![]() SAN DIEGO, CA - Today the Padres added to their bench by selecting veteran utility infielder Alex Cora (left) in the second round of the 2011 Waiver Draft. Cora's selection completes the Padres' 2011 roster. Cora adds experience to the backup infielder group. "We have a lot of youth on our bench. We felt it would be best to grab a guy that's done it for many years and is able to play any position."
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![]() SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego Padres have selected infielder Chris Valaika (left) with their first round pick of the 2011 Waiver Draft. The 25 year old from Santa Monica, CA has experience at second base and third base, positions where he'll see limited duty for the Padres this season. "We can't promise the kid a lot of playing time, but hopefully he can show us something when we do get him out on the field," manager Tim Stoops said. SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego Padres announced today their 11 cuts heading into the 2011 regular season. Most notably leaving is Eric Chavez, the team's starting third baseman from 2000 to 2008. The former first-round pick ends his Padres career with 225 home runs and 701 RBI to go with a .248 batting average. Other infielders on their way out are Ronnie Belliard, Joe Crede, Drew Sutton, and Lance Zawadzki. Belliard and Crede, acquired this offseason in trades, never played a game for the Padres. The same goes for Zawadzki, an undrafted rookie free agent. Sutton played in 22 games for the Padres last season.
Fan favorite Tony Gwynn Jr. was also waived today in order to make room on the roster for Reggie Willits, a very similar player that the Padres hope can perform better with the bat. Two undrafted free agent outfielders, Luis Durango and Matt Stairs, were also cut today by San Diego. Behind the plate, catcher Paul Phillips is also packing his bags. Phillips was a major contributor in 2010, despite seeing limited duty. In 25 games he hit .322 and had a key hit against Atlanta in the NLCS to help the Padres win the series. On the mound, pitchers Bartolo Colon and Sean White have been dropped after just one season in San Diego. Colon started 17 games in 2010, notching a 6-8 record. White appeared in 59 games and posted a 10-3 record with a 2.67 ERA. He won the NLCS MVP award for his amazing pitching against Atlanta four months ago. ![]() SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals pulled off a minor trade today, swapping infielders Bobby Crosby and Ronnie Belliard (left). "We wanted a player with championship experience," the Nationals GM said of Crosby. The backup shortstop played in 47 games for the 2010 World Series Champion Padres, hitting a disappointing .188 on the season. Belliard, 35 years old, may not have a spot on the 2011 Padres roster. "This may be a cut for a cut trade. We'll see. Maybe this frees us up to make another move," Padres manager Tim Stoops said to the media. |
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