Padreshome.com | San Diego Padres News, padres Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --INF David Eckstein and the Padres agreed to a one-year contract, and he is expected to take over as the team's second baseman. Terms were not announced. He began last season in Toronto, then was traded to Arizona, and he compiled a combined .265 average. Eckstein was part of World Series championship teams with the Angels (2002) and the Cardinals (2006).</div>--RHP Mark Prior, who has missed consecutive seasons due to shoulder surgeries, signed a minor league deal with the Padres. His non-guaranteed contract would pay him $1 million if he stays in the majors. There is no timetable for when he will be ready to pitch competitively. --INF/OF Chris Burke, who hit .194 for the Diamondbacks last season, signed a minor league deal with the Padres. He could get a shot at filling the team's second base vacancy. --RHP Jae Kuk Ryu, 25, was claimed off waivers by the Padres from the Rays. He appeared in one game for Tampa Bay last season, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. --OF Scott Hairston, 28, avoided arbitration and signed a one-year contract with the Padres for $1.25 million. Hairston hit .248 with 17 homers in 326 at-bats with the Padres last season. Nine of the right-handed hitter's homers came at Petco Park. Hairston ended the season on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his left thumb. The injury required surgery. Hairston will likely serve as a fourth outfielder in 2009 or platoon with left-handed-hitting Jody Gerut in center as he did much of the '08 season. --The signing of Hairston made the Padres' budget squeeze a bit tighter. General manager Kevin Towers and CEO Sandy Alderson confirmed that the team's payroll budget for 2009 is $40 million as owner John Moores tries to complete the sale to a group headed by former agent Jeff Moorad. The Padres have already committed $31 million to seven players -- meaning there is only $9 million remaining for the last 33 spots on the roster. That average of $272,727 is well below the major league minimum, meaning someone else has to go. --With RHP Heath Bell moving into Trevor Hoffman's closer role, the leading candidates for Bell's old setup role are Cla Meredith, Chris Britton and Mark Worrell. Other candidates for the bullpen are Justin Hampson, Joe Thatcher, Scott Patterson, Chad Reineke, Greg Burke, Mike Ekstrom and Will Inman. --Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who in the terms of icons is the only Padre who ranks ahead of Trevor Hoffman, decided to end his career as a Padre after turning down a larger offer from the Kansas City Royals. But he said his situation should not be compared to Hoffman's. "Not the same," Gwynn said. "I wanted to finish my career with the team that I started with, I was one of those few guys in that situation. Hoffy didn't start with the Padres. He started with the Reds and was with the Marlins. It's not quite the same feeling. This is where he was for the longest time. "Trevor's situation was no-win for both sides. Deep down, I'm sure the Padres wanted to keep Hoffman and couldn't because there was no more money in their situation. And Hoffman, he took less last time. I don't blame him, I would have done the same thing. He thought he was worth more, and the Padres couldn't sign him for what he and the market thought he was worth." --Hoffman is unhappy with the way it ended with the Padres -- and the fans. There has been backlash in San Diego among fans who believe Hoffman was wrong for not immediately accepting the Padres' $4 million offer. "There are a ton of people that get it," Hoffman said. "But there's also a segment that's blaming me for looking like I've taken the money and ran. I'm kind of hurt by some of the things I've been hearing, too. I would have thought by the lack of talking that they would have been able to see the truth." --RHP Virgil Vasquez was claimed off waivers by the Padres from the Red Sox. Boston had claimed Vasquez off waivers from Detroit in October. The 26-year-old was 12-12 with a 4.81 ERA in 27 starts for Class AAA Toledo last season, and he was Toledo's pitcher of the year in 2007. --LHP Dave Roberts, a member of the original Padres of 1969, died Jan. 9 of lung cancer at the age of 64. Roberts spent three of his 13 major league seasons with the Padres, going 22-34 with a 2.99 ERA. Sixty of his 102 Padres appearances came as a starter. BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Career saves for new Padres closer Heath Bell, who is charged with replacing all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think there's some bitterness, just at me. I think you're not allowed the opportunity to grow old." -- RHP Trevor Hoffman, on the reaction of some San Diego fans to his exit.

