Clement won't be ready for Opening Day

Surprise, surprise. Though, who really is surprised by the news from the St. Louis Cardinals that right-hander Matt Clement will not be ready by Opening Day.

Pitching coach Dave Duncan broke the news, saying it wasn't a physical setback but lack of strength in his pitching shoulder.

Clement is trying to make a comeback from surgery, almost a year and a half ago, on a torn labrum and rotator cuff.

When free agency had first started, there was a lot of talk that Clement was going to end up back with his former team the San Diego Padres. The Padres must have seen something in his medical reports that kept that signing from happening. It wasn't the fact that they didn't want a pitcher coming off surgery, they've got 2 of those in Mark Prior and Randy Wolf not to mention Glendon Rusch who's returning from a blood clot.

Rusch still unsigned?

12.18.07 12:01am PST

Glendon Rusch's agency confirms that he became a Padre as of last Friday.

12.17.07 9:09pm PST

On Friday, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports wrote that the Padres had signed free agent left-hander Glendon Rusch. Now, according to Brian McTaggart of the Houston Chronicle, Rusch has not signed the minor league offer from San Diego and has an open offer from the Astros.

12.14.07 2:41pm PST

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports checks in, the San Diego Padres have signed left-hander Glendon Rusch to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Rusch is trying to make a comeback after being diagnosed with a life threatening blood clot in his right lung last year.

Padres sign Glendon Rusch

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports checks in, the San Diego Padres have signed left-hander Glendon Rusch to a minor-league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Rusch is trying to make a comeback after being diagnosed with a life threatening blood clot in his right lung last year.

Glendon Rusch Update

12.6.07 10:03pm PST

According to Scott Lauber of Delwareonline.com, the Phillies had talks with Glendon Rusch, but Rusch asked for a big league deal and a rotation spot.

Knowing that information, are the Padres really close to signing a minor league deal with him? If he's asked 1 team for a big league deal, why would he turn around and sign a minor league deal with another?

12.5.07 7:08pm PST

The Padres are close to signing right-hander, and former Cub, Glendon Rusch to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

In the same post, the Padres may also bring in Shawn Estes.

Padres close to signing former Cub Rusch

The Padres are close to signing right-hander, and former Cub, Glendon Rusch to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

In the same post, the Padres may also bring in Shawn Estes.

Padres Update

A couple of updates on what the Padres are doing....

Buster Olney reports that the Padres and Astros are talking about a deal that would send Luke Scott to San Diego, but no report on what San Diego would send to Houston.

The Padres have talked to free agent pitchers Shawn Estes and Glendon Rusch and are expected to sign both after the Rule 5 draft.