The Padres' infield could be one of the team's strengths this season. So leading a post about San Diego's two biggest weaknesses with an image of third baseman Chase Headley might seem curious. He's two years removed from hitting 31 home runs with 113 RBI and an .875 OPS. Yet his drastic drop in production last season, along with recent injuries, make Headley a bit of a question mark. And if he's out of the lineup or ineffective, that affects other parts of the infield.
Another area of the roster that could be a more immediate concern as the season begins is left-handed relief. Joe Thatcher was excellent in 50 appearances for San Diego last season, holding left-handed batters to a .250 average and striking out 29 batters in 30 innings. But he was dealt to the Diamondbacks in August for starting pitcher Ian Kennedy. Who replaces him in the bullpen this year is a question the Padres will need to answer early on.
Obviously, any team would likely suffer by losing a member of its starting infield. Losing a third baseman could create even more of an issue because there are so few good ones throughout MLB. That's why Headley has and will likely continue to be a popular trade target throughout the season.
But with the news that Headley will miss a couple of weeks due to a calf strain, his readiness for opening day could be in question. The Padres have an excellent candidate to fill in at third base with Jedd Gyorko. That's the position he's played for most of his professional career, but San Diego smartly developed him at second base so he and Headley could both be in the lineup.
Gyorko had a promising rookie season in 2013, hitting 26 doubles, 22 homers and 63 RBI. He played most of the season at second base, but moved over to third when Headley was out of the lineup. If Headley isn't ready for opening day or was traded, Gyorko almost certainly would then become the Padres' third baseman. But second base would be considerably weakened if that happens.
The leading candidate to take over at that position would likely be Alexi Amarista. Second base might be Amarista's best defensive position, but he wouldn't provide much offense. Last year, the 24-year-old hit .236 with a .619 OPS, right in line with his career numbers. That's a significant dip from the production Gyorko would provide.
Amarista would probably be the next option if Everth Cabrera again found himself out of the lineup. Cabrera wasn't injured last year, but did miss 50 games because of a PED suspension related to the Biogenesis investigation. In 95 games, he was emerging as one of the top shortstops in the NL, batting .283 with 37 stolen bases. Without Cabrera, the Padres miss a significant speed threat from their lineup. Amarista can't match those numbers.
Ryan Jackson was acquired from the Astros to boost infield depth. In Houston, the natural shortstop worked at second and third base to make him more versatile. He'll almost certainly play a utility role with the Padres, providing an alternative to Amarista at either of the middle infield spots, as well as third base. Jackson also shows more promise as a hitter, batting .278 with a .352 on-base percentage last season at Triple-A Memphis.
San Diego has better options to address its left-handed relief. Rather, general manager Josh Byrnes has brought in several arms that could fill that role in the bullpen. Alex Torres was acquired from the Rays in January and will likely be the first choice when manager Bud Black needs a lefty. Torres made 39 appearances for Tampa Bay last season, striking out 62 batters in 58 innings.
Additionally, the 26-year-old held lefties to a .175 batting average in 88 plate appearances. He was actually even better against right-handers, allowing a .149 average in 138 PAs. So he could be more than a situational specialist for the Padres. However, one red flag with Torres is his control, as his 20 walks last season demonstrate.
Patrick Schuster could be the other left-hander in the bullpen. He was a player to be named later in the Anthony Bass trade, after the Astros picked him in last December's Rule 5 draft. As a Rule 5 pick, he has to be on the 25-man major league roster for the entire season or has to be offered back to Houston. Considering Schuster finished last season in high Single-A, that makes him a risky pick-up.
But Schuster potentially provides another strikeout lefty for the San Diego bullpen, punching out 45 batters in 44.1 innings last season. He also held left-handed batters to a .198 average and .553 OPS.
Another alternative could be Tony Sipp, who was signed to a minor league deal shortly before spring training. He was designated for assignment by the D-Backs after finishing last season with a 4.78 ERA and walking 22 batters in 37.2 innings. Sipp also struck out 42 batters, which provides some hope for the Padres. Allowing a .270 average and .859 OPS to left-handed batters also means he's not someone Black should use as a left-handed specialist.
But someone has to fill that role for San Diego, whether it's Torres or someone else to help him. Otherwise, the Padres may have no good left-handed options against batters like the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez. The Dodgers also have a formidable trio in Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier. The Giants' Brandon Belt also hit very well against San Diego last season, compiling a .358 average in 73 plate appearances.
