Tag Archives: San Diego Padres

Frieri Agrees to One-Year Deal with the Tampa Bay Rays

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It’s a special ray for Ernesto Frieri…

The 29-year-old Colombian right-handed relief pitcher has agreed to an $800,000, one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ernesto Frieri

Frieri was 1-4 with a 7.34 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings over 48 games this year for the Los Angeles Angels and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a 10-13 record and 3.46 ERA in six Major League seasons that included time with San Diego Padres from 2009 to ’12. He’s averaged 12 strikeouts per nine innings.

Frieri can earn $1.1 million in performance bonuses for games: $50,000 for 30, $100,000 for 35, $150,000 each for 40 and 45, $200,000 apiece for 50 and 55 and $250,000 for 60.

He also can make $1.25 million based on games finished: $150,000 for 30, $200,000 for 35, $250,000 for 40, $300,000 for 45 and $350,000 for 50.

Boston Red Sox Reportedly Offer Sandoval a Lucrative Five-Year Deal

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Pablo Sandoval may soon be seeing Red (Sox)…

The 28-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player, a free-agent third baseman, has reportedly been offered a five-year, $95 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to the Boston Globe.

Pablo Sandoval

The Red Sox have had their eye on Sandoval, whose nicknane is Kung Fu Panda, since the beginning of his free agency. He arrived in Boston on Monday night, had dinner with slugger David Ortiz, and according to a club source, met with team officials Tuesday before leaving the next day.

The San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays also have interest in the switch-hitter, but a major league source indicated to the Globe on Friday that the Red Sox’s offer might be in the lead.

Sandoval would represent a significant offensive upgrade at third base for Boston. A career .294 hitter, he hit 16 home runs with 73 RBIs and 68 runs scored this past season for San Francisco.

Sandoval played a huge role in the Giants’ 2012 and 2014 World Series title runs, but the team did not discourage him from testing his value on the free-agent market. But they’ve also stayed involved in the bidding this offseason, with assistant general manager Bobby Evans telling the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday: “I think the interest is sincere. I think Pablo loves this fan base as much as any player loves a fan base, and that could go a long way.”

The Red Sox have the financial flexibility under the luxury tax threshold to handle a five-year, $95 million contract. But given the weight issues that have saddled Sandoval since 2010, the club isn’t expected to display much enthusiasm for the six-year deal that agent Gustavo Vasquez said his client wants.

Liriano Called Up by the San Diego Padres

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Rymer Liriano is moving up to the big leagues.

The 23-year-old Dominican baseball player has been called up by the San Diego Padres in the first major move by new general manager A.J. Preller.

Rymer Liriano

The move to bring on the top prospect had been in the works within the Padres organization in the weeks before Preller was hired last week.

Liriano hit .452 (28-for-62) with 16 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs in 16 games with Triple-A El Paso.

He started in right field and batted seventh in the Padres’ 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. He went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly that scored a run and was hit by a pitch.

Liriano is the first player from San Diego’s Dominican Republic academy, which opened in 2008, to be called up by the Padres.

“I feel proud to be the first guy,” Liriano said through translator Jose Valentin, the first-base coach. “I want to thank the Padres to do that academy to try to help not only me but more Dominican players, and hopefully I will be an example for those guys.”

He originally signed as a non-drafted free agent at age 16.

“It’s something to be proud of for this organization,” Preller said. “It’s hard to sign a player at any spot and see him develop and get to the big leagues. When you can do that in signing a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old player and bring him to an academy setting, that’s something our international staff can feel good about, from a scouting standpoint, development standpoint. And when you can bring him up through your farm system, all the coaches that had a chance to work with him and be around him all those years, this gives them a lot of positive reinforcement about what they’re doing.”

Preller, who scouted Latin America extensively while with the Texas Rangers, said he didn’t know Liriano personally but had watched him when the Rangers and Padres farmhands played spring training games.

The new GM said the Padres needed an outfielder and a right-handed bat. He consulted with others in the front office and manager Bud Black, and they all thought Liriano was ready.

“He’s a talented individual,” Preller said. “He can impact the game in different ways. He can impact with the bat and power, with his legs and his arms. That’s intriguing talent.”

Liriano missed the 2013 season while recovering from reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.

“I just missed one year. That injury made me work even harder to come back and play again,” he said. “All the work paid off. I don’t want to go back down. I want to stay up for a long time.”

Liriano started the season with Double-A San Antonio and hit .264 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs in 99 games.

“This year was a big year as far as his maturity and development as a player,” Black said. “Last year was such a bummer for him that he had to undergo the Tommy John surgery and missed pretty much a full year. But this year he came back with a great deal of conviction. I think a year away from the game put a lot of perspective for him. He went to San Antonio and performed pretty consistently. … He is very talented. He plays the game hard. There might be a mistake or two in there, like a lot of young players, but he plays with a lot of passion.”

