Questions swirl, including with star
Five issues facing the Padres:
What’s riding on Clevinger: The Padres got 20 innings (including postseason) from Mike Clevinger after acquiring him from Cleveland in 2020, but he had to undergo Tommy John surgery after the season and missed all of 2021. San Diego’s rotation looks strong with Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, but the lack of depth was obvious last season and it’s unfair to expect Clevinger to come back and make 30 starts. He hasn’t had that many since 2018.
Tatis
anxiety: In an effort to keep their superstar in the lineup, the Padres experimented with Tatis in the outfield down the stretch in 2021, starting him 23 games in center and right field. That move, of course, came after the club signed its shortstop to a 14-year, $340 million deal before the season. Will they try it again if Tatis gets banged up?
“(General manager A.J. Preller) signed a shortstop, and he’s gonna have a shortstop,” Tatis said last season. “That’s the plan so far, and I’m not planning on moving for a very long time from there.”
What of Eric Hosmer? For a number of different reasons, the Padres would probably love to trade their starting first baseman – and the four years and about $60 million he’s owed through 2025.
This is a position the Padres could probably stand to upgrade – Hosmer had 12 homers and 65 RBI with a .732 OPS last season – but he’s going to be hard to move if the team doesn’t eat just about all of the money.
Fortunately for the Padres, his salary drops from $20 million in 2022 to $13 million for the final three years, an easier number to stomach if he remains in San Diego.
Outfield
help needed: There’s a glaring hole in left field with Tommy Pham a free agent, leaving utilityman Jurickson Profar penciled in as the starter. There’s a ton of talent left on the market and San Diego should be in on the bigger names like Kris Bryant, Nick Casers tellanos and Michael Conforto. Don’t discount the possibility of the team signing two outfielders to push right fielder Wil
OFFSEASON OUTLOOK
They traded infielder-outfielder Adam Frazier and signed right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez before the lockout began, but the Padres still need to add another bat and some depth before the season begins.
2021 record
79-83; third place, NL West
Myers into a suber-sub role.
Signing Nomar Mazara to a minor league deal was a good move, buying low on a 26-year-old who averaged 24 hom
and 93 RBI per 162 games from 2016 to 2019.
An iffy
bullpen: The Padres lost right-handers Mark Melancon (Dodgers) and Daniel Hudson (Diamondbacks) to division rivals before the lockout began and desperately need to replace those quality innings. Lefty Drew Pomeranz has been great when healthy but was limited to 27 games and underwent season-ending surgery in 2021.
He’s the presumed best option for the ninth inning, but like with Clevinger, the Padres will be asking a lot of someone with injury concerns.