SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish found out things move fast when San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is wheeling and dealing. The right-hander didn’t think he’d be traded away by the Chicago Cubs but was caught up in Preller’s vortex. Within the span of about 24 hours this week, the Padres obtained left-hander Blake Snell in a big deal with Tampa Bay, finalized a $28 million, four-year deal with South Korean slugger Kim Ha-seong, a deal that could be worth $34 million over five seasons if a a mutual option is excised and contains $1 million annually in performance bonuses. San Diego then obtained Darvish in another blockbuster deal. Darvish found out about it on social media. “When I woke up that morning I saw the Snell trade go down and I thought nothing’s going to happen,” Darvish said through an interpreter during a videoconference Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting the Padres to make another move but I was receiving phone calls within the hour and I found out on Twitter, yeah. “I wasn’t... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish found out things move fast when San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is wheeling and dealing. The right-hander didn’t think he’d be traded away by the Chicago Cubs but was caught up in Preller’s vortex. Within the span of about 24 hours this week, the Padres obtained left-hander Blake Snell in a big deal with Tampa Bay, reportedly agreed to terms with Korean slugger Kim Ha-seong and then obtained Darvish in another blockbuster deal. Darvish found out about it on social media. “When I woke up that morning I saw the Snell trade go down and I thought nothing’s going to happen,” Darvish said through an interpreter during a videoconference Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting the Padres to make another move but I was receiving phone calls within the hour and I found out on Twitter, yeah. “I wasn’t expecting to be traded and obviously this happened in one single day so I was pretty shocked. Not in a bad way,” Darvish said. After running out of starting pitching during... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller reunited with an old friend in another blockbuster move Tuesday night. The aggressive Padres got Yu Darvish in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, adding another ace to their rotation after announcing a deal for Blake Snell earlier in the day. During his time in Texas' front office, Preller scouted Darvish before the Rangers acquired the Japanese right-hander in 2012. “His last season and a half has been as productive as anybody in the game. He's a force,” Preller said Tuesday night. “So I think getting back on the phone with him, catching up for a few minutes, really looking forward to being around him every single day again.” The Padres got Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and $3 million from the Cubs for right-hander Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers. The switch-hitting Caratini caught Darvish in Chicago and batted .241 with 16 RBIs last season. “We've had interest in Victor for a few years now,” Preller said. “I think he's... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller reunited with an old friend in another blockbuster move Tuesday night. The aggressive Padres got Yu Darvish in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, adding another ace to their rotation after announcing a deal for Blake Snell earlier in the day. During his time in Texas' front office, Preller scouted Darvish before the Rangers acquired the Japanese right-hander in 2012. “His last season and a half has been as productive as anybody in the game. He's a force,” Preller said Tuesday night. “So I think getting back on the phone with him, catching up for a few minutes, really looking forward to being around him every single day again.” The Padres got Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash from the Cubs for right-hander Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers. The switch-hitting Caratini caught Darvish in Chicago and batted .241 with 16 RBIs last season. “We've had interest in Victor for a few years now,” Preller said. “I think he's been... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Blake Snell gave up the ball in Game 6 of the World Series, shaking his head after manager Kevin Cash’s curious pitching change. With three years left on his contract, Snell hardly considered that could be his final moment on the mound with the Tampa Bay Rays. The San Diego Padres, determined to go all the way, just wanted him that much. The upstart Padres finalized their acquisition of the ace left-hander from the Rays on Tuesday, sending four prospects in exchange for the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner. The Rays will receive right-handers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt — all well-regarded youngsters from a San Diego system that's been stocking the farm for years. The Padres parted with the quartet for a 28-year-old with World Series experience and a youthful confidence that should fit in alongside stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. “They’re super exciting,” Snell said. “They’re a team that plays with a lot of fun. They’re... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller reunited with an old friend in another blockbuster move Tuesday night. The aggressive Padres got Yu Darvish in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, adding another ace to their rotation after announcing a deal for Blake Snell earlier in the day. During his time in Texas' front office, Preller scouted Darvish before the Rangers acquired the Japanese right-hander in 2012. “His last season and a half has been as productive as anybody in the game. He's a force,” Preller said Tuesday night. “So I think getting back on the phone with him, catching up for a few minutes, really looking forward to being around him every single day again.” The Padres got Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash from the Cubs for right-hander Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers. The switch-hitting Caratini caught Darvish in Chicago and batted .241 with 16 RBIs last season. “We've had interest in Victor for a few years now,” Preller said. “I think he's been... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The aggressive San Diego Padres traded for another big arm on Tuesday night, acquiring Yu Darvish in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Padres got Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash from the Cubs for right-hander Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers. The switch-hitting Caratini caught Darvish in Chicago and batted .241 with 16 RBIs last season. Davies went 7-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts for San Diego this year. The package of prospects headed to Chicago includes Owen Caissie, an 18-year-old outfielder who was selected by the Padres in the second round of this year's amateur draft. The 34-year-old Darvish was 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts for Chicago during the pandemic-shortened season, finishing second in the NL Cy Young Award race. He has three years and $59 million left on the $126 million, six-year deal he signed with the Cubs before the 2018 season. San Diego also completed a big trade Tuesday with Tampa Bay for ace left-hander Blake Snell.... [More]

