Padres Press Clips Friday, April 29, 2016

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Norris focusing on present, not trade rumors UT San Diego Lin 2

Winfield cherishes first fan vote into ASG UT San Diego Sanders 5

On the farm: Corner infielders breakdown UT San Diego Sanders 7

Hoffman, Winfield named ASG spokespeople MLB.com Roberts 11

Vintage Upton on display this season in SD MLB.com Cassavell 13

Padres-Dodgers Preview STATS, LLC. DiBenedetto 15

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Norris focusing on present, not trade rumors Padres catcher is off to slow start, could be moved this summer By Dennis Lin | 5:23 p.m. April 28, 2016 | Updated, 5:34 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO — On Monday night at windy AT&T Park, Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz pitched poorly for the first time this season, and his catcher, Derek Norris, struggled to keep the ball in front of him. In the bottom of the first, Pomeranz uncorked his first wild pitch. The next inning, Norris allowed a passed ball. Then came another wild pitch, followed by a run for San Francisco. In the fifth, a fastball from Luis Perdomo bounded off Norris' glove. The Giants promptly scored on a sacrifice fly. They would go on to beat the Padres, 5-4. A few cross-ups behind the plate essentially had cost San Diego the game.

Asked about that performance later in the week, Norris did not mince words.

"It was horses--t," he said, "and I was horses--t."

Norris' willingness to speak his mind has long been part of his rugged appeal. After being acquired from Oakland two Decembers ago, the big-bearded backstop with an equally noticeable tolerance for playing through pain became a fan favorite and an early contender for what would have been his second All-Star Game.

That was before things went south.

Friday, the Padres will arrive at as a 7-15 team, with a roster that could look quite different by the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Norris, who is making $2.925 million this year, is one of several candidates to be moved this summer.

The start to this season has looked like the opposite of 2015, when Norris burst out of the gates before his production dropped off. The 27-year-old is batting just .145 with a and 20 strikeouts. A disillusioned fan base has harped on his defensive shortcomings — the three passed balls, for instance — while glossing over the positive contributions, such as the 33 percent caught-stealing rate or the fact that Pomeranz's first three starts, all successes, came with Norris behind the plate.

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"Other than (Monday), my defense has been pretty damn good, actually," Norris said. "I’m not a big excuse guy. A couple balls got away from me the other night. ... I’ve come a long ways with my defense. I’m extremely confident in my defense."

Regardless of differing perceptions about Norris' level of play, this is the reality of his situation: The Padres should have plenty of incentive to deal him in July. While Austin Hedges, the presumed catcher of the future, will miss at least a month following hand surgery, the club must consider its window for contention. Almost certainly, it isn't open in 2016 and perhaps longer. Meanwhile, Hedges and backup catcher Christian Bethancourt represent younger and cheaper options.

Over the offseason, and especially during spring training, the Texas Rangers considered trading for Norris before finding the asking price too steep for their taste. It doesn't figure to be the last time another team comes calling.

Has all the speculation affected Norris amid his slow start? If it has, he wouldn't say.

"For me, it’s just control what’s controllable," said Norris, who's already been traded twice in his career. "You can’t control trades. You can’t control action or promotions, demotions. I think just focus on what’s in front of you, competing each and every day, going out there and doing your job to the best of your ability. And if somewhere down the road, an opportunity presents itself, just embrace it. Embrace change, embrace all that. As much as I would love to be here for 10, 12 years — hopefully, I can play this game that long, and I would love nothing more than to develop relationships with guys for that long — but the way the game is, people move a lot. Trade deadlines, offseason moves — I mean, ’s crazy nowadays

"If something happens, it’s only for the betterment of me. Any club that trades for you or wants you, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing."

With Hedges sidelined and Norris' current numbers, a move in the immediate future is unlikely. Norris' peripherals, however, suggest he's due for an uptick; his average exit velocity (91.38 mph, per Statcast) is the highest on the team, while his batting average on balls in play (.188) is more than 100 points below his career average.

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"Eventually, it’ll even out for him if he keeps hitting the ball hard," Padres Andy Green said. "I actually love what he’s done, he made a slight adjustment mechanically where he dropped his hands.

"We know the bat is not far off, we know it’s coming. It just hasn’t quite happened for him yet."

When it does, Norris' value will climb, and the speculation may very well intensify. The catcher, as he said, is focused on what's in front of him.

