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San Diego Padres AM Talk: Hot Stove On And More Minor Signings

ByNick Stevens|
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 29: Manager Andy Green of the San Diego Padres answers questions in the dugout during batting practice before Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers at PETCO Park on March 29, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 29: Manager Andy Green of the San Diego Padres answers questions in the dugout during batting practice before Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers at PETCO Park on March 29, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

In today’s San Diego Padres AM Talk, we look at a few happenings from around the league yesterday and we round up a bunch of minor league signings by the Padres.

Happy Tuesday! The hot stove was turned up a touch on Monday, unfortunately, none of the moves made yesterday involved the San Diego Padres. It was the Atlanta Braves and Alex Anthopoulos who took advantage of the holiday shopping season, bringing back a familiar face behind the plate and adding a former MVP Award winner to man the hot corner at SunTrust Park.

After handing out a one-year/$2 million deal to Brian McCann, Atlanta persuaded third baseman Josh Donaldson to join the club on a one-year/$23 million contract. The 2015 American League MVP and three-time All-Star instantly makes the Atlanta offense even more dangerous as they likely enter 2019 as a favorite to win the NL East (pending any outrageous moves many believe the Phillies will make). This move could have an impact on the Padres’ offseason plans, something we will look at later this afternoon.

In other news, the San Francisco Giants are active in negotiations with teams over starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner, with MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reporting that the Phillies (shocker) and the Brewers are the two teams currently pursuing the ace.

Rounding out Monday’s rundown, the Seattle Mariners are shopping around Robinson Cano. Good luck with that. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal is also reporting that the St. Louis Cardinals have had discussions about going after Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt and Zack Greinke. While unlikely to materialize, it is becoming more and more clear that neither high-profile Diamondback will return in 2019.

San Diego Padres sign multiple minor leaguers.

These moves are nothing more than additions to help fill out minor league rosters, but let’s welcome the new faces to San Diego. The most intriguing name of the bunch is the first man on the list below, Ryan Bollinger.

  • LHP Ryan Bollinger– Went 8-6 with a 3.87 ERA, 97 strikeouts, and a 1.21 WHIP in 111 innings between AA and AAA with the New York Yankees. He spent the previous four seasons in Indy ball. Was originally a first baseman and 47th-round draft pick of the Phillies in 2009. The American Association tweets signing.
  • RHP Todd Van Steensel– The 27-year-old reliever has spent the last two seasons with the Chatanooga Lookouts (Minnesota Twins AA affiliate), working a 10-4 record and giving up just 24 earned runs in 102.2 innings (one HR allowed). Opponents are hitting under .200 against him during these two seasons.  Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune with a full story last night.

The following names haven’t been confirmed, but have been mentioned by various sites that follow the minor leagues of different teams. We tried to confirm these names with a San Diego Padres beat writer, however, he had not received any information as of Monday evening.

  • IF Ivan Castillo– Castillo hit .304 in the High-A Florida State league, finishing tied for the league lead in batting average. The switch-hitting infielder added five home runs, 25 doubles, and eight triples in 108 games. @RosterRoundup with this tweet in early November.

    • RHP Tyler Higgins

    – Signing with the Seattle Mariners during mid-season, Higgins still appeared in 28 games with AAA Tacoma, his first experience at the AAA level. He struck out 38, walked just nine, and finished with a 2.83 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 35 innings. The 27-year-old RHP has had a solid minor league career over the past eight seasons and, going off his career numbers, could be a decent emergency option, should the Padres need a small handful of innings late in the season.

    Mariners Minors with the signing information

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  • C Alex Burg– Burg was with the Dodgers organization last season, appearing in 24 games with AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers. He recorded 11 hits in 47 at-bats. The 31-year-old catcher has played in just 576 games since he was drafted by the Giants in 2009. (Update: Alex Burg signing made official.)
  • Seth Mejias-Brean– A 27-year-old third baseman, Mejias-Brean split his 2018 season between AA and AAA in the Mariners’ organization, combining for 10 home runs, 18 doubles, and four triples. He hit .258 with a .336 OBP. Fun fact, Mejias-Brean went 4-10 with a HR against Logan Allen.  Mariners Minors with this tweet two weeks ago. 

    • On this day in MLB history.

    1956: Dodgers starter Don Newcombe wins the first-ever Cy Young Award after going 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA. Newcombe retired as a four-time All-Star and with a Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and MVP Award in hand.

    Will Tuesday’s hot stove action top Monday’s? Stay tuned throughout the day to find out!

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