Padres Press Clips Saturday, February 27, 2016

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Padres advisor Nomo excited to learn, teach UT Lin 2

Ex-Padres Almonte suspended 80 games UT San Diego Lin 4

Roster rankings: No. 26 Brett Wallace UT San Diego Sanders 6

Breaking down the Padres’ 2016 Top 30 Prospects MLB.com Rosenbaum 7

Bethancourt hopes to reach potential in SD MLB.com Brock 10

Noonan hopes to stick with hometown team MLB.com Brock 12

San Diego Buzz: Padres preach optimism at camp FOXSports.com Burns 14

Inaugural Classic draws impressive 8-team field AP 15

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Padres advisor Nomo excited to learn, teach Japanese great now in Padres front office By Dennis Lin | 10:26 a.m. Feb. 26, 2016 | Updated, 10:36 a.m. PEORIA, ARIZ. — Two decades ago, Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese player to permanently relocate to the majors. "Nomomania" swept as the then-Dodgers right- hander proved an instant , earning both an All-Star berth and the 1995 Rookie of the Year Award. His success spawned a wave of fellow countrymen who established their own careers stateside. In addition to learning the inner workings of a major league front office and sharing his own extensive knowledge, Nomo is hoping to continue what he started. The Padres are his new allegiance; the club recently hired the 47-year-old as an advisor for baseball operations. Nomo is in uniform this spring, already delving into the various facets of player development and baseball operations.

"I want to learn about the team, what kind of team we have, what kind of players we have," Nomo said through the translation of Acey Kohrogi, the Padres' advisor for Pacific Rim operations. "I’m hoping through my experiences I can pass some of that information on to some of the players here."

Few Japanese baseball icons carry more weight back home than Nomo, who was the Japan Hall of Fame's youngest-ever inductee in 2014.

"Japan and Asia, I’m hoping to increase the Padres’ presence in those areas, so maybe we can all be at Petco Park with more Asian fans in the stands," he said. "...I’m hoping good players come to the Padres and, (for) Asian fans in Asia and the United States, hoping that they can all be happy that good players come to the Padres."

In recent months, the Padres have been aggressive about augmenting their visibility across the Pacific. Kohrogi was hired by second-year General Manager A.J. Preller, as was another former Dodgers , Takashi Saito, now a baseball-operations intern. Logan White, director of player personnel and ex-Dodgers executive, was key in both hires.

Members of the front office, joined by Brandon Maurer and Colin Rea, took a goodwill trip to Japan in November. In early February, the Padres hosted the Hokkaido

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Nippon Ham Fighters' here at the Peoria Sports Complex. Satoshi Nakajima, a former for the Ham Fighters, is a guest instructor in San Diego's camp. The Padres have scouted Ham Fighters right-hander Shohei Ohtani, considered the best young pitcher in Japan.

The hope is, additions such as Nomo will forge a strong bridge to San Diego. The last player from Japan to wear a Padres uniform was second baseman Tadahito Iguchi in 2008. (Future Hall of Fame outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who is represented by San Diego-based agent John Boggs, expressed some interest in the Padres last offseason before signing with the Marlins.)

"I think in in general, there already are good international players coming through, so it’s natural that the Padres have an international presence and get players from international sources," Nomo said. "My feeling is that all the good players from around the world come here, including good staff from around the world. To win a world championship is something I’d really like to see."

"I’ve gotten to know him over the last year," Preller said of Nomo. "I value his opinions and takes. He’s obviously had some tremendous experiences. I think both on and off the field, he’ll be helping out pitchers and players, taking on new challenges, trying new things we’re always talking to our minor leaguers about."

One of those new things could be the forkball, a relative of the split-fingered and Nomo's signature during his playing career.

"If somebody asks me to show them the forkball, how to throw the forkball, I would definitely like to work with that," Nomo said. "I think it all depends on the individual, so if the pitchers want to learn about it, I’ll be happy to help teach it."

With the Padres, Nomo has joined a group of baseball-operations advisors that includes Moises Alou, Mark Loretta and another former pitcher, .

Asked which was better, his forkball or Hoffman's change-up, Nomo cracked a grin. The question needed no translation.

"Of course, Hoffman's changeup," he said.

