SAN DIEGO (AP) – Anthony Rizzo tore up the Pacific Coast League to the point that the San Diego Padres figured they had no choice but to call him up.

The slugging first baseman will join the Padres on Thursday after spending just two months at Triple-A Tucson. He is one of two prized prospects acquired by the Padres when they traded three-time All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in December in a five-player deal.

Rizzo batted .365 with a .715 slugging percentage, .444 on-base percentage, 16 homers and 63 RBIs at Tucson.

“We wanted him to get some seasoning,” general manager Jed Hoyer said after the Padres lost 5-3 to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. “This is frankly ahead of the schedule we had imagined when we acquired him. We thought he was a guy that if he pushed it he could be a September callup and could help us in 2012. He’s played so well in spring training and this year that he really forced us and pushed the clock. Going into the season this wasn’t the timing we expected. I’m proud of him to force us to make the move earlier.”

Hoyer said there’s a “buzz” about Rizzo joining the Padres.

“I hope it’s not only because he was part of the Adrian Gonzalez deal. I hope it’s because he’s played exceptionally well at Triple-A and that people are excited to see him play and I hope the same thing will happen when we call up future players if they have this kind of performance,” Hoyer said.

Rizzo flew to San Diego on Wednesday to have his left thumb examined by a specialist in the last step before joining the big
league squad.

Rizzo was hurt May 31 when he collided with an umpire. He sat out the following two games, played three games and then sat out Monday and Tuesday. He had an MRI on Tuesday. The Padres wanted to have him checked by a specialist before bringing him up.

Hoyer said he originally thought about bringing up Rizzo for a stretch of interleague games starting June 17 at Minnesota, followed by a series at Boston from June 20-22. The thought was to have Rizzo play first base and Brad Hawpe, who’s already moved from first base to right field, be the designated hitter.

But manager Bud Black talked Hoyer into making the move earlier.

“As we started talking about it, Buddy said, ‘Well Jed, why not right now?’ That was probably four or five days ago. He really convinced me,” Hoyer said.

Fans have been clamoring for the last-place Padres to call up the 21-year-old Rizzo, who had never played above Double-A until he started this season with Tucson.

In 2008, Rizzo was limited to 21 games after being diagnosed with limited stage classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Hoyer said it’s easier to bring up Rizzo now since the Padres aren’t struggling as badly as they were earlier in the season.

“I didn’t think it was fair to him, 100-plus plate appearances into his career with the Padres, to bring him up to fix a team that was struggling,” Hoyer said. “Now we’re playing better, today notwithstanding, and I don’t think he’s a savior of a team now. I think he’s coming up and he can be a part of something.”

The other top prospect obtained by the Padres in the Gonzalez deal is right-hander Casey Kelly, who’s with Double-A San Antonio.

The Padres have struggled all season, particularly at home. Rizzo is expected to start against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. Black said he’ll hit somewhere between fifth and seventh.

After trading Gonzalez, the Padres signed Hawpe to play first base even though he had only played a handful of games there during his big league career. He was a first baseman in the minors but moved to the outfield when he made his big league debut with Colorado because Todd Helton was playing first for the Rockies. Hawpe made his third straight start in right field on Wednesday.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo tore up the Pacific Coast League to the point that the San Diego Padres figured they had no choice but to call him up.

The slugging first baseman will join the Padres on Thursday after spending just two months at Triple-A Tucson. He is one of two prized prospects acquired by the Padres when they traded three-time All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in December in a five-player deal.

Rizzo batted .365 with a .715 slugging percentage, .444 on-base percentage, 16 homers and 63 RBIs at Tucson.

“We wanted him to get some seasoning,” general manager Jed Hoyer said after the Padres lost 5-3 to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. “This is frankly ahead of the schedule we had imagined when we acquired him. We thought he was a guy that if he pushed it he could be a September callup and could help us in 2012. He’s played so well in spring training and this year that he really forced us and pushed the clock. Going into the season this wasn’t the timing we expected. I’m proud of him to force us to make the move earlier.”

Hoyer said there’s a “buzz” about Rizzo joining the Padres.

