Could the downturn in the economy actually pay dividends for the Padres?
With two weeks to go to until the opening of spring training, almost 100 free agents remained unsigned. And two of them -- left-handed hitter Cliff Floyd and right-handed pitcher Livan Hernandez -- could be signed by the Padres at bargain-basement prices. Padres general manager Kevin Towers acknowledged Jan. 29 that he has heard from both Floyd and Hernandez and said the Padres might be able to afford the pair.
Floyd, 36, hit .268 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 246 at-bats for American League champion Tampa Bay last season. Floyd has a .279 lifetime batting average with 233 homers in 5,303 at-bats.
Hernandez, who turns 34 on Feb. 20, was 13-11 with a 6.05 ERA while pitching for Minnesota and Colorado last season. The Cuba native was 11-11 with a 4.93 ERA for Arizona in 2007 and is 147-139 lifetime with a 4.37 ERA.
Floyd would give the Padres the left-handed pinch-hitter Towers and manager Bud Black want on the bench as well as a designated hitter for interleague games in American League ballparks.
As for Hernandez, the Padres have only three set starting pitchers at the moment, including Jake Peavy -- whom, the Padres announced recently, likely will open the season with the team.
But beyond Peavy, Chris Young and Cha Seung Baek, the Padres have eight candidates -- Mark Prior, Josh Geer, Wade LeBlanc, Jae-Kuk Ryu, Cesar Ramos, Cesar Carrillo, Kevin Correia and Chad Reineke -- for the other two spots. That would likely become one spot if the Padres signed Hernandez.
Three pitchers who will not be in the competition are veterans Brian Lawrence, Steve Trachsel and Scott Elarton. The Padres recently decided not to invite the three to spring training after putting them through workouts at Petco Park.