The aggressive San Diego Padres traded for another big arm on Tuesday night, acquiring Yu Darvish in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Padres got Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash from the Cubs for right-hander Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers. The switch-hitting Caratini caught Darvish in Chicago and batted .241 with 16 RBIs last season. Davies went 7-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts for San Diego this year. The package of prospects headed to Chicago includes Owen Caissie, an 18-year-old outfielder who was selected by the Padres in the second round of this year's amateur draft. The 34-year-old Darvish was 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts for Chicago during the pandemic-shortened season, finishing second in the NL Cy Young Award race. He has three years and $59 million left on the $126 million, six-year deal he signed with the Cubs before the 2018 season. San Diego also completed a big trade Tuesday with Tampa Bay for ace left-hander Blake Snell. The 2018 AL Cy... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Blake Snell gave up the ball in Game 6 of the World Series, shaking his head after manager Kevin Cash’s curious pitching change. With three years left on his contract, Snell hardly considered that could be his final moment as a Tampa Bay Ray. The San Diego Padres, determined to go all the way, just wanted him that much. The upstart Padres finalized their acquisition of the ace left-hander from the Rays on Tuesday, sending four prospects in exchange for the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner. The Rays will receive right-handers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt — all well regarded youngsters from a San Diego system that's been stocking the farm for years. The Padres parted with the quartet for a 28-year-old with World Series experience and a youthful confidence that should fit in alongside stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. San Diego also acquired starter Yu Darvish from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, giving the ascending Padres two... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Blake Snell gave up the ball in Game 6 of the World Series, shaking his head after manager Kevin Cash’s curious pitching change. With three years left on his contract, Snell hardly considered that could be his final moment as a Tampa Bay Ray. The San Diego Padres, determined to go all the way, just wanted him that much. The upstart Padres finalized their acquisition of the ace left-hander from the Rays on Tuesday, sending four prospects in exchange for the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner. The Rays will receive right-handers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt — all well regarded youngsters from a San Diego system that's been stocking the farm for years. The Padres parted with the quartet for a 28-year-old with World Series experience and a youthful confidence that should fit in alongside stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Snell gives the ascending Padres an established ace at the front of the rotation as they attempt to catch the... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres finalized their acquisition of ace left-hander Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays, sending four prospects in exchange for the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner. The Rays will receive right-handers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt in the deal announced Tuesday. Snell went 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 regular season, then went 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA in six postseason starts for the American League champions. The 28-year-old lefty gives the ascending Padres an established ace at the front of the rotation as they attempt to catch the Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego is also working to finalize a deal for Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish, according to reports from ESPN, The Athletic and others. “This team can play and we’re going to be chasing a World Series, which is obviously the most exciting piece to this whole thing,” Snell said. With a young and talented team that features shortstop... [More]

Two months ago, Blake Snell got yanked off the mound with a two-hit shutout going in the final game of the World Series. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to ship him out of town. The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Snell from the defending AL champions. The teams have an agreement in place and the star pitcher was told he’ll be sent to the Padres — subject to the review of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. According to The Athletic and ESPN, the Rays would receive 21-year-old pitcher Luis Patiño, catcher Francisco Mejía, pitching prospect Cole Wilcox and catching prospect Blake Hunt in return. The Athletic was first to report the players headed from San Diego to Tampa Bay if the trade is finalized. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened... [More]

The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire star pitcher Blake Snell from the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. The teams have an agreement in place and Snell was told he’ll be sent to the Padres — subject to the review of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. According to The Athletic and ESPN, the Rays would receive 21-year-old pitcher Luis Patiño, catcher Francisco Mejía, pitching prospect Cole Wilcox and catching prospect Blake Hunt in return. The Athletic was first to report the players headed from San Diego to Tampa Bay if the trade is finalized. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He had 63 strikeouts in 50 innings. Snell went 2-2 in the AL playoffs, then racked up 18 strikeouts in 10 innings and compiled a 2.70 ERA during... