As an avid sports fan today has to be one of my favorite days of the year next to the Super Bowl, World Series, and March Madness. Today is the day pitchers and catchers report to their respective teams. Let's be honest while today maybe the official start to the MLB season most pitchers and catchers have been working out at their team training facilities for weeks now.
I follow the Pittsburgh Pirates on twitter and they posted something a few days ago about having 29 of the 34 pitchers and catchers already reported to camp.
Even though hitters don't report for another week or so most of those players also come in early and report with the pitchers and catchers.
Over the next 30 days I'll profile ever team starting the in the National league west and in honor of the Pope's resignation we'll start with the San Diego Padres.
San Diego Padres: 2012 record (76-86, fourth place)
The Padres started the 2012 year off as one of the worst teams in baseball after trading staff ace Matt Latos to the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the year but the pieces they got in return for Latos make the team a better ball club coming into this year.
Yondor Alonso seems like the long term answer at first base if he can consistently find his swing in Petco Park. A rookie last season Alonso showed better power on the road than he did at home but he did put up the same average no matter what park he was playing in. Even though the youngster only hit 9 home runs all of last year he has shown good power in the minors as he averaged a homer every 8 games so that should translate after a year to get acclimated to major league hitting, especially after he posted 7 of those HR's in the last three months of the season.
The other premier piece in the Latos deal catcher Yasmani Grandal looked to be well on his way to stardom as the switch-hitter posted 8 home runs and 36 RBI's in his first 60 games but got busted for PED use in the fall so he will miss the first 50 games of the season and may not preform at that level agains. He is only 24 years old so he still has a chance to develop into a solid offensive catcher which is a rarity but will be on a short lease after the PED scandal.
With Grandal sidelined the team turns to veterans Nick Hundley and John Baker behind the plate.
Hundley had a dismal 2012 season and was sent down to the minors for a short stint and even that trip couldn't turn around his swing. Hundley starts the season on the bench for the Padres.
Baker didn't have much better of a season last year and while both are more suitable for back-up jobs I think he gets the opening day nod.
The brightest player on the team last season was by far third baseman Chase Headley. Another switch hitter in the Padres line up, Headley posted a career year in home runs (31), RBI's (115), walks (86), stolen bases (17), slugging percentage (.498), OPS (.875) and on base percentage (.376). Headley is still under team control for the next two seasons so depending on where the Padres are at at the trade deadline he could be a valuable asset for the team going forward.
Shortstop Everth Cabrera lead the national league with 44 stolen bases but only hit .246 so the question is can he get on base enough to to continue providing the team with speed at the top of the line-up.
The outfield for the Padres has great depth starting with Center Fielder Cameron Maybin. The former Florida Marlins prospect looks to have finally shown he can hit in the majors well enough to merit and everyday job especially in San Diego. He has shown an adept feel for the spacious center field in Petco and looks to be primed for a break out season with 15-20 home runs and 25-45 steals well with in his reach.
The corners are a different story as a platoon of Carlos Quentin, Kyle Banks, Chris Denorfia, Jesus Guzman and Will Venable is likely.
The teams needs pop in the line-up and Quentin can provided that so long as he stays healthy which is a big concern. The left field spot is his job to lose even if at this point he's better suited for a DH roll in the American League to keep his legs fresh. Saying that Quentin still has a bat that profiles at 20-30 home runs and thats why he was signed.
The right field spot for the Padres is a whole different story as any one of the four remaining players could conceivably win the job. My bet is on Denorfia to beat out his other competitors and win the job but the Padres love Venable so he very well may end up your opening day starters their. The best bet in right might and probably should be a left-right split between the two depending on the opposing pitcher. A platoon should give produce around 20 home runs and 100 runs batted in between the two.
As for Guzman and Blanks its probably a race between the two to see who backs up Alonso at first as well as provide insurance in the Padres outfield. Guzman most likely wins the job and Blanks gets sent back minors or traded during the season.
Projected Line up
1. SS Cabrera
2. CF Maybin
3. 3B Headley
4. LF Quentin
5. 1B Alonso
6 RF Venable/Denorfia
7. 2B Forsythe/C Baker
8. 2B Forsythe/C Baker
9. Pitchers spot
Bench:
1B/OF Guzman
UTIL Amarista
C Hundley
OF Venable/Denorfia
On the mound this season the Padres have some depth to build around in projected opening day started Clayton Richard. The lefty went 14-14 last year with a respectable 4.13 ERA but really came on at the end of last year as he went 7-3 over the last two months of the year. Richard gets the nod at number one and is primed for a break out year at age 30.
The number two spot in the Padres order might be the most intriguing player on the team next to Headley. Edinson Volquez is a couple of seasons removed from Tommy Johns surgery and a 50 PED suspension but the right hander has always shown flashes dating back to his days on the mound for the Texas Rangers. Volquez find his grove at the end of the season last year and posted a 6-4 record over the last 3 months of the season and looks to have regained his 2008 All-star form and could produce close to a 20 win season for the Padres.
The 3-5 spots in the rotation are all up for grabs in spring training. Eric Stutls, Tony Ross, Anthony Bass, Jason Marquis and Casey Kelly are all vying for a spot in the rotation.
The best bet to win the jobs go to Marquis, Bass and Stults.
Stults posted the best numbers of the bunch going 8-3 while posting a 2.92 ERA after being picked up from the Chicago White Sox mid-season and likely gets slated at the number three spot.
Bass has the liveliest arm of the bunch but posted a dismal 2-8 record but the Padres like him a lot and give him the shot as the number four.
Marquis has been a journeyman since his days in St. Louis but posted a solid 6-7 record with a 4 ERA and gets one last shot to show he belongs in a major league rotation.
A sleeper that could weasel his way into a spot on the team whether in the bullpen or the rotation is non-roster invitee Freddy Garcia. The 37 year-old right hander posted 7 wins pitching for the Yankees in the American League East last year, so he's got a shot to make something happen.
The 'pen is anchored by All-star closer Huston Street and set-up man Luke Gergerson. If Street stays healthy he get 30 saves easily.
The 'pen took a blow in the offseason when Andrew Cashner lacerated a tendon on the thumb of his pitching hand in the offseason and will need a few months to recover and won't be back tell June at the earliest.
Projected Rotation:
1. Richard
2. Volquez
3. Stults
4. Bass
5. Marquis
Bullpen:
Street (closer)
Gergerson (set-up)
Thayer
Broxberger
Branch
Layne
Thatcher
The NL West is a loaded division with the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, a Los Angeles Dodgers team willing to spend money and a Arizona Diamondbacks team that is hungry to make a run at the postseason. In saying that the Friars most likely finish the season with a 80-85 record a four win improvement but they stay in fourth place with a chance the finish in third.
No comments:
Post a Comment