Quote from fenn68 on February 19, 2024, 6:31 am

30 days until the opening day March 20 in Korea. With Preller a lot can happen but with the budget limits, shrinking FA pool, and reluctant trade partners with maybe very limited players the Padres want … might we just see opening day’s roster constructed with the current players in ST camp?

If you look at the current 40 man roster … will be easy to fill out the 13 pitchers for the ML roster BUT the 13 position players will be more contentious. Padres have only 13 position players on the 40 man and one (Marcano) will be on the IL recovering from knee surgery and  another is a catcher (Sullivan) that does not fill the need for OF thus resulting in needing to add a minimum of two non-roster players.

So will the Padres be “forced” to choose among:

Non- Roster Prospects: Merrill; Marsee; Pauley; Ornelas; or

Non-Roster non-Prospecgts: Mitchell; Marcano; Johnson

A TBD waiver claim of a fringe player

Should be an interesting ST for these players and Preller as they try to work though the options in less than 30 days.

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Last I heard was the two non-Bellinger OF options … Taylor and Duvall … were still of interest to “multiple teams” but they are apparently holding out for 2 year deals and $8-10 per year … for the Padres the 2 years and the AAV may be above what they are prepared to go (especially if considering extending Kim for 2025).

Even if those two drop their demands … would one of the other teams swoop in first? How much better would these two project over the current internal candidates (at league minimum) … I guess ST for these guys has to prove something on all of them quickly.

Quote from 3fingersplit on February 19, 2024, 1:40 pm

I’ve said it before…let the young guys have a shot because think about it…how much worse could any of them be compared to Grisham and his.175-.210 BA or Nola and his.170 BA…yes only Grisham was in the OF but they played…Merrill, Marsee and Pauley could probably have better numbers and are at league minimum. The other thing is a two year contract for Taylor or Duval is way more than the Padres want to commit to and they become a roadblock for the young guys.

Let the young guys get their shot because we all might be pleasantly surprised and it frees up money for a SP of some sort.

I personally would love to see them extend Kim…hard to just trade him for whatever or let him walk…gold glove SS just don’t come around that often and his presence can only help open the door into players from the far east and he is the pulse of this team…he plays hard every pitch, runs the bases hard, swings the bat and the fans love him…I would even start a Go Fund Me page to help the Padres come up with the money 🤪

Quote from dusty on February 20, 2024, 6:08 am

I am a big believer that every world series contender needs a young star (rookie/2nd year player) on a team. Look at recent rookies who had an impact on their teams post season run their rookie year or year 2 (year is rookie season): 2023 - Josh Jung, Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, Bobby Miller, Taj Bradley 2022 - Julio Rodriguez, Michael Harris, Adley Ruschman, Spencer Strider, Alek Thomas, George Kirby, Jeremy Pena, Shane Baz, 2021 - Wander Franco, Alek Manoah, Randy Arozarena, Ian Anderson, Shane Mclanahan, 2020 - Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Alec Bohm, Tony Gonsolin, Luis Robert, Sean Murphy, Nico Hoerner, Jake Cronenworth, Daulton Varsho.

I believe rookies do many things: they bring youth - energy/fire, hunger to make an impact/show they belong, actual impact. These traits are contagious. They make others around them better as do captains/leaders. So i do believe it will be necessary for two or three of these rookies to make the team. Their forced roster placement, however, could in fact be forced and detrimental when there is another option that the team could benefit from.

 

Quote from fenn68 on February 20, 2024, 8:14 am

Padres are probably locked into a position (due to money and alternative) where they have to go with prospects … in concept … is agree with that.

Probably “safe” doing that with the pitching since there are quite a few ML/ML ready options for the #4-5 SP and more prospects maybe a 1/2 season out.

The part that makes me a bit nervous is filling the three open line-up slots (CF, LF, DH) with three prospects that have yet to complete a AA season … the odds of ALL THREE playing at ML level to start 2024 are low. If it were only CF and rolling with either Merrill or Marsee would be plausible … but all three slots???? Worse is that there are no backfill pieces for those three if any one (or more) struggle (or gets injured). Although should add Profar who likely can provide the offense to offset Grisham (but not in CF).

Now I do think the. “Core 6” on offense can carry the Padres to the playoffs with just the other three line-up pieces hitting at 90% of average … so not a need for major output from those three … but for those specific three achieving that not so confident to start the season  … so Preller still should add “insurance”  (much like Profar is) to either begin the season as a starter with one or more prospects getting more development time or as an enhanced bench piece who can step in if needed.

Think a strategy of making moves to minimize the maximum downside of all three prospects struggling.

With little left on the FA market at the Padres’ price … maybe some real “filler” such as Robbie Grossman or a minor trade using the likes of Avila, Waldron off s staff with a lot of bodies. Of course if they wait, only the Padres and ATL are below a full 40 man roster … so as teams add their own non-roster players to their 26 man … a chance some ML veterans hit waivers (or set up for trade).

Think we will be in the dark until sometime in April.

Quote from brent wolff on February 20, 2024, 12:43 pm

I would still like to see Garrett Cooper return as a part-time 1B/LF/RH DH.  Hopefully, he feels the same way.  Then maybe a spare SP for either a LH DH/CF.  Go Pads!

Quote from fenn68 on February 22, 2024, 8:35 am

First ST game today (noon PT on ESPN). Probably should watch the game on "mute" since it is a national game with national announcers / analysts playing to a national audience ... suggesting that virtually all the commentary with be LAD focused with SD an afterthought. Listening on radio may be more satisfying.

Shildt suggested since this is the first ST game and in Peoria ... expect most of the "regulars" to start before the others get inserted.

Quote from fenn68 on February 22, 2024, 9:42 am

Machado will not be in today's line-up but the remaining five of the "Core 6" will to start.

Means nothing at the point but the other four line-up slots go to:

Merrill ... LF

Rosario ... 3B

Azocar ... CF

Mitchell ... DH

Musgrove starts and should be followed by King and Matsui.

Quote from 3fingersplit on February 22, 2024, 10:03 am

Young guys bring a different energy to the team and remember how much fun it was when Chris Paddack, Fernando and Jake were getting their chance and made the team out of spring training…this season is no different and given the needs for this team and whatever restraints are on AJ we all might be pleasantly surprised.

Merrill showed well last year and showed me he can play…I suspect that Marsee and Pauley will do the same this year so maybe the Padres actually make the transition to developing our own draft picks and playing them instead of trading them all away for big money contracts. That blueprint works for so many reasons…hungry young players, minimal cost and controllable, helps future prospects in signing knowing they will have a better chance at actually playing for San Diego instead of being trade chips and it puts the Padres in a reload instead of a rebuild throw money at costly free agents mentality…I’m all for it

Quote from sportwarrior on February 22, 2024, 11:45 am

A big caveat on playing the youth is that they have to be ready. If we force them into the fire before they're ready purely out of need, we're running incredible risk of burning them out fast.

That said, I continue to be impressed by Merrill's poise. He didn't wow with the bat last year (which probably in part can be explained by early injuries), but the kid feels ready mentally for the show.