If you subscribe to the change is good theory, you’ve got to be impressed with the new look San Diego Padres. The Friars put a new man in charge to try and rebuild the franchise, and AJ Preller has taken the bull by the horns in what amounts to a mass transformation of the team.
I don’t think there’s any question a major gamble is taking place with the Padres. Welcome to Preller Mania if it works out. But if this goes the other way, the Padres could be behind the proverbial eight ball for years to come. Put me on the side that says it was worth the shot regardless. San Diego hasn’t won much recently, they’ve been painfully boring to watch and they had absolutely nothing to lose. Thus from a risk vs. reward perspective, I’m giving two thumbs up to Preller.
The Padres have been good pitch and no hit for some time now, and the staff looks to be in tremendous shape. Andrew Cashner, James Shields, Tyson Ross and Ian Kennedy are a stellar quartet of starters, and I think Brandon Morrow, if healthy, could resurrect his career with the Padres. The pen looks solid enough with Joaquin Benoit the headliner. I do think the Padres are in need of some lefty help though, as they’re really thin when it comes to southpaws and that could be a critical factor in situations where the specialist is required.
The offense is clearly improved. The all new starting outfield of Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton might not win any Gold Gloves, but that’s a load of offensive talent, and the Friars have good depth here as well.
Now for the potentially bad news. The San Diego infield looms as a significant liability. Yonder Alonso doesn’t have ideal power for a first baseman and needs to find a way to at least get the BA to a better level to offset his lack of punch. I’m not sold on Jedd Gyorko as a mainstay at second base, although I do think he has the moist upside in this group. The left side of the infield is a big problem. Derek Norris should be adequate behind the plate and his power is a plus.
My biggest concern with the Padres is that they go into sell mode in a hurry if things don’t work out, and that would be a disaster for a team that hasn’t been thrilling its fan base lately. That’s why when I look around the SD infield, my optimism for this team wanes considerably.
I don’t see the O/U as a strong play either way. The pitching is absolutely good enough to carry this team and with the upgrade to at least part of the offense, an intact roster should mean a winning season. But getting to the mid to high 80’s might be asking a bit too much and if the Padres start slowly, things could get ugly. As it stands now, however, I can see the Padres battling for second place in the NL West with at least a chance to be playing in October.