GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Padres usually are not performed including to their offense. A cursory look at their roster makes that clear sufficient, and group sources have indicated that normal supervisor A.J. Preller stays lively.
However talking Tuesday from Cactus League Media Day in Glendale, Ariz., Preller sought to make this a lot clear: He’s bullish on his present roster, and he intends to offer his prospects a path to massive league jobs this spring.
If which means these forthcoming additions are fewer or smaller in scope than the baseball world anticipates… so be it.
“We really feel like we’ve some guys which are good gamers, and we just like the open competitors,” Preller mentioned. “I believe guys are coming into camp with an opportunity to interrupt with our membership. We’re wanting ahead to seeing how that performs out.”
The Padres have a superb line to stroll. They’ve holes on their roster and prospects in sight of the large leagues. They would like to maintain alternative accessible to these prospects. However in addition they want these prospects to be prepared in the event that they’re referred to as up.
To search out that stability, Preller wants so as to add to his present offensive combine. The Padres have openings in left subject, middle fielder, at DH and on the bench. Primarily based on Preller’s pronouncements, a few of these vacancies shall be crammed internally.
However clearly not all of them. So what number of additions is Preller nonetheless trying to make?
“I do not assume it is about attending to a quantity,” Preller mentioned. “Now we have some guys in camp that we actually like. We’ll see how they play out and the way they fill out the group. Then we’ll preserve trying to see what else is on the market.”
Preller touted his offensive core as a strong sufficient basis to mitigate considerations on the perimeters. If Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are acting at All-Star ranges, it’s much less crucial that the Padres get manufacturing from the 7-9 spots of their lineup.
Nonetheless, the Padres must fill out that lineup one way or the other. There’s a robust probability these 7-9 hitters come Opening Day aren’t on the 40-man roster but.
As issues stand, the Padres have solely seven roster locks amongst their place gamers — Tatis, Bogaerts, Machado, Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Cronenworth, Luis Campusano and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka. Jurickson Profar, who’s sorting by means of visa points earlier than he can take his bodily and formally signal his contract, would make eight.
That leaves wide-open competitors for no less than 5 position-player spots — and doubtlessly as many as three beginning jobs. Supervisor Mike Shildt referred to as it “probably the most open camp” since he joined the group previous to the 2022 season.
“It’s alternative for some youthful gamers and for some guys to get some probabilities,” Preller mentioned.
That mentioned, additional strikes are virtually actually coming. And possibly quickly. The Padres are in a little bit of a time crunch. Their common season begins eight days earlier than the remainder of the Majors, with a pair of video games towards the Dodgers in Seoul. The Padres fly to Korea on March 13, that means they’ll must have a comparatively set roster two weeks earlier than the remainder of the Majors.
“It’ll positively impression it, the timeline of dashing issues up,” Preller mentioned. “At this level it’s simply been: Let’s put together for the season. Let’s get the group in play.
“And let’s add to the roster if we will, and provides Mike and his group as many choices as potential.”
Price noting• Merrill’s Cactus League debut will come within the outfield, Shildt mentioned on Tuesday. The group’s No. 2 prospect within the MLB Pipeline rankings, Merrill has spent almost his complete profession at shortstop. However with out a lot alternative accessible within the infield, Merrill is competing for one of many two present outfield vacancies. Nonetheless, Shildt made it clear that Merrill would proceed to get reps at quick this spring.
“Hear, we’ve obtained open competitors [in the outfield],” Shildt mentioned. “We additionally need to make sure that we preserve a man that’s obtained a ability set to play within the infield that’s very excessive and confirmed, to verify he doesn’t lose it. So it’s a balancing act.”
• Proper-hander Yuki Matsui is slated to make his Cactus League debut within the opener Thursday towards the Dodgers, Shildt introduced. It’ll be Matsui’s first check towards massive league hitters, after he spent the previous decade pitching for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan, the place he turned one in all NPB’s high closers.
