close. And given Ohtani's reverence for Darvish, perhaps he could wind up with Arn Tellem.

And now, after the superb start to his professional career, capped (so far) when he led the Fighters to the title last autumn, it is clear that Ohtani will have to make a decision soon.

Indeed, the possibilities ringing in are endless.

"Of course, MLB is more diverse; there are a lot of players from all over the world," Ofuchi says. "It is a higher level than Japanese baseball. If some U.S. scouts say he is the best player in the world, maybe he is. But I haven't seen Ohtani play in the major leagues, so I don't know that to be true.

"He has the ability to overcome his challenges. I think most major leaguers overcome their challenges physically, but he has the intelligence, also."

It is another tool in Ohtani's very well-stocked set. Pitch, hit and think…maybe he really is Michelangelo on the mound, Einstein in the batter's box. No matter how much of this is reality and how much is virtual reality, one thing is clear: MLB teams will be jockeying for position to find out for themselves, and very soon. Weaver strong; Cahill stakes rotation claim

BY: SCOTT MERKIN AND AJ CASSAVELL

MLB.com

March 6, 2017

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Let's call the Padres' 6-5 victory over the White Sox at Camelback Ranch a rare case of Throwback Monday.

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Jered Weaver, 34, made his Cactus League debut, and , the 35-year-old right- hander whom the White Sox acquired from the Padres last season, took the mound for Chicago. Weaver worked two innings, and allowed one run on four hits with one .

Shields yielded four runs on two hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings, and it was his own defensive miscue that prevented him from finishing three innings. Shields threw away Allen Cordoba's two-out, slow-roller in front of the plate, allowing two runs to score during a four-run San Diego third.

Trevor Cahill, the youngster of this group at 29, hurled three scoreless innings as Weaver's replacement. The right-hander is competing for a rotation spot, and has been arguably the Padres' most impressive pitcher this spring. Over five shutout frames, he's allowed just one hit.

"He's been outstanding," Padres manager Andy Green said. "It's confidence, poise, posture. The way he's throwing the baseball, he's on top of his game."

Cody Asche's two-run homer in the sixth cut the lead to one. It was the first blast of the spring for the veteran left-handed hitter.

Padres up next: The Padres square off against Team Mexico in an exhibition game slated for 12:10 p.m. PT on Tuesday. Should Mexico advance out of Pool C -- that begins play Thursday -- it would play its second-round games at Petco Park. Walker Lockett starts for the Friars, and Christian Friedrich is slated to pitch as well.

White Sox up next: The White Sox have a scheduled off-day on Tuesday, but Derek Holland and Michael Kopech are both slated to throw simulated games at the Camelback Ranch complex. The White Sox return to the field Wednesday at home against the Brewers, with Carson Fulmer getting the start. Flexibility now key to Weaver's delivery, longevity

BY: A.J. CASSAVELL

MLB.com

March 6, 2017

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Flexibility wasn't always the priority for Jered Weaver. Half a decade ago, when he was a perennial Cy Young Award candidate in Anaheim, Weaver wasn't exactly focused on preserving his range of motion.

He's a different pitcher now. After signing with San Diego on Feb. 18, the 34-year-old right- hander made his Padres debut on Monday during a 6-5 win against the White Sox. He allowed one run on four hits over two innings while using his entire arsenal of pitches.

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Given his age and declining velocity, Weaver has paid more attention to his flexibility over the past year. He says it has made him freer in his delivery, and played a big role in his solid finish to 2016.

"[I'm] 10 steps ahead of where I was last year," Weaver said following his outing. "I could get the ball in the arm-slot that I want to. I'm not fighting against myself. I can throw around my body as opposed to having to compensate on my front side for how my shoulder's feeling. ... It's night- and-day from last year."

Earlier this spring, Weaver said that, "a lot of years of bad maintenance on my body" had begun to make him feel restricted on the mound. It started with a tight hip. Then, when he began to overcompensate, his shoulder and his neck stiffened.

