There may be no player on the Twins roster whose role is as safe yet undefined as Tim Stauffer.

It hasn't been an easy road for Tim Stauffer as far as his climb to the Major Leagues is concerned. His callups with the San Diego Padres began on May 11, 2005, and he received three more between 2006 and 2007 before missing all of 2008 to undergo shoulder surgery. He made it back to San Diego on July 11, 2009, and made his first Opening Day roster in 2010 before undergoing an emergency appendectomy on May 11 - the five year anniversary of his first MLB appearance. Stauffer was awarded San Diego's Opening Day start in 2011, and on the season thre 185.2 innings of 3.73 ERA baseball. But once again he had a set-back, and after one appearance in 2012 due to an elbow injury became a free agent.

Stauffer re-signed with the Padres on a minor league contract for 2013, his age-31 season, and returned to the Major League team on May 17. He made 43 appearances and in 69.2 innings posted a 3.75 ERA (3.55 FIP) as San Diego's long reliever. That performance spun him a one-year contract with the Padres in 2014.

2014

After finally having establishing himself as a reliever in 2013, Stauffer's tenure and performance turned him into a fan favorite in San Diego. Depending on the situation, San Diego used him in the middle innings for an inning or more, or late in the game Stauffer was at times a bit more of a situational pitcher. He excelled in both roles in terms of run prevention, but his command was far better in the middle innings.

Stauffer posted a 2.56 ERA in 41 appearances out of the bullpen for San Diego, striking out 57 in 56.1 innings and walking 19. He did made three starts (totaling eight innings), but they were short outings and he did not fare well.

Competition

Rotation: Tommy Milone, Trevor May, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer

Bullpen: Tommy Milone, Trevor May, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer, J.R. Graham, Ryan Pressly, Michael Tonkin, Lester Oliveros, A.J. Achter, Stephen Pryor, Blaine Boyer

In spite of what his statistical history urges, the Twins have publicly stuck with the story that Stauffer will have an opportunity to make their rotation out of spring training. As thick as that competition already is, there are even more bodies competing for a precious few spots as a right-handed arm out of the bullpen behind Casey Fien.

Contract Status

Stauffer's base contract is for $2.2 million with $250,000 bonuses for his 15th, 18th, 21st, 24th, and 27th appearances, $100,000 for his 45th appearance, and another $250,000 for his 55th appearance. All told, he could make $3.95 million in 2015 which, as Mike Berardino noted, is $700,000 less than Glen Perkins will make this year and $350,000 more than Jared Burton would have made had the Twins picked up his option.

Those first five bonus benchmarks look like they're meant for a starter, since most full-time relievers would hit 27 appearances by some point in July at the latest. The last two are obviously reliever posts. If he's healthy, effective, and stays on the roster all season it's hard to see Stauffer making less than $3.6 million in 2015.

What's his role for the 2015 team?

In spite of the lip service given to Stauffer's potential as a starting pitcher, the front office would be making a mistake to hand the fifth starter's job to him; either that or many things will have gone very, very wrong. Here are the career splits for Stauffer.

Injuries or not, Stauffer's history gives a strong indication that the rotation is not where the Twins will get the most for their money. Considering the presence of the aforementioned Milone, May, and Meyer (and, sure, Pelfrey), there are already more than enough deserving options for the job.

We've already mentioned twice that Stauffer's role with San Diego was as a long/middle innings reliever. This seems to be where the former Padres' best chance lies to not just make the roster, but to make an impact. There's competition here too, should the Twins choose to stash one or more of the losers from the competition for that last rotation spot. Actually, the only way that he could win the long relief role is if Milone makes the team, May and Meyer are optioned to Triple-A, and Pelfrey is either re-assigned as a short-appearance reliever or is given the heave-ho. That's a long check list.

For no other reason than his guaranteed $2.2 million contract, the Twins will likely take Stauffer north after spring training even if they have to force him into a bullpen role that doesn't necessarily play to his strengths. His career and his numbers as a reliever actually place him in good stead, and that contract communicates exactly how much the organization believes the bullpen needs another veteran in the mix.

Minnesota's assortment of options available for both the rotation and the bullpen means that the organization will be making some difficult decisions in the later days of March, but rostering Stauffer seems like a relatively foregone conclusion - even if that means a number of deserving candidates will be held in Triple-A at the start of the year. The only question seems to be where he'll fall in the bullpen's hierarchy.

The infielder will likely see significant time at second base for Baltimore.

The Orioles are finalizing a one-year, major-league contract with infielder Everth Cabrera, as was first reported by Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The deal is currently pending a physical, and is expected to be worth around $2.4 million once finalized.

Cabrera, 28, was non-tendered by the Padres earlier this offseason as one of the team's first moves in their offseason overhaul.  He hit just .232/.272/.300 with three home runs in 90 games for the Padres last year, just one year removed from an All-Star season in which he hit .283/.355/.381 with four home runs and 37 steals in 95 games before being sidelined for most of the season due to a suspension resulting from the Biogenesis investigation. He has been involved in criminal matters within the last year, likely causing his free-agent market to thin out before the Orioles scooped him out on a low-cost, low-risk deal.

For the O's, Cabrera will likely provide depth behind J.J. Hardy at shortstop while seeing significant time at second base, which is currently projected to be manned by Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Schoop. There has been some speculation that Schoop or Flaherty could be traded at some point during spring training, which would open the door for Cabrera to become the team's starting second baseman.

In six seasons with the Padres, Cabrera is a lifetime .248/.319/.333 hitter with twelve home runs and 136 stolen bases.

The 33-year old veteran starter opted to sign with San Diego, but turned down a respectable Miami proposal.

Miami was in on James Shields until he opted to sign with the San Diego Padres. Although the club was unable to add him this offseason, the Marlins offered Shields a three-year, $60 million contract, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

The Marlins discussed a three-year, $60 million deal with pitcherJames Shields before he took a four-year, $75 million offer from San Diego, according to a person with direct knowledge. The Marlins initially were reluctant to get involved but made an attempt late. But Shields said the Padres and Cubs were his finalists.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sports-buzz/2015/02/do-hurricanes-really-perform-better-in-nfl-exploring-the-theory-dolphins-heat-marlins-chatter.html#storylink=cpy

Shields, 33, has established himself as a durable and consistent starting pitcher. He reportedly had a $110 million offer at one point, but after he was unable to find a deal he thought was reasonable opted to sign a shorter-term deal with the Padres. While the Padres do not see Shields as a long term rotation option, the Marlins rightfully did not either. Miami's interest was based on when Jose Fernandez would return from Tommy John surgery. However, the club is confident in its pitching depth even without Shields.

The Marlins were thought to be in on Shields from the end of the Winter Meetings forward, though the club's interest may have diminished as time passed and Shields was still reluctant to accept a deal. Shields also wanted to sign with a West Coast team, and ultimately did so by accepting San Diego's deal. While the Marlins are always looking to upgrade, the price on Shields likely did not drop. A backloaded contract could have been realistic for the Marlins, who are in "win now" mode after signing Giancarlo Stanton to a 13-year extension.

