Chisox73
09-02-2006, 10:05 PM
Padres add Wells for stretch run
Veteran acquired in time to be put on postseason roster
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060831&content_id=1639171&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
SAN DIEGO -- You can go home again -- and again -- if you're David "Boomer" Wells.
The Padres on Thursday believe they made the big stretch-run move their fans have been yearning for when they acquired Wells from Boston for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Raised in San Diego, where he attended high school, Wells pitched for the Padres in 2004, and the veteran had made no secret of his desire to return home.
"I really felt strongly about this one," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "I think we got one of the biggest big-game pitchers there is in the game, and we're getting him at a hot time. His last four starts have been excellent. This guy thrives this time of year -- September and the postseason.
"I really hope David is going to be a difference maker in this [National League West] race."
Los Angeles, leading San Diego by three games in the NL West, also reportedly was in the bidding for the 43-year-old lefty along with several other clubs.
The Dodgers made their major move at the trade deadline in landing Greg Maddux from the Chicago Cubs. The Padres feel Wells is their answer to Maddux in balancing the equation.
The two rivals have four games left against each other in Los Angeles on Sept. 15-18 in a season series the Padres have dominated, winning 11 of 14.
San Diego is involved in a second race, for the NL Wild Card berth. Its lead was a half-game over a crowded field that includes nine other realistic contenders. Included in there are the Reds, who open a three-game series against the Padres at PETCO Park on Friday night.
Wells is expected to make his Padres '06 debut on Sunday against the Reds.
The identity of the player going to Boston will be revealed within 30 days, Towers said. Linked to the Red Sox in rumors has been catcher George Kottaras, generally considered the Padres' best position prospect.
Towers, who negotiated the deal with Boston general manager Theo Epstein, a former colleague with the Padres familiar with their personnel, would "neither confirm nor deny" that Kottaras is the player going to Boston.
The deal was completed in time for Wells to qualify for postseason play. Also signing on Thursday in time to pitch in October, if the Padres reach the playoffs, is another former Red Sox pitcher, Rudy Seanez.
Seanez, a 37-year-old right-hander, was not as good for Boston this season as he was for the Padres in 2005. But the feeling is Seanez will be revitalized by a return to San Diego and PETCO Park, where he flourished last year.
Wells brings live-wire personality and pressure-proof postseason experience to the Padres. There's rarely a dull moment with Boomer around.
Towers said he has spoken with Wells, a good friend, recently, and was informed that the knee is fine and so is the left arm. A more objective endorsement came from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who told Towers on Thursday that Wells is throwing as well as he ever has.
Wells, Towers said, "is like [Mike] Piazza, with that swagger and pedigree. He's going to create a lot of excitement in San Diego, in our clubhouse and for the fans, I hope."
When rumors surfaced in the past few days, Towers said, several Padres approached him and told him "to go get" Wells. The Padres have a collection of former Boston players who have seen first-hand what the supremely confident lefty can do when the stakes are piled high.
In 26 postseason games for five clubs -- Cincinnati, Baltimore, Toronto, the Yankees and Red Sox -- Wells is 10-4. He has a 3.05 ERA in eight Division Series games, a 3.02 ERA in 11 Championship Series games and a 3.72 ERA in seven World Series games.
Towers said he thinks Wells' experience, like that of Woody Williams, will help young starters Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Clay Hensley in what shapes up as a top-flight rotation.
Wells had a career-high 20 wins for Toronto in 2000, two years after going 18-4 for the World Series champion Yankees. Wells beat his hometown Padres during that four-game sweep of the Fall Classic.
"Hopefully, in '06, he'll be able to pitch in postseason games here," Towers said, comparing landing Wells with adding a middle-of-the-order hitter in terms of impact on the club and, potentially, the NL West race.
With San Diego in 2004, Wells was 12-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 31 starts. He departed as a free agent for Boston, where he fashioned a 15-7 record for the Red Sox in '05.
"He's a Padre," Wells' agent, Gregg Clifton, said by phone from Arizona. "He's thrilled to be heading back to San Diego and, hopefully, helping get them into the playoffs."
Wells, 229-146 in his career, is capable of pitching beyond 2006, Towers thinks.
"We didn't talk about that," Towers said. "After the 2004 season, Boomer said he wanted to pitch one to two more seasons. Beyond that, he didn't know if he wanted to play any more.
"I still feel he's got a lot left in the tank. He built a home in [nearby] Rancho Santa Fe. If he goes deep in the postseason and feels good, who's to say he might not want to come back and pitch next year?"