In 31 starts last season, Weaver posted a 5.06 ERA -- a run-and-a-half higher than his career average. He finished the year, however, with a 3.04 mark over his final four starts. During that time, he said he regained the "lankiness" in his delivery.

"Now that I have a little bit more extension with everything kind of freeing up, the two-seamer was a little better than expected in my first spring start," Weaver said.

Added Padres manager Andy Green: "I see extension, I see hand height, I see higher leg lift. ... Last year, that wasn't happening early in the season. I see a lot of positive signs early on."

Weaver appears to have his starting spot locked up in San Diego, where he's the elder-statesman on one of baseball's youngest rosters. After spending 11 seasons with the Angels, it's Weaver's first time in a new clubhouse. His early impressions are positive.

"Great group of guys, man," Weaver said. "They like to have fun, but they turn it on when they need to. If you can mix fun in when you're supposed to and take care of business on the field -- it's a good happy medium." Margot's knee swollen, but injury not serious

BY: A.J. CASSAVELL

MLB.com

March 6, 2017

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres believe center fielder Manuel Margot won't be sidelined for long by his knee injury.

Margot, the club's top prospect, left Sunday's game against Cleveland with left knee soreness after he slipped while exiting the batter's box. 12

"Nothing structurally wrong at all," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He's got a little bit of swelling in there today. We're probably looking at him taking it easy through the off-day."

The Padres have their first off day of the spring on Wednesday. Margot, who is 3-for-14 in the Cactus League, is competing for an outfield spot on the Opening Day roster. More specifically, he's battling for the starting center field job with Travis Jankowski.

Schimpf sidelined

Second baseman Ryan Schimpf was scratched from Monday's game against the White Sox with left-oblique tightness, but he could return Thursday, Green said.

Ryan Schimpf was taken out of Monday's lineup with left-oblique tightness.AP

Schimpf, who is competing with Cory Spangenberg for the Padres' starting second base job, first felt the tightness while taking ground balls.

"My expectation, from what I've been told, is he'll be good to go right after the off-day," Green said. "We just didn't want him to push it at that point in time."

Clemens hit hard in B game

Right-hander Paul Clemens started Monday's "B" Game against Seattle -- a contest which featured a handful of regulars for both sides. Over three innings, Clemens allowed four runs on six hits while striking out two.

As has often been the case with Clemens, his looked very sharp at times. But he was too frequently behind in the to make the pitch as useful as it could have been.

Clemens was roughed up during a shaky three-run second . But he settled in for a 1-2-3 third in which he induced three weak grounders.

At the dish, meanwhile, a pair of top prospects impressed. Franchy Cordero (ranked No. 25 in the Padres' system) and Javier Guerra (No. 26) each homered as part of multi-hit games.

Youngsters get their chance

With a so many regulars taking part in the "B" game, the Padres' prospects took center-stage in the latter innings of Monday's win against the White Sox.

Jorge Ona (No. 9), part of the Padres' recent international spending spree, started and went 1-for- 3. Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 8), Hudson Potts (No. 14) and Buddy Reed (No. 30) -- all of whom joined the organization last June -- also appeared.

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Padres option righty Vargas among 4 moves

BY: A.J. CASSAVELL

MLB.com

March 6, 2017

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Scratch one name off the Padres' long list of candidates for the Opening Day rotation.

Right-hander Cesar Vargas was optioned to -A El Paso on Monday, one of four roster moves announced by San Diego. Vargas -- who missed the final four months of last season with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow -- would not have received the necessary workload had he remained with the big league club.

"What he came off last year, with the depth of competition we have in the starters race, it gets down to the point where there weren't going to be innings for him to be stretched out in camp," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Now that he feels healthy, it's, 'Go pitch. Go pitch in the Minor Leagues, get your way back here.'"

Dinelson Lamet, Aroni Nina and Michael Kelly were also reassigned to Minor League camp. Lamet had an outside chance to crack the , but none of those moves come as a surprise.

The Vargas decision certainly qualifies, however. He sustained his elbow injury last May during a start in Arizona in which he allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. Before that, however, Vargas had posted a 3.34 ERA while showcasing immense poise and a devastating cutter. He made two appearances this spring, allowing two runs (one earned) over 3 1/3 frames.