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Padres pitcher Mike Clevinger will miss the 2021 season because of Tommy John surgery, the team announced Monday after reaching agreement with the right-hander on an $11.5 million, two-year contract. San Diego said Clevinger’s surgery will be performed Tuesday in Cincinnati by Reds team doctor Timothy Kremchek. The Padres acquired Clevinger on Aug. 31 in a blockbuster trade with Cleveland in hopes of leading the Padres deep into the playoffs. Instead, he exited his last start of the regular season with what was later described as an elbow impingement. Clevinger missed the wild-card series against the St. Louis Cardinals, which San Diego won in three games, and then was removed in the second inning of the NL Division Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers after his velocity dipped dramatically. The Padres were swept by the Dodgers. The Padres hoped Clevinger would be able to avoid surgery. General manager A.J. Preller said Clevinger met with a number of doctors and... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Padres pitcher Mike Clevinger will miss the 2021 season because of Tommy John surgery, the team announced Monday after reaching agreement with the right-hander on an $11.5 million, two-year contract. San Diego said Clevinger’s surgery is scheduled for Tuesday. The Padres acquired Clevinger on Aug. 31 in a blockbuster trade with Cleveland in hopes of leading the Padres deep into the playoffs. Instead, he exited his last start of the regular season with what was later described as an elbow impingement. Clevinger missed the wild-card series against the St. Louis Cardinals, which San Diego won in three games, and then was removed in the second inning of the NL Division Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers after his velocity dipped dramatically. The Padres were swept by the Dodgers. Clevinger was 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts with San Diego after going 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA with Cleveland in the pandemic-shortened season. Dinelson Lamet, who finished fourth in the... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The euphoria of the San Diego Padres’ first playoff series victory in 22 seasons quickly gave way to the pain of being swept out of the playoffs by their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Spring training can’t get here soon enough for the Padres, who finally shed their rebuilding label and rode the swagger and talent of budding superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado to their first winning season since 2010 and reinvigorated a fan base that had been beaten down by so much losing. “We know how to win now,” said right fielder Wil Myers, their longest-tenured played who had a nice bounceback season at the plate. “We’re expecting to win. We’ve got great players in here. I know we came up short tonight, but there’s a lot of optimism here in San Diego. It’s going to be a great offseason for us. Ready to rock and roll and come back next year with a different mentality.” Led by rookie manager Jayce Tingler, the Padres lost 12-3 Thursday night and were swept out of... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Padres paraded pitchers to the mound because they really didn’t have much choice. San Diego set a postseason record Thursday night by using 11 pitchers in a 12-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the best-of-five NL Division Series. The Padres finished with a majors-leading 38 innings from the bullpen in six playoff games and had 51 total appearances from their hurlers. San Diego got just one inning from its top two starters in the postseason. Mike Clevinger skipped the wild-card series against St. Louis and left two pitches into the second inning of LA’s 5-1 win in Game 1 of the NLDS because of an elbow injury the right-hander had been trying to pitch through. Dinelson Lamet was left off the postseason roster in both rounds after the right-hander experienced biceps tightness in his final start of the regular season Sept. 25. The Padres were the first team to use nine pitchers in three straight games in the regular season or playoffs, doing it in the... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Manny Machado tried to awaken a slumbering San Diego offense by screaming at his teammates after connecting for a homer against Clayton Kershaw. While it almost worked, the Padres fell into a 2-0 deficit in their best-of-five National League Division Series when Eric Hosmer stranded the bases loaded with a game-ending groundout off Joe Kelly in a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Machado's solo shot in the sixth inning was followed immediately by another from Hosmer, closing the Padres to 4-3 in their first NLDS since 2006. Fernando Tatís Jr. hit a long drive off reliever Brusdar Graterol that would have put the Padres up by a run in the seventh, but Cody Bellinger robbed the 21-year-old phenom with a leaping grab at the wall in center field. Machado's outburst, starting when he threw his bat at his own dugout after lifting a low pitch from Kershaw to left, was aimed at a San Diego offense that had been mostly silent for the first 14 innings... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Clevinger was replaced on San Diego's playoff roster Wednesday because of his elbow injury, a move that would keep him from pitching again this postseason unless the Padres make it to the World Series. That would also depend on if his ailing right elbow is healthy enough to get back on the mound in October. The right-hander went only two pitches into the second inning of the NL Division Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. San Diego made the switch before Game 2 of the NLDS, adding Dan Altavilla to its 28-player roster. The right-hander was immediately available. Clevinger, who joined San Diego in a nine-player trade with Cleveland on Aug. 31, left his final regular-season start Sept. 23 after one inning because of an elbow impingement. He was left off the roster for the first round against St. Louis. The Padres didn't announce until Tuesday, hours before the start of the NLDS, that Clevinger was going to be on the 28-man roster and... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ KID’S GAME Prized rookie Deivi García is set to become the youngest Yankees pitcher to make a postseason start in Game 2 of the best-of-five AL Division Series against rival Tampa Bay. New York won the opener 9-3 on Monday. The 21-year-old García made his major league debut Aug. 30 and went 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA in six regular-season starts. He’ll surpass Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who was nearly 22 when he started Game 4 of the 1950 World Series against the Phillies, as the youngest postseason starter for New York. The 5-foot-9 García also will become the youngest pitcher to start in the postseason for any team since Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Julio Urías was 20 in Game 4 of the 2016 NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. Tyler Glasnow, 27, goes for the AL East champion Rays. The 6-foot-8 Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA) had 91 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings this season. He's won six straight decisions and four consecutive starts, including... [More]