Aug072009
Berry, Padilla out
Filed under Uncategorized by tom king at 11:06 pm
Looking much more like a seller than a buyer, the American Defenders of New Hampshire officially shed themselves of the contracts of second baseman Boomer Berry and closer Juan Padilla on Friday.
Berry, as had been previously reported, had his contract sold to Sioux City, Iowa of the American Association. And Padilla, second in the Can-Am League with saves and a former major leaguer, was traded to York of the Atlantic League for future considerations, Defenders president Dan Duquette said.
The team was looking to add another pitcher during the weekend, Duquette said, but also signed outfielder Breland Brown, who briefly played in the Frontier League this year.
The team can survive the loss of Berry, who hit .251 with two homers and 24 RBI in 61 games, because it already has another second baseman in Greg Lemon. That’s Lemon’s natural position, although he began the year at shortstop and recently was playing regularly in the outfield. The team can move him to second and use Brown, an protege of former major leaguer Otis Nixon, in the outfield instead.
“He can fly,” Duquette said of Brown, who hit just .143 in three games with the Evansville Otters in June before being released. But he stole 41 bases in two years at Northeast Mississippi Community College. “He’ll be the fastest guy in the league.”
And what of Padilla, who had a 2.76 ERA and 17 saves?
“He’s a great veteran player, and I really like him,” Duquette said. “I’d like to get him back in the future. But I thought he had more value to another club coming up on the trade deadline (Aug. 20)…A closer is important on a championship team.”
Which, despite their three game winning streak going into Friday’s game at Sussex, the Defenders (27-38) haven’t appeared to be. The closer duties originally might have fallen to Adam Piechowski, but he was making his first career start on Friday and may have to stay in the rotation. Perhaps another candidate could be righty Cooper Brannan, who has a high (5.81) ERA but had thrown nine scoreless innings before the other night.
Duquette said he didn’t think the recent subtractions, which clearly look like salary dumps, would affect the team’s morale and that the younger players can make some noise. That clearly remains to be seen. Padilla was said to be a great influence on some of the younger pitchers.
“I hope the team is energized,” he said. “Nandin (rookie Matt) is a legitimate shortstop and our pitcher (on Thursday, Alex Woodson) can really pitch, and he’s only 23 years old.”
– TOM KING