SAN DIEGO (AP) – The San Diego Padres have agreed to terms on a
one-year contract with outfielder Chris Denorfia worth $1,165,000, and also tendered contracts to 35 other players.

Already under contract are newly acquired closer Huston Street, infielders Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson, and outfielder Mark
Kotsay.

The Padres non-tendered outfielder Jeremy Hermida.

Denorfia hit .277 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 2011, when the Padres finished last in the NL West.

Hermida was designated for assignment on Wednesday. He was
acquired off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds on August 31. He hit
.225 with one homer and six RBIs in 20 games with the Padres.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Chris Denorfia worth US$1,165,000 and also tendered contracts to 35 other players.

Already under contract are newly acquired closer Huston Street, infielders Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson, and outfielder Mark Kotsay.

The Padres non-tendered outfielder Jeremy Hermida.

Denorfia hit .277 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 2011, when the Padres finished last in the NL West.

Hermida was designated for assignment on Wednesday. He was acquired off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds on August 31. He hit .225 with one homer and six RBIs in 20 games with the Padres.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have offered salary arbitration to All-Star closer Heath Bell and right-hander Aaron Harang.

New general manager Josh Byrnes says the move was predictable. If the players decline, the Padres will receive compensatory draft picks.

Byrnes says it’s unlikely the players will accept arbitration, but the team will prepare for either scenario.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SAN DIEGO (AP)—The San Diego Padres have offered salary arbitration to
All-Star closer Heath Bell(notes) and right-hander Aaron Harang(notes).

New general manager Josh Byrnes says the move was predictable. If the
players decline, the Padres will receive compensatory draft picks.

Byrnes says it’s unlikely the players will accept arbitration, but the team
will prepare for either scenario.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have hired Alonzo Powell as assistant hitting coach to work under Phil Plantier.

Powell served as interim hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners during part of the 2010 season. He has 10 years of coaching experience following a 19-year playing career in the United States and Japan.

Plantier was hired as hitting coach after Randy Ready was fired the day after the season ended. The Padres were last in the NL West at 71-91.

Powell won’t be able to sit in the dugout during games.

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

SAN DIEGO (AP)—The San Diego Padres have hired Alonzo Powell as assistant
hitting coach to work under Phil Plantier.

Powell served as interim hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners during part
of the 2010 season. He has 10 years of coaching experience following a 19-year
playing career in the United States and Japan.

Plantier was hired as hitting coach after Randy Ready was fired the day
after the season ended. The Padres were last in the NL West at 71-91.

Powell won’t be able to sit in the dugout during games.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with outfielder Mark Kotsay.

Kotsay was with the Padres from 2001-03. The 35-year-old, a lifetime .278 hitter, has also played for the Florida Marlins, Oakland A’s, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.

Kotsay hit .270 with three home runs and 31 RBIs with the Brewers last season.

The Padres announced the deal on Wednesday.

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

SAN DIEGO (AP)—The San Diego Padres have agreed to a $1.25 million,
one-year contract with outfielder Mark Kotsay(notes).

Kotsay was with the Padres from 2001-03. The 35-year-old, a lifetime .278
hitter, has also played for the Florida Marlins, Oakland A’s, Atlanta Braves,
Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.

Kotsay hit .270 with three home runs and 31 RBIs with the Brewers last
season.

The Padres announced the deal on Wednesday.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have agreed to a $1.25 million, one-year contract with outfielder Mark Kotsay.

Kotsay was with the Padres from 2001-03. The 35-year-old, a lifetime .278 hitter, has also played for the Florida Marlins, Oakland A’s, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.

Kotsay hit .270 with three home runs and 31 RBIs with the Brewers last season.

The Padres announced the deal on Wednesday.

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

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have declined their $5 million mutual option for 2012 for right-hander Aaron Harang, as well as a mutual option for infielder-outfielder Brad Hawpe and a club option for right-handed reliever Chad Qualls.

Harang was 14-7 with a career-best 3.64 ERA for his hometown Padres.

Hawpe, who replaced Adrian Gonzalez at first base, played in 62 games, with 50 starts, before going on the disabled list June 21 and missing the remainder of the season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left elbow on Aug. 5.

Qualls led the Padres with 77 relief appearances, going 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA.

