July 18, 2007

Padres shell out bucks for draft picks

By Tom Krasovic
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

The Padres have guaranteed a franchise-record $6.9 million to draftees this year and are still negotiating with three players chosen among the top 10 rounds.

The total includes $1.4 million paid to 2006 selections Matt Latos and Jeremy McBryde, two pitchers signed in May. The Padres have signed their first-round selection, Nick Schmidt, and the seven players taken with compensation picks, including five chosen between the first and second rounds.

“It's nice to have these guys out there playing,” said General Manager Kevin Towers. “The quicker we get them out there playing, the quicker they will get to the big leagues.”

Scouting Director Bill “Chief” Gayton said “signing players has not been an issue the last three seasons. We have had extra picks, and we have money to sign all of our guys.”

Gayton, whose first draft for the Padres was in 2001, said the draft budget hadn't exceeded $5 million in any of his previous years on the job.

The club is still negotiating with its third-round pick, pitcher Thomas Toledo, who has an offer from the University of Florida; shortstop Christian Colon, who has an offer from Cal State Fullerton; and pitcher Wynn Pelzer, a reliever from the University of South Carolina who is the first Scott Boras-represented player drafted by the Padres since 2001.

Gayton said it was of “huge” help that the front office's maneuvering has netted 11 compensation picks the last three years. Towers said he expects the club to have extra picks in next June's draft as well.

Advantage, old guy
Being 44 years old has one subtle advantage for Padres pitcher David Wells: Some younger hitters haven't a clue how to attack him.

Mets No. 2 hitter Lastings Milledge, 22, appeared uncomfortable against Wells on Monday, stranding four runners with two weak groundouts. Milledge later marveled at how Wells was able to enhance a fastball that averaged 86-87 mph.

“He said, 'Man, 86 is a lot quicker when he's throwing that slow curve,' ” said Padres reliever Royce Ring, a former Met and a friend of Milledge's. “Boomer is so good at locating all of his pitches and getting guys off balance.”

Said Wells of facing the next generation: “You just read the scouting report. If he has a hard time hitting something, you throw it until he proves to you he can hit it, but it goes either way. Some (young) guys I never faced before owned me.”

Notes
First-round compensation pick Mitch Canham, the catcher on Oregon State's national championship teams the last two years, was to rise to low Single-A Fort Wayne this week but instead will be out a few weeks. Canham required testicular surgery after being struck in the protective cup.

The Padres don't expect to sign outfielder Hunter Ovens, a 25th-round pick who sought a $250,000 bonus to forgo a football scholarship to Virginia Tech.