“I hope it’s not only because he was part of the Adrian Gonzalez deal. I hope it’s because he’s played exceptionally well at Triple-A and that people are excited to see him play and I hope the same thing will happen when we call up future players if they have this kind of performance,” Hoyer said.

Rizzo flew to San Diego on Wednesday to have his left thumb examined by a specialist in the last step before joining the big league squad.

Rizzo was hurt May 31 when he collided with an umpire. He sat out the following two games, played three games and then sat out Monday and Tuesday. He had an MRI on Tuesday. The Padres wanted to have him checked by a specialist before bringing him up.

Hoyer said he originally thought about bringing up Rizzo for a stretch of interleague games starting June 17 at Minnesota, followed by a series at Boston from June 20-22. The thought was to have Rizzo play first base and Brad Hawpe, who’s already moved from first base to right field, be the designated hitter.

But manager Bud Black talked Hoyer into making the move earlier.

“As we started talking about it, Buddy said, ‘Well Jed, why not right now?’ That was probably four or five days ago. He really convinced me,” Hoyer said.

Fans have been clamoring for the last-place Padres to call up the 21-year-old Rizzo, who had never played above Double-A until he started this season with Tucson.

In 2008, Rizzo was limited to 21 games after being diagnosed with limited stage classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Hoyer said it’s easier to bring up Rizzo now since the Padres aren’t struggling as badly as they were earlier in the season.

“I didn’t think it was fair to him, 100-plus plate appearances into his career with the Padres, to bring him up to fix a team that was struggling,” Hoyer said. “Now we’re playing better, today notwithstanding, and I don’t think he’s a savior of a team now. I think he’s coming up and he can be a part of something.”

The other top prospect obtained by the Padres in the Gonzalez deal is right-hander Casey Kelly, who’s with Double-A San Antonio.

The Padres have struggled all season, particularly at home.

Rizzo is expected to start against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. Black said he’ll hit somewhere between fifth and seventh.

After trading Gonzalez, the Padres signed Hawpe to play first base even though he had only played a handful of games there during his big league career. He was a first baseman in the minors but moved to the outfield when he made his big league debut with Colorado because Todd Helton was playing first for the Rockies.

Hawpe made his third straight start in right field on Wednesday.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The Padres were baseball’s surprise team last year, winning 90 games and leading the NL West most of the season only to lose their playoff spot on the very last day.

Yet as unlikely as their rise to glory was, coming at a time when many pundits picked them to finish in last place, it’s even less likely to happen again.

The decision to deal franchise player Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox all but assured that. He was the lone superstar in a lineup of retreads and misfits, not to mention the only left-handed hitter to figure out PETCO Park, and the Padres’ willingness to trade him for a trio of prospects shows how little they thought of their chances to repeat.

Now, they’re left with just two legitimate Fantasy options: Hard-throwing ace Mat Latos, who finished eighth in Cy Young voting in what was practically his rookie season, and closer Heath Bell, who might be the best at his position, in part because the Padres didn’t do much to improve their already lackluster offense.

You can’t say they didn’t try, though, bringing in Brad Hawpe, another one of those retreads and misfits, to fill Gonzalez’s void. They also remade their defense up the middle, acquiring Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson and giving former Tigers and Marlins prospect Cameron Maybin first crack at the center field job. Throw in Ryan Ludwick, who was acquired at the trade deadline last year, and half the team’s lineup has come together in the last eight months.

That doesn’t make it any more exciting for Fantasy purposes, though. If anything good comes out of San Diego this year, it’ll come out of the pitching staff, which has benefited from the tutelage of manager Bud Black with overachievers like Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer and Wade LeBlanc. But they’re more peripheral options than anything else. The Padres won’t develop any real game-changers until the haul from the Gonzalez deal arrives.

Late-round flier … Tim Stauffer, SP

After years of injury woes kept Stauffer from living up to his potential as the fourth overall pick in the 2003 draft, the Padres finally got frustrated with the right-hander and moved him to the bullpen last year, hoping to get some kind of return for their investment. Turns out they got more than they bargained for. By the beginning of September, he had a 1.72 ERA and was pitching so well that the Padres decided he deserved another shot in the rotation after all. He allowed fewer than two earned runs in four of five starts to end the season and actually finished with a lower ERA as a starter (1.83) than as a reliever (1.87). Stauffer lacks the strikeout potential to be a frontline starter, but his reliever eligibility makes him especially valuable in Head-to-Head leagues. As long as he’s pitching, he’ll be worth having on a roster. And hey, it’s not like he can’t take another step forward at age 28.