"It’s just living in the moment, embracing everything and trying to make the most out of every situation," he said.

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Winfield cherishes first fan vote into ASG , announced as 2016 MLB All-Star Game spokespersons By Jeff Sanders | 1:04 p.m. April 28, 2016 Dave Winfield earned his first All-Star Game invite in 1977. He appeared in the first All-Star Game in San Diego the following year. Then he was voted into the Midsummer Classic as a starter by the fans for the first time in 1979.

Yes, as a Padre. Don’t think that didn’t mean something to the star of a 68-win team.

“When I was here, we hadn’t really won a lot,” Winfield said Thursday after he and Trevor Hoffman were announced as the spokespersons for this year’s All-Star Game at . “To earn my stripes as one of the better players in the game and for fans to notice it, too, you could feel the growing momentum. First of all, that was an honor. OK, ‘How do you continue to bring this new visibility and respect to the organization, to the city?’

“I was all part of that. I know clearly the way I felt when all that stuff happened. I made that first All-Star Game (in 1977) and that second All-Star Game (in 1978). I was like, ‘I’m going to continue to do what is necessary to play well enough to always go to this if I could.”

He did.

All told, Winfield appeared 12 All-Star Games, including four before leaving the Padres to join the Yankees as the highest player in the game (10 years, $23 million). That put Winfield – the first Padre elected into the Hall of Fame – on the ground floor of the All-Star Game evolving from a one-day showcase into the week-long extravaganza featuring a fan festival, celebrity softball game, a ticketed workout day and a home run derby leading up to this year’s game on July 12.

Ahead of the 1978 game at San Diego Stadium, Winfield remembers getting about 10 players to sign autographs at a party at a local hotel. Then they asked the Padres to open up the park for a workout to “let people see what’s going on.”

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“And they did,” said Winfield, who later worked in the Padres front office for 12 years and is now an advisor to Players Association Executive Director . “Times are different. They opened the park and let people come in and watch us practice – and that was the first time.”

At least one person had his mind on creating a show: Whitey Wietelmann, a coach with the Padres from 1969-79.

“He gave us these that traveled pretty well, you know,” Winfield said with a chuckle. “After the American League took batting practice – this is a fact – the National League took batting practice and we were hitting them second deck, out the runway. It almost created a sense of awe when the other team watched us take batting practice.

“You have to remember how these little seeds of change happen.”

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On the farm: Corner infielders breakdown By Jeff Sanders | 10 a.m. April 28, 2016 A ceiling-based, positional look at the prospects to know in the Padres' minor league system. In the last 33 years, just four homegrown players – drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent – have started on Opening Day at a corner infield spot for the Padres: , , John Kruk and Tim Flannery.

As dire as that sounds, the Padres can take some comfort in knowing that they control their current corner men – 25-year-old Wil Myers and 28-year-old third baseman Yangervis Solarte – through 2019. Beyond those two, the Padres ought to feel some pressure to develop assets at positions that generally fortify offenses as the decision to sign the likes of James Loney and Mike Olt this year is indicative of just how barren the upper levels of the system is at the corners.

1. Alex Dickerson

 Team: Triple-A El Paso  2016 stats: .339 avg., .387 OBP, .571 SLG, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, 12 runs, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts, 0 steals (18 games)  2015 stats: .307 avg., .374 OBP, .503 SLG, 12 HRs, 71 RBIs, 82 runs, 45 walks, 96 strikeouts, 4 steals (125 games at Triple-A El Paso)  How acquired: Trade with the Pirates, who originally drafted him in third round in 2011 (Indiana)  Opening Day age: 25  Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 235 pounds  Bats/throws: Left/Left  Need to know: While Dickersonhasn't played first base regularly since 2012, it's much easier to envision him carving out a major league role in San Diego there than on the corners, where the Padres have in right field for the foreseeable future and vested interest in seeing how the likes of Jabari Blash and develop. Ranked 22rd in the system by Baseball America, Dickerson has little left to prove after earning Pacific Coast League's rookie of

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the year honors in 2015, though he could stand to put a few more balls over the wall if he's ever going to develop into a regular at the big league level. 2. Brad Zunica