San Diego's rationale for sending Vargas to the Minors certainly makes sense. Jered Weaver, Clayton Richard and Jhoulys Chacin are all rotation favorites. After that, approximately six others will compete for the final two spots.

"The race is getting whittled down," Green said. "As you go through camp, you start looking at nine guys in a starting mix. We, frankly, don't have innings. As much as you'd love to go all the way through camp and give guys a legitimate chance to compete, you can't get your guys ready for the season. So you have to start making decisions."

Vargas was the first casualty, leaving Luis Perdomo, Jarred Cosart, , Christian Friedrich, Tyrell Jenkins and Paul Clemens fighting for two spots. The Padres also have a few bullpen spots up for grabs, and a few of the mentioned above are candidates.

Green added that he expects to see Vargas back with the big league club in the near future.

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"He missed [four months] last year," Green said. "He wasn't ready to compete full bore with everybody else. He was just a step behind. I'm glad he feels great, and I would, at some point in time during the season, consider him a depth starter."

With the moves, San Diego has 64 players in Major League camp. Catcher-turned-reliever Jose Ruiz is a prospect to watch

BY: DENNIS LIN

San Diego Union Tribune

March 5, 2017

Christian Bethancourt may be receiving the bulk of the headlines, but inside the Padres’ clubhouse this spring is another player with both catching and nascent pitching abilities.

Unlike Bethancourt, who is attempting to become an unprecedented super-utility type, Jose Ruiz has shelved his catcher’s mitt and turned his full attention to a career on the mound. Ruiz underwent his conversion last summer and, in a brief glimpse, left such a strong impression that the Padres added him to their 40-man roster, shielding him from the Rule 5 draft.

The right-hander logged a total of 12 1/3 innings with 14 strikeouts and no runs. He sat 94-98 mph with his fastball, showing the kind of zip that encouraged the Padres to sign the Venezuelan for $1.1 million in 2011.

“He converted from catcher and showed enough in his arm,” manager Andy Green said, “that this is too intriguing not to protect.”

Last June, Ruiz was hitting just .215 in High -A — and .203 with one home run in his career — when the Lake Elsinore coaching staff proposed a novel idea. Ruiz had played catcher, third base and pitcher growing up, but he had yet to take the mound in a professional capacity.

Ruiz was asked if he’d throw an inning. He agreed. On June 27, he issued a walk, struck out a batter and recorded three outs without allowing a run. Next, farm director Sam Geaney and minor league pitching coordinator Mark Prior approached him.

“It sounded like a good opportunity for me,” Ruiz, 22, said through an interpreter, “and it clearly has been a good decision.”

The Padres sent Ruiz to their spring-training site here to train for a few days. Then, he went to Short-Season Tri-City to work with pitching coach Shaun Cole for a month. In early August, Ruiz debuted as a Dust Devils pitcher.

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He made seven one-inning appearances before he allowed a hit. In 10 2/3 total innings for Tri- City, he yielded only three hits and two walks, striking out 12. The catcher who hadn’t hit much had turned the tables on his opponents.

Ruiz shares some similarities with Bethancourt. At 6-feet-1 and 190 pounds, Ruiz showed above- average athleticism and a potent arm behind the plate.

“From the time he came into the organization, people were talking about his arm strength,” Green said.

Unlike Bethancourt, who is out of minor league options and is undergoing a fast-tracked development, Ruiz has the luxury of time.

“He’s got three years from an options perspective to give him to learn how to pitch,” Green said. “Christian Bethancourt has about three weeks now. It’s a sizably different amount of time to refine the pitching aspect.

“It’s an extremely high-upside arm. Every catching convert immediately draws a comp to (Dodgers closer and former catching prospect) . He’s not Kenley Jansen by any stretch. But he has the opportunity to develop into a very, very good relief pitcher.”

A rival scout who has watched Ruiz and Bethancourt this spring said the former is “further along” as a pitcher, with “better arm action and delivery.” That’s an understandable assessment, given that Ruiz’s conversion began in the low minors last July, a couple months before Bethancourt threw his first bullpen session.

