With camp opening, what decisions remain for Padres?
AJ Cassavell
@AJCassavellPEORIA, Ariz. -- The back fields at the Peoria Sports Complex were oddly calm on Saturday -- a light workout day for Padres Minor Leaguers, combined with a busy day indoors for the coaching staff and front office.
It won’t be calm on those fields much longer.
At long last, Sunday is report day for the Padres' big league club. With the lockout in the rearview mirror, players on the 40-man roster will report to Spring Training where they'll be joined by a couple dozen or so non-roster invitees in big league camp.
This year's camp is certainly a unique one. Sunday's report date will consist mostly of meetings and physicals, followed by the first full-squad workout on Monday, leaving the Padres with 3 1/2 weeks until Opening Day on April 7 against the D-backs in Arizona.
Comparatively speaking, that's not a lot of time to run an entire camp, nor is it a lot of time for the Padres' front office to put the finishing touches on its roster. But the Padres seem determined not to rush the process.
"There'll be some anxiety that you feel like you're going to have to rush," Padres manager Bob Melvin said earlier this week. "But that'll be part of the mantra: Look, we can only do what we can do here. We don't want to put guys in jeopardy of getting hurt. You've got to be really cognizant of where the pitchers are and try not to rush them.
"Even though we'll be under the gun, I don't want to operate like we're under the gun. ... Take a deep breath. Opening Day is not tomorrow."
No, it isn't. Good thing, too, because the Padres have a few areas still to address on their roster. They're actively searching for at least two pieces. A corner outfield bat is at the top of their shopping list, according to sources.
The market is flush with options -- ranging from solid defenders to one-dimensional types who would serve almost exclusively at designated hitter. The Padres have checked in on all of them. Considering how strong they are up the middle, the focus is clear: They need another bat, first and foremost, particularly with the implementation of a universal DH. They can deal with the defensive repercussions later.
Beyond that, the Padres actually seem fairly content with the state of things on their roster. In the rotation, the Nick Martínez signing is expected to be finalized in the near future, bolstering the back end of the rotation. The Padres are still searching for another reliever or two, but only at the right price. (It's a deep bullpen already, though without a bona fide option at closer.)
From there, the Padres will set about paring things down to an Opening Day roster, and there aren't too many jobs up for grabs. Maybe two bench spots? Maybe one rotation spot? Maybe a few bullpen places? But ...
"Looking at our roster, there's not a ton of potential decisions to be made," Melvin said. "You always want some competition, and there will be. But this roster is what it is. There's a lot of good players on there, and you have an idea of what it's going to look like."
For the most part, that's true. But it remains to be seen what general manager A.J. Preller has up his sleeve. To that end, it appears there's flexibility to make an addition or two.
"We are well positioned to finalize our roster," Padres chairman Peter Seidler wrote in a statement on Thursday. "... Our goal remains the same, to win our first World Series championship for San Diego."
Even after the Padres finished last season with what was easily the highest payroll in franchise history, they appear poised to add. To that end, Melvin is certainly appreciative.
"Peter Seidler's a great owner in that respect," said Melvin, who was hired in October after 11 years in Oakland. "I think the people of San Diego understand that. For the most part, it's a small market, but operates, at least at this point, like a big market.
"I think the people of San Diego appreciate that. I'm certain players do as well. I've never managed a team with this type of payroll, so I'm looking forward to it."