 Team: Low Single-A Fort Wayne  2016 stats: .238 avg., .324 OBP, .413 SLG, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, 14 runs, 6 walks, 26 strikeouts, 0 steals (17 games)  2015 stats: .271 avg., .329 OBP, .496 SLG, 7 HRs, 24 RBIs, 21 runs, 10 walks, 40 strikeouts, 0 steals (35 games in Arizona Rookie League)  How acquired: 15th round in 2015 (State College of Florida, Manatee- Sarasota)  Age: 20  Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 254 pounds  Bats/throws: Left/Right  Need to know: Ranked 31st in the system in Baseball America's Prospect Handbook supplement, the defensive-end-sized Zunica 13 homers as a sophomore and carried his big strikeout, big-walk, big power approach into his first summer as a pro player. He lost weight this offseason in an effort to move around the base better and got off to a strong start in the Midwest League before cooling of late. The lighter frame hasn't sapped any of his power, which graded out as the best that the Padres picked up in the draft and likely the best from the left side in the organization.

3. Carlos Belen

 Team: Low Single-A Fort Wayne  2016 stats: .188 avg., .222 OBP, .250 SLG, 0 HRs, 6 RBIs, 1 run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 0 steals (4 games)  2015 stats: ..218 avg., .299 OBP, .383 SLG, 6 HRs, 35 RBIs, 31 runs, 28 walks, 113 strikeouts, 5 steals (66 games at short-season Tri-City)  How acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in July 2012 (Dominican Republic)  Age: 20  Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 213 pounds 8

 Bats/throws: Right/Right  Need to know: As intriguing as Belen's power is, he needs to cut down on the swing-and-miss in his game. He has 244 strikeouts in 176 games, including 113 in 66 games last year as his slugging percentage slipped from .541 in 2014 to .383. He also has a career .868 fielding percentage at third base, yet another aspect of his game in need of cleaning up as he started 2016 in extended spring training. 4. Gabriel Quintana

 Team: Double-A San Antonio  2016 stats: .220 avg., .256 OBP, .390 SLG, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 5 runs, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts, 0 steals (13 games)  2015 stats: .250 avg., .274 OBP, .420 SLG, 16 HRs, 63 RBIs, 69 runs, 16 walks, 120 strikeouts, 1 steal (127 games between high-A and Double-A)  How acquired: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in November 2009 (Dominican Republic)  Age: 23  Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 215pounds  Bats/throws: Right/Right  Need to know: Quintana's power potential is a big reason why he earned a spot in the Arizona Fall League, a prospect finishing school, despite never truly penning an eye-opening season. He hit .226/.294/.323 with one homer in 18 games for Peoria after hitting 34 homers over the preview two seasons, most of which was spent repeating high Single-A Lake Elsinore. Like Belen, high strikeout numbers (547 in 545 games) is the biggest reason why Quintana has yet to take the next step forward.

5. Trae Santos

 Team: High Single-A Lake Elsinore  2016 stats: .118 avg., .286 OBP, .216 SLG, 0 HRs, 1 RBI, 5 runs, 11 walks, 19 strikeouts, 0 steals (18 games)  2015 stats: .264 avg., .359 OBP, .455 SLG, 14 HRs, 60 RBIs, 54 runs, 57 walks, 108 strikeouts, 3 steals (130 games at low-A) 9

 How acquired: 17th round in 2013 (Troy University)  Age: 23  Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 235pounds  Bats/throws: Left/Left  Need to know: A rare Guamanian-born player in the game, Santos impressed in his first full season after repeating the Northwest League in 2014. His average jumped 60 points, his on-base percentage jumped 50 and his slugging ballooned from .340 to .455. Santos is off to a slow start in the California League but is showing the kind of approach (19 strikeouts vs. 11 walks) that will give him a fighting chance in the system.

Other names to know: Ty France (low A), Luis Tejada (high A), Nick Vilter (extended)

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Hoffman, Winfield named ASG spokespeople Padres legends will generate public excitement, awareness for Midsummer Classic

By Quinn Roberts / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Numbers don't lie, and that's especially true in baseball.

So it was no mistake a 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game podium was between retired Padres Nos. 51 and 31. San Diego greats Trevor Hoffman and Dave Winfield, once wearing those numbers with distinction, are extending a welcome for this summer's events for the 2016 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard.

With 19 All-Star appearances between them, they're the perfect pair to extend the San Diego vibe for the 87th Midsummer Classic.

