Offensively settled San Diego Padres look for good pitchers - MLB News
Generally the San Diego Padres are a team filled with pitchers while not having enough offensive options at hand at this time of the year.
This year though it is quite the opposite. The current search in the Winter Meetings for the Padres is for a starting pitcher.
San Diego Padres’ general manager Josh Byrnes is quite happy with the balance of the offense of the ball club and says that the signs are encouraging. "I'm very encouraged. Almost any way you look at it, there are signs of encouragement. We had a deep lineup,
a good bench, a left-right balance, we had some power and speed," said Josh Byrnes.
Bud Black, the Padres’ manager was also pleased with the fact that the position players for the team were all set. "I think overall run production and just the names in the lineup and what they were doing is probably as good as we've seen in my six years,"
Black said. "Our position players are set."
First-base will be occupied by Yonder Alonso who came off a great rookie season in 2012, batting with a .273 average and posting a .348 on-base percentage with 150 hits including 39 extra base hits. Second base in Spring Training will be manned by rookie
Jedd Gyorko though Logan Forsythe will be in the running as well when it comes to the regular season.
Shortstop position will be likely held by Everth Cabrera. The 26-year-old had a decent year with the bat and posted a .246 batting average with 98 hits. Third base will be occupied by the Padres’ wonder boy Chase Headley.
Chase was the RBI leader in all of National League with 115 and also hit 31 home-runs. He maintained a batting average of .286 with 173 hits during the season. He also won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for third baseman.
The Padres will be looking for a good catcher as Yasmani Grandal is serving a 50-game suspension due to the use of a banned substance. Carlos Quentin in left field has minor knee surgery and is looking to make a comeback on time. The 30-year-old had a .261
batting average with an impressive .374 on-base percentage. In the 86 games that he played in, he batted in 46 runs and hit 16 home-runs.
Centre field will most probably be taken by Cameron Maybin, who likes the Padres, blossomed late in the 2012 season. The right field duties are likely to be shared by Will Venable and Chris Denorfia.
A settled outfit is a big advantage in any game. The San Diego Padres did exceptionally well in the lateral part of 2012 season and if they can use the momentum to their advantage, they can perform some great deeds in 2012 season.
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