Renteria Reportedly Set to Become New Chicago Cubs Manager

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Rick Renteria is readying for Cub duty…

The 51-year-old Mexican American baseball coach, currently serving as the bench coach for the San Diego Padres, will soon be serving as the new manager for the Chicago Cubs, according to ESPN.com sources.

Rick Renteria

Renteria has been the bench coach for the Padres since 2011 after becoming a major league coach in 2008. He played infield for parts of five major league seasons after being drafted 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1980.

Renteria, who retired as a player in 1996 while with the Mexico City Reds, beat out A.J. Hinch, Manny Acta, Dave Martinez and Eric Wedge for the job. A fifth candidate, Brad Ausmus, was hired by the Detroit Tigers earlier in the week.

Renteria is known as a hands-on teacher and a strong communicator. His ability to speak Spanish is believed to be a plus for the Cubs. Sources familiar with the process say the team was intent on hiring a Latin-American manager and/or coaches, something lacking on the previous coaching staff.

Chicago has several key players of Latin-American descent, including shortstop Starlin Castro, who regressed under former manager Dale Sveum.

“In order for us to win with this group — and win consistently — we must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level,” said team representatives after Sveum was fired.

Parra Agrees to $1 Million Deal with the Cincinnati Reds

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Manny Parra won’t be in the red with the Reds…

The 30-year-old Mexican American left-handed pitcher and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract.

Manny Parra

Parra had previously spent all five of his Major League Baseball seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. After missing 2011 with back and elbow injuries, he went 3-10 with a 5.06 ERA last year in 16 starts and 26 relief appearances.

Parra could earn an additional $400,000 in performance bonuses based on games pitched in relief: $50,000 each for 45 and 50, and $100,000 apiece for 55, 60 and 65.

To clear a roster spot, Cincinnati designated right-hander Todd Redmond for assignment.

In addition, the Reds agreed Friday to a minor league deal with catcher Miguel Olivo.

The 34-year-old Dominican baseball pro hit .222 with 12 RBIs in 315 at-bats last year for the Seattle Mariners, his second season with the team. He made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox; and he’s also played with the San Diego Padres, the Florida Marlins, the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies.

Tejada Reaches Minor League Deal with the Kansas City Royals

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Miguel Tejada has reached a royal deal to return to the baseball field…

The 38-year-old Dominican-born former American League MVP has reached a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals and says he’s ready to return to the majors.

Miguel Tejada

Tejada has agreed to a one-year contract that will be worth $1.1 million if he makes the big leagues. It includes an additional $400,000 in performance bonuses.

The six-time All-Star infielder last played in the majors in 2011 with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .239 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 91 games.

“I’m very pleased with this. The contract with the Royals is a done deal,” Tejada told The Associated Press. “I’m going to try to help this team and their younger players. I’m so happy because this is what I was aiming for, a chance to get back to the majors.”

Tejada played 36 games in Triple-A for the Baltimore Orioles franchise last season, batting .259 with no homers and 18 RBIs. He was released from his minor league deal on June 25 at his own request when he didn’t see an opportunity to play for the Orioles in the near future.

Tejada has been playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Republic Winter League, saying he lost 15 pounds during the summer.

“I believe I can be valuable for Kansas City in different facets. They haven’t told me what specific role they have in mind for me, but what is important is that I’m healthy and I know that I can help,” he said.

Tejada spent 15 seasons in the majors and was the 2002 AL MVP with Oakland. He is a career .285 hitter with 304 homers and 1,282 RBIs with the A’s, Orioles, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and the Giants.

Quentin Agrees to Lucrative Contract with the San Diego Padres

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Carlos Quentin won’t be leaving Southern California anytime soon…

The 29-year-old Mexican American baseball star has agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract with the San Diego Padres that includes a no-trade clause.

Carlos Quentin

Quentin, making $7,025,000 this year under his current deal, will get $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and $8 million in 2015. The outfielder’s contract includes a $10 million mutual option for 2016, which would have a $3 million buyout if he has 320 starts or more from 2013-15.

“This is an amazing opportunity for me to stay and play in the city I grew up in,” Quentin said. “I believe in this organization and what they’re doing and I think they believe in me and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Quentin had arthroscopic right knee surgery during spring training and missed the first 49 games of the season. But he homered five times in his first six games for the Padres after being activated from the disabled list on May 28. He began the day with a .273 batting average, nine homers and 22 RBIs in 40 games.

“The reasoning hasn’t changed a lot since the day we traded for him,” said Padres general manager Josh Byrnes. “He’s a proven middle-of-the-order bat that we need. He brings an intensity, an edge and a swagger to our team that we need.”

Quentin, who was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on December 31, grew up in Chula Vista and attended University High School in San Diego.

Selected by Arizona with the 29th overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft, Quentin is a .253 career hitter with 130 home runs and 405 RBIs in 656 games.

“I’m happy about it,” said Padres manager Bud Black. “I think it’s great for the Padres, great for the city, and great for Carlos. Having Carlos for a number of years add continuity to the club. He’s a guy we can put in the middle of our order on a daily basis. There are a lot of positives.”