They were announced as the game's spokespeople on Thursday. Hoffman and Winfield will help to generate public excitement and awareness for the All-Star Game and its surrounding events. They will also participate in All-Star events and make a variety of appearances throughout All-Star Week in San Diego, including appearances at MLB All-Star FanFest, ballpark events and community refurbishment projects.

"July is going to be amazing," said Hoffman, a seven-time All Star whose 601 saves rank second all-time. "You're not going to find a better All-Star Game than here in San Diego."

It's the third All-Star Game in San Diego, but the first in downtown's Petco Park.

Winfield, an All-Star 12 times, began his 22-year career with the Padres in 1973.

"It all started here," Winfield said.

Winfield, a Hall of Fame member, made his All-Star Game debut in 1977. It presented a sighting which still brings a smile to Winfield.

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"The honorary captains are Joe DiMaggio for the American League and for the National," Winfield said. "You are like a wide-eyed kid and say, 'Oh, my gosh, can I get your autograph?'"

The All-Star Game was in San Diego the following year and Winfield was the recipient of San Diego's cheers.

"When you are the hometown favorite, the response you get is something else," he said. "I had to come back out and take another bow."

Hoffman, eligible for the Hall of Fame this year for the first time, had his All-Star Game moment.

It was the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park in which the All-Century Team was announced. It was capped by , a San Diego native, arriving to the mound on a cart and immediately being surrounded by the players.

"So Ted just starts holding court, talking about hitting with a bunch of the guys," said Hoffman, who is in his second year as a senior advisor in the Padres' baseball operations department. "I know they had a schedule to keep and things had to keep moving, but he didn't care. He was enjoying so much talking with the players and they just loved it."

When Williams rose to throw the game's first pitch, he was steadied by former Padres icon .

"With Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn and the San Diego connection, that was special to be part of that," Hoffman said. All-Star festivities begin on July 8 with All-Star FanFest at the San Diego Convention Center, along with a lineup of additional events taking place around the city. The All-Star Futures Game, All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game will all be held on July 10, the T-Mobile Home Run Derby will take place on July 11, and the Midsummer Classic at Petco Park will be played July 12.

"It's going to be a special week,'' Winfield said.

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Vintage Upton on display this season in SD Left fielder impressing in new position, at the plate

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- In his prime, Melvin Upton Jr. -- technically B.J. at the time -- dominated highlight reels with the , showcasing five tools on a nightly basis.

No, Upton wasn't that same player in his first three seasons after signing a long-term deal with Atlanta in 2013. But have you checked the '16 Padres highlight reel lately? There's an awful lot of Upton. Nearly a month into the season, Upton has been arguably the Padres' best all-around player -- and the author of three of their most exciting moments. He's second on the club among the regulars with a .329 on-base percentage, has played -caliber left field (a new position) and has swiped six bags -- one behind the Pirates' for the league lead.

In short, at 31, Upton is playing at a level resembling the player he was nearly a decade ago.

"I'm in a good spot," says Upton. "It's been a long time coming. It's a place where I've been before. I just got away from it. And it's been a long road to get it back."

Upton's 14th-inning walk-off home run against Arizona two weeks ago, a rocket to straightaway center field, was undoubtedly the Padres' biggest highlight this season. He also owns two of San Diego's best defensive plays, leaping at the wall to rob a home run against Pittsburgh and firing a laser to second base on Monday to cut down Matt Duffy's attempt at a double.

But more than the jaw-dropping moments, Padres skipper Andy Green has been impressed with the consistency Upton has displayed.

"It probably clearly lines up with who he was in Tampa," Green said. "He's got the type of body that ages incredibly well. There's still a ton of quick-twitch in him. He's still flying around the bases. He kind of glides and almost looks effortless -- but he's really moving at the same time.

"He's played very good. The fresh start, kind of flushing his time in Atlanta, the rebirth over here since he's been in a Padre uniform -- it's been very good for him." 13

In eight years with Tampa Bay, Upton posted a .758 OPS, swiped 232 bags and homered 118 times. Before the 2013 season, he inked a five-year deal with Atlanta, and the production immediately declined. After being dealt to San Diego with Craig Kimbrel in April 2015, Upton got off to a slow start with the Padres as well. But he posted an .800 OPS in the second half and hasn't looked back.

