1

Padres Press Clips Monday, November 16, 2015

Article Source Author Page Padres trade Kimbrel for Red Sox prospects UT San Diego Lin 2 Hoffman should get in HOF on first ballot UT San Diego Canepa 5 Ex-Padres reliever Bochtler to be bullpen coach UT San Diego Lin 7 Kennedy, Upton decline qualifying offers UT San Diego Lin 9 Padres deal Kimbrel for 4 Red Sox prospects MLB.com Brock 11 Dombrowski deals for now; Preller for future MLB.com Rogers 14 Padres restock farm system with Kimbrel trade MLB.com Mayo 17 Kennedy, Upton reject qualifying offers MLB.com Brock 19 Newcomer Asuaje hitting .311 in AFL Padres.com Center 21 Should Red Sox have traded prospects for starter instead of Kimbrel? FoxSports.com Rosenthal 23 Padres trade Craig Kimbrel to Red Sox in exchange for 4 prospects ESPN.com ESPN 27 2015 offseason preview: San Diego Padres ESPN.com Schoenfield 29 San Diego’s reconstruction continues as Yahoo.com Brown 30 Craig Kimbrel is shipped to Boston Padres trade closer in 5-player deal NBCSanDiego.com Togerson 31 Padres trade closer Craig Kimbrel to Red Sox SI.com Chavez 33 Red Sox trade for closer Craig Kimbrel, CBSSports.com Brown 34 Fortifying bullpen weakness Red Sox surrender too much for Kimbrel ESPN.com Law 36

2

Padres trade Kimbrel for Red Sox prospects San Diego gets four prospects in deal

By Dennis Lin | 5:15 p.m. Nov. 13, 2015 | Updated, 7:54 p.m.

Through three trades in as many days, it may look like A.J. Preller is orchestrating a

complete reverse of last winter, when the Padres’ swashbuckling general manager

traded the farm, quite literally, for a new big-league roster.

With the offseason still in its infancy, that would be a hasty conclusion. Without

question, more moves are on the way.

Preller continued to replenish the Padres’ minor league ranks Friday night, dealing

four-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a haul

of well-regarded prospects—outfielder Manuel Margot, infielders Javier Guerra and

Carlos Asuaje and left-hander Logan Allen.

This coming a day after setup man Joaquin Benoit was shipped to Seattle and two

days after infielder Jose Pirela was acquired from the Yankees. Thus, in less than 48

hours, the Padres traded both their eighth- and ninth-inning arms. The departures of

Benoit (owed $7.5 million) and Kimbrel ($11 million) reduce the Padres’ 2016

commitments to about $62 million (albeit for only five players).

Presumably, much of the money saved will go toward addressing the holes on a team

that opened last season with high expectations but finished with 88 losses.

“Now that we have more flexibility, we have a chance to really invest, whether it’s

amateur, development programs, scouting,” Preller added. “We’ll look at all those

avenues to be a championship team. Last year, we clearly fell short of that mark. This

really gives us a chance to reinvest.”

In the meantime, the Padres received a considerable return from the Red Sox, who

had inquired about Kimbrel as far back as July. Margot, a center fielder, and

shortstop Guerra should figure prominently into the Padres’ future plans at premium

positions, while Asuaje profiles as a utility type and Allen provides upside on the

mound.

3

“When you trade a player of Kimbrel’s caliber, we knew we wanted quality and

quantity,” said Preller, who estimated 10 teams called to ask about Kimbrel after the

end of the season. “Up the middle (of the field), premium defenders, I think those are

things we need to add to the organization, guys who can impact the game on both

sides of the ball.

“I think there were a handful of teams we focused on. Our scouts did a good job of

highlighting players. The Red Sox kept coming back as a pretty likely fit."

Margot was recently ranked the game’s 38th-best prospect by Baseball America, with

scouts estimating the 21-year-old could be a season away from being major league-

ready. A strong defender with gap power and speed, Margot split 2015 between

Single-A Salem and Double-A Portland, hitting .276 with 27 doubles, nine triples, six

home runs, 50 RBIs and 39 steals.

Guerra, 20, instantly becomes another top-three prospect for San Diego, an excellent

defensive shortstop who already has shown surprising pop. The left-handed hitter

spent last season with Single-A Greenville, batting .279 with 23 doubles, three triples,

15 home runs, 68 RBIs and seven steals.

Coincidentally, center field and especially shortstop are concerns on the Padres’ major

league roster. According to sources, the Padres have expressed interest in Ian

Desmond, who has a healthy market as the top free-agent shortstop available. San

Diego asked about Gold Glover Andrelton Simmons before the Braves traded him to

the Angels on Thursday.

Asuaje, 24, could compete for a major league job as soon as the spring, Preller said.

Boston’s 11th-round draft pick in 2011 out of Nova Southeastern, the left-handed

hitter primarily plays second base, along with third and left field. Asuaje, who is

currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, hit .251 with 23 doubles, seven triples,

eight home runs, 61 RBIs and nine steals for Portland.

Allen, 18, made his professional debut between Boston’s rookie-level affiliate and

Single-A Lowell after being drafted in the eighth-round this June. Showing a low-90s

4

fastball, curveball and change-up, the lefty struck out 26 and walked just one in 24 1/3

innings (eight starts).

The total haul is commensurate with a player of Kimbrel’s talent. Still only 27, the

right-handed flamethrower had a slightly below-average season by his standards, and

an excellent one by everyone else’s.

Acquired from Atlanta on the eve of last season, Kimbrel converted 39 of 43 saves

while recording 87 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. His addition, however, proved a

luxury on a sub-.500 team, even more so because the Padres also took on the

burdensome contract of center fielder Melvin Upton Jr.

“When we made the deal, we felt like there was a chance for Craig to be here in San

Diego a long time, but we also knew we were acquiring one of the best in the game at

his position,” Preller said. “If he came here and performed like he’s always performed,

we knew we might get to a point in the next few years where we wanted to turn that

asset around and recoup a lot of value to put the organization in a good spot.”

Red Sox senior vice preisdent of baseball operations Frank Wren was Atlanta’s GM in

2008, the year Kimbrel was drafted. Wren also signed Kimbrel to his current contract,

which has two years and $25 million remaining.

Preller, who said ownership continues to allow flexibility to make moves, suggested

his new setup man and possibly even his closer already could be on the roster, as the

Padres seek to round out their bullpen more economically. Young reliever Brandon

Maurer is one candidate for late-inning duties, though the former starter also is

interested in returning to the rotation.

For now, the Padres seem more likely to fill the closer role from outside the

organization. Preller also said he planned to be active in talks with player agents in

advance of next month’s Winter Meetings.

“Maybe someone comes out of nowhere, someone we don’t expect,” Preller said.

5

Hoffman should get in HOF on first ballot Electing Padres legend should be a snap, but who knows with Hall voters?

| 6:01 p.m. Nov. 14, 2015

Sez Me …

Hell’s Bells. It’s been awhile, but San Diego finally has a helluva bell cow in this barn.

Baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot for the class of 2016 is out, and for the first time since

the late Tony Gwynn’s name became available, in 2007, the Padres have a legitimate

first-ballot candidate in what always becomes a controversial mix.

His name is Trevor Hoffman, the National League’s all-time saves leader, now eligible

after his mandatory five-year retirement from the game. His entry should be a snap. It

may not be, because, well, it’s the Hall.

But Hoffman belongs. Let’s go by my criteria (my vote, my column).

Did the player dominate, and not just for a year or two, but over a period of time? Did

he make a difference? Boxes checked — in indelible ink for Trevor.

Before you can vote, you must (for 10 years) be a member in good standing of the

Baseball Writers of America, and although the Hall has slashed its voting

constituency, you still can select up to 10 candidates from the list, and a player still

needs 75 percent of the votes to get in. I’ve been a voter for 21 years.

It shouldn’t really be that hard in many cases, but it is. No player ever — ever — has

been unanimous, which means some pain-in-the-ass writers have looked at a ballot

that had Willie Mays on it the first time and said: “I’m going to be an idiot and not

vote for him.” As one of the 10, no less.

I’d love to proclaim Trevor a mandate pick. He played 18 seasons, a bit with the

Marlins, 16 years with the Padres and the final two in Milwaukee, recorded 601 saves

(the MLB record before Mariano Rivera broke it), had 30 or more saves 14 times and

had nine seasons with 40 (tied with Rivera).

