Padres stock up on pitchers after busy week of trades

By: JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Saturday, August 30, 2003 11:56 PM PDT ∞

The Padres acquired Brian Giles in a trade last week, and they know exactly what they got -- an outstanding outfielder with 30-homer power and a high on-base percentage.

But the club made two other trades -- dealing Rondell White to Kansas City and Lou Merloni to Boston -- for three minor-league pitchers. The results of those deals will be determined in the next two or three years.

In the White deal, the Padres picked up right-hander Brian Sanches and left-hander Chris Tierney. In the Merloni trade, they acquired right-hander Rene Miniel.

Following is a rundown of those players:

Brian Sanches ---- A second-round draft pick in 1999, the 25-year-old has seen his career stall after a strong beginning in which he threw a no-hitter and a one-hitter in back-to-back starts in 2000. His fastball is in only the high-80s, but he has an outstanding curve and change. A control pitcher, he had 73 strikeouts and 17 walks in 85 innings at Double-A Wichita before the trade. Concerning is the fact this is his third year in Double-A. In his last eight appearances before the trade, he had a 1.42 ERA over 24 2/3 innings while striking out 26.

Chris Tierney ---- A seventh-round draft pick in 2001, this lefty was named Kansas City's 26th-best prospect by Baseball America. The 19-year-old's fastball is 90-92 mph and he has a decent curve and change. Still, his numbers at Single-A Wilmington ---- 5-11 with a 4.38 ERA in 26 starts ---- weren't overwhelming.

Rene Miniel ---- He entered the 2002 season as the second-best pitching prospect and third-best prospect overall in the Boston system. This year, Baseball America lists him as the 16th-best prospect in the Red Sox chain and eighth-best pitcher. His fastball has slipped from 95 mph to the low 90s, and the product of the Dominican Republic turned out to be 24 years old and not 22 as first thought. He has good movement on his fastball but has trouble throwing strikes with other pitches. He has worked much better as a reliever this season, posting a 2.00 ERA in 54 innings out of the bullpen contrasted to a 4.71 ERA as a starter.

Around the bases

Catcher Wiki Gonzalez has picked it up lately and is now hitting .291 with four homers and 20 RBIs in 42 games at Portland.

Portland reliever Brandon Villafuerte is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 22 saves.

Right-hander Carlton Loewer went 4 2/3 innings Tuesday for Portland and was tagged with his fifth straight loss, dropping his record to 7-7.

When Matt Bruback took the mound to start the Monday's game for Portland, he became the 16th pitcher to start a game for the Beavers this season. Portland used 15 starters last season and 18 in 2001.

Jon Knott, an outfielder, homered for Portland on Wednesday, his first at the Triple-A level and his 28th of the season. Knott's 27 homers at Mobile broke the club record of 22 set by John Curl in 1999.

Outfielder Freddy Guzman leads all of minor-league baseball with 90 steals ---- 38 at Lake Elsinore, 49 at Mobile and three at Portland.

Lake Elsinore second baseman Josh Barfield has 122 RBIs and is hitting .344. Third baseman Greg Sain has 98 RBIs and 18 homers.

Right-hander Aaron Coonrod, a fourth-round pick out of John A. Logan College in Illinois, has blossomed since he was moved to the bullpen. He was 3-3 with a 5.69 ERA as a starter at Eugene. Since he was moved to the bullpen, he has thrown seven scoreless innings, three at Eugene, four at Fort Wayne. His fastball tops out at 98 mph and is consistently timed at 93-94 with an 84 mph slider.

The struggling Idaho Falls Padres (19-50) gave up 43 hits in losing three games in a row to the Great Falls White Sox, who have seven players hitting over .300.