"I think it was more mental," Upton said. "I don't really think about it. It's kind of in the past for me. I just deal with what comes. I put in a lot of work in the spring, and always feel like it's going to get better."

Upton, who had spent the previous eight seasons playing center field exclusively, moved to left this past offseason when San Diego acquired Jon Jay from St. Louis. The transition has been seamless. In an admittedly small sample, Upton has +3 defensive runs saved and has made a handful of tricky catches look very easy.

"The key was wanting to go over there, not having an ego, and saying, 'I'll go where the team needs me,'" said first-base coach Tarrik Brock, who is in charge of the Padres' outfielders. "To me, that was the first step. Then he put the work in in Spring Training."

From a few feet away in center, Jay has had the best view of Upton's theatrics.

"You've seen him make plays everywhere," Jay said. "He's making it look easy out there. We're definitely having fun out there, as a whole outfield, and [Upton] has done a great job. ... He's taken away hits that are usually automatic hits."

Just how quickly did Upton make the transition to his new position? Before Green had even officially announced his everyday left fielder this spring, he had declared Upton capable of winning a Gold Glove Award there.

Given his production in all facets this month, Upton will get a chance to make his case. And a chance is all Upton wanted in San Diego anyway.

"They gave me the opportunity," Upton says, "and I'm enjoying it.”

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Padres-Dodgers Preview Looking to bounce back from their first series sweep, a series with the may be just what the are looking for. NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO, STATS Writer Stats LLCApr 29, 2016 at 4:22a ET

Looking to bounce back from their first series sweep, a series with the San Diego Padres may be just what the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for.

The Dodgers look to extend their longest winning streak over the Padres in 42 years when they open this three-game set at Chavez Ravine on Friday night.

Los Angeles (12-11) had won eight of 11 games before dropping four straight to Miami and former manager , falling 5-3 in the series finale Thursday to send Kenta Maeda to his first major- league loss.

"He pitched really good. It happens, you know - a little blooper here, a little blooper there, all of a sudden it comes back to bite us," said catcher Yasmani Grandal, whose club went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

The Dodgers, who went 0 for 13 in those situations in the first three games, scored eight runs in the series and batted .181 with two homers - both coming in the opener.

They are in strong position to get untracked facing a Padres staff that ranks 25th in the majors with a 4.91 ERA after compiling a 7.07 mark during a five-game skid. San Diego gave up 16 hits in Wednesday's 13- 9 loss at San Francisco.

Los Angeles is averaging 6 runs while winning nine straight against San Diego, its longest winning streak in the all-time series since taking 16 in a row from 1973-74.

Adrian Gonzalez has a .415 average with six homers and 10 RBIs in his last 12 home matchups against his former team, getting at least one hit in 10 of them. He enters this series 0 for 11 with five strikeouts over the past four games with his season average plummeting 45 points to .306.

Yasmani Grandal hasn't been much better, going 2 for 16 in the past six games. Unlike Gonzalez, he may not be in line for improvement since he's got a .158 average in 13 career meetings with the Padres, including an 0-for-18 funk over the past six.

The Dodgers are handing the ball to Alex Wood (1-2, 6.00), who won both his starts against the Padres last year behind a 1.29 ERA. He yielded two runs in seven innings of a 6-2 home victory Oct. 2.

Wood hasn't come close to being that effective over his last two starts, getting tagged for 11 runs and 13 hits with six walks in nine innings while losing his only decision. He was reached for five runs with five strikeouts in five innings of a no-decision in a 12-10 win at Colorado on Sunday.

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The Padres will counter with Cesar Vargas (0-0, 1.80), who was solid enough in his major-league debut to earn another turn in the rotation with Robbie Erlin on the disabled list because of a strained left elbow.

The 24-year-old Vargas yielded one run and five hits in five-plus innings of a no-decision in an 11-2 loss to St. Louis on Saturday.

"A little upset in the overall results of the game," Vargas said through an interpreter. "Personally, at the end of the day, happy. I was a little inconsistent in my pitches but I went out there and did my work. I'm happy."

Wil Myers isn't exactly jovial despite a career high-tying 12-game hitting streak during which he's batted .373. The first baseman connected for a three-run homer Wednesday, giving him six hits during the five- game skid.

"It's tough, but that's the way baseball goes sometimes," Myers said. "Every team has their ups and downs over the course of a season."

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