For the first time in many years, there is a buzz of optimism in San Diego. The San Diego Padres were the toast of the baseball off-season, acquiring big names like Justin Upton, Matt Kemp and James Shields. With added talent and depth comes stability. The Padres have a roster that does not have many open roster spots. In camp there is a battle for the # 5 job in the rotation and perhaps a gig in the bullpen and on the bench. Today, we will look at the position players whom this writer believes will be on the Padres' Opening Day roster. The pitchers will be reviewed later in the week.
Catchers: Derek Norris and Tim Federowicz.
Other names in the mix: Wil Nieves, Griff Erickson, Rocky Gale.
Norris is clearly entrenched as the Friars’ number one catcher. Norris, an All-Star in Oakland last season, is being counted on to improve the worst offense in baseball. Norris played in 127 games for the Oakland Athletics last year, and he is a good bet, barring injuries, to catch 120 or so games. While he is not known for his defensive prowess, his bat will be needed on a daily basis. He had an on-base percentage of .361 for the A’s last season.
Federowicz, who was acquired by the Padres in the Matt Kemp deal, seems to be the most likely backup to Norris. He has played in 89 games in the Big Leagues, albeit without much success. He did have a monster offensive season last year in Triple-A, and he has the advantage of occupying a 40-man roster spot.
Nieves could be the most likely candidate to steal the backup spot ahead of Federowicz. Nieves, at 37, may be at the end of his career. However, he has seen Big League action in every season since 2005. Last season, Nieves caught 36 games for the Philadelphia Phillies last season. Nieves was originally drafted by San Diego in 1995.
Beyond that, the likelihood of another player backing up Norris seems unlikely. Griff Erickson has had some success in Triple-A, but h ehas never cracked a Big League roster. Rocky Gale is a defense-first catcher who has been in the Padres organization since 2010. He is not a prospect, but he had respectable .303/.328/.355 slash-line in Triple-A last season.
This writer chose to omit top prospect Austin Hedges as a roster candidate. Hedges could feasibly arrive in San Diego this season, but it would have to involve a serious injury to Norris. Hedges is not on the 40-man roster and will likely start the year in Double-A.
Infielders: Yonder Alonso, Jedd Gyorko, Clint Barmes, Alexi Amarista, Will Middlebrooks, Yangervis Solarte.
Other names in the mix: Ramiro Pena, Tommy Medica, Taylor Lindsey, Brett Wallace, Cory Spangenberg.
This group seems to be pretty set, barring injury. Alonso will be the starter at first by default, but Medica could conceivably take at-bats at some point. The Padres' lineup is heavy on righties, so having Alonso’s left-handed stick will be needed to give the lineup some balance.
Gyorko will be the starting second baseman despite being one of the worst offensive players in all of baseball last year. In his rookie year, Gyorko hit 23 bombs and looked like a fixture for years to come in San Diego. A bounce-back campaign from Gyorko makes the Padres even more dangerous.
Barmes was signed to a one-year deal, in part to give the Padres defensive stability up the middle. He has been one of the best defensive shortstops in the game the last few years although he brings nothing to the table offensively.
Amarista played very well defensively down the stretch for San Diego, but he has a career .279 on-base percentage. Amarista was rewarded for his versatility when the team gave him a two-year contract. Both Barmes and Amarista will have a spot on the opening day roster.
Middlebrooks has been horrendous the past two seasons in Boston; however, his power potential is worth a look for San Diego. He plays an adequate third base and looked like a star a few seasons ago. He is still just 26. Middlebrooks does have a Minor League option left although it would be a surprise not to see Middlebrooks start the year in San Diego.
Solarte played well for San Diego last year and is worth keeping around in a bench role. Solarte can play all over the field, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up with 400 at-bats in 2015.
Pena has a good deal of Big League experience, but he appears to be a longshot to make the club. Pena is in camp on a Minor League deal, and as this writer has mentioned, San Diego seems to be set in the infield. Pena should be a solid depth option in Triple-A.