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

SAN DIEGO — It’s Phil Plantier’s turn to try to succeed in the least-stable job on the San Diego Padres’ coaching staff.

New Padres general manager Josh Byrnes confirmed Monday that Planter, a former big leaguer known for his pronounced crouch at the plate, has been hired as hitting coach.

The team expects to make the formal announcement this week, possibly on Tuesday.

Plantier will be the sixth person to hold the job since the Padres moved into cavernous Petco Park in 2004. By comparison, the Padres have had just two managers since then, and three general managers.

Plantier replaces Randy Ready, who was fired a day after the Padres finished last in the NL West at 71-91. The other Padres hitting coaches during the team’s time at Petco Park have been Dave Magadan, Merv Rettenmund, Wally Joyner and Jim Lefebvre. All were fired except Joyner, who resigned late in the 2008 season, before he could be fired.

Plantier had three stints with the Padres in the 1990s. He also played for Boston, Houston, Oakland and St. Louis.

“He has a pretty good chance to impact it,” Byrnes said.

Byrnes said Plantier knows what he’s getting into.

“He does. He’s a local guy who played here. Again, a no-excuses type of guy. Understands that young guys coming from our system are part of the program and we’ve got to figure out a way to finish off the teaching up here,’ ‘ Byrnes said.

Byrnes was introduced as the Padres’ new GM on Monday. He says the process of hiring Plantier was started by his predecessor, Jed Hoyer, who left for the same job with the Chicago Cubs, and manager Bud Black.

Plantier was a career .243 hitter in parts of eight big league seasons. He had 34 homers and 100 RBIs with the Padres in 1993. On Dec. 28, 1994, he was dealt to Houston as part of a 12-player trade that brought Ken Caminiti and Steve Finley to San Diego.

The Padres plan to bring in a second hitting coach. That coach won’t be able to be in the dugout during games.

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

SAN DIEGO (AP)—It’s Phil Plantier’s turn to try to succeed in the
least-stable job on the San Diego Padres’ coaching staff.

New Padres general manager Josh Byrnes confirmed Monday that Planter, a
former big leaguer known for his pronounced crouch at the plate, has been hired
as hitting coach.

The team expects to make the formal announcement this week, possibly on
Tuesday.

Plantier will be the sixth person to hold the job since the Padres moved
into cavernous Petco Park in 2004. By comparison, the Padres have had just two
managers since then, and three general managers.

Plantier replaces Randy Ready, who was fired a day after the Padres finished
last in the NL West at 71-91. The other Padres hitting coaches during the team’s
time at Petco Park have been Dave Magadan, Merv Rettenmund, Wally Joyner and Jim
Lefebvre. All were fired except Joyner, who resigned late in the 2008 season,
before he could be fired.

Plantier had three stints with the Padres in the 1990s. He also played for
Boston, Houston, Oakland and St. Louis.

“He has a pretty good chance to impact it,” Byrnes said.

Byrnes said Plantier knows what he’s getting into.

“He does. He’s a local guy who played here. Again, a no-excuses type of
guy. Understands that young guys coming from our system are part of the program
and we’ve got to figure out a way to finish off the teaching up here,’ ’ Byrnes
said.

Byrnes was introduced as the Padres’ new GM on Monday. He says the process
of hiring Plantier was started by his predecessor, Jed Hoyer, who left for the
same job with the Chicago Cubs, and manager Bud Black.

Plantier was a career .243 hitter in parts of eight big league seasons. He
had 34 homers and 100 RBIs with the Padres in 1993. On Dec. 28, 1994, he was
dealt to Houston as part of a 12-player trade that brought Ken Caminiti and
Steve Finley to San Diego.

The Padres plan to bring in a second hitting coach. That coach won’t be able
to be in the dugout during games.

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31 (UPI) — Josh Byrnes was promoted to executive vice president and general manager of the San Diego Padres Monday.

Byrnes had been the National League club’s senior vice president of baseball operations since December. He succeeds Jed Hoyer, who became general manager of the Chicago Cubs last week.

“Josh is one of the most respected and credentialed baseball executives in the game,” said Jeff Moorad, the Padres’ vice chairman and chief executive officer. “His proven record and extensive background in scouting and player development make a great fit for continuing the same focus that we’ve had for two years.”

Byrnes previously worked in the front offices of the Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.