Sleeper … Kyle Blanks, OF

In less than a year, Blanks has gone from being one of the top up-and-coming sluggers in the game to a complete non-entity in Fantasy. Nobody’s talking about him, writing about him or thinking about him, which is the perfect recipe for a sleeper. And really, his opportunity is better now than ever. Gonzalez is gone. Blanks’ natural position is open. The only thing standing in his way of full-time at-bats is Brad Hawpe … OK, and that pesky recovery from Tommy John surgery. But the procedure helps explain why Blanks got off to such a slow start last season — as Mike Aviles in 2009 can attest — and position players typically recover from it faster than pitchers do. If Blanks gets a chance to claim the first base job at some point this season, don’t be surprised if he gets back to performing like he did as a rookie, when he hit 10 homers in 148 at-bats.

Can’t-miss prospect … Casey Kelly, SP

Kelly was the key piece in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, which seems ridiculous if you’re just looking at numbers. A 5.31 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP at the Double-A level doesn’t seem like the stuff of legends. But you have to remember Kelly was in the process of converting back to pitcher after beginning his professional career as a shortstop. Considering he was learning on the fly against established prospects at one of the most competitive levels of the minors, his performance wasn’t half bad. He showed improved velocity as his body filled out at age 20, making his frontline stuff even more formidable, so it’s only a matter of time before it all comes together for him. If he progresses to the point that his numbers match his stuff, he could potentially reach the majors this year. And if that happens, Mat Latos will have to fend him off for the title of staff ace.

	Rookies/Prospects	Age	Pos.	2010 high	Destination
1	Casey Kelly	21	SP	Double-A	Double-A
Numbers didn’t impress in conversion from shortstop but has stuff of ace and should become one soon.
2	Anthony Rizzo	21	1B	Double-A	Triple-A
Acquired in Adrian Gonzalez deal and will eventually replace slugger. Not a bad power hitter himself.
3	Cory Luebke	26	SP	Majors	Majors
Doesn’t have ace stuff but proved effective in late-season trial. Could win rotation spot this spring.
4	Jaff Decker	21	OF	Class A	Double-A
Diminutive slugger has walk rate to develop into OPS machine, but poor defense could delay promotion.
5	Simon Castro	22	SP	Triple-A	Triple-A
Strike-thrower should adapt quickly to big leagues but may lack ceiling to become top-of-rotation guy.
Best of the rest: Andrew Cumberland, SS; Reymond Fuentes, OF; Aaron Poreda, RP; Matt Lollis, SP; Donavan Tate, SD; Jason Hagerty, C; James Darnell, 3B; Juan Oramas, SP; Edinson Rincon, 3B; Logan Forsythe, 3B; Jarrett Hoffpauir, 3B; and Blake Tekotte, OF.

Stay in touch with the most passionate Fantasy staff in the business by following us via Twitter . You can e-mail us your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com . Be sure to put Team outlooks in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two people with knowledge of the deal say the San Diego Padres have agreed to terms of a one-year contract with Brad Hawpe to play first base.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal is pending Hawpe passing a physical exam.

Hawpe will replace three-time All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox earlier this month. Hawpe has mostly been an outfielder in seven big league seasons, with a handful of starts at first base. He was released by Colorado in August and signed by Tampa Bay.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Kokomo — The San Diego Padres scatter to their respective homes in the offseason, linked across the distances by their NFL fantasy league. It keeps the friendships and team chemistry rolling when baseball hibernates.

One catch: No baseball talk.

“That’s the main reason a lot of us do it is a reason to stay in touch during the offseason,” Kokomo native and San Diego relief pitcher Joe Thatcher explained.

“We’re all pretty competitive so there’s a lot of smack talk going on on those message boards. But when we do that, we don’t really talk about baseball. We’re all trying to get away from it for a while. We don’t talk about baseball on those things at all.”