Lindsey was acquired by the Padres last season in the Huston Street deal. He hit a homer on Thursday afternoon, but he struggled mightily in Triple-A last season. He will be back in El Paso to start the year.
Wallace is another Big League veteran in camp on a Minor League deal. While he is not likely to crack the Big League roster on Opening Day, he could be an option at first if Alonso gets hurt.
Spangenberg is an intriguing candidate to occupy a roster spot to start the season. First, Spangenberg hit .290/.313/.452 in 20 games down the stretch for San Diego. He can play third, second, and outfield. He also possesses a left-handed bat and above-average speed. Despite the skillset, it seems like he will be in El Paso to start the season.
Outfielders: Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Matt Kemp, Cameron Maybin, Will Venable.
The Padres completely revamped their outfield in the offseason as the club pulled the trigger on three separate deals to improve the offense. Kemp and Upton give the Padres their best 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup since Phil Nevin and Ryan Klesko. Both players will be star attractions and represent the potential of 60 home runs in the middle of the Padres lineup.
Myers, acquired from Tampa Bay, will attempt to man center field. Myers battled injuries last season, but his offensive potential means he plays every day. Myers has not played center field regularly in the Big Leagues, but he is a good athlete and will get a chance to play center this spring.
From there, the Padres will finalize their bench with a pair of former starters. Maybin has battled injuries, ineffectiveness, and a 25-game suspension for using Adderall without the consent of Major League Baseball. A few years ago, Maybin looked like a Mike Cameron-type – a guy with a little pop who can play an elite center field. Instead, Maybin has not been able to stay on the field. He is an obvious trade candidate; however, he is also owed $16 million over the next two seasons. He will be a defensive replacement and a bench player come Opening Day.
Venable had a dreadful season in 2014, but he could be a valuable bench piece for San Diego in 2015. He hit 22 homers in 2013 and offers manager Bud Black a left-handed option off of the bench. His defensive versatility makes him a perfect fourth outfielder on this year’s squad.
Other names in the mix: Carlos Quentin, Abraham Almonte, Rico Noel, Rymer Liriano, Alex Dickerson.
Quentin was one of the most-feared sluggers in baseball just a few years ago. Those days seem gone, as Quentin’s balky knees have kept him off of the field the past few seasons. Quentin should also get some reps at first base to improve his odds of being moved.
Quentin is still owed $8 million this season plus a $10-million option with a $3-million buyout for 2016. San Diego will need to eat most, if not all, of the money owed to facilitate a deal. This writer predicts the Padres will release Quentin if they cannot make a deal by the end of the spring.
Almonte was acquired last season in exchange for Chris Denorfia. Almonte received a great deal of playing time down the stretch. Almonte appears to be ticketed for Triple-A as the Padres simply have no room in their crowded outfield.
Noel is a speedster who does not hit much. He is buried on the Padres' depth chart, and he does not possess any power. Noel did steal 32 bases in Triple-A last year, so he could be an option down the road. He is not currently on the 40-man roster.
Liriano has been one of the top prospects in the Padres system the last few years. He missed all of 2013 after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow. He rebounded in 2014 and reached the Big Leagues for the first time. Liriano will likely play every day in Triple-A, and will not be a candidate to make the Opening Day roster. Liriano is currently blocked by Upton and Kemp, but he could be in the mix for a full-time gig next year if Upton leaves via free agency after the 2015 season.
Dickerson is an intriguing bat who battled injuries last season. He can play first base in addition to the corner outfield positions. Dickerson is more likely to steal playing time at first base if Alonso is injured during the season. Dickerson is definitely a name to watch in the Padres system, but he is not a threat to crack the 25-man roster out of Spring Training.
The good news is that the San Diego Padres seem to have one of their deepest teams in recent memory. That could mean that the Padres could be an active team in the trade market at the end of Spring Training. The team will have some moves to make before opening in Los Angeles on April 6.