News, analysis and scouting reports of San Diego Padres Prospects
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Padres trade Nick Schmidt for Huston Street

We finally can cross one item off the Player-To-Be-Named-Later tab of the Padres with Nick Schmidt officially sent to Colorado to complete the Huston Street trade.

Schmidt fills the only spot that the Padres owe, with at least two other minor leaguers heading San Diego’s way as compensation for losing Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod to the Cubs and Ryan Ludwick to the Pirates.  Both of those deals should be completed before the end of the month.

Schmidt was the Padres’ first-round draft pick in 2007 but never made it above Class A Lake Elsinore – a level he repeated three times.  An injury forced a delay to the start of his 2011 season and Schmidt never really showed great stuff throughout the season or in AFL action. Continue reading “Padres Trade Schmidt to the Rockies, Lose Poreda” »

Although the regular season is long over, Winter League baseball has been in full effect for about a month with a few big-name Padres prospects headlining rosters.  This is not a complete look at the performances of all Padres players, only guys who have either done something worth talking about or have come up in conversations with scouts.

Jedd Gyorko

Gyorko put on quite the hitting display during AFL action, winning the batting title with a .437 average.  Even in the hitter-friendly environment that AFL stadiums offer his numbers were impressive.  Scouts rave about his ability to consistently square up balls and produce against advanced competition.

Defensively, Gyorko put more stock into the idea that he can stay at third base while simultaneously showing off great baseball instincts both in the field and on the bases.  He’ll never be a good runner – or even an average one – but more than ever Gyorko has shown that he’ll be able to make up for his awkward, slow running style with great awareness.

G R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BA OBP SLG
18 17 31 4 0 5 22 1 0 .437 .500 .704

Jaff Decker

Decker was a late addition to the Peoria roster after it was announced that James Darnell would need to undergo shoulder surgery, effectively ruling him out of any baseball activities until Spring Training.  Like just about every other AFL hitter Decker enjoyed the friendly confines in Arizona, posting an offensive line closer to his pre-2011 levels.

Much like Gyorko, Decker upped his perceived value on the defensive end.  Those who remember Decker during his high school days still see him as a pudgy, line-drive hitter but in the last few years he has slimmed down and become a very well rounded player.  He did manage to show an improved approach at the plate, but 24 games isn’t a large enough sample size to know if he has been able to shake his passive approach.

G R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BA OBP SLG
24 17 26 5 1 2 14 1 0 .289 .407 .403

Continue reading “AFL Wrap-up and Winter Ball Notes” »