Although the Marlins will be without Fernandez for most of, if not all, of the first half of the season, the club is hoping Jarred Cosart, Mat Latos, Dan Haren, Henderson Alvarez, and Tom Koehler could turn in quality starts consistently. Miami's bullpen should be one of the best in baseball again in 2015, however the starters need to go deep in order for the squad to be successful. With Brad Hand, David Phelps, and Aaron Crow providing starting depth, paying $20 million a season for Shields likely would not have been necessary. He is experienced, but $20 million is a significant financial commitment for a small market team.

The fact that the Marlins made a run at Shields should be an encouraging sign. But the $20 million they would have invested could be better spent moving forward.

The MLB Network announced today in a press release that the Padres will have three live Spring Training games televised. There will be 13 total games involving the Padres on TV but only 7 of those will be shown in the Padres' home market (*).  Hope that makes sense, because I've even confused myself on my first attempt at blogging this.  The entire MLB Network Spring Training game schedule can be found here, but I've whittled it down to just Padres games below. They of course used Eastern Times but I've converted them for you to Pacific Time.

P.S.  The Press Release says that the March 28th game will be live, even though it doesn't say it on their website. Very confusing.

The Padres will be on the MLB Network's 30 Clubs in 30 Days on March 8th at 4 PM PST. The entire schedule can be found by following this link. MLB Network analysts Eric Byrnes, Sean Casey, Al Leiter, Joe Magrane, Dan Plesac and Harold Reynolds will provide their analysis and predictions on the coming season.  They also say they'll conduct interviews and on-field demonstrations with players and managers from each club.  I wish Matt Vasgersian was joining them.

Jason Hunt takes a look at some players who may benefit from additional eligibility at shortstop depending on your league's rules.

We aim to provide you with the most comprehensive coverage possible here at Fake Teams, as you have been seeing with our position rankings each week. These rankings are based on three criteria primarily, at least in terms of who is eligible for these position-specific lists.

1. They must have appeared in 20 games at the position in 2014. 20 games is the standard required by CBS and ESPN fantasy baseball leagues for eligibility at a position.
2. If they did not appear in at least 20 games at any position, then we include them with the position they appeared the most at. This tends to be how these sites will give eligibility
3. Finally, we look at how the 2015 season will progress, and if a player is expected to achieve eligibility at the position fairly quickly (generally 5 games in-season), we will rank them at the position as well. This has led players like Marcus Semien to be included at SS, as he will qualify under that standard within the first two weeks of the season.

But what if your league's eligibility requirements aren't so stringent? Yahoo only requires 10 games for example, and there are definitely leagues out there where it only takes 5 games, or even just 1, from the previous season to get position eligibility for this season. That's where we come in, with a look during each position's week at players where you may be able to game a little more advantage if you know the rules in your league inside out. With that in mind, here are some players who may have improved value in your league because they may qualify at SS based on less stringent eligibility requirements.

Value Up

Nick Franklin (10) - Franklin sure looks like he has the inside track on the second base job for the Rays this year with Ben Zobrist gone. If he qualifies at shortstop in your league, he may have more value there than at second base given the relative depth at second base.

Josh Harrison (8) - There's not a ton of leagues where he's going to qualify, but if he does it just gives you another option with roster construction, as he likely has 2B, 3B and OF eligibility as well.

Yangervis Solarte (8) - Solarte is headed into the season as the a nice sleeper as the starting third baseman for the newly configured Padres. If he's also a shortstop in your league, he'll have just that little bit more value as a back-end option in a lot of formats.

Justin Turner (15) - Turner had a very nice season as a utility player for the Dodgers in 2014, and will fill that role again this year. It's a purely NL-only play to own him in the first place, but he's a name worth remembering if your limit is only 10 games, as he qualifies at 3B, 2B and SS under that guideline.

Rearranging Deck Chairs

Danny Espinosa (12) - It's become abundantly clear at this point that the player we saw who nearly went 20/20 in two different seasons isn't really there any more, but if you're looking for a lottery ticket in an NL-only league, he may be it. Probably only a reserve pick at best though, as an injury is the only thing that likely gets him consistent playing time with Desmond and Escobar there.

One-Game Specials

Darwin Barney (3) - Hi Brian! Barney is expected to be in the running for the roster for the Dodgers, although you'd have to be in a 20+ team league or a 16+ NL only league to even contemplate owning him and playing him. He's at best the third or fourth option at second base for the team, and probably the third option for the utility spot behind Turner and Hernandez.

Grant Green (1) - What could have been will remain the question for Grant Green, as it appears that he may be best suited for a utility role if he's lucky. Having seen him play the outfield for nearly two seasons here in Sacramento, that ship sailed and you can grab him off the waiver wire should he actually fall into consistent playing time with consistent production to go with it.

After a long offseason, baseball is finally back!

As exciting as A.J. Preller has made this offseason, we're all ready for actual baseball to start, and we got a little bit closer today as Padres pitchers and catchers reported to the Peoria Sports Complex for the start of Spring Training!

Benoit, Quack, Thayer, @NickVincent50 and @RobbieErlin27 make their way to the Major League clubhouse #PadresSTpic.twitter.com/domxhAfnN9

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 19, 2015

Cash is here. #PadresSTpic.twitter.com/ZkyLl6Bgka

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 19, 2015

Some position players are showing up early, too. Here's Matt Kemp and newest Padre James Shields hanging out in the clubhouse this morning.

"Matt meet James, James meet Matt" #PadresSTpic.twitter.com/2m4LjQhUrL

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 19, 2015

We're still a couple weeks away from the first actual spring training game, though. That'll take place on Wednesday, March 4, as the Friars take on their natural interleague rival, the Seattle Mariners, in their annual charity game/Vedder Cup preview.

On Tuesday, we discovered the Diamondbacks don't have anyone projected to be an ace. Is the situation any better in the #2 slot of the rotation?

See the first entry on pitching for an explanation of the method being used here.

#1. Dodgers: Zack Greinke (3.3 WAR, #16 overall)

Los Angeles probably don't have quite the best 1-2 punch in baseball - that probably goes to the Nationals, with MAx Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg - but Clayton Kershaw and Greinke aren't chopped liver. The latter would be the ace of any other rotation in the National League West, save perhaps the Giants. One thing worth beating in mind is, that while Greinke is under contract to the Dodgers through 2018, he has an opt-out clause at the end of this season, if he thinks he can get more than the remaining $77 million. Something Max Scherzer like (seven years, $210 million) could be on the cards, if he stays healthy and pitches well in 2015.

#2. Padres: Tyson Ross (2.3, #49)

Ross might be the best pitcher in the division, about whom you've only heard vaguely. Despite a losing record last year - indeed, his career record is 22-40 - he had a 2.81 ERA, and even allowing for Petco, that still works out as a solid 119 ERA+. He gets a lot of ground-balls, and also misses a lot of bats, an extremely effective combination, with his slider particularly effective with regard to the latter. According to analysis, only three qualifying starting pitches have had a higher percentage of swings and misses than Tyson over the past two seasons: Kershaw, Francisco Liriano and Cole Hamels. That's some elite company, and this projection may be low.