6

Many voters won’t name him, and some probably don’t believe a closer belongs, which

is foolish, but my profession is not foolproof.

There is one certainty in this class, and that’s Ken Griffey Jr., the best all-round player

since Mays, and one never suspected of pharmaceutical enhancement during the

Steroid Era. He won’t be unanimous.

Mike Piazza, the greatest hitting catcher, is the top returnee from last year’s ballot,

when he had 65 percent of the vote. But he’s a Steroid Era product, and he has his

doubters, although he never tested positive. This will be the big checkpoint for him.

Not once have I voted for 10 players on my ballot (I’ve always selected Alan Trammell,

but he’s running out of time). Hence, if I don’t vote for a player when first eligible, I

never do. If not good enough then, what did he do to change my mind?

Trevor shouldn’t need a pitch, man. But the Hall can throw changeups. …

National media pureed A.J. Preller for not dealing at the trade deadline. No chance

the Padres’ GM could have made last week’s deals then. Smart, like knowledge, is

good. …

Prospects are prospects, but counter-punching, A.J. clearly won this early round —

and plenty of fight remains for The Man Who Does Not Sleep. …

7

Ex-Padres reliever Bochtler to be bullpen coach Doug Bochtler will join manager Andy Green’s staff

By Dennis Lin | 7:34 a.m. Nov. 14, 2015 | Updated, 7:37 a.m.

Doug Bochtler, the former Padres reliever who helped Trevor Hoffman with his

change-up, will return to San Diego as Andy Green’s bullpen coach, according to

sources.

Bochtler is familiar with Green, who became Padres manager on Oct. 29 after five

seasons in Arizona’s organization. While they never worked on the same staff,

Bochtler also spent the last five seasons with the Diamondbacks, all as a minor league

pitching coach. This year, Bochtler served as the pitching coach for low Single-A Kane

County.

Bochtler, 45, replaces another former Padres pitcher, Willie Blair, the bullpen coach

each of the last three seasons. Blair’s contract expired at the end of October.

Padres relievers had the third-highest ERA (4.02) in the National League in 2015. The

two foremost arms, closer Craig Kimbrel and setup man Joaquin Benoit, were traded

for multiple prospects, as the Padres seek more cost-efficient options.

The Montreal Expos’ ninth-round draft pick in 1989, Bochtler was part of one of the

most successful trades in Padres history. In July 1993, Colorado dealt the right-

hander, along with pitcher Andy Ashby and catcher Brad Ausmus, to San Diego for

Bruce Hurst and Greg Harris.

Ashby and Ausmus went on to establish themselves in the majors. Bochtler made his

major league debut with the Padres in 1995. The next year, he was the primary setup

man for Hoffman on the team that won the NL West. Over three seasons with the

Padres, Bochtler recorded a 3.78 ERA in 151 relief appearances.

The Florida native went on to play for Detroit (1998), the Dodgers (1999) and Kansas

City (2000), finishing with a 4.57 major league ERA. Bochtler pitched three more

seasons in the minors before retiring.

8

Bochtler was the pitching coach for short-season Yakima (2011-12), rookie-advanced

Missoula (2013) and low Single-A South Bend (2014). In the offseasons, Bochtler runs

a baseball academy in Knoxville, Tenn. He has helped other major leaguers with the

change-up, from Hoffman to Johan Santana to Jason Frasor.

Bochtler was a candidate for D-backs pitching coach, a position Mike Butcher filled

last month.

While a familiar name, Bochtler is the first known coach Green has hired from outside

the organization. Pitching coach Darren Balsley and third-base coach Glenn Hoffman

are returning. The rest of Green’s staff could be finalized in the next week or so.

9

Kennedy, Upton decline qualifying offers Ian Kennedy rejects offer, will test free agency

By Dennis Lin | 12:53 p.m. Nov. 13, 2015 | Updated, 2:19 p.m.

Despite some trepidation that the Padres would lose what little payroll flexibility they

had, right-hander Ian Kennedy declined San Diego’s $15.8 million qualifying offer,

thus remaining a free agent. As expected, left fielder Justin Upton also rejected a

qualifying offer from the Padres before Friday’s 2 p.m. deadline.

Upton and Kennedy’s decisions likely secure two extra draft picks next June for the

Padres, the compensation if both players sign with other teams. While Upton is all but

guaranteed to go elsewhere, the possibility still exists that Kennedy winds up re-

signing with the Padres. For now, he will gauge his value on the open market.

How qualifying offers work

Baseball's collective bargaining agreement sets the price of the qualifying offer at the

average of the 125 highest contracts by average annual value.

An offer can only be made to a free agent who was with the team the entire season.

A club has until 5 p.m. ET on the fifth day after the World Series to make a qualifying

offer. A player has until 5 p.m. ET on the 12th day after the World Series to accept it.

A club signing a player who declines a qualifying offer loses its first-round pick in the

following amateur draft, unless that pick is in the top 10. In that case, the club would

forfeit its next-highest selection.

A club that tenders a qualifying offer to a player and then sees him sign with another

team receives a draft pick as compensation. Compensatory draft picks take place

between the first and second rounds.

A deep class of free-agent pitchers, along with an overall down season, contributed to

speculation that Kennedy would delay free agency until next winter, when the

competition should be lighter. Thirty-one in December, Kennedy won’t find a deal

with an average annual value of $15.8 million, but he could net a multi-year contract

guaranteeing more security.

The Padres tendered Kennedy a qualifying offer believing he would reject it while

bracing for the slight chance he might choose to return on a generous one-year deal

(Kennedy made $9.85 million in 2015). Even after shedding Joaquin Benoit’s $7.5

10

million salary in Thursday’s trade with Seattle, the Padres owed $72 million next

season to just six players. Ownership has indicated 2016 payroll could top out around

$120 million, which would leave limited room to upgrade the roster.

After reviving his career in 2014 with a 200-inning, 200-strikeout season, Kennedy

went 9-15 with a 4.28 ERA this year. He particularly struggled in April and May, off-

kilter partly because of a hamstring injury, and ranked among the league leaders in

home runs allowed.

There still were positive trends. Rebounding from his poor start, Kennedy posted a

3.41 ERA over his final 22 appearances. He finished with the second-fastest average

fastball velocity of his career. He averaged 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, second-

most among this winter’s free agents.

Even so, the amount of marquee names ahead of him could prove challenging. Teams

already are reluctant to sacrifice the draft pick required to sign players who declined

qualifying offers. If Kennedy and agent Scott Boras don’t receive an offer deemed

satisfactory, they could circle back to San Diego, where Kennedy has enjoyed pitching.

For now, the Padres are down a starter. Young arms Colin Rea and Robbie Erlin are

candidates to step up in 2016, and the club is discussing whether to move Brandon

Maurer from the bullpen to the rotation. Padres General Manager A.J. Preller also will

look externally, with a focus on left-handed pitching.

Upton, one of the game’s top power hitters, should land a deal well north of $100

million. A return to San Diego is highly unlikely.

After declining to trade Upton, Kennedy or any of their other top assets in July, the

Padres could have three draft selections before the second round next June. San Diego

has a protected pick at No. 8 overall (if the Padres sign a free agent who received a

qualifying offer, they would give up their second-highest pick). The compensatory

picks, which are made in reverse order of teams’ 2015 winning percentage, take place

immediately after the first round.

11

Padres deal Kimbrel for 4 Red Sox prospects By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | November 13th, 2015

SAN DIEGO -- A little more than seven months ago, the Padres pulled a stunner, trading for All-Star

closer Craig Kimbrel less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

On Friday, the Padres pulled off another surprising move, as they dealt Kimbrel to the Red Sox for four

Minor League prospects.

"I think in this case, when you're trading a player like Craig, we needed quality and quantity," Preller said.

The Padres believe they got all of that in this deal.

The Padres received outfielder Manuel Margot, who was ranked No. 3 among the Red Sox prospects,

according to MLBPipeline. Margot is regarded as the top piece in the deal, a player who could reach the

big leagues in a year.

The Padres are also receiving shortstop Javier Guerra (ranked No. 6), left-handed pitcher (No. 25) Logan

Allen and 2B/3B Carlos Asuaje (No. 23). All four are now among the Padres' top 20 prospects, with

Margot the new No. 1.

