2015 Spotlight: San Diego Padres

When newly-minted General Manager A.J. Preller interviewed for the job last year, I’m sure the Padres’ brass asked him what he would do differently. Little did they know, he had a storm of trade scenarios brewing in his brain. The Friars revamped their outfield with the power-hitting trio of Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton, all coming in via trade. They also swung deals for third baseman Will Middlebrooks and catcher Derek Norris.

Big Game Shields

Their pitching staff was fairly solid in 2014, with Tyson Ross having a career year in the rotation and Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy providing good production when healthy. They also resigned pitcher Josh Johnson, whose first season in San Diego was cut short due to Tommy John surgery. On top of those options, the Padres made a late splash in the free agent market by signing San Diego native James Shields to a four-year contract worth at least $75 million. Shields and the other new acquisitions will surely be the difference-makers in the division.

Who to watch: The team obviously invested a hefty amount in their new pickups.  The outfield, which was the thorn in the side of the 2014 Padres, has quickly become a potent mix of sluggers. I'm not saying they're going to be stellar, but they should be fun to watch at the very least. 

The Flyin' Friars.

With some good breaks and healthy amounts of playing time, they could certainly combine for 70 home runs and 250 RBI. As for Shields, moving to Petco Park, a pitcher’s paradise over the past few seasons, should help to reestablish the nickname “Big Game James” (not that it ever left).

Sleeper: A consistent strength of otherwise unexciting Padres teams in recent years has been the bullpen. They have taken guys with little or no experience and turned them into valuable commodities by sticking them in relief roles. 

Quakenbush looks like he brews moonshine in the off season. 

Behind closer Joaquin Benoit, San Diego has a stellar set-up man in Kevin Quakenbush, who debuted in 2014 to pitch 54.1 innings with 56 strikeouts. Besides having one of the best names in the game, I think Quakenbush will continue to grow and develop, eventually taking over the reins of closer.

Bust: If this team is trying to make the postseason as their free agent expenditures suggest, then they are going to have to do something about their infield. Middlebrooks, while serviceable, should not be the name that stands out, as it currently does. 

Stuck in the Middlebrooks.

Shortstop Alexi Amarista, second baseman Jedd Gyorko and first baseman Yonder Alonso round out what looks to be an island of misfit ball players. If the team is still in playoff contention come July, look for the front office to try and swing a trade for somebody along the lines of Chase Utley or Daniel Murphy.

Will these be front-shelf or clearance rack at the end of the season? 

Bold prediction: The outfield experiment of Upton, Myers and Kemp will either come through or implode completely. Upton is an exciting but extremely streaky hitter who is moving to a pitcher’s ballpark. Myers has barely more than a year of service time and missed most of 2014. 

Kemp is the shell of his former, MVP-worthy self. Does that sound like a lock for success to you? Sure, it’s probably worth taking a chance on, but that trio is far from perfect.