#3. Rockies: Jordan Lyles (2.3, #50)

It's interesting to note Lyles and Ross are projected for the same WAR over 200 innings in 2015, even though Lyles's ERA was a full run and a half higher last year. That's partly the difference between Petco and Coors, folks, and partly Lyles still being very much a prospect, who only turned 24 in October. He came over from Houston in the Dexter Fowler trade, and given his ERA was 5.33 over 65 starts with the Astros, took to pitching in Denver well in his first season, shaving more than a run off that figure. He settled his first year of arbitration last month, and if he can improve even a little more on his 2014 campaign, will be a solid and cheap member of the Rockies rotation.

#4. Diamondbacks: Rubby de la Rosa (1.5, #94)

The key word here is "upside", but that probably depends on de la Rosa being able to lean and harness consistently a third pitch for his arsenal. Last year, he threw his fastball-changeup combo 86% of the time, which is a repertoire better suited to the bullpen than facing the same hitters three or four times in a game. de la Rosa has a breaking ball, but it's neither reliable nor effective enough to be a good option at this point. There's no denying his stuff - Rubby's fastball last year averaged 93.5 mph, and over the past decade, only Edwin Jackson has thrown harder among our starters. But that third pitch will be key in determining his success, or lack thereof.

#5. Giants: Tim Hudson (1.5, #98)

Yeah, that's a bit of a plummet for San Francisco. Indeed, the fall-off from their ace is so steep according to the Fangraphs projections, you might describe their 2015 rotation as Bumgarner + four bums. Admittedly, they are mostly extremely well-paid bums, with Hudson, Matt Cain and Jake Peavy due a cool $42 million - and that's not counting the $18 million due to Tim Lincecum, whom the projections do not expect to be in the rotation (though Bruce Bochy feels differently). After the World Series win, Hudson is "pretty sure" this will be his last season, and since he'll turn 40 in July, that makes sense.

Conclusions

Not a great deal here we didn't know either. Virtually every potential pitcher in the Diamondbacks starting rotation has one or more question-mark over him for 2015. In some cases, that's an upside thing, which is good; however, that upside typically comes with an "if", as in this case, "if de la Rosa can develop a third pitch." It's one of the reasons why I think 2015 will be a rebuild: the team will be looking to answer these questions, and the odds are near-certain that there will be some wrong turns and negative conclusions along the way. By season end, de la Rosa may be a valuable member of the rotation, or he may be moved to the bullpen. We'll have to wait and see.

	ARIZONA	COLORADO	LOS ANGELES	SAN DIEGO	SAN FRANCISCO
First base
Second base
Shortstop
Third base
Left field
Center field
Right field
Catcher	CENSORED
Starter #1
Starter #2
Starter #3
Starter #4
Starter #5
Closer
Bullpen

An update on position players who reported early, injuries and more.

Padres pitchers and catchers reported today. For pictures of those players arriving at camp you can head over to this article: Spring Training Is Finally Here! With the players now in camp we also get a few updates on them. Padres.com writer Corey Brock and the San Diego Union Tribune's Dennis Lin provided a few via twitter:

Kemp is in #Padres camp ahead of position players: "Ready to get on the field with my new teammates, get ready for these 162 games + more."

— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) February 19, 2015

Padres position players reporting early: Matt Kemp, Clint Barmes, Cory Spangenberg, Alexi Amarista, Abraham Almonte.

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 19, 2015

Good to see Kemp getting a jump on Spring Training. Hopefully he's working with the trainers to prevent any injuries, which is one of the biggest concerns with him. Maybe he is getting a jump on getting some reps in the outfield to improve his defense (another concern). Maybe someone even introduced him to a first baseman's glove (something he could use down the road.

Talked to #Padres 2x TJ guys Johnson + Luebke. Each progressing well. JJ long toss from 180 feet, Luebke playing catch from 60. No timeline.

— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) February 19, 2015

Bud Black confirms that Josh Johnson is ahead of Cory Luebke in terms of where he's at in throwing program. #Padres

— Corey Brock (@FollowThePadres) February 19, 2015

It is good that both Corey Luebke and Josh Johnson are out throwing instead of resting. It is however disappointing that Luebke has apparently had a setback. His surgery came before Johnson's so to be behind him implies such a setback as well as a report from about a month ago that said he should "be ready to go at start of ST or if he's behind it won't be by much". Corey Brock followed up the tweets with an article on Padres.com. Regarding Luebke's setback:

Luebke, who had his surgery last February, had a minor scare last month when he felt some soreness in the elbow. He shut down his throwing program for close to three weeks before resuming it on Tuesday, playing catch from 60 feet. He did so again on Thursday.

Considering how many setbacks Luebke has had over the past couple years, this is not good to hear. However, it seems like he is back on track.

Casey Kelly said he strained his forearm in the final inning of his last start for San Antonio (5/19). Started throwing again in January.

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 19, 2015

Casey Kelly is another pitcher that has battled injury woes. Good to know that he's throwing. Will be interesting to see how his spring goes.

Sounds like NRI Marcos Mateo will be delayed a bit. He's the only pitcher who hasn't reported to Peoria.

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 19, 2015

Marcos Mateo is a former Chicago Cub who signed as a minor league free agent and got an non-roster invite (NRI) to the Padres camp. I don't know if this is a visa issue for the Dominican Republic native, but it seems like there is one of those every year or every other year for the Padres. When he arrives he will be competing for a bullpen job with the most likely avenue being some time spent in El Paso and perhaps a midseason call up if a need arises.

One last thing to add comes from the Padres' Jesse Agler who gives us a list of all the guys in Padres camp. For those who like to play the trivia game that Gaslamp Ball annually releases on Sporcle that uses this list you can either ignore it or use it to study:

Might be tough to see, but full #PadresST roster here on day one of pitchers and catchers. pic.twitter.com/ZAbmJ6rm3H

— jesse agler (@jesseagler) February 19, 2015

The 31-year old lefty is not convinced the Phillies will be competitive in 2015.

Cole Hamels is not convinced the Phillies will have a winning record in 2015. Manager Ryne Sandberg told reporters he feels Philadelphia has a "chance to surprise people," but according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, Hamels said he wants to win and that he "knows it will not happen here."

Hamels, 31, is coming off of a 2014 campaign during which he posted a 2.46 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 204.2 innings pitched. He has proven to be durable throughout the course of his career, and his $22.5 million a year salary is comparatively low considering the deal Max Scherzer received from the Nationals. While the Phillies are not in a hurry to trade Hamels, he could be dealt before the start of the regular season. Philadelphia is looking to rebuild, and it may take a few seasons for them to emerge as a contender in the National League East.

Since the start of the offseason, the Phillies have been seeking younger prospects in exchange for members of their veteran core. Jimmy Rollins was sent to Los Angeles in December, Marlon Byrd was traded to Cincinnati, and Ryan Howard, Jonathan Papelbon, and Cliff Lee are all available, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Hamels signed the largest contract in Phillies history, a six-year, $144 million deal, and he reportedly had "every intention of staying" in Philadelphia for the duration of the deal before the club began trading away several starters.