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Ex-Padres outfielder Almonte suspended 80 games Cleveland's banned for 80 games; Indians adding By Dennis Lin | 1:49 p.m. Feb. 26, 2016 | Updated, 1:51 p.m. PEORIA, ARIZ. — Former Padres outfielder Abraham Almonte, now with the , has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's drug policy. The suspension, which will be effective at the start of the regular season, was announced Friday afternoon, just hours after news emerged that another ex-Padres outfielder, Will Venable, would join the Indians. In their lone trade at the July 31 deadline last year, the Padres sent Almonte, then a reserve outfielder, to Cleveland in exchange for left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski. Until Friday, the deal had looked like a win for the Indians; Almonte hit .264 with five home runs and six steals in 51 games for the Indians, while Rzepczynski posted a 7.36 ERA in 27 appearances and was traded again, to Oakland, in December.

Venable, the longtime Padres outfielder who was dealt to Texas in August, has signed a minor league deal with an invitation to the Indians' spring camp. Capable of playing all three outfield spots, he presumably will help replace some of the production that will be lost during Almonte's suspension.

"We were disappointed to learn of the suspension of Abraham Almonte for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the Indians said in a statement. "We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outlined by Major League Baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement, we will not comment further on the circumstances surrounding this announcement."

Almonte, 26, and right-hander were traded by the to San Diego for outfielder in 2014. In parts of two seasons with the Padres, Almonte hit .243 with two home runs over 63 games. Before his suspension, he had been expected to start in center field for the Indians.

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Venable, 33, became a free agent for the first time after last season. The Padres' seventh-round draft pick in 2005, he batted .258 with six home runs last season before being traded to the Rangers, for whom he hit just .182 in 37 games.

Late in his breakout 2013 season -- he finished with 22 home runs and 22 steals -- Venable signed a two-year, $8.5 million extension with the Padres. Speaking with the Union-Tribune last July, Venable indicated he would be open to returning to San Diego regardless of whether he was traded or not. But, during the offseason, the Padres chose to replace departed with a group of less expensive players. Meanwhile, Venable found himself among a tier of veteran free agents faced with a slow-moving market and lagging demand for their services.

In the Indians' camp, at least, he will get an opportunity to re-establish his value.

Baumann still limited

Padres right-handers Fernando Rodney and Kevin Quackenbush, both returning from hamstring injuries, threw off the mound for the first time this spring on Friday.

Another reliever, lefty Buddy Baumann, remained limited during the Padres' third day of full workouts. Baumann, a career minor leaguer who signed his first big-league deal in December, has been dealing with lower back tightness.

"Buddy Baumann's not moving as quickly with his lower back issue as we hoped he would," Padres manager said. "It's taking a little bit longer. Not sure what the plan is for him as far as getting him ready to throw. We're definitely taking a step back and waiting, not trying to push his progression too quickly."

Finley in camp

Former Padres Steve Finley is in camp as a special instructor for player development, a role he will continue to serve in during the regular season. Finley, 50, was a member of the FOX Sports San Diego broadcast team last year.

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Roster rankings: No. 26 Brett Wallace Sizing up the players on the Padres’ 40-man roster By Jeff Sanders | 8 a.m. Feb. 26, 2016 No. 26 Brett Wallace  Position: First baseman  2016 Opening Day age: 29  Contract status: Signed a $1 million major league deal over the offseason; arbitration-eligible in 2017.  Key stats: .302 avg., .374 OBP, .521 SLG, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs, 14 runs, 0 SBs, 31 Ks, 10 BBs, 107 plate appearances (64 games).  Trending: Up – A former first-rounder who spent all of 2014 in -A, Wallace signed a minor league deal with the Padres and raked his way out of El Paso, hitting .305/.380/.460 with eight homers and 37 RBIs in 61 games in the . In the majors, the left-handed Wallace made the most of a bench role, hitting .349/.440/.698 in 50 plate appearances in the pinch. His 15 hits as a pinch-hitter ranked second in the game behind non-roster invitee Skip Schumaker (19) and his four homers and 10 RBIs were tops in baseball.  2016 outlook: A year after joining the organization on a minor league deal, Wallace enters the season as a powerful, left-handed option off the bench. Beyond that, new manager Andy Green has said he’ll pick up occasional starts at first base to keep his bat fresh.

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Breaking down the Padres' 2016 Top 30 Prospects Restocked farm system boasts plenty of new faces with big talent By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com | February 26th, 2016 No team made a bigger splash last offseason than the .