Adrian Gonzalez has a squad in the Padres’ fantasy league.

“He’s been a little busy I think this week, so I don’t know how his team will be performing,” Thatcher said.

Gonzalez was traded to Boston on Monday as the Padres reluctantly moved the All-Star first baseman with a year left on his contract instead of keeping him for 2011 then losing him outright to free agency with little compensation.

It’s been another busy offseason for San Diego. The Padres got three prospects for Gonzalez. The wheeling and dealing is sure to continue since the Padres lost shortstop Miguel Tejada to San Francisco and catcher Yorvit Torrealba to the Rangers to free agency.

Thatcher hopes the Padres’ fan base in Southern California is patient with all the changes.

“I’m sure losing Adrian is tough for some of our fans to swallow,” he said. “He’s a San Diego guy. He’s been there for a lot of years and he was our franchise player. You’re used to going to the ballpark and seeing him play every day. But hopefully they understand that it’s a business and the moves they do make, they’re getting a lot in return for it. Hopefully the fans stay loyal and we can put together another winning ballclub.”

San Diego was alive until the very last day of the season this year, just missing out on the postseason with a 90-72 record. It was an unexpectedly strong year for a young Padres club that had a lot of turnover from the 2009 version.

“I think that the young guys that we have got a taste of winning last year,” Thatcher said. “Obviously it’ll be new team chemistry and a lot of little factors that go into producing a winning ballclub.

“Nobody expected anything from us last year and we used that as motivation. I’m sure losing Adrian, nobody’s going to expect us to do anything next year.”

The Padres opened eyes last season, earning manager Bud Black NL Manager of the Year honors. Thatcher is confident the team won’t lose its way after a new batch of changes.

“Bud Black was manager of the year for a reason,” Thatcher said. “It’s a good honor for not only him but the players and the organization as a whole. When you prove yourself like he has, you have all the confidence in the world in what he’s doing.”

Next season, Thatcher will be counted on to be one of those transmitting that message to the younger players. All the turnover at San Diego has the lefty in the position of being a veteran entering his fifth season.

“Now with Adrian gone, there aren’t too many guys left from the ’07 team when I was a rookie. I’m one of the guys who has been around the most. I’m going to have to switch roles I think and try to be a leader on this team and make guys understand there’s a certain way we do things in San Diego.”

While next year’s squad will face new challenges — especially offensively — Thatcher said San Diego will still rely on what has delivered success recently.

“I think obviously losing a player of Adrian’s caliber is a tough loss for us,” Thatcher said. “We struggled hitting at times last year and you know you lose somebody like that, we’re definitely going to have to have some players step up. We’re going to have to make a move or two in the offseason and we’ve got some young guys who are going to have to step up and produce if we’re going to get back to where we were last year.

“That being said, we’re a pitching-defense team, that’s how we won 90 games last year. Looks like we’re going to have the core of our bullpen back and of our starting pitching back. That’s how we win games, pitching and defense. As long as you have those things, you can win a lot of ballgames.”

Thatcher’s offseason is devoted to getting fitter for next year. He made 65 appearances for the Padres with a 1-0 record and 65 holds. He struck out 45 batters and walked seven with an ERA of 1.29. Aside from a rehab stint in the minors, Thatcher was a up with the big club all season, and understands what he needs to get through.

He’s working out at the St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis four times a week. All that is before he even picks up a baseball and begins throwing in the offseason. He won’t do that until after Christmas. Now, he’s working on the whole body.

“I’ve had a lot of fun working out there so far this year and seeing good results,” he said. “This time of year is so important because the year is so long, if you don’t put in the work in times like these, your body is going to break down eventually … and obviously it’s going to hurt your performance.”

He’ll report to spring training in mid February. It’ll be a change from previous seasons because now he feels he has the luxury to use the spring as the time to fine tune and get ready for MLB action.

“It’s going to be nice this year to be able to use spring training instead of having spring training be a tryout,” Thatcher said. “I’ve pretty much proved that I’m a big league pitcher. It’s a little different mindset going into spring training, but it doesn’t mean there’s not anybody there to take your job.

“I’m approaching it as I still have a lot to prove, and I do.”