Although the Phillies are confident they can be competitive moving forward, the club may view trading Hamels as an opportunity to receive a top prospect in return. Philadelphia recently noted it would not mind having Hamels starting in 2015, however the organization has been actively shopping him, with the Dodgers, Padres, and Red Sox all interested. Boston does not want to part with top prospect Blake Swihart, and San Diego may be seeking another top arm after adding James Shields.

While several clubs remain interested, Hamels still has four years (worth $96 million) left on his contract. The deal also includes a fifth option year, and while it includes a limited no-trade clause, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro is "happy to move forward with him."

Lee, Papelbon, and Hamels all want to play for winning teams, and all three could be members of a different club before opening day.

My friends and family will tell you I have a great memory, but making this list I still worry I'm forgetting stuff that I loved about GLB. I was even worried I could come up with 10 distinct things. I really just love being a part of this site and its community. This is my 4th year I've been allowed to write articles for GLB and that time period still hasn't surpassed the time I was just hanging around being a nuisance in the comments. I'm big into Gaslamp Ball.

Hoffman's retirement, breakfast and shirts, brought to us by Tom Garfinkel and the Padres

I can't believe it has already been 3 and a half years since this day. Jodes mentioned it in her top 10 as well and I just couldn't leave it out of mine. I would have never expected a Major League Baseball organization to take a group of fans that I belonged to and make them feel so special. It was a special day for Trevor Hoffman with all sorts of organizing done to honor him, but Tom Garfinkel set up a breakfast for Gaslamp Ballers before the game and gave us all shirts with retired numbers on them that could replaced our now obsolete 51-free shirts that were purchased way back when.

My First Comment

This may be shocking to some, but in my first ever recorded comment on GLB I was correcting jbox. Or at least you could frame it that way. The post was a running update of the team's roster (back then in the internet dark ages we still needed to do such things). And I importantly noted that Steve Andrade was a Rule 5 selection. Andrade was sent back to his former team before the season started. These are the significant things you discuss on the interwebs after all. And where else to discuss such significant Padres things but Gaslamp Ball?

GLB Wiki

The GLB wiki from day one was something right up my alley. Despite my aforementioned reputation for a good memory, part of my recall abilities come from knowing where to find stuff and probably having recently looked it  up for one reason or another. The wiki is my favorite little tool for both documenting those little things (which helps me remember them) and then looking them up later to help my memory. Over 10 years a lot of that stuff has come up. The wiki is not perfect, but it's our little not-perfect thing and I adore it. For those that don't recall or weren't around it originated from the comments generated by this post: You know you're a Gaslamp Baller if...

Fox Sports San Diego Studio Tour

jbox, Dex, Jonny Dub, jodes0405 and Darklighter have all gotten to do special invitation only blogger related things and I've done 1 or 2 with them, but the one thing I got to do on my own as a representative of Gaslamp Ball was the preview of the new Fox Sports San Diego studio. I don't hobnob well, but I got to talk with Jeff Byle and Mike Pomeranz, take a bunch of pictures and report it back to the public.

Every Draft Ever

The first moment I am going to cheat on as it is a collection of many moments. I'm a weirdo who loves the baseball draft. And I love doing open threads on Gaslamp Ball. It's the one thing I have been contributing to the site since before I was even a writer (besides comments). Most of the time it consists of me rambling to myself about such and such happening, but I enjoy it. Others come and go (the draft goes on for a while). I'm game for anything on draft day. Some just come to say things about players' names. Others want to see when a San Diego HS or college player gets draft. Whatever. Just stop on by. These days I also get talked in to doing pre-draft coverage as well.

Meeting jbox

This isn't some epic story. It is quite the opposite. I met jbox at Padres-Cubs game at Wrigley Field. I don't remember how I found out he was there or where he was sitting, but I made my way up to him and took a seat. I don't think we exchanged more than a dozen words, but I talked at length with his friend. It was a fun series. I went to all 4 games and the Padres won all of them. I highly recommend going to a 4 game series in another ballpark where the Padres sweep the series. Good times.

The 2008 and 2009 seasons

My second cheat as this consists of a lot of moments. I'm not going to get all hipster and say GLB was better back then, but it was something for us who needed it at the time. Those seasons were dark times to be a Padres fan. You could say it began after Game 163. That was followed by the Padres spending more than they ever had in 2008 and achieved less than they ever had since moving to Petco. In 2009 they tore it all down some more. Misery loves company. Especially company that will make you laugh. This was a terrible time to be a Padre fan, but a great time to be a Gaslamp Baller. Back when That's What She Said (TWSS)was still hilarious. Funny enough to chronicle EVERY mention of it for the entire season. Or when Dex would just let his mind wander to strange places on the blog. Like the idea of Putting Things In Dex... for a price. Or the origination of GLB favorite phrase PFOB. Or coming up with drinking games to cope with our disappointment. Or any of the game threads where we kept each other amused instead of depressed. Or Paul McAnulty references. I loved every one of them. In a different way than I do now.

Joining the GLB writing team

After reading my intro paragraph many of you may have thought it was a foregone conclusion that since I had stuck around since near the beginning and loved this little site that eventually I would write for it. That was not something I had ever thought. I was completely surprised when I was asked to come aboard as an "intern". I had been writing for SBN's Chargers site for a while, but my first love is baseball and the Padres and Gaslamp Ball was my favorite SBN site. I was quite honored when jbox and Dex invited me in 2012. Unfortunately, my first post doesn't show it. I just jumped right in and starting posting news related to the Padres. I'm not a hot take machine. I just like talking about moves that have been made, what they mean for the team and what others think they mean.

Wimbledon

When you can't think of anything else to say, you say "Wimbledon". It was a silly GLB joke that probably lasted too long and yet I remember at that time hoping that one day I could use it way off in the future and those that knew what it meant would laugh. Today is still not yet that day, but one day it will be. Until then feel free to say Wimbledon when it seems inappropriate. Or when someone asks you where Dick Enberg is.

Everything Else

This may seem like cheating again, but hear me out. There are things that GLB hasn't given me directly that I should note. Back in those aforementioned 2008 and 2009 seasons I was somewhat of a recluse. GLB was my gateway drug. Starting around 2010 I started to branch out. My GLB friends became my twitter friends after they encouraged me to use that site. Through twitter we would tweet up, either at games or around the ballpark. I hadn't had friends that were as into the Padres as I was. It encouraged me to change things up in my life. I moved downtown. I met more great people that were into the Padres. Most importantly, these changes helped me meet my girlfriend and partner in Padres crime of 3+ years. Thanks, Gaslamp Ball.

The late Oscar Azocar, who played for the Padres in 1991 and '92, used to own a major league record, and will probably hold it again before too long. Confusing? Convoluted? Allow me to clear up the mess of Pick Up Sticks I spilled in the first place. Azocar stole ten bases in his career without being caught; three players have since passed him up, but they're all active, thus still apt to get caught stealing at some point.

