Can Mark Prior stay healthy enough to make his signing pay off for the Padres?

Where They Are Coming From

They played well enough to win the National League West in 2007, but the San Diego Padres ran into the red-hot Colorado Rockies and fell one game short of the playoffs as a result of their one-game playoff loss at Coors Field in Denver. First-year manager Bud Black did a fine job as he piloted his team to 89 wins, but it was not enough. This led General Manager Kevin Towers to bring in some veteran players in hopes of once again winning the division. The organization hopes that these fresh faces, along with the correct mix of youngsters and a fine pitching staff, can put them over the top in 2008.

One of those among that fine pitching staff is the 2007 unanimous Cy Young award winner, Jake Peavy. Last season he won the pitching version of the Triple Crown by leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. Deservedly so, he was rewarded with a three-year, $52 million contract extension.

Closer Trevor Hoffman had another brilliant season, something he has done year after year for this team. He closed 42 games, threw 57.1 innings, and had an earned run average of just 2.98. He struggled a bit in the second half of 2007, but there is no reason to think he is not the top closer in the National League. His changeup remains as hard to hit as any pitch in the game, and his record 524 career saves is one piece of evidence pointing to that fact.

While contending for a division title, the team still managed to develop young talent. Young first baseman and former No. 1 overall draft choice Adrian Gonzalez was thrust into the middle of the order two years ago and has put up solid numbers ever since. His .282 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in are nothing to sneeze at.  Across the diamond was third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. A rookie last year, Kouzmanoff went through a major slump in the first half of the season, but the club stuck with him as he continued to progress. He was possibly their best hitter after the All-Star break when he hit .317 and pounded 11 home runs. The Padres would like to see their young star hit third in the batting order this year, and that second half suggests he may be able to handle it.

Players Added

Jim Edmonds filled the need of a center fielder when the team chose not to bring back Mike Cameron. Edmonds, he of many highlight-reel catches over the years, came over from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for third base prospect David Freese. He is coming off another injury-plagued year, and although many question his durability, Edmonds presents the team with the veteran leadership and power source they have been attempting to acquire for years. He hit 12 home runs and knocked in 53 runs in 117 games last season on his way to hitting .252. The team will hope the California native can bounce back and adequately replace Cameron.

Some would argue that the free agent signing of second baseman Tadahito Iguchi is more important that the trade for Edmonds. Iguchi is slick in the field, as he can turn the double play as well as anyone not named Orlando Hudson. His bat may be nearly as valuable. He has little power, as evidenced by his nine home runs, and he hit only .267 in 2007 with the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. However, he will be plugged into the order as the second batter and will be expected to bunt, move along runners, and make sufficient contact in all situations. These are things he has proven he can readily do with relative effectiveness despite his relatively low average.

The Padres also brought in four pitchers they think will contribute in some way to their success this season. Mark Prior signed a one-year deal and hopes to be ready to pitch by the All-Star break, but some recent reports have him nearly two months ahead in his rehabilitation. He had 18 wins in 2003, but has had only 18 since. He is merely 27 years old, so there is still time for a full recovery. Secondly, veteran lefthander Randy Wolf came in the offseason to be the No. 4 starter in the rotation. Last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he started 18 games; his injured shoulder appears to be healthier than in years past. Two more old lefthanders, Shawn Estes and Glendon Rusch, signed minor league deals. One of these two, along with youngsters Clay Hensley and Justin Germano, will likely compete for the fifth spot in the pitching rotation.

Also in camp and competing for roster spots will be: outfielder Jeff DaVanon; catcher/first baseman Robert Fick; Rule 5 players Carlos Guevara, Michael Gardner, and Callix Crabbe; and waiver wire pick-ups Enrique Gonzalez, Luis Rodriguez, and Mauro Zarate.