Kimbrel, 27, converted 39 of 43 save opportunities this past season, posting a 2.58 ERA in 61 games. It

was the first time in his career that his season ERA was higher than 2.10. His stay in San Diego, as it

turned out, was a short one.

"When we made that deal, we felt we had a chance for Craig to be in San Diego for a long time," Preller

said. "… But we knew if he came here and performed it could get to the point where if we wanted to turn

around the asset, that we would be able to recoup a lot of value."

Moving Kimbrel also takes $11 million off the books for this season and $13 off for 2017. There's an

option for 2018. But in the last two days, the Padres have trimmed about $18 million off their payroll.

That could mean more activity, Preller said, in free agency, as the team looks to add a left-handed

starting pitcher, a left-handed bat to balance the lineup and, possibly, a short-term answer at shortstop to

hold the spot until Guerra arrives.

12

"We do have some flexibility financially looking at the free-agent market," Preller said.

The Padres, who on Thursday traded setup man Joaquin Benoit to the Mariners for two Minor League

pitchers, now have dealt their closer. What do the two deals do for their bullpen?

"We've created a lot of opportunity," Preller said. "There's a lot of ways to get to that spot. I think for a

few guys on the roster, it's an opportunity to step up. We will be looking for guys to fill some big shoes."

Preller mentioned that the organization still has to make a decision on Brandon Maurer and if he'll

remain in the bullpen, where he was successful in the seventh inning, or move into the rotation. He was

previously a starter in Seattle in 2014.

As for the package of prospects the Padres received on Friday, it was considered by many in the

industry to be a big haul.

"I think it's a good haul for the Padres," said Jim Callis of MLBPipeline. "The two prime guys they got,

Margot and Guerra, probably already qualify as their two or three top prospects."

"They kind of reversed course. It seemed like last year they were going the other direction [trading

prospects]."

A year ago, the Padres traded several Minor League players to get Major League returns -- Matt

Kemp, Justin Upton, Derek Norris, Wil Myers and more -- as part of their roster renovation that,

ultimately, led to only 74 victories.

In the last two days, the Padres made moves to help restock their farm system.

Margot, 21, hit a combined .276/.324/.419 with six home runs and 50 RBIs and 39 steals between Class

A Advanced and Double-A. He played in 64 games in Double-A and could start there again, though

many feel he can move quickly.

He was regarded by many to be the best athlete in the Red Sox system. Margot was the starting center

fielder for the World Team in the Futures Game.

"In Margot, you get a two-year player [offense and defensive], tons of contact, up the middle, premium

defenders. That's something we needed to add to the organization," Preller said.

Guerra, 20, hit .279/.329/.449 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs last season at Class A Greenville. His

power showed up for the first time as a pro in 2015 and he also hit 23 doubles.

13

"He's a shortstop who can flat-out play the position," Preller said of Guerra.

In Margot and Guerra, the Padres' future, in terms of being strong up the middle, got a big boost.

"Margot is a legitimate center fielder, plus-speed, advanced hitting skills," Callis said. "Guerra came in as

more of a defensive shortstop, but then hit 15 home runs and opened some eyes with his bat. He has a

chance to be a fine all-around shortstop."

Asuaje, who just turned 24 on Nov. 2, hit .251/.334/.374 with eight home runs and 61 RBIs in Double-A.

He played second base, shortstop and third base last season and is a left-handed hitter.

Asuaje is likely the closet to the big leagues and Preller said he could potentially challenge for a roster

spot in Spring Training, though he'll likely begin 2016 in Triple-A.

Allen, 18, was an eighth-round Draft pick in 2015 out of the IMG Academy, where he was a teammate

with Padres third-round Draft pick Jacob Nix. He had a 1.11 ERA in eight outings with 26 strikeouts in 24

1/3 innings in short-season and at a Rookie League stop.

Preller said he that talked to about 10 teams in recent days about Kimbrel, and the Padres had several

packages of players to consider. But with the Red Sox looking for a closer and having a deep farm

system, it made for a perfect match.

"The Red Sox kept coming back as a fit," Preller said.

This isn't the first time the Padres have traded a superstar player to the Red Sox.

The night before the Winter Meetings in Orlando in 2010, the Padres shipped first baseman Adrian

Gonzalez to the Red Sox for four players -- pitcher Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo,

outfielder Reymond Fuentes and infielder Eric Patterson.

Only Kelly remains in the organization.

14

Dombrowski deals for now; Preller for future Kimbrel to bolster Boston bullpen; Padres improve depth in system By Phil Rogers / MLB.com | @philgrogers | November 13th, 2015

You didn't have to tell Dave Dombrowski how important it was to have a reliable closer. He always knew.

Dombrowski gave Joe Nathan a fat contract just two years ago. Dombrowski just couldn't crack the code

behind landing a hot hand for October while the Tigers were flirting with with a championship behind

the Justin Verlander /Miguel Cabrera core.

But it's OK, Tigers fans. Go ahead and scream. You've got it coming.

Dombrowski has traded for a top-of-the-game closer, but unfortunately for Detroit fans, he's done it in

his first autumn working out of a Fenway Park office.

Some are going to say that Dombrowski overpaid for Craig Kimbrel, especially given the glaring hole

atop the Boston rotation, which has been there since his predecessor, Ben Cherington, was unable to

lock up Jon Lester. But Koji Uehara is 40 and recovering from a broken wrist, and Dombrowski has the

same memories of Todd Jones, Fernando Rodney, Jose Valverde, Joaquin Benoit and an end-of-

career Nathan as fans in Detroit, so he pulled the trigger and landed himself a four-time All-Star under

control through 2018.

At 27, Kimbrel is 12 years younger than Nathan was when Nathan signed with the Tigers. So, yes,

Kimbrel is a guy who would have looked very good taking the ball from Verlander and Max Scherzer.

Maybe the problem was that the Padres' A.J. Preller didn't become a general manager until 2014.

So much for Preller's sophomore slump.

It's easier to make a deal than it used to be, partly because of the parity in the game, partly because of

the money in the game and especially because of the aggressiveness of go-for-the-jugular GMs like

Preller.

One year after driving one of the wildest Hot Stove markets seen in a decade or longer, the Padres'

second-year GM is at it again. He opened business on Kimbrel at the GM Meetings earlier this week and

brought it to a close Friday evening, landing outfielder Manuel Margot, shortstop Javier Guerra, infielder

Carlos Asuaje and 18-year-old lefty Logan Allen in the deal.

15

With the Reds also making closer Aroldis Chapman available, there have been a flurry of talks between

teams this week on the relief front. The Padres had just traded Benoit to the Mariners for prospects on

Thursday, giving a setup man a chance to return to the closer's role. Other teams in need of bullpen

upgrades -- the Cubs and likely the Astros, Pirates and Tigers, among others -- explored the idea of

trading for one of the top closers.

There had to be at least one other team extensively engaged with the Padres on Kimbrel. Otherwise, the

Red Sox would never have spent so heavily to get him.

When Preller shocked the baseball world by getting Kimbrel from the Braves in the first week of the 2015

season, he sent right-hander Matt Wisler (who went 8-8 with a 4.71 ERA as a Braves rookie) and

outfielders Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and Jordan Paroubeck to Atlanta. The biggest part of the

deal was taking on the contract of B.J. Upton, who was owed $46 million over three seasons.

While 2015 didn't turn out as Preller hoped it would, he hedged his bet by also moving a $24 million

commitment to the Braves with Maybin and Quentin, and he's restocked the Padres' farm system

splendidly with the return for Kimbrel.

Margot, an athletic center fielder who was ranked as the Red Sox's No. 3 prospect by MLBPipeline.com,

held his own in Double-A as a 20-year-old and could push for a spot alongside Matt Kemp and Wil

Myers in 2016. The other players aren't as close to being in San Diego, but Guerra is such a good two-

way shortstop at age 20 that he'd likely be a top-3 pick in the Draft if he was attending Vanderbilt or TCU,

and Asuaje had hit himself to Triple-A Pawtucket in his two pro seasons.