I spotted Azocar's name amongst the players born this day, and checked his BR bullpen page. To be completely honest, I checked it so see how he passed away; I remembered it happening, but not the circumstances. That wasn't covered there, but it did make note of the aforementioned tentative record. I knew that Aztec alumni and Gwynn pupil Quintin Berry has accrued far more without getting caught, so I ran a BR Play Index query. Sure enough, Berry has stolen 25 bases without getting caught over three seasons with the Tigers, Red Sox, and Orioles. He's back with the Red Sox organization now and if he wins a roster spot he's one missed read away from relinquishing his spot. Similarly, Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has 11 steals without a CS under his belt, and Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley is currently tied with Azocar.

I generally don't root for athletes to fail in general, just whenever I need them to fail so the Padres will win, but I hope all three of those guys get caught this year so Oscar Azocar can have his record back. But even if one of them do happen to -- ahem -- run off with his record, at least he still has one of the greatest baseball cards of all time to his name.

I joined Gaslamp Ball as a commenter in August of 2010, thrilled by the team's surprising domination of the NL West and desperate to revel in that joy with more diehard fans. A few days later, the most depressing losing streak in Padres history started, and my new friends here were all that got me through it. It's hard to believe that was four and a half years ago. Despite some less than great baseball in that time, I've made a lot of wonderful memories here.

10. My First Recap

I remember exactly when jbox asked me to start writing recaps for Gaslamp Ball. I was in Anaheim getting my nerd on at WonderCon, and while I was taking a break, charging my phone in the hallway, I got an email asking if I was interested in writing for the site. My exact response?

Uh, YES.

Of course, that first recap sucked. The Mets topped the Padres 8-4 in the second game of the 2013 team's historically bad start.

9. My First Recap of a Win

In fact, thanks to 2013's historically lousy start and my posting schedule, my first 6 recaps were all of losses. But that seventh was a beautiful 9-2 victory over the Dodgers, and the second game of what would eventually be a sweep. Oh, and we all really hated Matt Kemp right then and I may have said some things in anger. I'm sorry, Matt!

On a bit of a side not here, looking back at these early recaps made me cringe. Thank you all for sticking with them until they started sucking less.

8. Trolling Dodger Fans

Jodes already talked about that time she single-handedly made Clayton Kershaw the 2011 SB Nation Cy Young Award Co-Winner and Dodger fans lost their minds, but this is my single favorite comment from that thread. Dex, you are a master troll, and I salute you.

7. Dex Does The Robot

Speaking of Dex being great, remember that time Fox Sports San Diego let Dex be on a spring training broadcast and he did the robot? Good times, good times.

6. Wearing The Traveling Jersey

My trip to Seattle was mixed from a baseball standpoint, as the Padres split the series with the Mariners, but I had a great time visiting the city, and the Jersey started so many conversations. Strangers everywhere asked about it, and everyone agreed that it was a really cool project.

5. The Social Media Summit

Last year's Social Media Summit came at a rough time, with the fanbase being incredibly upset about BS Plaza. With that kind of anger flying around, it was really nice to talk about things face to face. We also found out Bud Black's Starbuck's order, which is just a handy thing to know.

4. A.J. Preller and the Amazing Technicolor Offseason

Looking at that Social Media Summit post, I found this quote I tweeted during Q&As.

"Some people say he thinks outside the box. I don’t think he thinks there’s a box." @PadresMikeDee on A.J. Preller #SDSocialSummit

— Richard (@gdarklighter) August 31, 2014

After the wildest offseason I can remember, I think our new GM has conclusively proven that boxes are only an illusion.

3. Meeting the Colonel

This isn't really Gaslamp Ball specific, but at 2013's Social Media Night, I finally met Jerry Coleman. He was kind and generous with his time, and everything you always imagined he was.

2. Meeting the Other Coleman

As anybody who follows me on Twitter or Facebook knows, I adopted a puppy last May. But names have never been my strong suit, so I asked the internet for suggestions, and Gaslamp Baller matthewverygood came through with the perfect name: Coleman. Here's what he looked like the day I brought him home.

And here's what he looks like now.

1. Making Friends

Yes, I'm getting cheesy. Shut up. Getting to know Gaslamp Ballers, both online and in person, has been the best part about being part of this community for the last few years. Here's to another decade of baseball and buds.

(And here's a random mention of Axion, so that he might bless this post with a rec.)

Ok, the front of the D-backs rotation in 2015 looks a little wobbly. Is the middle any better?

See the first entry on pitching for an explanation of the method being used here.

#1. Dodgers: Brandon McCarthy (2.6 WAR, #35 overall)

Dear God, Brandon - you are really intent on making it hard for Arizona fans to root for you. Fair enough, you didn't have any say over who you were traded to - though you certainly didn't help matters by suddenly performing like an ace for the Yankees. But then to join the Even More Evil Empire as a free-agent? I am left with no other choice but to give serious consideration to unfollowing you on Twitter. That'll show you. Though I do still appreciate the way your Twitter avatar is currently a very crudely MS-Paint'd photo of you, cap and gloves colored Dodger Blue with all the finesse of an over-active pre-schooler. However, that isn't enough to make me cheer for you this year. Sorry.

#2. Padres: Andrew Cashner (1.5, #93)

Despite off-season rumors that had Cashner a target for both the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies, he seems to have remained a Padre. He's now contemplating an extension, and saying he'd "love" to stay in San Diego, though he probably won't get to repeat last year, where he was their Opening Day starter. He'll certainly be hoping for better health than in 2014, when he suffered from a smorgasbord of elbow, shoulder and neck ailments. Though he also would like better run support: there was an 11-game run where Cashner went 0-6 despite a 2.86 ERA, as the Padres managed a total of 19 runs in support, with a high score of four.  Ah, Petco...

#3. Rockies: Tyler Matzek (1.5, #96)

Former first-round pick in the 2009 draft Matzek has a rocky - or even Rockie, hohoho - road to the majors, troubled by struggles with his control. Over five minor-league seasons, he averaged six walks per nine innings, but performed much better in his rookie major-league campaign, getting that figure down to 3.7, while leading Colorado starters in strikeout rate. His season peaked with a complete-game shutout on Sep 5, the first by any Rockie in more than three years. If he can keep the walks off the basepaths as he did, he'll be fine, but with less than 120 major-league innings, the projections are understandably cautious about that being a given.

#4. Diamondbacks: Jeremy Hellickson (1.4, #104)

Interestingly, this trade re-unites the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year with the man who was runner-up the same season: Mark Trumbo. And just like Trumbo, this is another case where we're forced to talk about "upside", in this case hoping for a bounceback season in contrast to Hellickson's injury-curtailed 2014, and largely ineffective 2013. He has won just twice in his previous 23 starts, and the Rays lost his last nine appearances, Hellickson going 0-4 with a 5.44 ERA. There were rumblings he hid his arm injury, which caused him to miss the entire first half of the 2014 season, until after his arbitration deal was settled too. Fingers crossed...

