PADRES HIRE NEW HITTING COACH
The Padres have a pegged an up-and-comer as their next hitting coach: Mike Brdar, a 27-year-old Michigan product who’d been the Giants’ minor league hitting coordinator.
Giants and Padres team sources said Brdar will succeed Damion Easley as the Padres’ 12th hitting coach since moving into Petco Park in 2004.
The team has not confirmed the hire.
After making the postseason in a truncated 2020 season, the Padres’ offense sagged to eighth in the NL in batting average (.249) and 10th in slugging (.414), down from .466 a year earlier.
Players who regressed included Wil Myers (.768 OPS), Trent Grisham (.740 OPS), Eric Hosmer (.732 OPS) and Jurickson Profar (.649 OPS).
With the Padres, Brdar is getting his first crack at a big-league job after building a reputation as a rising star with the Giants, where the likes of LaMonte Wade Jr. (.808 OPS) and Steven Duggar (.767 OPS) rose from relative obscurity to become contributors on a team that finished the season with the majors’ best record.
Before joining the Giants, Brdar was on staff at the University of Michigan, where he also played collegiately until the Cardinals drafted him in the 36th round in 2017. (Current Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth was drafted out of Michigan in 2015.)
Brdar hit .235/.330/.282 in his one season in rookie ball in 2016, but is well regarded for his ability to connect with people, teach and develop game plans.
Brdar will join the staff as the first coach officially signed off on by new manager Bob Melvin. New pitching coach Ruben Niebla’s deal was finalized as the Padres were completing their managerial search.
Ryan Flaherty is also expected to be part of the hitting group, although that dynamic has not been entirely worked out. Flaherty’s previous title was development coach/major league advance scout.
Comebackers
Giants catcher Buster Posey and Orioles slugger Trey Mancini were named baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year Award winners.
Posey, the National League winner, sat out the 2020 season after twin girls adopted by him and his wife were born prematurely. He announced this month he was retiring after 12 seasons. Mancini, who took the American League prize, missed the entire 2020 season while being treated for stage 3 colon cancer. They were selected in balloting by the 30 team beat reporters at MLB.com.
The 34-year-old Posey hit .304 with 18 home runs, 56 RBIs and an .889 OPS for the 107-win Giants. The batting average was his highest since 2017 and the homer total his best since 2015.
Mancini, 29, batted .255 with 21 homers, 71 RBIs and a .758 OPS as a first baseman and designated hitter for Baltimore. He hit his 100th career home run against Toronto on June 20th in his 531st career game, becoming the fastest Oriole to reach the mark after debuting with the team.
Notable
RHP Anthony DeSclafani reached agreement on a $36 million, three-year contract to remain with the Giants.
DeSclafani emerged as a key member S.F.’s rotation during the NL West champion Giants’ record-setting 107-win season, going a career-best 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA over 31 starts.
The Red Sox picked up
Alex Cora’s option for two more seasons, rewarding their manager for taking them to the AL Championship Series in his first year back after serving his oneyear sign-stealing suspension. Cora, 46, is now under contract through 2024.
Left-handed reliever
Aaron Loup agreed to a $17 million, two-year deal with the Angels. The 33-year-old Loup went 6-0 with a 0.95 ERA in 65 appearances last season for the Mets, posting the lowest ERA among all major league relievers with at least 50 innings.
Speedy utility player Tyler Wade was traded from the Yankees to the Angels on Monday for a player to be named or cash. The 26-yearold infielder and outfielder hit .268 (34 for 127) with five doubles, one triple, five RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 103 games last season.
The Cubs acquired OF
Harold Ramirez from the Cleveland Guardians for cash. The 27-year-old Ramirez batted .268 with seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 99 games for Cleveland last season. He was designated for assignment on Friday.
The Rangers acquired OFs Billy McKinney and
Zach Reks from the Dodgers for cash.