Quote from BoosterSD on February 21, 2021, 1:29 pm

Quote from 3fingersplit on February 21, 2021, 9:42 am

Quote from BoosterSD on February 17, 2021, 8:23 am

Are any of the guys from Mad Friars like Ben and the others coming out to Peoria for some Spring coverage?

Is any one from the forum coming out to watch any games this spring?

 

I want to head over but what are the retrictions if any in Arizona.....as opposed to this great state of confusion known as California ?

Almost everything is open restaurant wise at 50% capacity. Some places require checking in while you are still in the car, and of course masks are required to walk about the building. Sitting at a bar or the tables, no masks are required while sitting. Most other places are open as well.

From a baseball point of view, I think I have read that Peoria is allowing about 2,000 fans per game.

Quote from fenn68 on February 23, 2021, 11:48 am

@AJCassavell

The Padres are looking for a backup CF. As such, they’ll trot a few guys out there this spring. Jayce Tingler mentioned some options for that spot: Jurickson Profar, Brian O’Grady, Jorge Mateo and — here’s the curious one — Tommy Pham.

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@dennistlin

Jayce Tingler said he feels confident that, if necessary, Jake Cronenworth and Ha-seong Kim could be outfield options at times. Cronenworth worked in the outfield during camp last spring and could seem time there next month.

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I suspect the may be more interesting if you consider the potential ripple impact for the roster under an assumption of 14 pitchers / 12 position players leading to a 4 man bench (3 being Profar, Kim, Caratini).

Clearly a survival run for either O'Grady or Mateo ... maybe both IF one of the other options can handle CF in an emergency / short run. In a long run opening ... doubt the Padres as a contender want either Mateo or O'Grady as the regular ... different problem then.

Stepping back, neither Mateo nor O'Grady has any ML track record as a hitter or a CF defensively ... so not really owning an inside track for the 26 man. IF Profar can play well enough in CF (emergency / double switch option) and Cronenworth / Kim can handle LF well enough ... could move on from both Mateo and O'Grady for a better bat for PH duties / corner OF. Same logic with Pham (although really doubt he can handle CF anymore). The really good news is the name Wil Myers did not surface as a CF option.

ST training is still a long spell and players on other teams may become available be it trade of DFA that might appeal for a non-CF role more than Mateo / O'Grady value as CF.

I will toss in one scenario .... Padres want the best RHH PH/1B option on the bench .... Kim / Cronenworth show they can handle LF well enough ... Profar / Pham show they can handle CF well enough .... does a player like Tanielu (RHH 3B/2B/1B) squeeze in. He is an under covered minor league signing (6 year FA) but the a reputation as a strong line drive hitter in the minors (not a good fielder, not much power) but if the Padres are looking for that PH and a RHH option for Hosmer at 1B as needed ... could be better than either Mateo or O'Grady. Basically a very role specific upgrade view. Maybe not Tanielu but that is the concept.

Quote from Ben Davey on February 24, 2021, 10:14 pm

To answer your question Booster, it is a work in progress.  Our priority is minor league camp, but most minor leaguers are not arriving until after major league camp breaks.

Quote from LynchMob on February 26, 2021, 5:52 pm

https://www.mlb.com/padres/news/manny-machado-laser-eye-surgery

Tingler confirmed left-hander Ryan Weathers as the starter for Tuesday's game against the D-backs. Weathers follows Adrian Morejon (Sunday) and Chris Paddack (Monday) in the Padres' Cactus League rotation.

Quote from MrPadre19 on February 27, 2021, 5:23 am

Quote from LynchMob on February 26, 2021, 5:52 pm

https://www.mlb.com/padres/news/manny-machado-laser-eye-surgery

Tingler confirmed left-hander Ryan Weathers as the starter for Tuesday's game against the D-backs. Weathers follows Adrian Morejon (Sunday) and Chris Paddack (Monday) in the Padres' Cactus League rotation.

The battle for the #5 spot(possibly also the #6 spot) in the rotation begins......

Quote from fenn68 on February 27, 2021, 5:37 am

Sounds as though the Padres will work the veterans lightly to start ST ... so we may not see much of Darvish, Snell, Lamet, Musgrove until a week or more in. With the expectation that ST games will be shortened ... 7 innings or even 5 innings ... use those early games to get a better sense of where the others stand in their development and who gets the inside track for #5 and #6.

With Morejon - Paddack - Weathers scheduled ... could we see Gore on Wednesday? Hope so, since that would be the first FSSD televised ST game.

Quote from fenn68 on February 27, 2021, 5:53 am

Clearly the first objective is to get all the SP ready for the regular season and keep them healthy ... and in a way that does not over work them given the innings workload concerns for 2021. That is not easy to balance out.

With that long run view to support winning games, I wonder how much they also try to set-up the rotation to get Darvish, Snell, and Lamet facing the LAD who they need to beat head to head if they want to take the NL West. Padres have seven (of the nineteen) head to head games with the LAD in April during a schedule that has them playing 24 games in 25 days when the SP may not yet be fully stretched out.

For me, that calls out the need for that #6 SP for at least a couple of starts against the other opposition. That #6 may move to the pen as the season moves on when more off days dot the schedule. More ideally, the #6 gets optioned (Morejon/Gore/Weathers/Paddack can be optioned) to continue to be stretched out as a SP and a RP gets called up. OR if as speculated, Strahm goes on the IL ... he could come off as Morejon gets optioned?

Good problem if everyone stays healthy.

Quote from fenn68 on February 27, 2021, 9:54 am

Kevin Acee

Some kind of first five games. Padres starters top open Cactus League games: SUN: Morejon MON: Paddack TUES: Weathers WED: Snell THURS: Gore

===============

Sunday's starters:

C .... Nola

1B .. O'Grady

2B .. Cronenworth

SS .. Tatis

3B .. Machado

LF ..Pham

CF .. Grisham

RF .. Myers

DH .. Kim

SP .. Morejon

Quote from fenn68 on February 28, 2021, 6:21 am

I know it is early to suggest regular season starting line-up ... and past results don't guarantee future performance ... but the Padres could be really strong vs LHP ... using wRC+ for 2019-20 ... consider:

119 ... Profar (CF)

172 ... Tatis (SS)

170 ... Machado (3B)

161 ... Pham (LF)

149 ... Myers (RF)

125 ... Caratini (C)

107 ... Nola (1B)

---- ... Kim (2B)

"Long" line-up with above average hitters with the middle of the order way above average. Bench is all LHH but vs LHP: O'Grady (114 ... small sample size) and Grisham (99) are not helpless. Hosmer (60) and Cronenworth (58) though are weak.

Even if the DH is approved ... either Grisham or O'Grady should hold their own vs LHP.