Oh, then there's Allen. He's an 18-year-old lefty whose fastball has ramped up to 94 mph, which helped

him hold his own in Rookie leagues after the Red Sox drafted him from the IMG Academy last June. He's

a million miles away from Petco Park, but it's like landing an extra first- or second-round Draft pick (true,

the Red Sox landed him in the eighth, but that was largely because he seemed headed to the University

of South Carolina).

This trade helps give the Padres some balance after Preller's blitzkrieg through the last Hot Stove

season, which was designed to reignite baseball interest in San Diego. These are the kind of exciting

players that fans can fall in love with, and this trade is probably a precursor of some others to come.

The Kimbrel trade frees up money that can go toward filling the Padres' hole at shortstop. There

have been some reports about an interest in free-agent shortstopIan Desmond (Nationals), but

16

you wonder if Preller might not prefer to deal Tyson Ross for Javier Baez, if the Cubs will make

their power-hitting 22-year-old available. Preller is talking to other teams about his full inventory

of players, including starting pitchers Andrew Cashner (a free agent after 2016), the widely

sought Ross andJames Shields. The Kimbrel trade was his third in a week, including one that

landed second baseman Jose Pirela from the Yankees. He's probably not going to stop now.

Neither will Dombrowski. The mandate in Boston is the same as it was for him in Detroit: Deliver

a championship.

Dombrowski's biggest statement could come in the free-agent market, as the Red Sox are

expected to strongly pursue David Price and Johnny Cueto, and probablyZack Greinke, Jordan

Zimmermann and Jeff Samardzija as well. But never rule out Dombrowski making sensational

trades. He's done that everywhere he's been, and with the Kimbrel deal done, that includes

Boston.

17

Padres restock farm system with Kimbrel trade Outfielder Margot key to deal that brings in four Top 20 prospects By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | @JonathanMayo | November 13th, 2015

A year ago, Padres general manager A.J. Preller made offseason waves by going all in with a

series of moves to bring in big league talent for 2015. He's at it again, this time in reverse.

By sending All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox for four prospects, Preller was able to

do some serious farm-system restocking in one fell swoop. Yes, he had to give up one of the

most consistent closers in the game in Kimbrel, but he brought in four Minor Leaguers who are

now in the Padres' Top 20, while also clearing $11 million from the 2016 payroll and $24 million

over the next two seasons by sending Kimbrel to Boston.

The key to the deal was undoubtedly outfielder Manuel Margot, who immediately becomes the

Padres' top prospect. No. 25 on the overall Top 100, Margot is a terrific all-around athlete who

reached Double-A in 2015 at age 20. Though Margot scuffled a bit in the second half in the Eastern League, he still has a ton of upside and should be able to hit for average with some extra-base ability, in time. He doesn't strike out much and has more strength than one would think, given his 5-foot-11 frame. An ability to draw more walks will only make Margot a more complete hitter.

Margot's plus speed (a 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale) really stands out on both sides of the

ball. He stole 39 bases in 2015, giving him 132 steals in 342 career games since he signed for

$800,000 out of the Dominican Republic in July 2011. Margot's wheels give him plenty of range

in center field, where he will undoubtedly stay long-term.

Shortstop Javier Guerra becomes San Diego's No. 3 prospect. Signed a year after Margot out of

Panama, the infielder -- ranked No. 76 on the Top 100 -- made his full-season debut in 2015

and was a South Atlantic League All-Star.

While there were initial concerns about Guerra's ability to stay at short because of a lack of

speed, he's showing he has the tools and instincts to stick at the premium position. He has

terrific hands, a strong arm and is more agile than expected.

What's really surprised some is how much Guerra's bat has come around. Playing all year at

age 19, he hit 15 home runs in 2015 and it looks as if that power is legit. Like with many young

hitters, Guerra needs to refine his approach to continue his success.

18

Left-hander Logan Allen becomes the first player traded under the "Trea Turnerrule." Last year,

Turner became the very widely known player to be named in Preller's deal with the Nationals

and Rays last winter, but he had to stay with the Padres until midseason since draftees weren't

allowed to be dealt until a year following the Draft. The rule was changed so that a draftee could

be included in a deal after the conclusion of the World Series.

Allen, the Red Sox's eighth-round pick last June, who got $725,000 to sign out of IMG

Academy, showed improved velocity during the spring of his senior season and has the

potential to have four Major League average or better offerings to go along with a good feel for

pitching.

Allen becomes San Diego's No. 18 prospect, while infielder Carlos Asuaje slots in at No. 19.

The 2013 draftee out of Nova Southeastern had a huge first full season in 2014, but he wasn't

quite as effective with the bat when he moved to Double-A in 2015. Asuaje does have an

incredibly advanced eye at the plate and controls the strike zone well while showing more pop

than one would expect from a 5-foot-9 infielder.

While Asuaje has seen time at multiple positions, he was playing second base exclusively in the

Arizona Fall League at the time of the trade, and was performing well there, hitting .316 over 14

games.

All of this might seem like a large haul for one reliever, even one as accomplished as Kimbrel. In

many ways, it is. Preller got both quality and quantity while shedding payroll in this deal.

At the same time, however, this deal could make a lot of sense for the Red Sox, as well. Yes,

giving up four prospects for a closer might seem like a steep price, but keep in mind that Boston

boasts one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, cushioning the blow of a trade of this

magnitude.

Even the two Top 100 Prospects were, in some ways, expendable. The big league outfield is

young and talented, with Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo and Jackie Bradley Jr. not looking

like they are going anywhere. Plus, 2015 first-round pick Andrew Benintendi gives the farm

system another talented center fielder. Guerra also would eventually face a large roadblock in

23-year-old superstar-in-the-making Xander Bogaerts.

19

Kennedy, Upton reject qualifying offers Both players turn down one-year, $15.8 million offers By Corey Brock / MLB.com | @FollowThePadres | November 13th, 2015

SAN DIEGO -- Even though the Padres made two trades this week, the team was waiting to see

if pitcher Ian Kennedy would accept or decline its qualifying offer Friday before fully moving

forward into the offseason.

When Kennedy declined the qualifying offer -- if accepted, he would have returned to San Diego

for 2016 for $15.8 million -- it essentially gave the team a better idea of what it needs to do and

has to work with financially this winter.

Outfielder Justin Upton declined the team's qualifying offer as well, meaning that the Padres

get two additional Draft picks at the end of the first round as compensation for both players if

they sign elsewhere.

The Padres could have five picks before the third round in next June's Draft -- or five picks in

roughly the top 70 overall selections.

The Padres would have their own protected pick at No. 8 overall, the two additional picks for

losing Upton and Kennedy, their second-round pick and a competitive balance pick after the

second round.

While Upton's decision wasn't a surprise at all, there was some thought Kennedy could accept

and hope to parlay a big 2016 season into a bigger, multiyear deal.

But Kennedy's agent, Scott Boras, likely advised otherwise. The Padres gambled some with the

qualifying offer, though they maintained publically that they like Kennedy and would have been

fine with him returning on a one-year deal.

But for a franchise that will likely have an Opening Day payroll in the vicinity of $120 million,

Kennedy's return would have certainly tied general manager A.J. Preller's hands to some extent

in terms of the pursuit of free agents this winter.

20

The Padres, who already have about $75 million committed to six players with a projected $100

million essentially tied up when you include arbitration-eligible players, also now know they must

find a way to replace Kennedy's 30 starts.

Kennedy, 30, made $9.85 million this past season. He was 9-15 with a 4.28 ERA in 30 starts in

2015, marking the third time in as many seasons he's reached the 30-start mark.

His statistics from this year were a bit misleading, as he landed on the disabled list in his first

start due to a strained left hamstring and was slow to round into form once he returned.

From June 13 to Sept. 2 -- a span that covered 15 starts -- Kennedy posted a 2.45 ERA and

limited opposing batters to a .216 average.

He allowed a career-high 31 home runs, but his strikeout percentage (24.4) was just a tick off

where it was in 2014 (24.5).

The Padres have James Shields, Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner returning to the rotation.

They'll now need to find a replacement for Kennedy, though it could come internally, as the

team is giving serious consideration to having Brandon Maurer move from the bullpen to the

rotation.

Lefty Robbie Erlin is a possibility to help fill out the rotation, as is righty Colin Rea, though

Preller has said the team could pursue a left-hander from outside of the organization to help fill

the rotation.