First-year general manager A.J. Preller, hired in August 2014, launched a restructuring of the club's big league roster in December, with trades for ,, and Justin Upton. To the surprise of the industry, Preller managed to hold on to many of the team's top prospects, as he instead used the Padres' then-deep farm system to complete those trades. • Padres' 2016 Top 30 Prospects list By the time MLBPipeline.com released its Padres Top 30 prospects list for 2015, over half of the players on the previous year's list were no longer with the organization. That number grew even larger in the hours before the start of the 2015 season, when Preller sent two more Top 30 prospects to the Braves in exchange forCraig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. Top 30 Prospects lists Division Teams/Release date NL East MIA, NYM, WAS AL East BAL, NYY, TB, TOR NL Central CHC, CIN, STL AL Central CLE, CWS, DET, KC NL West ARI, SD, SF AL West Mon., Feb. 29 Top 10 March 1-4

But Preller's new-and-improved big league roster didn't live up to the high expectations, and the Padres crawled to a fourth-place finish in the with a 74-88 record. There were some positives, though, as catcher Austin Hedges logged 58 games in the big leagues and eventually was joined by and Colin Rea, who are back on this year's Top 30 list after retaining their rookie eligibility. But as a result of the club's disappointing 2015 season, Preller and Co. took a different approach to the offseason this year and restocked the farm system with impact talent. Notably, the Padres acquired outfielder and shortstop Javier Guerra, its new Nos. 1 and 2 prospects for 2016, as well as left-hander Logan Allen (No. 9) and infielder Carlos Asuaje (No. 17) from the Red Sox in the Kimbrel trade in November. San Diego also bolstered its farm system with a strong 2015 Draft that saw it add hard-throwing right-handers Austin Smith (No. 8) and Jacob Nix (No. 10) in the second and third rounds, respectively. 7

Biggest jump/fall Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2015 preseason list to the 2016 preseason list.

Jump: Dinelson Lamet (2015: Unranked | 2016: 13) Fall: (2015: 9 | 2016: Unranked) Best tools MLB's Top 10 farm systems Rank Date 1. Fri., March 4 2. Fri., March 4 3. Fri., March 4 4. Thu., March 3 5. Thu., March 3 6. Thu., March 3 7. Wed., March 2 8. Wed., March 2 9. Tue., March 1 10. Tue., March 1 Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Hit: Manuel Margot (60) Power: (60) : Travis Jankowski (70) Arm: Michael Gettys (70) Defense: Javier Guerra (60) Fastball: Tayron Guerrero (75) : Austin Smith (55) : Jimmy Brasoban (60) Changeup: Enyel De Los Santos (55) Control: Colin Rea (55) How they were built Draft: 10 International: 8 Trade: 11 Rule 5: 1 8

Breakdown by ETA 2016: 8 2017: 7 2018: 10 2019: 5 Breakdown by position C: 1 1B: 0 2B: 1 3B: 1 SS: 4 OF: 8 RHP: 12 LHP: 3

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Bethancourt hopes to reach potential in SD Once a top prospect in Atlanta, catcher seeks backup role with Padres By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | February 26th, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- Christian Bethancourt might be one of the most intriguing players in the Padres' camp this spring.

Not just because the catcher was once -- and not that long ago -- a highly regarded catcher, teeming with upside and potential.

But also because the Padres won't carry three on the Opening Day roster and Bethancourt's mere presence complicates the catching picture.

Will Bethancourt, 24, do enough in camp to win the backup job to Derek Norris?

If so, does Austin Hedges head back to the Minor Leagues for more seasoning?

Will Bethancourt, who is out of Minor League options, do enough the next five weeks to stick on the roster?

Questions certainly abound, though it's clear general manager A.J. Preller and manager Andy Green want to evaluate Bethancourt this spring to see what they have -- and could have.

"This guy has a ton of raw ability. He's 24 years old with a ton of upside and ton of work ahead of him, and we are going to help him embrace that work and be part of this team," Green said. Bethancourt, who was obtained in December from the Braves for pitcher , opened last season as Atlanta's starting catcher, but lost the job two weeks into the season. He returned in August but started just 14 of the last 38 games of the year, leading many to believe the Braves had moved on from him.

While Bethancourt has a strong arm, the Braves reportedly weren't happy with his passed balls (14 in his first 73 big league games) and his pitch calling.

With the Padres, Bethancourt gets a fresh start. He when he reported to camp this week -- following a visa delay from his native Panama -- he didn't walk into the home clubhouse in Peoria to see a room that was filled with strangers.

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In January, hitting Alan Zinter and Minor League coordinator of instruction, Ryley Westman, who works with catchers, spent three days in Panama getting to know Bethancourt, while also watching him play winter ball there.

"It was a really good experience. It gave us an opportunity to meet the person. He is a young kid and we wanted to deliver a message that this is a fresh start and we want him to be comfortable with who we were," Zinter said. "We wanted to let him know we care about what he brings to the table."