While his fastball already can be overpowering, Ruiz noted that his curveball requires significant work.

“Right now, it’s just something I haven’t mastered,” Ruiz said. “I’ll throw a good one, and then I’ll throw a bad one. It’s just finding more consistency there, so I’ll have my fastball, my change- up and my curveball to make me a more complete reliever.

“From an expectations standpoint, I think it says a lot, if after only one year of pitching they added me to the 40-man. For me, my goals are just to get to the big leagues as soon as possible, but obviously that’s going to take time and refining some things.”

First cuts

The Padres made their first cuts of the spring on Monday, optioning Cesar Vargas to Triple-A El Paso and reassigning three other right-handers — Michael Kelly, Dinelson Lamet and Aroni Nina — to minor league camp. The moves left the Padres with 64 players in major league camp.

Vargas debuted in the majors last season but did not pitch for long after suffering a flexor tendon strain. He will continue being stretched out as a starter, Green said.

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“He feels 100 percent healthy,” Green said. “Just coming off what he came off last year, with the depth of competition we have in the starters’ race, it gets down to the point where there wasn’t going to be innings for him to be stretched out in camp. Missing as much time as he did last year, now that he feels healthy — it’s ‘go pitch. Go pitch in the minor leagues, get your way back here.’”

Vargas, Kelly and Lamet could all open the season in El Paso’s rotation.

As for the Padres’ big-league rotation, there appear to be seven or eight candidates for two openings.

“The race is getting whittled down,” Green said. “As you go through camp, you start looking at nine guys in a starting mix — we frankly don’t have innings. As much as you’d love to go all the way through camp and give guys a legitimate chance to compete, you can’t get your guys ready for the season, so you have to start making decisions.”

Notable

Center fielder Manuel Margot, who exited Sunday’s game due to left knee soreness, has “a little bit of swelling” in the knee, Green said. Margot is scheduled to rest through Wednesday’s off- day. Green said team doctors have found no structural damage in Margot’s knee.

Green said (forearm tightness) was feeling “about the same” Monday, “which isn’t, from our perspective, very good.” The Padres likely will order tests on Edwards’ forearm.

Right-handed prospect Walker Lockett will start Tuesday’s exhibition against Mexico’s World Baseball Classic team. Jered Weaver feeling good after Padres debut

BY: DENNIS LIN

San Diego Union Tribune

March 6, 2017

Jered Weaver’s first start in a Padres uniform did not produce any striking revelations. After all, this was a two-inning appearance in a Cactus League game, a preliminary tune-up for what will be the former Angels pitcher’s 12th season in the majors.

Time will tell if the right-hander can distance himself from a career-worst year in 2016. On Monday, after allowing a run on four hits by the White Sox, Weaver could at least speak to how he felt.

“Not bad,” Weaver said. “Timing was a little off today with the off-speed stuff. You expect that your first time out. When the timing was good everything came out smooth and nice.” 17

In the Padres’ 6-5 victory, Weaver struck out a batter and didn’t walk one. A scout in attendance clocked his fastball between 80 and 83 mph, a reminder that the veteran will have to rely on anything but velocity, but his delivery looked relatively easy.

The same could not be said for much of 2016, when Weaver often dealt with neck, shoulder and back discomfort. Increased flexibility work, he said, has helped.

“(I’m) 10 steps ahead of where I was last year,” Weaver said. “I could get that ball in the arm slot that I want to. I’m not fighting against myself. I can throw around my body as opposed to having to compensate on my front side for how my shoulder’s feeling. My shoulder’s freeing up. There’s a little bit of restriction, but it’s night-and-day from last year.”

Weaver leaned on his fastball and change-up in the first inning. He retired the White Sox’s first two batters, then yielded three consecutive singles. He froze Cody Asche with a called strike to end the frame.

In the second, Weaver mixed in a few breaking balls. He worked around a one-out single, inducing consecutive fly outs.

“I haven’t had my two-seamer very good the last couple of years,” Weaver said. “Now that I have a little bit more extension with everything kind of freeing up, the two seamer was a little better than expected in my first spring start.”