21

Newcomer Asuaje hitting .311 in AFL Margot hits third homer in Dominican Republic By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | 11:43 AM ET

Three prospects recently acquired from the Padres are playing in the Arizona Fall League or

winter ball.

Infielder Carlos Asuaje -- pronounced ah-SWAH-hay -- immediately changed his uniform from

the Red Sox to the Padres while playing for Scottsdale of the AFL. Asuaje is playing second and

leading off for the division leaders, who could be playing in Saturday's AFL championship game.

Asuaje, 24, is hitting .311 (19-for-61) in 15 games.

Center fielder Manuel Margot, 21, is hitting .245 (13-for-53) with Este in the Dominican Republic.

He hit his third homer and drove in three runs the night the Padres acquired him from the Red

Sox in the four-for-one trade for closer Craig Kimbrel.

Margot has 11 RBIs in 17 games with Este with two doubles, a triple and the three home runs.

He is 3-for-8 in his last three games with the homer, four RBIs and three runs scored.

And infielder Jose Pirela, 25, who the Padres acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Minor

League pitcher Ronald Herrera, is hitting .373 (31-for-83) with Zulia in the Venezuelan winter

league. He was 4-for-9 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and a RBI in two games over the

weekend.

Pirela has six doubles, two triples and a home run for 12 RBIs and 16 runs scored in 21 games.

He has a .435 on-base percentage and .530 slugging percentage.

Going into the final four games of the Arizona Fall League, outfielder Nick Torres, 22, is hitting

.289 for Peoria. He is 7-for-14 in his past three games with two doubles, three runs scored and a

RBI.

Third baseman Gabriel Quintana, 23, is 8-for-19 with Peoria over his last five games with a

homer, two RBIs and five runs scored to raise his batting average to .236. Second baseman

Fernando Perez, 22, a product of Otay Ranch High, is 6-for-19 over his last five games with

three doubles and a home run and is hitting .188 in the AFL.

22

Right-hander Ryan Butler (3-0, 1.50 ERA over 12 innings) is scheduled to make his fourth and

final start of the AFL Monday for Peoria.

Submarining right-handed reliever Eric Yardley is 1-0 with three saves and a 3.27 ERA in nine

appearances (11 innings). Two other right-handed Padres prospects are also entering their final

week with Peoria. Cody Hebner has a 3.68 ERA in seven appearances and Elliot Morris has a

4.15 ERA in seven appearances.

Shortstop Ruddy Giron, 18, is beginning to see more playing time with Escogido in the

Dominican Republic while Class A Fort Wayne teammate Luis Urias, 18, continues to hit .338

for Obregon of the Mexican Pacific League.

Catcher Austin Hedges is hitting .242 after 18 games with Escogido in the Dominican Republic

although outfielder Rymer Liriano has slumped to .210 in 18 games in the same league.

23

Should Red Sox have traded prospects for starter instead of Kimbrel? Will Boston still be able to land an ace? By Ken Rosenthal Nov 15, 2015 at 4:08p ET

The biggest question with the Red Sox’s trade for Craig Kimbrel is whether new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski could have used the four prospects he sent to the Padres to land a starting pitcher instead.

The Sox’s answer is no, that pitchers such as Chris Sale or Sonny Gray were unavailable. But that is only true at the moment. Teams pivot, markets change. And if Dombrowski is serious about Kimbrel being his biggest trade acquisition of the winter, then he is now in a corner in his pursuit of an ace.

Only two such pitchers are available in free agency – Zack Greinke and David Price. We learned the last time Greinke was on the market that he prefers the National League, and the best guess is that he will re-sign with the Dodgers, unless the Giants somehow bid higher. Price, meanwhile, is thought to prefer the Cubs.

Both pitchers value comfort, but both want to be paid. One exec who knows Greinke jokes that the right-hander would play for the Tokyo Giants if they made him the highest offer (Greinke proved he could thrive in a large market with the Dodgers, though Boston is a different type of large market than Los Angeles). Price, for a variety of reasons stemming from his time with the Rays, probably does not consider the Red Sox his first choice. But if the Sox outbid the Cubs by say, $30 million, hello Boston.

Dombrowski, by all accounts, is quite fond of Price, and presumably is authorized to spend on an ace in a way that his predecessor, Ben Cherington, could not (remember, the Sox probably could have extended Jon Lester for $125 million or so before he hit free agency).

If Dombrowski indeed gets his man, then the price for Kimbrel trade becomes more palatable. The Sox were so deep in prospects, they could not keep all of them. Center fielder Manuel Margot and shortstop Javier Guerra, blocked by more advanced players, probably would have been traded eventually. The only question was for whom.

What happens, though, if Dombrowski fails to land Price or Greinke? Might he sign two other free-agent starters – say, Jordan Zimmermann and Johnny Cueto? Or might he go for just one, count on bouncebacks from Clay Buchholz andRick Porcello and bank on Eduardo Rodriguez taking a major step forward?

Whatever the answer, Dombrowski evidently was comfortable with expending his prospect power on a reliever who throws 60 to 65 innings per season. Time will tell if he went too far, too soon.

SCORE ONE FOR PRELLER

For an example of how patience can be a virtue in trade discussions, consider the Padres’ approach with Kimbrel and how they got a bigger return for him in November than they would have in July.

24

I was one of many who was critical of Padres GM A.J. Preller for passing on the Yankees’ offer for Kimbrel, which included shortstop Jorge Mateo and a willingness to absorb a healthy portion of the amount the Padres owed infielderJedd Gyorko – at the time, about $33 million.

My thought was that the Padres were passing on too good an opportunity, that Kimbrel’s value only would diminish in time. Well, it turns out that the Pads landed Guerra, a shortstop comparable to Mateo. Plus Margot. Plus infielder Carlos Asuaje and left-hander Logan Allen. Four of the Red Sox’s top 30 prospects in all, according to MLB.com.

“SD got a TON,” one rival executive told me in a text.

When I asked Jim Callis, MLB.com’s draft and prospect expert, to evaluate Mateo and Guerra, he replied, “They’re very comparable. Guerra is a better defender, very interesting if his power is real. Mateo is a legit shortstop and he can fly, gets some Jose Reyes comps.”

The only problem with the six prospects the Padres acquired for Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit is that they all were at Double-A or below. A number of players the Pads traded a year ago – Joe Ross, Trea Turner, Matt Wisler, Jace Peterson, etc. – were more advanced. So, in a sense, the team took a step back in the development chain.

The larger question, of course, is where the Padres go from here. One exec predicts that Preller will go “full rebuild” – right-hander Ian Kennedy turned down the Pads’ qualifying offer, the team is shopping righty Tyson Ross and also is looking to move Matt Kemp, according to major-league sources.

Ross is under club control for two more seasons, rightyAndrew Cashner for one. Kemp, meanwhile, is owed $86 million over the next four years. Is it possible that Preller could pull off the first Kimbrel trade in reverse, attaching Kemp to Ross the way the Braves attached Melvin Upton Jr. to Kimbrel?

Such a move would lessen the return on Ross at a time when the Padres badly need to replenish their system. In any case, it’s difficult to know exactly what Preller is thinking; the Padres, who appeared over-budget before trading Kimbrel and Benoit and losing Kennedy, also are considering additions such as free-agent shortstop Ian Desmond.

Signing Desmond would cost the Pads a second-round pick, but Preller also could view him as a trade asset who eventually could bring a greater return. Good players can help accelerate the building process; Desmond could bridge the gap to Guerra, then move on.

AND THE BRAVES?

Officials from three different clubs told me that the Braves have indeed shopped first baseman Freddie Freeman, with one saying such a possibility was “the talk of the (Arizona) Fall League” among scouts about 10 days ago.

The Braves, another official says, are “shopping everyone owed money” – a group that would include right-handerJulio Teheran, right fielder Nick Markakis and center fielderCameron Maybin, among others.

25

Clearly, the Braves do not fear backlash; otherwise, they would not have traded shortstop Andrelton Simmons. From a financial perspective, they might be even more motivated to trade Freeman, whose salary will rise from $12 million in 2016 to $20.5 million in ’17.

Then again, Freeman’s value at the moment might be somewhat in question - he did not make a start during the final weekend of the regular season due to a lingering right wrist injury.

Whatever, the Braves continue to send mixed signals.