#5. Giants: Jake Peavy (1.2, #111)

Going by these projections, the Giants seriously need to consider using Beethoven's Fifth as their entry music this year, because after Madison, their rotation is going to be "Bum-bum-bum BUUUUUUM". Sure, ours may end up sucking every bit as hard - but it will also be young suck with a decent ceiling, and suck cheaper. The Giants got good work from Peavy down the stretch, with a 2.17 ERA over 12 regular-season starts, even if he lost both World Series outings. Turning 34 in May, his glory days seem behind him, with an ERA+ of 100 in both 2013 and 2014. Still, this relentless mediocrity was apparently enough to get a two-year $24 million contract.

Conclusions

It's been said before, and we'll say it again: trading for Hellickson, dealing away young prospects to get him, doesn't seem to sit with the philosophy of building for a long-term future, especially considering Hellickson is a free-agent at the end of next year. I can kinda perhaps see the relevance of getting someone with experience, but much like Trevor Cahill, Hellickson's early success appears significantly caused by fortunate BABIP: in his Rookie of the Year campaign, it was .224, the lowest among any of the 92 qualifying starters that season. His career FIP is 4.36, and that's probably what I'd expect from him this season. At least most of our division rivals won't be much better off.

Finally, this isn't particularly relevant to anything, but I might as well drop it here. May I recommend bringing a book to Hellickson's starts? Because the one thing he will do is slow the game down, and it's in extremely sharp contrast to the man he effectively "replaces" in our rotation, Wade Miley. Among the 171 MLB starters with 60+ innings last year, Miley was fourth-quickest by time between pitches; Hellickson ranked 170th, taking 26.4 seconds per pitch. Only David Price was slower: it's probably a good thing those time of play changes didn't involve a pitch clock.

	ARIZONA	COLORADO	LOS ANGELES	SAN DIEGO	SAN FRANCISCO
First base
Second base
Shortstop
Third base
Left field
Center field
Right field
Catcher	CENSORED
Starter #1
Starter #2
Starter #3
Starter #4
Starter #5
Closer
Bullpen

The Red Sox have bolstered their farm system by signing the top Cuban talent of the offseason.

Yoan Moncada's agent had said his client was expected to sign shortly after spring training opened, and he was telling the truth. The 19-year-old Cuban infielder has reportedly agreed to a deal in the $30 million range with the Red Sox, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

It won't just cost the Red Sox $30 million, as they need to pay a lump sum penalty for Moncada's entire salary as his bonus is restricted by international spending limits. Boston had already overshot their 2014-2015 international signing budget, however, so going for Moncada was an easy decision since they were already set to face the stiffest penalties for their spending. Now, the Red Sox can't sign an international player to a bonus of more than $300,000 until July 2 of 2017, but they have Moncada, who is considered talented enough that he would be the first pick in the 2015 MLB Draft were he eligible, as well as a pair of the top international pitching prospects on the market already in hand.

Moncada has experience at second and third base, and could also have a future in the outfield. The Red Sox are currently set at all of those places thanks to Dustin Pedroia, Pablo Sandoval, and an outfield that already has too many options, but this isn't a problem for a couple of reasons. For one, Moncada is still a prospect, so he's going to begin his career in the minors. Secondly, if Moncada turns out to be as good as it's believed he could be, the Sox will find room for him somewhere in a year or two: they can always make a trade, and having Moncada makes doing so that much easier for them.

Moncada is considered one of the top-15 or so prospects in baseball according to Jim Callis of MLB.com and Baseball America's Ben Badler. Fangrahps' Kiley McDaniel believes he's even better than that, stating Moncada is maybe even the fifth-best prospect in the game. It's a huge get for an already strong Red Sox farm system.

The Yankees and Padres were also considered favorites for Moncada, and could have arguably used him more, but were beaten out by the Sox for one reason or another. The Dodgers were considered the hands down favorites before Moncada was a free agent, but their new front office might have decided they'd rather avoid the penalties the Red Sox have willingly submitted to.

The infield prospect will receive a $30 million signing bonus from Boston.

Yoan Moncada was declared a free agent at the beginning of February, and his agent was confident it would only take a number of days until the Cuban infielder agreed to terms with a team. According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Moncada has agreed to join the Red Sox, receiving a bonus worth $31.5 million.

Because of international signing penalties, Boston will have to pay an 100% tax on the deal, meaning their commitment to Moncada will cost them $63 million for six years of major-league service time. Moncada, 19,  is expected to spend a couple of seasons in the minors before reaching the majors and contributing for Boston.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported that Moncada's agent, David Hastings, was hoping to have a deal completed by February 23, and Hastings was successful in getting a deal done. Before the deal was completed, Hastings noted Moncada would like to report to a team's spring training camp as soon as possible. With full club workouts underway this week, Moncada will likely report to Fort Myers in the next few days.

In addition to the Red Sox, the Yankees, Padres and Brewers were known to be in the hunt for Moncada, who profiles as a second baseman but is likely athletic enough to switch positions. According to the Boston Globe, many evaluators feel he would benefit from time in the minor leagues to further develop.

Boston was already expected to compete in 2015, and adding Moncada should prove to only help their cause. The team has added Rusney Castillo, Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson in recent months.

While many teams have reported to camps with 2015 in mind, the Reds have been rehashing the failures of previous years.

The Cincinnati Reds roster is not some newfangled creation.  For at least the fourth consecutive season, the infield, catcher, and right fielder will be the same, as will the back of the bullpen and the bulk of the starting rotation.  It's a core where most have seen a pair of division titles, three 90 win seasons, and enough talent and production to warrant pushing the payroll to heights never seen before in the Queen City.

The overwhelming majority of the team is composed of players handpicked by the front office, developed by the front office in the minors, and kept in Cincinnati long-term by the front office.  There's a distinct level of commitment to this group that has been expressed both publicly and contractually, and with all commitments come heaped expectations that - rightly or wrongly - fall on the shoulders of those who've been given the reins.  The longer a group remains intact without meeting or exceeding the expectations placed upon them, the brighter the scrutiny spotlight gets shined on why things haven't worked out, and it appears that the 2015 Reds season is now firmly in the glare.

If we needed any clear indication that the pressure is on, we certainly got it in spades in the past few days.

As we heard yesterday, former Red Mat Latos spoke with FOX's Ken Rosenthal about his time in Cincinnati, and the big right-hander held little back in his assessment of the club's issues.  Speaking frankly, Latos attributed much of the failure of the 2014 team (and, presumably, the collapse of the promising 2013 season) to a leadership void created by the departures of both Scott Rolen and Bronson Arroyo, as well as a team-wide epidemic of players being asked to come back from injuries before being fully ready.  If the latter is true, that's a pretty damning indictment, though it's an odd comment coming from a guy who hinted at the exact opposite just eight months ago.  As for the leadership assertion, well, it's a refrain we've heard from both Walt Jocketty and Bryan Price for about the same time, though it hasn't yet been expressed so explicitly.  The additions of Skip Schumaker and Ryan Ludwick were often cited as being bent on adding leadership, as has the arrival of Marlon Byrd this winter.

