PEORIA, Ariz. — On Dec. 12, Padres general manager A.J. Preller picked up his phone and dialed a new acquisition.
As welcome calls go, this one followed an unusual script. Chase Headley, half of the return from the Yankees for Jabari Blash and significant salary relief, answered. The third baseman was headed back west, to a franchise he once helped anchor. At the time, no one knew if he would make it all the way back.
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On Saturday, Headley completed the return trip, reporting to spring training for his new, old team. Still, no one knows how long his second tenure will last.
“‘We don’t know if we’re going to trade you again or if we’re going to keep you,’” Headley said, paraphrasing his initial conversation with Preller. “I appreciated the honesty. As a player, you kind of understand how the game works, but it’s nice to have someone tell you straight up what’s going on.”
Headley received periodic updates in the weeks after the transaction. Sometimes, Preller called. Other times, it was Padres manager Andy Green. They spoke openly of the possibility that Headley would be traded to another club. They spoke openly of the possibility that another infielder would be traded.
On Jan. 6, Preller dealt Yangervis Solarte — the same infielder the Padres swapped for Headley in 2014 — to Toronto. Both sides had gained some clarity. The move eased a logjam, though San Diego continues to field a surplus.
“My gut was that Chase was going to be here on Opening Day with us,” Preller said. “We were having discussions with a few different teams on Solarte. Then, when we acquired Chase, there was interest from other clubs in him as well.
“At the end of the day, we felt like we had better trade options lined up for Solarte. And knowing that we had a guy who’s gotten on base, a professional hitter we clearly lacked here in the last few years … it made the move pretty realistic.”
The ancillary benefits of Headley’s reacquisition did not hide a rebuilding franchise’s primary motivation. While assuming the remainder of Headley’s salary, the Padres netted a right-hander from the Yankees. Bryan Mitchell, 26, is their latest dice roll, though he at least arrives with four seasons of team control. Headley, 33, will make $13 million this season, his last before free agency.
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“We felt like (Mitchell) was a more attractive option than some of the guys who were on the free-agent market at the time,” Preller said.
Illustrating their increasing dependence on youth, the Padres’ current commitments to other active players add up to less than $40 million. There are team-controlled options at third base (Christian Villanueva) and second (Cory Spangenberg, Luis Urias). Left fielder José Pirela, who faces significant competition for his spot, might see time in the infield.
If Headley isn’t moved before Opening Day, he’ll be a candidate to be moved before August. Both sides intend to make the best of an uncertain situation.
“The reality is that across baseball hundreds of people are in that same boat right now, and there’s not a guarantee how a roster’s going to be constructed,” Green said. “It’s February 17, and the season starts on March 29. I go in expecting him to be a Padre. I go in with the mindset that he’s going to be with us. I’m going to do everything I can to bring him into the culture, get him an opportunity to impact guys and do whatever we can to help him.”
The Padres hope that, even for half a season, Headley can influence their position players the way veteran starter Clayton Richard has influenced their staff.
Headley’s nine-plus years of service time dwarf the total for any non-pitcher in camp. He admitted he will never reapproach his production in 2012 — when he launched 31 home runs and played Gold Glove defense — but the switch-hitter remains a reliable contributor. Last season’s .352 on-base percentage would have led the Padres, who failed more often than any team at achieving the game’s most elementary objective.
“I’ve heard a thousand people tell me what kind of quality of guy he was when we acquired him,” said Green, who visited Headley in Nashville after the trade. “It’s as advertised. His mind works really well. It’s an evolved thought process to the game of baseball, something we haven’t had on the position-player front, and I think we do have that now with the guys in camp. Freddy Galvis, Chase Headley, A.J. Ellis — some of the more established guys that have a better history of doing things a certain way. I think that’ll rub off on guys. I look to Chase to spearhead that.”
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Headley made it known on Saturday he will embrace dual responsibilities — on the field and inside the clubhouse.
“Not only am I receptive, I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I enjoy that part of the game. I enjoy passing along the experiences I had and hopefully making the transition a little smoother for these guys.”
For any young player who might have been watching, Headley supplied a near-immediate lesson after his arrival in the clubhouse on Saturday. Speaking with reporters, he held court in front of his locker for more than 10 minutes. He deflected the inherent awkwardness of his situation with thoughtful, diplomatic responses. He celebrated the reappearance of his beard, a prohibited accessory under Yankees rules. He credited former Padres such as David Eckstein and Adrian Gonzalez for mentoring him early in his career.
Wiser than he was then, Headley realizes proper perspective will be necessary over the next several weeks.
“Everything’s under a microscope in New York,” he said. “You learn just how to deal with that a little bit better and try to stay even-keel and not worry about what’s going on around you. If you pay too much attention to what’s being said and rumors, then it’s going to be a tough time for you.”
Notes
• Rowan Wick, a right-hander claimed off waivers from St. Louis, was scheduled to arrive in camp on Saturday afternoon. The converted outfielder has compiled only 88 1/3 innings as a minor leaguer. Equipped with an upper-90s fastball, he could develop into an interesting bullpen piece. “It’s a live arm, he can spin a curveball, got a tight little slider,” Green said. “It’s just a matter of getting him innings.”
• With a decent media presence on hand, Japanese submariner Kazuhisa Makita threw a bullpen session on Saturday. Afterward, catcher Austin Hedges marveled at the right-hander’s ability to change speeds and pitches. “He’s doing some things with the baseball that I’ve never seen before,” Hedges said.
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• With Cactus League games and the regular season scheduled to begin sooner than usual, the Padres trotted out several pitchers for live batting practice on just the fourth day of camp. Miguel Diaz, Brett Kennedy and Buddy Baumann were among those taking the mound.
(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