--INF David Eckstein and the Padres agreed to a one-year contract, and he is expected to take over as the team's second baseman. Terms were not announced. He began last season in Toronto, then was traded to Arizona, and he compiled a combined .265 average. Eckstein was part of World Series championship teams with the Angels (2002) and the Cardinals (2006).

--RHP Mark Prior, who has missed consecutive seasons due to shoulder surgeries, signed a minor league deal with the Padres. His non-guaranteed contract would pay him $1 million if he stays in the majors. There is no timetable for when he will be ready to pitch competitively.

--INF/OF Chris Burke, who hit .194 for the Diamondbacks last season, signed a minor league deal with the Padres. He could get a shot at filling the team's second base vacancy.

--RHP Jae Kuk Ryu, 25, was claimed off waivers by the Padres from the Rays. He appeared in one game for Tampa Bay last season, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

--OF Scott Hairston, 28, avoided arbitration and signed a one-year contract with the Padres for $1.25 million. Hairston hit .248 with 17 homers in 326 at-bats with the Padres last season. Nine of the right-handed hitter's homers came at Petco Park. Hairston ended the season on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his left thumb. The injury required surgery. Hairston will likely serve as a fourth outfielder in 2009 or platoon with left-handed-hitting Jody Gerut in center as he did much of the '08 season.

--The signing of Hairston made the Padres' budget squeeze a bit tighter. General manager Kevin Towers and CEO Sandy Alderson confirmed that the team's payroll budget for 2009 is $40 million as owner John Moores tries to complete the sale to a group headed by former agent Jeff Moorad. The Padres have already committed $31 million to seven players -- meaning there is only $9 million remaining for the last 33 spots on the roster. That average of $272,727 is well below the major league minimum, meaning someone else has to go.

--With RHP Heath Bell moving into Trevor Hoffman's closer role, the leading candidates for Bell's old setup role are Cla Meredith, Chris Britton and Mark Worrell. Other candidates for the bullpen are Justin Hampson, Joe Thatcher, Scott Patterson, Chad Reineke, Greg Burke, Mike Ekstrom and Will Inman.

--Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who in the terms of icons is the only Padre who ranks ahead of Trevor Hoffman, decided to end his career as a Padre after turning down a larger offer from the Kansas City Royals. But he said his situation should not be compared to Hoffman's.

"Not the same," Gwynn said. "I wanted to finish my career with the team that I started with, I was one of those few guys in that situation. Hoffy didn't start with the Padres. He started with the Reds and was with the Marlins. It's not quite the same feeling. This is where he was for the longest time.

"Trevor's situation was no-win for both sides. Deep down, I'm sure the Padres wanted to keep Hoffman and couldn't because there was no more money in their situation. And Hoffman, he took less last time. I don't blame him, I would have done the same thing. He thought he was worth more, and the Padres couldn't sign him for what he and the market thought he was worth."

--Hoffman is unhappy with the way it ended with the Padres -- and the fans. There has been backlash in San Diego among fans who believe Hoffman was wrong for not immediately accepting the Padres' $4 million offer.

"There are a ton of people that get it," Hoffman said. "But there's also a segment that's blaming me for looking like I've taken the money and ran. I'm kind of hurt by some of the things I've been hearing, too. I would have thought by the lack of talking that they would have been able to see the truth."

--RHP Virgil Vasquez was claimed off waivers by the Padres from the Red Sox. Boston had claimed Vasquez off waivers from Detroit in October. The 26-year-old was 12-12 with a 4.81 ERA in 27 starts for Class AAA Toledo last season, and he was Toledo's pitcher of the year in 2007.

--LHP Dave Roberts, a member of the original Padres of 1969, died Jan. 9 of lung cancer at the age of 64. Roberts spent three of his 13 major league seasons with the Padres, going 22-34 with a 2.99 ERA. Sixty of his 102 Padres appearances came as a starter.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Career saves for new Padres closer Heath Bell, who is charged with replacing all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think there's some bitterness, just at me. I think you're not allowed the opportunity to grow old." -- RHP Trevor Hoffman, on the reaction of some San Diego fans to his exit.