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Veteran acquired in time to be put on postseason roster
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060831&content_id=1639171&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
SAN DIEGO -- You can go home again -- and again -- if you're David "Boomer" Wells.
The Padres on Thursday believe they made the big stretch-run move their fans have been yearning for when they acquired Wells from Boston for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Raised in San Diego, where he attended high school, Wells pitched for the Padres in 2004, and the veteran had made no secret of his desire to return home.
"I really felt strongly about this one," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "I think we got one of the biggest big-game pitchers there is in the game, and we're getting him at a hot time. His last four starts have been excellent. This guy thrives this time of year -- September and the postseason.
"I really hope David is going to be a difference maker in this [National League West] race."
Los Angeles, leading San Diego by three games in the NL West, also reportedly was in the bidding for the 43-year-old lefty along with several other clubs.
The Dodgers made their major move at the trade deadline in landing Greg Maddux from the Chicago Cubs. The Padres feel Wells is their answer to Maddux in balancing the equation.
The two rivals have four games left against each other in Los Angeles on Sept. 15-18 in a season series the Padres have dominated, winning 11 of 14.
San Diego is involved in a second race, for the NL Wild Card berth. Its lead was a half-game over a crowded field that includes nine other realistic contenders. Included in there are the Reds, who open a three-game series against the Padres at PETCO Park on Friday night.
Wells is expected to make his Padres '06 debut on Sunday against the Reds.
The identity of the player going to Boston will be revealed within 30 days, Towers said. Linked to the Red Sox in rumors has been catcher George Kottaras, generally considered the Padres' best position prospect.
Towers, who negotiated the deal with Boston general manager Theo Epstein, a former colleague with the Padres familiar with their personnel, would "neither confirm nor deny" that Kottaras is the player going to Boston.
The deal was completed in time for Wells to qualify for postseason play. Also signing on Thursday in time to pitch in October, if the Padres reach the playoffs, is another former Red Sox pitcher, Rudy Seanez.
Seanez, a 37-year-old right-hander, was not as good for Boston this season as he was for the Padres in 2005. But the feeling is Seanez will be revitalized by a return to San Diego and PETCO Park, where he flourished last year.
Wells brings live-wire personality and pressure-proof postseason experience to the Padres. There's rarely a dull moment with Boomer around.
Towers said he has spoken with Wells, a good friend, recently, and was informed that the knee is fine and so is the left arm. A more objective endorsement came from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who told Towers on Thursday that Wells is throwing as well as he ever has.
Wells, Towers said, "is like [Mike] Piazza, with that swagger and pedigree. He's going to create a lot of excitement in San Diego, in our clubhouse and for the fans, I hope."
When rumors surfaced in the past few days, Towers said, several Padres approached him and told him "to go get" Wells. The Padres have a collection of former Boston players who have seen first-hand what the supremely confident lefty can do when the stakes are piled high.
In 26 postseason games for five clubs -- Cincinnati, Baltimore, Toronto, the Yankees and Red Sox -- Wells is 10-4. He has a 3.05 ERA in eight Division Series games, a 3.02 ERA in 11 Championship Series games and a 3.72 ERA in seven World Series games.
Towers said he thinks Wells' experience, like that of Woody Williams, will help young starters Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Clay Hensley in what shapes up as a top-flight rotation.
Wells had a career-high 20 wins for Toronto in 2000, two years after going 18-4 for the World Series champion Yankees. Wells beat his hometown Padres during that four-game sweep of the Fall Classic.
"Hopefully, in '06, he'll be able to pitch in postseason games here," Towers said, comparing landing Wells with adding a middle-of-the-order hitter in terms of impact on the club and, potentially, the NL West race.
With San Diego in 2004, Wells was 12-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 31 starts. He departed as a free agent for Boston, where he fashioned a 15-7 record for the Red Sox in '05.
"He's a Padre," Wells' agent, Gregg Clifton, said by phone from Arizona. "He's thrilled to be heading back to San Diego and, hopefully, helping get them into the playoffs."
Wells, 229-146 in his career, is capable of pitching beyond 2006, Towers thinks.
"We didn't talk about that," Towers said. "After the 2004 season, Boomer said he wanted to pitch one to two more seasons. Beyond that, he didn't know if he wanted to play any more.
"I still feel he's got a lot left in the tank. He built a home in [nearby] Rancho Santa Fe. If he goes deep in the postseason and feels good, who's to say he might not want to come back and pitch next year?"
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.