Padres poised for year of growth

A look ahead at the Padres’ 2018 season as they inch closer to being contenders

Anderson Haigler | Sports Editor | The USD Vista

While the San Diego Padres may be a couple years away from being contenders, Friar fans have a lot to look forward to this year. From a big free-agent signing to must-see prospects, the Padres are working their way to success this offseason, though the immediate on-field results may not show it. 

This season will be telling for the Padres as their young talent must continue to develop if their rebuild is to proceed as planned. They will look for Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe, and Austin Hedges to build on their 2017 campaigns, while Wil Myers will attempt to return to his 2016 All-Star form.

Nearly every position on the field is either up for grabs or has multiple players vying for the starting job, creating compelling battles for roster spots across the diamond. 

Perhaps the most interesting area of the Padres’ roster this year is their outfield. The team has a surplus of talent, which has led to a potential shakeup for the team in this regard. Only centerfielder Manuel Margot is really guaranteed a spot. He posted a .263 batting average with 13 home runs and 17 stolen bases last year in his first full season in the big leagues. His balanced, contact-heavy approach at the plate combined with his defense projects him to be a keystone player in the Padres’ near future. If all goes as planned, this season should see him raise his batting average while maintaining his speed on the basepaths.

What is more uncertain is who will play on each side of Margot. Hunter Renfroe, a 26-year-old right fielder, is also entering his second full season in the majors, but his future with the team is more muddled. Renowned in San Diego for his prodigious power — he hit multiple balls over the Western Metal Supply building on his way to 26 home runs last season — the rest of his game has left something to be desired. Batting just .231 on the year, he struck out 140 times while working just 27 walks. In addition, his throwing arm, while powerful, has been prone to inaccuracy. 

It’s clear that Renfroe has the tools to be a solid major league player, and with just one full major league season under his belt it’s too early to write him off. However, Renfroe will need to make major adjustments this season to maintain his spot on the Padres’ roster. 

Come Opening Day, though, Renfroe will most likely be in right field for the Friars. In left field, the Padres will feature a newcomer of sorts to the outfield: Wil Myers. With the acquisition of free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer, Myers will now move back to where he started his career. 

Myers, who was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2013 as an outfielder, will play corner outfield this season to accommodate Hosmer. Myers stated in interviews that he is onboard with the move, and will do whatever the team asks of him in order to win games. 

Concern regarding Myers, though, may be better placed in his approach at the plate. Myers, like Renfroe, showed good power last year, but struggled to maintain a high batting average. Myers batted .243 with 30 home runs and 74 RBIs, and this season will look to return to his 2016 form, a year in which he batted .259 with 28 home runs and 94 RBIs. 

The biggest story of the Padres’ infield this offseason has been the signing of Eric Hosmer. The former Kansas City Royals first baseman brings a disciplined approach at the plate, great defense at a corner infield position, and proven leadership with a championship pedigree to the Padres. After a contentious offseason of deliberation, he was signed to the largest contract in Padres history: an eight-year $144 million dollar contract. 

Hosmer, a career .284 hitter, is coming off the best season of his seven-year major league career, a season in which he hit .318 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs. At 28 years old, he said  in an interview that he is looking forward to being a positive presence in a young Padres locker room, and he should provide a sense of leadership that the team has desperately lacked in recent years. 

Second base also provides an exciting battle between two young players. Carlos Asuaje posted a solid season last year, batting .270, and it seemed that he had set himself up well to be a starter in 2018. However, with the Padres’ recent logjam in the outfield, journeyman utility player Jose Pirela has forced his way into the second base conversation with a strong spring that comes after a stellar 2017 season. 

Pirela led the Padres with a .288 batting average last season, and is batting a blistering .436 this spring with two home runs. Though Pirela has historically been without a consistent position during his time with the Padres, he has slugged his way into the lineup, and will likely challenge Asuaje for the position come the regular season. 

Shortstop is one of the only positions on the diamond that is somewhat finalized for the Padres. They signed former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis to a one-year $6.83 million dollar deal in the offseason, and he is expected to be the Padres’ shortstop for at least the 2018 season. 

Though he does not represent a long-term solution at the position for the Friars — highly touted prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to be Padres’ shortstop of the future — he will serve as the Padres’ latest stopgap up the middle as their young prospect matures.

Third base presents yet another set of tough choices for San Diego. While they have a serviceable short-term solution in Padres-retread and major-league-veteran Chase Headley, Christian Villanueva has shown significant upside at the hot corner. 

In 12 games in the majors last year, Villanueva slugged at a .344 clip with four home runs, and has continued his success in spring training this year, batting .297 with three home runs in 37 games. Which of these two players will see more playing time this season remains to be seen, but once again, young talent has forced the Padres into hard decisions regarding the starting lineup.

Behind the plate, however, the Padres’ future is clear. Catcher Austin Hedges has quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier defenders at his position in his three big league seasons.  Like many of his young counterparts, though, he has work to do on his approach at the plate. Batting just .214 with 18 home runs last season, he showed promising power, but struggled with his batting average. 

While the Padres don’t need as much production out of him as they do out of Myers and Renfroe, he will need to increase his production for the Padres to be a complete team. 

Veteran lefty Clayton Richard will anchor the Padres’ starting rotation, and is set to be their Opening Day starter. Young righties Luis Perdomo and Dinelson Lamet also seem to have spots locked down, but the remainder is unclear. Perdomo and Lamet have significant upside, with Perdomo showing flashes of brilliance pitching to contact utilizing his sinker, and Lamet proving his skills with a devastating fastball-offspeed combo. 

The Padres’ current rotation, however, is a mix of stopgap measures and developing talent, and will likely limit the team’s success as they wait for the rest of the pitching prospects to reach the big leagues. 

As far as the bullpen goes, the Padres locked down crafty all-star lefty Brad Hand, signing him to a three-year, $19.75 million dollar contract extension in January. 

Hand, the Padres’ lone all-star last season, will look to continue his success as he comes off of a career year in which he posted a 2.16 ERA in 72 appearances. His presence should bolster the Padres out of the bullpen, and he will likely be the Padres’ closer for the foreseeable future.

From top to bottom, the Padres have a plethora of young talent that is on its way to being a formidable squad out of the National League West. While the Padres have a ways to go before they are truly ready to win, their roster provides a lot to look forward to this season as they continue their march to contention.