GM John Coppolella told reporters that the trade of Simmons was intended to improve the team for 2016 and not just for the future, saying, “We can’t have a year like we had last year.”

The Braves expect Erick Aybar to be an offensive upgrade over Simmons and the two pitching prospects they received from the Angels, Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis, to contribute next season. But much more work needs to be done if they truly intend to lose significantly fewer than 95 games.

To that end, the Braves have re-signed free-agent catcherA.J. Pierzynski, and they also are talking to a number of other non-compensation free agents, including some veteran relievers, sources say.

Still, what actually is their goal? Ninety losses? Eighty-five? Or is their true plan to move Freeman and Teheran, secure even more prospects and all but guarantee themselves the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft (they will draft third in ’16)?

While the Braves’ rebuild bears similarities to those of the Cubs’, Astros’ and Royals’, none of those clubs traded as many signed or controllable young players – players such as Simmons, Kimbrel, Jose Peraza, Evan Gattis and Alex Wood, players who could have prevented the team from taking as hard a fall.

Another issue: The Braves, who do not include no-trade clauses in contracts, likely are losing credibility with their own players. Kimbrel and Simmons did not sign their new deals early in 2014 thinking they would be traded so quickly. The same goes for Freeman and Teheran, who – for now - remain with the club.

AROUND THE HORN

● The Cubs do not intend to move third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Addison Russell or left fielder Kyle Schwarber, but will at least explore the trade interest they are getting in right fielder Jorge Soler and infielder Javier Baez, sources say.

Moving one of those hitters only would make sense if the return was a pitcher of similar age, service and talent. The risk for the Cubs in addressing their pitching needs solely through the free-agent market is that they could end up with an old rotation quickly.

Starlin Castro would not bring back the same type of young pitcher as Baez or Soler, but he batted .295 with a .783 OPS in the second half. Playing second base seemed to relax him, and he still will only be 26 next season.

26

● The trade activity on Rays relievers Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger only intensified after the Kimbrel trade – and teams unwilling to meet high free-agent prices are again targeting the Rays’ starters, sources say.

The Rays already have traded right-hander Nathan Karns to the Mariners, but their depth could enable them to move another. Left-hander Blake Snell, the 52nd overall pick in the 2011 draft, is progressing rapidly.

● Finally, the Mets are fairly adamant that they will not trade any of their young starting pitchers, but would it have made sense for them to trade right-hander Matt Harvey for the package that the Red Sox used to land Kimbrel?

Granted, the four prospects who went to the Padres are not yet close to the majors, but Margot could have been the Mets’ center fielder of the future, Guerra would have given them another shortstop prospect to go with Amed Rosario, and Asuaje and Allen would have been additional assets.

Both Harvey and Kimbrel are under club control for three more seasons.

27

Padres trade Craig Kimbrel to Red Sox in exchange for 4 prospects ESPN.com news services

BOSTON -- New Red Sox boss Dave Dombrowski on Friday night made his first big move to rebuild the franchise after its third last-place finish in four years, acquiring four-time All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel from the San Diego Padres for four prospects. Kimbrel, who saved 39 games for the Padres this season, spent the first five years of his career with the Atlanta Braves before they traded him to San Diego on the eve of the 2015 regular season. The Red Sox assumed $25 million remaining on Kimbrel's contract but have him under control for up to three more seasons.

"Moving to the American League, I'm excited," Kimbrel said during a conference call. "It's a league that has the big bats. And being a pitcher, you want a challenge of facing the big bats."

The Padres received outfielder Manuel Margot, infielders Javier Guerra and Carlos Asuaje, and left-hander Logan Allen. Only Asuaje and Margot made it as high as Double-A last season.

"We didn't give anything up at the major league level to affect our club this year," Dombrowski said. "It's good talent. Some of it's a while away."

Kimbrel, 27, went 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 61 appearances last season, 43 of them save opportunities, and he struck out 87 in 59 1/3 innings. Since the start of his first full season in 2011, he leads major league relievers with 224 saves and ranks second among them with a 1.70 ERA and 523 strikeouts.

He recorded his 200th save in his 318th game, the fastest in major league history.

"There are various names out there, but [he's] one of the best in baseball," Dombrowski said. "We look for him to be our guy back there for years to come."

Dombrowski does not shy away from making trades, whether to build for the future or improve his current roster. His moves have included a December 2007 trade that sent 22-year-old Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin and four others to the Marlins for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera; the December 2009 trade that sent Curtis Granderson (28 at the time) to the New York Yankees and Edwin Jackson (26) to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team deal for Phil Coke, Austin Jackson, Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth; and the July 2014 trade of Austin Jackson (27) to the Seattle Mariners and Drew Smyly and Willy Adames to theTampa Bay Rays in the three-team deal that netted David Price. He also was responsible for trading Randy Johnson to the Mariners (1989), Trevor Hoffman to the Padres (1993), Edgar Renteria to the St. Louis Cardinals (1998) and Johan Santana to the Minnesota Twins(1999).

28

San Diego finished fourth in the National League West last season despite a roster makeover by general manager A.J. Preller. He said trading Kimbrel for young -- and inexpensive -- players gives him the payroll flexibility that could allow the Padres to get back into the free-agent market.

It also will give them depth.

"I think when you're trading a player of Craig's caliber, I think we knew we needed quality and quantity. So I want to say all four guys are important to us," Preller said. "To really get to a championship level, you've got to have depth, you've got to have numbers and you've got to be strong up the middle."

With the acquisition of Kimbrel, Boston will move Koji Uehara into the eighth-inning role. Junichi Tazawa will handle the seventh. Uehara emerged as the closer in Boston's 2013 World Series championship run. But he started and ended last season on the disabled list, finishing his year Aug. 7 with a broken right wrist.

Dombrowski said manager John Farrell spoke to Uehara and the pitcher was willing to do whatever the ballclub wanted.

"John Farrell thought he would be fine, knowing the type of individual he is," Dombrowski said. "He said he just wanted to pitch in the World Series again."

Asuaje, 24, spent 2015 with Double-A Portland, playing primarily second base. He has batted .278 with a .364 on-base percentage and a .440 slugging percentage in 312 career minor league games.

Margot split the season between Class A and Double-A, hitting .276 with 27 doubles, nine triples, six home runs, 50 RBIs and 73 runs. Guerra, 20, was named the Red Sox minor league defensive player of the year at Class A Greenville.

Allen, 18, was an eighth-round draft pick who split time between Boston's rookie-level affiliate and Class A Lowell. He posted a combined 1.11 ERA with 26 strikeouts and only one walk in eight starts between the Gulf Coast League Red Sox and Lowell.

Friday's move is the second in two days for the Padres. On Thursday, they sent 38-year-old right-hander Joaquin Benoit to the Seattle Mariners for two minor league prospects -- right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and infielder Nelson Ward.

