by Mike Rogers

UPDATE: Found this article that is suggesting that Matt Bush was not DFA’d for the sake of Cliff Floyd’s spot on the 40-man roster.

But several hours later, Padres CEO Sandy Alderson issued a statement declaring that the team was investigating a recent incident involving Bush, who received a club-record $3.15 million signing bonus in 2004.

“The Padres have learned of a possible off-field incident earlier this week involving Matt Bush,” Alderson said in the statement. “We are still gathering information about this incident and will have no further comment at this time.”

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, El Cajon police are investigating allegations that Bush was involved in a drunken assault Wedneday with members of the Granite Hills High boys lacrosse team.

Neither Alderson nor Towers responded to calls seeking further comment.

It’s not the first time Bush has been involved in off-the-field incidents. Fifteen days after he was drafted, the then-18-year-old Bush was charged with trespassing at a Peoria, Ariz., bar and was suspended by the team. He was also involved in a May 2005 incident for underage drinking, according to the San Diego County Sheriff Department’s Web site

This is very unfortunate news and I certainly hope that if this speculation does come to fruition, that anyone involved in this alleged incident is okay. But it most certainly does spell the end for Bush in the Padres system, as Kevin Towers said flatly earlier.

“The Matt Bush era is probably over,” Towers said. “If we’re not able to work out a trade, we’ll release him at the point in time. … It didn’t work out.”

San Diego has signed Cliff Floyd to be a pinch-hitter, DH for when interleague play rolls around, and possibly add some punch off the bench against right-handed pitching. Oh yeah, and for his great menturing and leadership abilities!

I did the math earlier, and if you assume about -10 runs defensively, over around 300 PA’s, I get in the neighborhood of 0.75 Wins Above Replacement when all is said and done. This is confirmed by Sean Smith, as his expanded CHONE Projection page for Floyd has him at -1 per 150 games in batting runs. If you assume he’s an average defender (he’s not) he’s about 1.1 WAR. His defense has been in the neighborhood of -5 to -7 runs recently, but with his constantly weak knees, Petco, and just getting another year older, he’s probably going to be even a little worse than that.  In my quick and dirty method I had him at about -5.5 runs defensively over the course of 80 games (guesstimation on my part). Using that Chone player page, I’m comfortable pegging in Floyd at -7 runs defensively which puts his WAR at 0.80 — really close to my 0.75 I got earlier. That, on the open market and for 1-year, is about $3.5 million, but the Pads get it for less than $1 mil according to Jayson Stark. So, for the cost involved, you can’t really quibble with the signing.

To make room for Floyd, San Diego has apparently designated Matt Bush, the 2004 No. 1 overall draft pick, for assignment. Without looking it up, I believe that Bush was taken first overall due more to signability, as there were pretty much no scenarios in which the Pads would’ve signed Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, or maybe even a Phil Humber in that 04 draft.

Of course, as most Pads fans know, Matt Bush was a local kid and a shortstop out of high school. And then fell flat on his face in the minors, never surpassing High-A Lake Elsinore where he posted a .204/.310/.276 line in 116 plate appearances in 2007. He was converted to the mound but was injured. Still, a very good arm (in the 90’s if I recall correctly), I’d like to see San Diego at least get something back in return. At this point, all odds are against Bush ever making it to something like Triple-A as a pitcher, but it would be a shame to see a franchise designate the first overall draft pick for assignment less than 5 years after drafting him. But, the most likely scenario is that Bush is not dealt and successfully passes through waivers.