Miguel Tejada is not a good player anymore.  He doesn’t hit that well, and he doesn’t field that well.  But the San Diego Padres did not give up much to get him, as Wynn Pelzer looks unlikely to become anything more than a middle reliever.

Tejada provides some depth in the infield, and looks to be a slight marginal upgrade.  But hey, when you’re in the playoff hunt in late July, a slight marginal upgrade could make the difference in the end.

Mat Latos has had a fantastic season.  He has struck out 106 batters compared to only 30 walks in 112 innings pitched.  His 2.48 ERA is accompanied by 11 wins to 4 losses.  Not bad for a second year pitcher.

Latos has great stuff.  His 94 mph fastball is 1.63 runs above average per 100 pitches, and he throws it about 60 percent of the time.  His slider is actually better on a per-pitch basis–2.82 runs above average per 100 pitches–and is thrown one quarter of the time.  Latos’s change-up, his next most frequently thrown pitch is also over a run per hundred pitches above average.

Basically, Latos is young, has good stuff, and has learned how to use that stuff effectively.

The thing is, as good as Latos has been, he has not been 2.48 ERA good.  His FIP stands at 3.35, and his xFIP is 3.51.  Both numbers are incredibly solid, but suggest that Latos has been a bit lucky this season.

The main driver has been a ridiculously low BABIP.  Latos’s BABIP is a miniscule 0.251, fourth lowest in the National League amongst Fangraph’s qualified pitchers.

Latos has also been great at stranding runners, rather than allowing them to score.  His 84.2 percent strand rate is also fourth lowest in the National League (Wade LeBlanc at 85.7 percent leads the league).

Mat Latos is a solid pitcher, and projects to be very good going forward.  But, a low BABIP, low strand rate, and the wonders of Petco Park have combined to make a good pitcher look like a Cy-Young pitcher.  Latos might be one some day, but he is not there quite yet.

Busy day for the Padres, as they have apparently signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league deal, along with the aforementioned extension of manager Bud Black’s contract.

Pena hasn’t played in the majors since 2008 with the Nationals, where he hit .205/.243/.267. He does have a respectable career line of .253/.307/.447. Pena, amazingly, is still just 28 years old, and he’s spent this season playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish.

Pena is your typical shot in the dark acquisition; low risk, (likely) low reward. There’s always a chance, however, that he catches fire with new major league life, and contributes something down the stretch. I watched Pena play in 2006 for Boston, and he was, at the time, best described as a raw talent. When he got a hold of one, he could hit it as hard as anyone, but that didn’t happen all that often.

****

MLB Trade Rumors also reports that the Pads are interested in Miguel Tejada, Orioles third basemen.

Pass.

****

My second article at The Hardball Times is up; it’s on the Cliff Lee-Justin Smoak deal. Check it out!

The San Diego Padres announced that they’ve extended Bud Black’s contract through 2013, with options for 2014 and 2015.

I’ve always been sort of an agnostic toward the value of managers, but it’s tough to quibble with this move, as Black gets everything out of his teams, often outperforming expectations. This year is a perfect example, as the projected bottom-feeder Padres sit atop the National League.

Much deserved congrats go out to Buddy for the job he’s done, and to the Padres for having the sense to keep him around.

On Friday night, after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks had long been decided, San Diego Padres pitcher Ernesto Frieri entered to pitch the top of the ninth. Frieri promptly retired all three Diamondbacks he faced – Justin Upton, Miguel Montero, and Mark Reynolds – in order, the last two by way of the strikeout. It was only his third career major league inning, first this season.

Here’s the PITCHf/x data on Frieri’s 2010 debut:

Frieri threw just two off-speed pitches out of 14, both curveballs at 79 and 75.6 MPH, respectively. His fastball ranged from 92.9 to 95.2 MPH, averaging 94 MPH.

There isn’t a ton you can glean from an inning, but Frieri’s stuff looked nasty and his minor league track record is impressive. If Frieri can quickly develop into a reliable reliever, it could allow the Padres to trade someone from the pen or – if there’s any interest – Frieri himself for a starting pitcher or a bat.

Make it 3 years in a row now for Padres top minor league SS Drew Cumberland. Drew fractured his left patella while sliding into the 3B railing chasing after a foul ball in Thursday’s game. The fracture will more than likely require surgery, a stiff brace, and then a lot of physical therapy all of which would put him out for 6 months. Luckily he should be healthy in time for ST next year.

Tough break for Drew and for the Padres.

“…no disrespect to them, but that’s a team that we should beat I think.” –Dan Haren, on the Pads, April, 2010

Haren v. Padres last night:  5.0 innings, 6 ER, 2 HR

Looks like the Padres will have home-field advantage in the world series!

On Monday I wrote an article at The Hardball Times about Luke Gregerson and his rise to success in the Padres bullpen. Check it out.

I am writing weekly at THT now, and I’m thrilled about that opportunity. As longtime readers know, I have been a huge fan of THT over the years. Much thanks to those who made it happen.

****

At View From the Bleachers, a Cubs blog, I take a look at Ted Lilly’s trade value, along with bloggers from other teams with potential interest in Lilly. In the end, I conclude:

Who would we be willing to give up for Lilly’s services? I’d be comfortable trading one B and maybe a throw-in a C prospect, per John Sickels ratings. So, for example, one of either 2B Logan Forsythe or 3B Edinson Rincon and a standard Grade C prospect (maybe a Dexter Carter or Craig Italiano, both RHPs).

Read the whole post for my complete (relatively brief) analysis and to see what everyone else had to say.

****

Finally, don’t forget about the Padres Trade Deadline Primer, which you can read about here and purchase here. Check out this free preview to gauge your interest.

The San Diego Padres 2010 Trade Deadline Primer is here. You can purchase the e-book for $9.95. And, before purchasing, you can view a “quarterbook” preview for free.

Here’s the skinny:

Whether you’re a Padres fan, a baseball expert or a fantasy baseball guru, this is your reference guide to the 2010 trading season. Written by Myron Logan of Friar Forecast and a host of experts from other teams, this 160+ page e-book provides all the info you’ll ever need:

- Foreword by Rob Neyer of espn.com

- Summaries of what every other team is looking to do at the deadline, including how it could help your fantasy team

- 150+ easily referenced trade targets with breakdowns

- 120+ impact prospects

- Essays about what other team in the NL West may be focusing on.

Order now and you’ll receive your copy within minutes!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working with the folks at TwinsCentric and a bunch of excellent team-bloggers from around the league on a special, mid-season project, a trade deadline primer. There are 30 versions of the e-book, one for every team. Each time one of the Friar Forecast versions sell, I’ll receive 50 percent of the profit with the other 50 percent going to the guys who put the entire thing together. Here’s my sales pitch:

1. It’s a really excellent publication, and I think $9.95 is a great deal for 160+ pages of content from some of the best baseball writers in cyberspace. You get a rundown on every team, a special focus on the Padres, lists of players available at the deadline, potential impact prospects, a fantasy angle, national essays, and a foreword by Rob Neyer, plus much more.
2. I’ll be using it throughout the trade season. It is a really handy resource for all things trade deadline.
3. If sales go reasonably well, I’ll definitely consider putting together an e-book in the off-season, such as a Padres preview or something along those lines.
4. All profit I receive will very likely go back into blogging related activities. Baseball books, subscription Websites, maybe even MLB Extra Innings again next year.

Seriously, consider it. If you can’t make the purchase at this time, that’s certainly understandable, but I think you’ll be happy with the product if you do.

If you do purchase and you like it, don’t be shy about spreading the word to others who may be interested, be it online or in real-life.

Feel free to ask any related questions in the comments.