Bethancourt is a .219/.245/.283 hitter in his first 278 plate appearances in the big leagues, though he's fared better in the Minors, hitting .275/.306/.388. The belief is that he'll be better moving forward defensively, too.

Bethancourt had minor surgery after the season to clean up the meniscus in his left knee. The knee bothered him last season, though he's not willing to peg his woes on the injury.

"The pain was there the whole time, but I'm not going to blame it on that. I've got to play well," he said.

He'll have to do so quickly, making a favorable impression on the front office and coaching staff if he's to make the team.

"There's a very good player in there, a very good skill set, a bright young man. He's done a lot of work to get where he's at," Zinter said.

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Noonan hopes to stick with hometown team Padres infielder grew up as fan of team in San Diego By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | February 26th, 2016 PEORIA, Ariz. -- As a Minor League free agent, infielder Nick Noonan looked at a handful of teams this winter that might be the best fit for him.

When the Padres called, Noonan stopped looking.

Noonan, a San Diego native, didn't hesitate when his hometown team, the one that he grew up rooting for, offered him a deal with an invitation to big league camp this spring.

"For me, there's just something special about playing for the Padres. I've been going to Padres games since I was a little kid," Noonan said.

"Being that little kid in the stands saying, 'I want to play for the Padres someday' and then having the opportunity to do it … it feels good inside."

Noonan, 26, was a first-round Draft pick of the Giants in 2007 out of Francis Parker High in San Diego. That's when his allegiances had to change.

But, to be clear, he's always been a Padres fan.

"We had season tickets when I was younger. We went to Jack Murphy [Stadium] and then when it was Qualcomm [Stadium], then the first season at Petco Park [2004]," he said.

Noonan and his father attended games in San Diego the last time the team advanced to the Fall Classic, against the Yankees in 1998.

"I remember that like it was yesterday," said Noonan, who counts Steve Finley, Tony Gwynn and as the players he followed the most. "I think I've been to a lot of big Padres moments." Noonan and outfielder , also from San Diego, went to that World Series as fans. Both are from Poway, which is located about 30 minutes north of Petco Park in downtown San Diego.

It's been a big offseason for Noonan, and he and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their first son, James, on Feb. 9. That was the day after before Noonan's deal with the team became official.

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"When I called him the day we signed him, he was expecting his son to be born the next day," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He was, like, 'I became a Padre today, and I'll become a Padre tomorrow.'"

Now, following nine professional seasons, Noonan would like to create some new memories with the Padres.

Noonan, who can play shortstop, second base and third base, spent his first eight seasons with the Giants and made his big league debut in 2013. He signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees before 2014, was released last season and then caught on with the Giants again.

In 127 big league at-bats with the Giants, Noonan has a .197/.244/.244 line.

"I'm not really old, but I have a lot of experience in . I signed when I was [18], I've played nine seasons and I'm only 26. I think it's valuable in a player to have that kind of experience," Noonan said.

"I think, right now, I'm one of those guys who will always be fighting for that big league roster spot, looking to make the team and prove I can stick there."

Noonan's experience and versatility certainly weigh in his favor, although there is a lot of competition for bench jobs.

"There's a lot of stuff there you can like," Green said.

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San Diego Buzz: Padres preach optimism at camp With less off season attention and reduced pressure, the Padres feel they are right where they need to be. By Logan Burns Feb 26, 2016 at 12:35p ET

SAN DIEGO-- It has been about one week since pitchers and catchers reported to camp. The Padresroster looks different this year, and camp has a different feel. The 2015 season began with blockbuster trades, high expectations and tons of media attention. This year, camp is loose, with less media attention for new manager Andy Green. The Padres let go of Kimbrel, Benoit, and Upton, to name a few big names, and built a roster around Kemp, Myers, Shields and Norris that can compete.

"I'm more excited this year than last year, frankly, because we're one more year into Preller's reign of building a great organization at all levels," Padres managing partner Peter Seidler said of his GM Preller. "There's a lot of work to do, but there are a lot of great, exciting things to come here."

Manager Andy Green plays music down on the field during camp workouts to energize the players and keep the players loose. Catcher Derek Norris said, "He brings an energy, he's energetic, he's positive. He doesn't think about the worst that could happen."

With 19 non-roster invitees at camp this year, there are still questions to be answered and positions to be filled before the start of the season. As for now, there is excitement and optimism around the 2016 Padres from top to bottom in the organization.

Green's speech is "something I had never seen before in a head coach"

Everyone in the Padres organization that was present for Andy Green's first speech to his new team said they were blown away.

