Through the present low season, the Padres had been unable to re-sign two outstanding members of the 93-win 2024 workforce. Each left fielder Jurickson Profar and catcher Kyle Higashioka left the workforce in free company. Changing their offensive output for the upcoming season has been a subject of dialogue since they each signed elsewhere.
The free brokers signed by common supervisor A.J. Preller embrace a mixture of each minor and main league veterans. With the primary sport of the spring coaching season simply across the nook, now is an effective time to look at if the Padres have finished sufficient to make up for the lack of Profar and Higashioka.
Minor league free brokers Forrest Wall, Oscar Gonzalez, and Yonathon Perlaza will be thought of lottery tickets, added in an effort to catch lightning in a bottle or present minor league depth. All three had been invited to massive league camp.
From February 8-11, the Padres signed Gavin Sheets, Jason Heyward, and Connor Joe to contracts. OF/1B Sheets performed in 139 video games final season with the Chicago White Sox, slashing .233/.303/.357 with 10 HR and 45 RBI. He signed a minor league deal.
Fifteen-year veteran Jason Heyward must be the beginning left fielder versus right-handed pitchers. His protection is one of the best of the outfield choices and he shall be a stabilizing veteran presence subsequent to CF Jackson Merrill. 1B/OF Connor Joe and Sheets can compete for platoon time reverse Heyward. Additionally they each play first base.
Just lately signed 1B/DH Yuli Gurriel is on a minor league contract. He spent most of final season with the Atlanta Braves Triple-A workforce with good manufacturing and performed the final month of the season with the Royals. He final had a full, productive main league season in 2022 with the Astros and Marlins.
Joe, Gurriel, and Sheets are right-handed hitters with Sheets and Joe platoon choices with Heyward. Gurriel may very well be a platoon possibility with Joe or Sheets at first base with Arraez. With 13 pitchers and 13 place gamers seemingly the combination for the 26-man roster, there are solely three roster spots obtainable to complete filling out the workforce.
Assuming Tyler Wade is a lock for a utility position, candidates Eguy Rosario, Tirso Ornelas, Joe, Gurriel, and Sheets can compete for these three spots. All however Gurriel can play the outfield. All however Ornelas and Rosario have expertise at first base.
The true query stays, which mixture finest replaces the offensive output of Profar and Higashioka? Their mixed 34 HR and 122 RBI is clearly not going to be equaled by any three of these gamers. Sheets is the most suitable choice for energy, and his 10 HR and 45 RBI makes solely a small dent.
The more than likely state of affairs is that Heyward and Joe are one of the best major platoon for left discipline with versatile Rosario or Sheets preventing for a spot. Gurriel, Joe, and Sheets can again up Arraez at first base, however the greatest query is which out of the group can be one of the best major DH.
No matter mixture finally wins out, or another choice reveals itself, the problem stays equaling final season’s offensive manufacturing.
The obvious resolution is that the workforce as a complete must be higher offensively. That resolution is definitely the more than likely one with bounce-back seasons anticipated from Luis Arraez, Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr. Of the three, Machado had the numbers closest to his norms, with the opposite two severely underperforming what in all fairness anticipated from them.
Regardless of profitable one other batting title, Arraez fell far in need of his finest manufacturing. Tatis Jr. acknowledged at Padres Fanfest that he now feels one of the best he has since going into the 2021 season, the season he hit 42 HR with 97 RBI.
Manny Machado started 2024 because the full-time DH together with his surgically repaired elbow nonetheless being rehabbed and didn’t hit full stride till the final month of the season. He has additionally acknowledged that he was by no means 100% final yr.
Simply for instance of what we are able to moderately count on, the projections on Fangraphs present regular manufacturing or important rebounds for all three. It additionally exhibits enchancment to centerfielder Jackson Merrill’s totals as nicely.
Taken cumulatively, the 2024 Padres in comparison with a projected 2025 roster that features a mixture of Joe, Heyward, Elias Diaz, and Luis Campusano exhibits that the 2025 model has the potential for 15 extra HR and 47 extra RBI than the workforce that included Profar and Higashioka.
These numbers don’t embrace the manufacturing from the utility gamers however present that, with some luck and good seasons from the core gamers, the 2025 Padres are already adequate to equal the efficiency of the 2024 Padres.