29

2015 offseason preview: San Diego Padres David Schoenfield

Yeah, that didn't work so well. The San Diego Padres, under new general manager A.J. Preller, went nuts last offseason, bringing in Matt Kemp,Justin Upton, James Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Wil Myers, Derek Norris,Will Middlebrooks, Shawn Kelley, Brandon Morrow, Brandon Maurer,Melvin Upton ... and fell from 77 wins to 74. What's Plan B? What do they need: A shortstop. A center fielder, unless you believe in Melvin Upton's decent 228 plate appearances (112 OPS+) are a return to form after two terrible seasons. A first baseman with power would be nice. A starting pitcher, or maybe two if Ian Kennedy leaves as a free agent. (The Padres gave him a qualifying offer but he didn't accept.) A third baseman, unless you believe in Yangervis Solarte as a starter. A bullpen guy. They have a new manager in Andy Green, who had been third-base coach for the Diamondbacks. Guy on the rise: Cory Spangenberg was the team's first-round pick in 2011 and while his progress through the minors was slow, he was a career .294 hitter in five minor league seasons. In his first extended taste of big-league pitching he hit .271/.333/.399 and played an adequate second base (0 Defensive Runs Saved). He doesn't have much power and he hasn't translated his plus-speed into many steals, but he'll battle Jedd Gyorkofor the starting job. Prospect to anticipate: Austin Hedges exhausted his rookie eligibility in 2015 and he can't hit (although the Padres might make him the starting catcher), so let's go with OF Hunter Renfroe, the team's first-round pick in 2013 out of Mississippi State. Renfroe has raw power, bat speed and a strong throwing arm, but is limited to an outfield corner -- positions currently occupied by Kemp and Myers, unless the Padres try that silly experiment again of Myers in center. Renfroe also has some swing-and-miss in his game and doesn't walk much, leading to a .328 OBP in the minors. He reached Triple-A for 21 games in 2015 but more time there is probably necessary. Winter action plan: Friday's trade of Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox is a start, but to put it bluntly, this team is kind of a mess right now. There's always hope that the rotation pitches better -- the team allowed 154 more runs than 2014, offsetting a 115-run increase on offense -- but it doesn't seem like they have the pieces to contend. But they also have win-now veterans like Kemp and Shields who don't have much trade value due to their production and contracts. What will Preller do? The Padres are kind of stuck in the middle, going nowhere. They do need to get a shortstop. The three-team deal that brought in Myers now looks like a disaster for the Padres, as Trea Turner, traded to the Nationals, would have been the team's starting shortstop in 2016. Now they're desperate to find somebody. They were in on Andrelton Simmons discussions but now might have to turn to free agent Ian Desmond if there's money in the budget, or a cheaper stopgap such asAlexei Ramirez. They acquired infielder Jose Pirela from the Yankees, but he's mostly been a second baseman in recent years. If they make Hedges the catcher, they could offer Norris around, or maybe move Norris to first base in a platoon with Yonder Alonso. Do they look to trade Andrew Cashner in his final year before free agency? What about Kimbrel, who has two years remaining? They'll try to sign a cheaper rotation option such as veteran Rich Hill, who came out of nowhere last year to have four dominant starts for the Red Sox in September. Their best bet might be to sit tight and see what happens early in the season. If the Padres fall out of the race, they could shop around Cashner or Kimbrel at that point and extract as much value as they would this offseason.

30

San Diego's reconstruction continues as Craig Kimbrel is shipped to Boston By Tim Brown November 13, 2015 8:34 PM Yahoo Sports

Digging out of their third last-place finish in four years, and this time under new management, the Boston Red Sox on Friday night acquiredcloser Craig Kimbrel from the San Diego Padres for four minor leagues.

The Padres, conversely, appear to be restocking a minor-league system stripped bare by their hell-

bent efforts to compete in the NL West for the first time in a half-decade.

Kimbrel has 224 saves over the past five seasons. In four of them, all with the Atlanta Braves, his

total led the National League. He was traded to the Padres on the eve of the 2015 season in what

was viewed as another piece toward rare Padres relevance. It did not work, though Kimbrel posted

39 saves and a 2.58 ERA.

Perhaps this is a sign Padres general manager A.J. Preller will take a more measured approach

toward reconstructing a club that disappointed in his first season in charge of baseball operations.

The players acquired from the Red Sox — right-handed pitcher Logan Allen, outfielder Manuel

Margot and infielders Javier Guerra and Carlos Asuaje — are well regarded prospects, particularly

Margo, Guerra and Logan.

On Thursday, Preller traded Joaquin Benoit, the Padres’ eighth-inning reliever, to theSeattle

Mariners for two minor leaguers, a pitcher and an infielder.

Among their many problems, some of which cost general manager Ben Cherington his standing with

the club (he eventually resigned), the Red Sox had a bullpen that ranked near the bottom of the

American League. Dave Dombrowski, therefore, spent from his farm system to settle the ninth

inning. They will pay all of Kimbrel’s salary — $11 million in 2016, $13 million in ’17 and a $1 million

buyout on a $13 million option in ’18.

31

Padres Trade Closer in 5-Player Deal Craig Kimbrel sent to the Red Sox for a prospect package By Derek Togerson The “Rock Star GM” is at it again. If anyone was wondering if Padres General Manager A.J. Preller would be timid after last year’s whirlwind of activity failed on the field, the answer is an emphatic NO. On Friday Preller pulled off a trade with the Red Sox, sending All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to Boston for a package of four prospects: Logan Allen, Carlos Asuaje, Javier Guerra and Manuel Margot (more on them in a second). The 27-year-old Kimbrel spent just one season in San Diego, going 4-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 39 saves in 43 chances. Kimbrel came over from the Braves (along with OF Melvin Upton Jr.) just before Opening Day of the 2015 season. In that deal the Padres gave up a pair of prospects and a draft pick, but the return for Kimbrel now might be better than what they surrendered to get him. “If he came here and performed like he’s really always performed,” said Preller, “if we got to a point in the next few years that we wanted to turn the asset around we were going to be able to recoup a lot of value and put the organization in a better spot.” So, let’s get to know the new guys with a little scouting report sprinkled in: Logan Allen, LHP 18-year-old lefty out of IMG Academy, selected in the eighth, 231st overall in the 2015 Draft. LHP fastball sits in low-90’s. Velocity has greatly improved over last year. Throws a change up and two different breaking balls. Carlos Asuaje, IF 24-year-old from Venezuela, bats left throws right. Undersized, small, athletic frame. Short, compact swing. Excellent bat control with a knack for making contact. Makes pitchers work. Below-average power potential; plays best at second base, fringe-average arm strength. Soft hands, great instincts, has versatility and is being developed as a true utility player. Lacks standout tools but profiles as a bench utility player. Strong instincts (basically sounds a lot like David Eckstein) Javier Guerra, IF 20-year-old from Panama. Slightly undersized (5’11”) but athletic, quick twitch athlete. Short, compact, line drive swing. Good bat control. Propensity for swing and miss, more gap power with plenty of doubles. Plus arm strength, quick release, able to make any throw from SS. Below-average run speed. Won’t be an impact bat but will more than make up for it with plus-to-elite defensive profile (perhaps an Andrelton Simmons-style player).

32

Manuel Margot, OF 21-year-old from Dominican Republic. Ranked as the 25th-best prospect in all of professional baseball by www.mlb.com. Medium frame with fast-twitch muscle and above-average athleticism. Fluid swing, quick hands, smooth load with little wasted movement. Plus bat speed, natural bat-to-ball skills. Presently a line-drive hitter with surprising polish to approach. Shows willingness to see pitches but likes to attack early in the count. Surprising power for size, average arm strength, quick release, plenty of arm strength for center field. Reads ball off bat well in center, shows understanding of how to take precise routes. Plus-plus speed, gets out of box quickly. Needs to improve reads when stealing bases. Potential for 30-plus bases at big leagues. Had a streak of 62 at-bats without a strike out to start 2015 season. None of these four players have advanced beyond Double-A yet. The question now is what happens to the Padres bullpen in 2016? The setup man (Joaquin Benoit) and the closer were dealt in back-to-back days, so there’s a big opening on the back end in San Diego. Preller said there will be a process of finding the man who can carry of the Padres tradition of dominant closers, mentioning Brandon Maurer, Kevin Quackenbush and Marcos Mateo as possibilities by name. A.J. also said the extra financial flexibility (trading Benoit and Kimbrel freed up nearly $19 million in salary for 2016) gives the Padres the option of going out of the open market to find a free agent closer, or possibly strengthen the franchise’s infrastructure. “Whether it’s programs, scouting front, amateur market, international market, I think we’re going to look at all those avenues as ways to be a championship team,” said Preller. “I think this gives us some flexibility financially to move some money around and really invest in certain areas and I’m definitely looking forward to going about that.”

33

Padres trade closer Craig Kimbrel to Red Sox

BY SI WIRE Posted: Fri Nov. 13, 2015

The Boston Red Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher Craig Kimbrel from San

Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Logan Allen, infielder Carlos Asuaje, shortstop

Javier Guerra and outfielder Manuel Margot, the team announced.

The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The Red Sox will pay the remainder of Kimbrel's contract, according to Jon Heyman of

CBS Sports.

Kimbrel, 27, is coming off a season in which he recorded 39 saves with a 2.58 ERA. He

has 225 career saves after having played five seasons with the Atlanta Braves before

joining the Padres in 2015.

Koji Uehara led the Red Sox bullpen with 25 saves, 87 strikeouts and a 2.23 ERA last

season.

The prospects acquired by the Padres may be a few years away from being promoted to

the major league team.