Players Lost

As previously mentioned, the team chose to allow center fielder Mike Cameron to test the free agent market (he subsequently signed with the Milwaukee Brewers). Though he has some power to his swing, as shown by his 21 home runs and 78 runs batted in, hit bat also seemed to have a hole in it. He hit only .242 and struck out 160 times last season, once again ranking near the top of the National League. 

Also leaving the outfield is the volatile Milton Bradley. He spent several stints on the disabled list in 2007 and played rather well when he was healthy; the team chose not to bring him back due to his knee injury and malcontent nature. While in the lineup he led regular players with a .313 batting average. He hit 11 home runs in 144 at-bats, suggesting he has some pop in his lumber, something the Texas Rangers could get used to.

Also gone is Opening Day second baseman Marcus Giles. He committed only seven errors in 116 games, but his hitting numbers were well below what the team expected when they gave him the starting job. He was sixth on the team with 420 at-bats and posted rather meager numbers: .229 batting average, four home runs, 39 runs batted in, and 10 stolen bases.

Aside from Cameron and Bradley, no one major is gone from the 2007 Padres. The team lost some key role players in utility man Geoff Blum, third baseman Morgan Ensberg, and outfielders Terrmel Sledge, Rob Mackowiak, Jason Lane, and Brady Clark.

Moves Still To Come

Though the deal is not yet signed, it is agreed upon that free agent first baseman Tony Clark will sign a one-year deal for $900,000 with the team. Clark would be a welcomed addition to any team, especially a team like the Padres who are constantly in search of power sources. The 6-foot-7 switch hitter mashed 17 home runs in just 221 at-bats last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The club is also looking to add some depth to the corner outfield positions in case of injury or ineffectiveness. Veteran right fielder Brian Giles is coming off microfracture surgery on his right knee and he should be ready for the opener, but nothing is for sure. What seems certain, however, is that his power is sapping away. He hit only 13 home runs last season, prompting the team to move him to the leadoff spot in the batting order. In the other corner is Scott Hairston, who hit .287 with eight home runs in 87 at-bats last season. He is currently slated as the starting left fielder, but the team may look for more help, specifically Chicago Cub Matt Murton or San Diego native and Pittsburgh Pirate Xavier Nady. Murton has been shopped around for months, and word is that Nady would like to return home. Either player could be had for a prospect or two.

Also is the mix for left field is Barry Bonds. Padres CEO Sandy Alderson recognizes the need for some power and stability in left field, but it is likewise understood that he does not want Bonds to be the face of his franchise. Understanding that, the Padres still appear to be the most likely destination for Bonds, if he plays in 2008.

What to Watch in Spring Training

Will the lineup drive in enough runs in 2008? They won division titles in years past with pitching. That seems to work, as they have added more this year. But this offseason they also solidified the lineup: Edmonds should be more productive than last season; Giles and Iguchi are fine table setters; Kouzmanoff and Gonzalez appear to be getting better; shortstop Khalil Greene should be good for about 25 home runs; and catchers Josh Bard and Michael Barrett make a fine tandem. This team will score more runs in 2008 than it did in 2007.

Will the pitching staff continue to dominate the National League? The cavernous Petco Park helps keep the earned run averages of its pitchers down. The Padres 3.70 team earned run average led the major leagues. The starters had an earned run average of 4.11, and the bullpen posted an astonishing 3.01, both Major League Baseball bests. Peavy, with veteran righthanders Chris Young and Greg Maddux, and a healthy competition for the back end, will once again be near the top of all starting staffs in the National League. Young led the National League for the second consecutive year with a .192 opponent batting average, and Maddux has 347 career wins. The bullpen is fine with righthanders Hoffman, Heath Bell, Cla Meredith, Kevin Cameron, and lefthanders Joe Thatcher, Justin Hampson, and Wil Ledezma.

The San Diego Padres won 89 games last season, but it was not enough. The loss to Colorado in the one-game playoff left a sour taste in the mouths of everyone in the organization, but they are looking to put the past behind them. They are retooled, refocused, and ready to reclaim the National League West crown.