Veteran pitcher Suppan gets minor league deal
--RHP Jeff Suppan has accepted a minor league contract from the Padres that includes an invitation to spring training. Suppan, 37, has a 138-143 record with a 4.69 earned run average in 442 games (411 starts) in almost 14 years in the major leagues. He was 11-8 with a 4.78 ERA in 28 games (27 starts) with Omaha of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League last season. Suppan was 3-8 with a 5.06 ERA in 30 games (15 starts) with Milwaukee and St. Louis in the National League in 2010. After starting the season in the Brewers bullpen, Suppan started 13 games with the Cardinals in the second half of the season and was 3-6 with a 3.84 ERA in St. Louis.
--Padres CEO Jeff Moorad says the Padres have begun "unofficial" talks with interested cities to sell the Class AAA franchise owned by the club. The Padres had hoped to base the team in the north San Diego County city of Escondido, but that plan has fallen apart because the financing plan for a new ballpark has been scrubbed. Moorad said four cities are interested, including Vancouver, B.C., El Paso, Texas, and Boise, Idaho.
--RHP Huston Street is scheduled to be the Padres closer in 2012. But the Padres believe he will not be alone in the role as Heath Bell was for the past three seasons. The Padres don't believe Street is capable of regularly working three and sometimes four straight games as Bell did.
--The Padres are becoming the sixth in the major leagues to offer "dynamic pricing" for single-game sales with fans purchasing tickets well in advance of games usually getting a discounted price while fans buying tickets just before an attractive game will likely pay a premium. "Nearly three-quarters of our tickets will go on sale at or below 2011 prices," Padres President and COO Tom Garfinkel said while describing the "dynamic pricing" program. "The primary motivation is to provide advance discounting to fans to encourage early purchase. The degree of discounting will vary based on factors like opponent and day of game. Prices will normalize as it gets closer to the game, but generally, fans who buy early will save money."
--The Padres have entered a partnership with Verizon that will deliver new Wi-Fi and cell phone capabilities at Petco Park this season. "Our fans have been asking for better cell service and for Wi-Fi," said Garfinkel. "This significant partnership is the first step in a larger technology initiative for the club that will provide more in-park benefits to fans."
BY THE NUMBERS
20 -- Non-roster players invited to spring training by the Padres, giving the team 60 players in the major league camp.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"For all practical purposes, the plan to relocate our Triple-A affiliate in the North (San Diego) County is over. If something was revived, we'd turn our heads back in a minute. But unofficially, the Triple-A franchise is up for sale." -- Padres CEO Jeff Moorad, who had hoped to relocate the Padres Triple-A franchise a 40-minute drive from Petco Park after buying the team from Portland owners after the 2010 season.
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