“I see extension, I see hand height, I see higher leg lift, I see getting the ball back to glove side for him, which if you watch last year that wasn’t happening early in the season,” manager Andy Green said. “I see a lot of positive signs early on.”

Unlike Weaver, Trevor Cahill does not have a rotation slot already secured, but the right-hander moved another step in that direction Monday. Cahill followed Weaver on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings in his second Cactus League appearance. Similarly, he had not yielded a run in his spring debut.

“The first day I saw him throw was the best I’ve ever seen him, and all the way through this Cactus League so far, he’s been outstanding,” Green said. “It’s confidence, poise, posture, the way he’s throwing the baseball. He’s on top of his game.”

On the other side, White Sox right-hander James Shields faced the Padres for the first time since they traded him in June. Shields went 2 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, two of which scored on a throwing by the pitcher.

The Padres are still on the hook for $22 million of Shields’ remaining contract — $11 million this year and $11 million in 2017. Part of the return San Diego received was on display in Monday’s game; shortstop prospect Fernando Tatis Jr., 18, drew a walk and scored a run in his Cactus League debut.

Schimpf scratched

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Infielder Ryan Schimpf was scratched from Monday’s lineup because of left oblique tightness. Schimpf had been scheduled to start at second base. He was replaced by Allen Cordoba.

Green described the move as precautionary. The tightness, the manager said, developed after Schimpf took ground balls during morning workouts.

“My expectation, from what I’ve been told, is he’ll be good to go right after the off-day (on Wednesday),” Green said. “Just didn’t want him to push it at that point in time.”

Morning game

With the Padres spreading innings around for their various rotation candidates, right-hander Paul Clemens started a “B” game Monday morning against the Mariners. Clemens, who allowed four runs over his first two Cactus League appearances, gave up four runs on six hits while striking out two.

Outfielder Franchy Cordero and shortstop Javier Guerra each homered for the Padres. Padres Make Roster Moves

BY: DEREK TOGERSON

NBC 7 San Diego

March 6, 2017

The Padres pruned their pitching staff a bit on Monday.

Cesar Vargas was optioned to Triple-A El Paso while Dinelson Lamet, Aroni Nina and Michael Kelly were reassigned to Minor League camp. The Friars now have 64 players in Major League camp.

Vargas pitched well in his MLB debut in 2016 until May 28, his 7th start, which was cut short after 1.2 ineffective innings. Vargas missed the rest of the season with an elbow strain that, luckily, did not require a Tommy John surgery.

The 25-year-old made two appearances in Cactus League games before being sent down to build up his innings. If he stays healthy the 25-year-old righty with the wicked will likely be one of the first players called up if anyone in the Major League rotation gets hurt (or traded).

Of the other players leaving big league camp Lamet was the only one with a shot at making the Opening Day roster this year.

The Padres lost another guy who is expected to be in the starting rotation this year, but not for too long. Jhoulys Chacin left to join the Venezuelan team that will be competing in the World

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Baseball Classic. On Sunday he threw 3.0 innings and gave up a pair of solo home runs in San Diego’s 8-2 loss to the Indians.

Chacin will be joined by 3rd baseman Yangervis Solarte and relief pitcher Jose Castillo on the Venezuela roster. The Padres are also loaning out infielder Luis Urias and RHP Carlos Fisher (Mexico), 1st baseman Josh Naylor and infielder Jamie Romak (Canada), and RHP Bryan Rodriguez (Dominican Republic).

The second round of the WBC will be held at Petco Park from March 14-19 and several of these players might end up playing there. Much like soccer’s World Cup the WBC is broken in to multiple pools with four teams in each pool. The top two teams from Pool C and Pool D will play a round robin format in San Diego to determine who goes to the semi-finals. Those pools look like this:

Pool C - Miami, FL Dominican Republic USA Colombia Canada Pool D - Jalisco, Mexico Mexico Puerto Rico Venezuela Italy

So it’s possible every single one of the Padres could be coming to Petco this year.

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