That, though, begs the obvious question:  if Skip and Luddy were brought in as leaders, and still couldn't lead, why were they kept around?  Well, whether or not Latos was the problem or the lack of leadership from purported leaders was the issue, Skip certainly felt that shipping out the former San Diego Padres ace was the correct move, according to FOX 19.  Coming from one of the 10 least valuable players in all of baseball in 2014, those are some pretty heavy words, but at least it's clear that Skip's attempting to carve out 5 WAR worth of gritty leadering to help bridge the void between what he provides on the field and what Latos has consistently yielded when healthy.  Now we get to hope that all that gritters turns to gold.

Several other veteran Reds chimed in on Latos' comments, too, including a few who were presumably ones singled out (though not by name) in the FOX interview.  John Fay caught up with Homer Bailey - potentially the cattle russlin' roper referenced by Latos - who mentioned that he never has felt rushed back from injury by the medical staff and that he's not at all concerned about what his former colleague had to say about him.  Bailey and manager Bryan Price then dropped a pair of very candid lines that may reflect more about the past few seasons than we've been able to glean to this point:

Best from Bailey on Latos: "If this was a court of law, the cross examination would go after the credibility of the witness."c#reds

— John Fay (@johnfayman) February 23, 2015

Price on Latos’ comment: "It’s a bunch of tabloid B.S. that’s unnecessary." #Reds

— John Fay (@johnfayman) February 23, 2015

I'm inclined to find some bit of truth in each and everything that's been said from all parties since I'm a firm believer of finding fire when smelling smoke, but I'm sure there's exaggeration and differing opinions on the exact course of events that's playing out in this finger-pointing mess.  Regardless, it's not at all what you want to see from a Reds team already beleaguered from an awful 2014 and lackluster offseason, and it's at least an indictment that there was something tangibly wrong.

Switching from juicy pitching quotes to juicy hitting quotes, it's high time we delved into what Joey Votto had to say to Reds.com's Mark Sheldon upon reporting to Spring Training over the weekend.  Votto answered a series of questions ranging from his health to his winter, but what stands out is the answer he provided when asked about his "approach" at the plate.  "I'm not going to use the word 'ignorant,' but ignorant," said the Reds' cornerstone 1B in the direction of those who consistently insist that he change the way he plays the game despite the absurd heights he's achieved in his playing days.  It's about as candid as Votto could get, and it's an honesty that I'm personally ecstatic to see revealed.  Joey Votto has been the most productive player the Reds have drafted, developed, rolled out, and committed to since Johnny Bench, and it's high time people stopped ripping him for what he's not and paid attention to the superstar they've been allowed to call their own.  Friend of the blog Mo Egger echoed similar feelings in a much more effective way, highlighting the kind of sentiments that Votto surely has but knows he can't let fly publicly.

★★★

What's undeniably clear is that the Reds have reported to Goodyear, AZ to make a run at things in 2015, yet are still stuck talking about the failure of 2014 and the near misses in the two years prior to that.  There's concrete indication that discontent was evident in the clubhouse during this core's recent run, and that either the accountability preached by Price upon replacing Dusty Baker wasn't powerful enough, or that Latos was the chief mischief proprietor that torpedoed things.  Since the winter was spent shedding 2015 projected value in favor of veteran presence, leadership, and playing the game "the right way," it's clear which sentiment is held by Walt Jocketty and the Kevin Towers wing of the front office.

Whether or not that strategy results in a bang-up 2015 or not is still in the balance, of course, but should that fail to materialize as planned, the Reds have certainly revealed enough about the way they function for some stinging questions to be asked should this upcoming season fall completely apart.  Losing when you're expected to win surely breeds frustration, and while we'd all hoped those frustrations would've been channeled into turning the tide for 2015, it's clear that there was ample amount that bubbled over into finger pointing and defense from needless scrutiny.

One thing's for sure, though:  the Reds must be aching to get on the field and away from the mic as much as we want them to.

The Padres and Mariners call it spring training. We call it Arrowhead. You'll call it "FRIGGEN SWEET".

The Peoria Sports Complex is one of the more upscale spring training facilities around the Phoenix Metro area.  It's only about 17 miles North West of downtown Phoenix, but the area is very metropolitan.  It also sits just a few miles north of Westgate and the University Of Phoenix Stadium where the Cardinals play.

The area is known as "Arrowhead Towne Center".  I don't know why they put an "E" at the end, but that certainly helps underscore the velour they're going for.  Arrowhead has a very nice mall with lots and lots of good shopping. Though not quite as upscale as Scottsdale Fashion Mall, it's leaps and bounds above the Metro Center shopping area.  You will find everything from a Toys-R-Us to a Dicks Sporting Goods, to the Apple Store, and an AMC or Harkins Theater.  So while you're watching the game, if the wife and kids aren't as into baseball as you are, they'll have plenty of things to do.  I'll leave that up to you whether or not that's a good thing.

If you like to suck down the suds before or after the game, there is no shortage of options.  No less than 20 bars and restaurants dot the landscape with plenty of variety to suit anyone's preference.  Two of my personal favorites are Abuelos and Buca Di Beppo.

Abuelos is a Mexican Restaurant with a palatial feel inside and the look of a government building on the outside.  In fact the restaurant has a subtitle of "Mexican Food Embassy".  The inside is very spacious, you will find it a very pleasant and airy place to eat.  It isn't too noisy or quiet.  The food is EXCELLENT, with a great choice of traditional and non-traditional Mexican dishes.

But if you're looking for that place to bring the family and have a memorable experience going out, Buca Di Beppo is a fantastic choice.  It's some of the best Italian food you can get but it is a bit on the more expensive side.  The interior is almost over the top Italian.  If it's available, try to get the "Pope" table, you'll thank me later.

Some other good choices are Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, Cheesecake Factory, and Texas Roadhouse.  If you're single and interested in the "scenery" that the area has to offer, check out the Tilted Kilt.  It's known for it's.. uh.. well... er.. I think you know.  It's a PG-13 sorta joint with better food and scenery than Hooters. [There's one of those there too of course if you just want the familiar.]

If you want a quick bite cause you're running late, there's more fast food joints than you can shake a sick at.  I like to head over to the Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Chipotle's or the Red Robin.

As I mentioned, Westgate is just a few miles south (about 8 miles on the freeway).  There are TONS of other shopping, restaurants, and events going on there if you just can't seem to find what you're looking for at Arrowhead.

The Peoria Sports Complex is very easy and relatively fast to get to, but if you're going, make sure your hotel is somewhere on the West Side of town.  If you're looking to stay somewhere really close there are a few good choices to pick from within walking distance of the park.  There's a Hampton Inn, Residence Inn, a Comfort Inn, or a La Quinta.  All of them are right in the heart of the area making a rental car quite unnecessary.

The complex itself is about 30 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.  It's a very nice, well maintained sporting venue with plenty of seating for about 12,000 fans.  They have full concessions, though I've never bought anything there so I couldn't tell you the value.

If you would like to visit their website it's http://peoriasportscomplex.com/.

If you go, tell them Xipooo sent you.  They'll have no idea who you're talking about, and you'll have a hard time trying to pronounce it. But I'm sure it will be funny to watch the expressions on their faces when you do...