"It was something I had never seen before in a head coach," said first baseman Wil Myers. "It was very impressive."

Non-roster invitee Skip Schumaker said, "It was something different. Right from the beginning. He knew everyone's name in every department and their title without any sheet of paper."

Schumaker, who played for successful managers Tony LaRussa and Mike Matheny, said that was the first time in a long time he was focused in on a speech and didn't waiver.

Green, who road tripped to visit players before spring training, seems to have already made a huge impact on his players and staff.

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Inaugural Tony Gwynn Classic draws impressive 8-team field By BERNIE WILSON (AP Sports Writer) February 25, 2016 7:16 PM SAN DIEGO (AP) -- In life, Tony Gwynn was honored with a plaque in Cooperstown and by having his name adorn a sweet little ballpark at San Diego State.

Nearly two years after he died, the Hall of Famer will be remembered in perhaps the most appropriate way. The inaugural Tony Gwynn Classic will be held Friday through Sunday at San Diego State's and the 's .

''The coolest thing is we get to hear Tony's name all the time,'' said USD coach Rich Hill, a teammate of Gwynn's at SDSU in 1981. ''We go into this blindly, without any expectations. It's just, Tony Gwynn, Tony Gwynn, Tony Gwynn. That's the way it should be. I love hearing his name being attached to this tournament.''

The tournament opens Friday with Arizona facing Tulane and USD hosting Nebraska at Fowler Park. Across Mission Valley, Kentucky will play UC Santa Barbara and SDSU will host Bryant at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

The winners in both brackets will play each other on Saturday, with the winners of those games playing for the title at Tony Gwynn Stadium at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

After retiring from his 20-year career with the San Diego Padres in 2001, Gwynn spent one season as volunteer coach at SDSU and then took over as head coach. He spent 12 seasons in his dream job.

''He wanted to improve college baseball in San Diego and really promote our game,'' Hill said. ''He loved SDSU and the baseball program. More than anything he wanted to elevate the visibility and presence and make it compelling.''

Gwynn gave his approval for the tournament when the idea was presented to him by a group headed by tournament director Jack Murray, who does Internet play-by-play for USD baseball. After Gwynn died of cancer on June 16, 2014, the tournament was named in his memory.

''Hopefully this is a forever, long-lasting tournament that programs around the country can kind of point to,'' said Mark Martinez, who succeeded Gwynn as the Aztecs' coach.

The Tony Gwynn Classic fields are set through 2018, put together by John Cunningham, who was USD's coach for 35 seasons. Cunningham is already working on the field for 2019.

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''That's really a testament to coach Gwynn's legacy,'' Martinez said.

The field ''is as good as there is out there,'' Hill said. ''Those schools love it. They get to come to San Diego. The weather is going to be great. Tony Gwynn Stadium and Fowler Park are two of the best venues on West Coast. The inaugural tournament is exciting. Every year after this, people are begging us to get in. Coach Cunningham and Jack Murray are able to pick and choose. They're able to bring the best to San Diego. Tony's vision elevated our game and it's happening.''

Notre Dame, Oregon and Wichita State are among teams booked for 2017, while Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Arkansas are in the 2018 field.

Arizona's first-year coach, Jay Johnson, is trying to get the Wildcats invited every even year. He wanted to be in the inaugural field so badly that after he jumped from Nevada to Arizona, he was able to get the tournament committee to tweak the bracket.

''It's awesome from a program standpoint,'' said Johnson, who spent eight seasons on Hill's staff at USD before serving as head coach at Nevada for two seasons. ''San Diego will be one of our top recruiting grounds, without question. To be associated with all the great programs playing in it is an awesome honor.''

Johnson said the Wildcats have only player who's played in an NCAA regional.

''This type of environment would be as close to an NCAA regional-type field as we can get,'' he said. ''I felt it would be valuable experience for our guys.''

Johnson coached against Gwynn both with USD and Nevada.

''He was someone I looked up to for a long time,'' Johnson said. ''He was one of my favorite players as a kid growing up. To get a chance to compete with him and play in this tournament that honors him, from a personal level also is very special.''

Nebraska coach Darin Erstad was a contemporary of Gwynn's in the big leagues.

''Obviously we wish he was here to celebrate it with us,'' Erstad said.

Erstad remembers watching Gwynn take early batting practice when the Angels played the Padres in interleague games.

''I definitely watched from a distance in awe,'' Erstad said. ''The way he could do what he wanted to do with the baseball was a lot of fun to watch.''

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