Chicken Friars » Fautino De Los Santos

Spring Training Position Battles: Relief Pitching

Robert Moreno — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:15:52 +0000

In the last installment of the Spring Training Position Battles series I will feature the relief corp. In this series, we took an in depth look at some of the positions that are up for grabs. We will continue to analyze candidates at that position and track each player’s progress throughout the spring.

Aug 6, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Huston Street (16) wets his fingers during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Situation: Last year’s bullpen wasn’t as solid as it had been in years past, but it was good enough to have the ninth best bullpen ERA in the Major Leagues.

The bullpen was a work in progress, as top relief prospects Nick Vincent, Tommy Layne, Brad Boxberger and Miles Mikolas made their Big League debuts.

Joe Thatcher, Luke Gregerson and Huston Street added much needed veteran experience for the younger guys. With a year of experience under their belt, I expect the bullpen to be a much better group this year.

New Additions: Fautino De Los Santos is the newest addition to the relief squad. The Padres plucked the Dominican right-hander off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers to add depth at the position.

Tyson Ross is more of a starter than a reliever, but if he does not make the starting rotation, he could find his way into the bullpen.

Jason Ray, Daniel Stange and Jerry Sullivan all signed Minor League contracts

Re-signed: The Padres avoided arbitration with setup man Luke Gregerson by signing him to a one-year, $3.2 million contract for the 2013 season.

Positional Outlook: As it stands right now, Huston Street is the club’s closer, with Gregerson and Dale Thayer serving as setup men.

The left-handed specialists are Thatcher and Layne. Brad Brach could serve in a dual role as a long reliever and a setup man. I believe there is room for one more in the bullpen, and that spot is up for grabs.

The four leading candidates for that final bullpen slot are Mikolas, Ross, Anthony Bass and Andrew Cashner.

I would like to see Mikolas or Bass get the last spot with Ross or Cashner slotted in the rotation.

This is the last of the Spring Training Position Battles. Hope you enjoyed the series. Let us know in the comment box below who you would like to see win the final spot in the bullpen.

Three Padres Instantly Impress In Spring Training

Robert Moreno — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:32:10 +0000

The first Spring Training series is officially out of the way with the Padres finishing the first series at a 1-3 clip (including the charity game). While the early Spring Training record is off to a mediocre start, there are three players who instantly caught my eye with their premature Spring Training performances.

February 22, 2013; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko (68, left) rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jedd Gyoroko – In just three Spring Training games, Gyroko is making a serious case to be the Padres’ starting second baseman come Opening Day.

Gyorko made a great first impression when he took a Hector Noesi fastball over the left-center field wall for a grand slam.

Gyorko posted a .333 batting average with a grand slam, six RBIs and a .833 slugging percentage in the first Spring Training series against the Mariners.

Sean O’ Sullivan - In an effort to try and revive his career, O’ Sullivan was tabbed as the starting pitcher for the charity game against the Mariners. His start was pretty impressive in two innings of work. He had a clean stat line throwing zeroes across the board with a strikeout.

Fautino De Los Santos – The recently acquired De Los Santos is fighting for a roster spot, too. And in the series against the Mariners he has shown why Josh Byrnes claimed the right-handed Venezuelan off waivers. In two innings pitched, he gave up a hit and impressively struck out three batters.

Let us know in the comment box below which Padres have caught your eye in the young Spring Training season.

Fautino De Los Santos Claimed Off Waivers By Padres

Robert Moreno — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:48:28 +0000

Adding more pitching depth was Padres general manager Josh Byrnes’ No. 1 priority this off-season. And on Wednesday, Byrnes continued to add more pitching to the roster when he claimed Fautino De Los Santos off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers, Padres.com reports.

September 21, 2011; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Fautino De Los Santos (60) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at O.co Coliseum. Texas defeated Oakland 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports

De Los Santos only pitched in six Major League games last season with the Oakland Athletics, compiling a 3.00 earned run average before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 28 for ex-Padres’ farm hand George Kottaras.

As a member of the Brewers, De Los Santos failed to make it back on the Big League roster, but managed to post a 2-3 record with a 5.80 ERA in 49 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level in the A’s and Brewers organizations.

To add the 26-year-old pitcher on the 40-man roster, the Padres designated Jeudy Valdez for assignment.

Valdez, 25, hit a measly .225 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs last season with Double-A San Antonio.

Valdez was on the 40-man roster because he was protected in the Rule 5 Draft.