MLB writer Corey Brock is turning out the coverage today.  He gave a little preview of his talk with one time Padres centerfielder Cameron Maybin in a tweet this morning.  In it Maybin says that he "believes he's the best option as a CF for this team".  My reaction was much like yours, "Who now?  Oh, he's still with the team?  Yeah, that's not gonna happen."

There seems to be a consensus in the responses to Brock's tweet:

lol yeah no

Ok. No.

prolly not

hahaahhaha

he is the best option; up until he makes a diving catch attempt 2nd week of season and blows out a shoulder.

LOL!!!!

If he's the starting CF then Preller blew that trade.

he is out of mind.He was giving the chance to start every yr and never proved much at all so better get use to the bench

He'll need to learn hitting discipline really quickly.

I think we're all basically on the same page here.  Maybin's time with the Padres has been pretty disappointing.  Most of that disappointment stems from his constant injuries, oh and the PED suspension.  He's rarely been on the field in the past two seasons and when he was it wasn't even that impressive.  Frankly I've given up on him, that ship has sailed.  I'm looking forward to seeing his replacement play again. But Maybin to his credit still has plans to win back his spot.

Maybin ready to 'put up or shut up' | padres.com

"My motto is, 'Put up or shut up,' this year," Maybin said. "Stay healthy this year, and let the play speak for itself. I don't like coming off the bench, I don't like sitting on the bench. I'm going to do everything in my power to show these guys that I can play every day."

Good for him.  It's important to keep a positive mental attitude.  He's going to need that when he's coming off the bench late in the game as a defensive substitution or to pinch run.

Brock explains that Preller could still trade him but with his hefty contract, it's going to be a tough sell.  Regardless of his role Maybin wants to remain a Padre.

"What we have here is great. I want to be a part of that. What A.J. has been able to do this offseason, I want to be a part of," Maybin said. "Whatever my role is going to be … I'm going to be a great teammate."

If Maybin is starting in CF on Opening Day then something has already seriously gone wrong for the Padres.  Let's hope that doesn't happen.

Cameron Maybin hopes to be Padres' starting center fielder | UTSanDiego.com

Asked if he agreed center field is an open competition, Black replied: "Agree. Yeah. Sure."

Black sounds about as convinced as I do.

In other news, Carlos Quentin is relatively sure that he's probably the 6th or 7th best option for the Padres outfield this year. No doubt.

— Gaslamp Ball (@gaslampball) February 23, 2015

Casey Kelly who hasn't been seen in ages due to Tommy John surgery in 2013 and a strained forearm in 2014 made it through about 3.5 days of Spring camp before getting himself injured again.  This time it's a strained groin that's keeping him off the mound.  There's currently no time table for his return.

Padres prospect Kelly slowed by strained groin | padres.com

"It was kind of a gradual thing," Kelly said. "It just got tighter and tighter. Right now, we're just getting treatment on it."

I really want to see Kelly rebound and fight for that 5th spot in the rotation, so I'm bummed that he's the first Padre to go down.  It's amazing how quickly a player can be telling a beat reporter that they've never felt better and in the best shape of their life to being down for the count.

Padres' Casey Kelly continues to be sidelined by strained groin | UTSanDiego.com

The leg situation will resolve itself, but more importantly, I think the arm's in a good spot. He feels good about that.

Even though those pesky groin strains seem to claim someone each year, the positive to be taken away from this is that at least it's not his arm.  I take some comfort in that.

And into the bottom half of the rotation! The louder you scream, the faster we go...

See the first entry on pitching for an explanation of the method being used here.

#1. Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu (2.6 WAR, #36 overall)

Four of the top 36 projected pitchers in baseball. Four of the top six in the National League West. Yeah,. I think it's safe to say that Los Angeles can call their rotation a strength as we go into 2015, though of course, who knows what might happen with health and effectiveness once the actual games begin. We saw that a bit with Ryu, who made only 26 starts for LA, and his ERA went up on his rookie season, from 3.00 to 3.38. However, both his K- and BB-rates went in the right direction, and he was somewhat the victim of bad luck, with a .319 BABIP, which would seem to augur well for his 2015 campaign.

#2. Rockies: Jhoulys Chacin (1.3, #108)

Again, a long drop-off from the Dodgers' starter to the comparable members of the rotation for the other members of the NL West, with the next three basically inseparable. Like Ryu, Chacin also had his health issues last year, shoulder problems holding him to 11 appearances, and mediocre ones at that, going 1-7 with a 5.40 ERA. Given he had posted a 127 ERA+ over the previous four seasons, there is ground to think it was an aberration, and Colorado will certainly be hoping so. Chacin opted out of Venezuelan ball and spent all winter in Scottsdale, rehabbing his arm at Salt River. A free-agent at the end of 2015, he'll want to make a good impression on potential employers.

#3. Padres: Ian Kennedy (1.3, #110)

Former Diamondback Kennedy is also in his last season before free-agency, with San Diego paying him $9.185 million for this year. Once you park-adjust IPK's numbers, he has been kinda meh for them, with an ERA+ of 89 over 43 starts since his trade-deadline deal from Arizona in 2013. However, he was slightly more BABIP'd to death than Ryu (.320) in 2014, and at 91.8 mph, his average fastball was two mph faster than it was in 2012, which helped lead to a career-high strikeout rate of 24.5%. If he can reproduce that in 2015, I'd be inclined to take the over on the projection here, though I severely doubt he'll approach anything like the remarkable 21 wins he had for us in 2011.

#4. Giants: Matt Cain (1.2, #113)

Remember when Cain was going to be the ace of the Giants rotation, signing a $127 million deal on the even of the 2012 season? Well, San Francisco got one good year out of it, at least. But in 2013-14, Cain has a 10-17 record to go with an 85 ERA+, the $40 million received being repaid with exactly one WAR of production. He missed half the season with a bone spur in his elbow, so will first have to show he's healthy, then that he can still pitch at the level where he finished 8th and 6th in Cy Young voting. If he doesn't, with three years left at $21 million per, this is going to be a nasty impediment to the Giants for some time to come. Are we allowed to hope for healthy ineffectiveness?

#5. Diamondbacks: Allen Webster (0.5, #141)

Something something upside. That said, this is where things start to get seriously murky, because there's no guarantee Webster will be in the 2015 rotation, not least because I think he still has a minor-league option left [trying to find out such things for sure is difficult, but he has only two major-league seasons to his name at this point]. The front-office has been making all the usual noises about decision being based on performance, but you're not going to try and squeeze an established pitcher through waivers, when you can open up a slot by sending Webster to the minors. I have a feeling that's what we'll see happen in late March.

Conclusions

There's a real smorgasbord of arms here. We have under-performing former aces, several pitchers coming back from health issues and a prospect with potential who might not even have a job on Opening Day. All of which means the projections should be taken with even more caution than usual. At their best, almost all of the above (save Webster, obviously, due to his limited experience) have already shown that they can pitch with the best of them. However, none of them did in 2014, for a variety of reasons. One or more will likely breakout, but as to who that might be, your guess is as good as mine!

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