Margot, 21, played 110 games between Single A Salem and Double A Portland in 2015

and finished with a combined .276 batting average, 27 doubles, nine triples, six home

runs, 50 RBIs, 73 runs and 39 stolen bases.

Learn the Causes of Psoriatic Arthritis & a Treatment

Guerra, 20, played 116 games for Single A Greenville and hit .279 with 15 home runs and

68 RBIs.

The Padres and Red Sox will open the season on April 4. The Padres will open at home

against the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Red Sox hit the road to face the

Cleveland Indians.

- Christopher Chavez

34

Red Sox trade for closer Craig Kimbrel, fortifying bullpen weakness By David Brown | Baseball Writer November 13, 2015 7:42 pm ET

The Boston Red Sox appear to be loading up for a run at the World Series, while the San Diego

Padres are taking a step back from trying to contend, and are re-stocking for tomorrow.

The Red Sox acquired right-hander Craig Kimbrel from the Padres on Friday night, CBS

Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman confirmed, with the Padres receiveing four prospects in return:

outfielder Manuel Margot, shortstop Javier Guerra, middle infielder Carlos Asuajeand right-handed pitcher Logan Allen. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal had the initial report.

New general manager Mike Hazen, under the direction of new team president Dave

Dombrowski, shored up the bullpen with one of the elite relief pitchers in the league over the last

five seasons. Kimbrel, 27, has posted a 1.70 ERA with a 91 percent save-conversion rate, along

with 523 strikeouts in 327 2/3 innings since 2011. He's under contract for at least the next two

seasons for a total of $24.5 million, not including a club option for 2018 at $13 million, with a $1 million buyout.

In trading for Kimbrel, the Red Sox might have gotten away more cheaply than if they had dealt

for left-hander Aroldis Chapman of the Reds. The Red Sox had been rumored to be interested

in Chapman, and the Reds are said to be shopping him, but price -- for Boston --simply might

have been too high.

Kimbrel consistently throws a 98-mph four-seam fastball, but if there are any concerns about

him, it's that his strikeout percentage -- 36.4 -- was the lowest of his career, and the number has

been dropping (albeit from a ridiculous high of 50.2 in 2012). His line-drive percentage has risen

every full year he's been in the league, his extra-base hits allowed were up in 2015, as were his

home runs allowed. Still, he seems to be adjusting to the league adjusting to him; Kimbrel

posted a .426 OPS against in the second half of 2015.

Boston's 4.24 bullpen ERA was fifth-worst in the majors in 2015, and its .783 OPS against was

last. The team's previous closer, 40-year-old Koji Uehara, was effective again but ended the

season injured with a broken hand. He figures to move into a setup role with the addition of Kimbrel, who has saved 225 games in his career.

If you're curious about Kimbrel looks like in a Red Sox uniform, wonder no more!

At the other end of the trade, it appears that Padres GM A.J. Preller is breaking up what he

expected to be a contender -- but was not -- in 2015. The Padres recently traded Joaquin Benoit

to the Mariners for prospects, and now have raided the Red Sox for more in exchange for

35

Kimbrel. The Padres figure to add a draft pick as compensation for losing Justin Upton in free

agency after he declined their qualifying offer on Friday. He would have cost at least $15.8 million to retain. The Padres, at this point, would rather regroup.

The Red Sox are giving up perhaps three of their top 12 prospects, according to at least one

reporter who covers the team, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Guerra, 20, is said to be a top

defensive shortstop and the best of the prospects. He spent 2015 with Class A Greenville,

hitting .279 with a .329 on-base percentage and .449 slugging percentage with 15 home runs, 68 RBI, 64 runs scored and seven stolen bases in 116 games.

Reporter Corey Brock, who covers the Padres for MLB.com said the team will give Guerra a shot to win the starting shortstop in spring training.

Margot, 21, is seen as a solid center-field prospect after batting a combined .276/.324/.419 with

27 doubles, nine triples, six home runs, 50 RBI, 73 runs scored and 39 stolen bases in 110 games between Class A and Double-A.

Allen, 18, is the other higher-end prospect, posting a 1.11 ERA with 26 strikeouts and one walk

over 24 1/3 innings between rookie ball and Class A Lowell.

The Red Sox still have other prospects (and better ones, along with young players already on

the active roster) available for more trades if they want to go that route. But they might not have

to, if they prefer only to sacrifice the prospects traded in the Kimbrel deal and supplement the

roster with free agents. Adding someone such as right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, for

example, would make sense.

36

Red Sox surrender too much for Kimbrel Keith Law, ESPN Insider If you're a Boston Red Sox fan, this is exactly the trade you feared Dave Dombrowski would make when he joined the front office, trading away the jewels of the majors' best farm system for veterans who are or may be past their peak values. Craig Kimbrel has been one of the best relievers in baseball history, but this is a big overpay for 60 innings of his services a season when he already seems to be starting to decline. In Kimbrel, the Red Sox do get a great Proven Closer™, an upgrade over Koji Uehara, himself proven but 41 years old and out after mid-August due to a wrist injury. Kimbrel just had the worst year of his career by ERA or FIP, worth 1.3-1.5 WAR, down from 2-plus in each of the previous four seasons. He still has the big fastball and knockout curve, but everything was just a little less effective in 2015, especially in terms of getting hitters to chase pitches out of the zone. His contract is quite favorable, $24 million guaranteed for the next two years with an option at $13 million ($1 million buyout) for 2018, which will almost certainly be picked up if he's healthy. But even if that comes to pass, the Red Sox will be lucky to get even 6 WAR of value out of Kimbrel over those three seasons. You have to place a huge premium on the closer role -- high leverage, but not always the highest leverage situations -- to believe he's going to be worth close to what Boston gave up.

Boy, did they ever pay a steep price for him: two prospects among the top 50 in the game and two other prospects of significant value. Center fielder Manuel Margot is the best prospect heading back to San Diego, and he's exactly the player the Padres needed to get back in a trade this winter. The Padres didn't have a true center fielder in the system, and Margot is a plus defender there who should be able to handle the large territory in Petco Park. He's a disciplined hitter who rarely strikes out and has the swing to hit for at least average power when he fills out physically, although his home park won't help him in the home run column. He has outstanding instincts on both sides of the ball, and I imagine it killed the longtime Sox employees who've watched him develop the past few years to see him go. Shortstop Javier Guerra isn't far behind Margot, less polished right now but with enormous upside; he's a plus defender at shortstop with plus raw power and a good chance to hit for average, too. Guerra has soft hands and very easy actions at short, a natural at the position who should be a legitimate asset in the majors with his glove. He has great bat speed that generates a lot of power, and his contact rate kept improving as the season went on -- 29 percent in the first half, 19 percent in the second -- after I saw him having some timing issues in mid-June at Lakewood. He could truly be a monster of a player; a good defensive shortstop who even hits .280 with 20-25 homers is a possible MVP, although Guerra has yet to reach high-A and is probably two years out from the majors.

Carlos Asuaje may jump right to the majors this year after a so-so season at Double-A Portland in 2015. He's a very high-contact hitter with a short, quick swing but a fair amount of movement with no real set position before he starts his swing. He's a solid-average to above-average defender at second, despite below-average running speed. His value will largely be tied to his ability to keep making this degree of contact in the majors, as he'll take the occasional walk but doesn't project to hit 10 homers a year.

Lefty Logan Allen is the sleeper in the deal, the Red Sox's eighth-round pick just five months ago, who throws 90-94 mph with two solid secondary offerings already and a good body and frame to stay as a starter. He walked one of 91 batters he faced in two short-season leagues this past summer after signing. He and right-hander Jacob Nix, the Padres' first pick in 2015, will make an outstanding tandem atop their low-A affiliate in April.

37

The Padres didn't have any need for a $12 million-a-year closer, although they'll probably pick someone up to handle the ninth inning. But they had several holes to fill in their system and just addressed several of them, getting a lot of upside in the deal but with two of the four players close to major league value. Margot alone could be more valuable than Kimbrel by 2017, and Asuaje should be a positive asset by then, too.

For Boston, even if you think it's fair value because you believe the ninth inning is some super-woo time that only the few and the proud can handle, the Red Sox just traded two of their most valuable minor league assets for a 60-inning reliever … which means they can't trade them for something else they need, like a high-end starter. It's not a great start for the new regime's first offseason.