Breaking down the Padres' roster competitions this spring

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The full squad has arrived, and the Padres’ first workout is slated for Monday at the Peoria Sports Complex. For all intents and purposes, their 2025 season begins now.

And it begins with a handful of very intriguing spring competitions. There aren’t many roster spots available (four or five at most). But those camp battles will take center stage in the coming weeks.

Here’s a breakdown of all four Padres roster competitions:

No. 5 starter

Contenders: Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron, Kyle Hart, Jhony Brito, Stephen Kolek, others

Arguably the most intriguing race of the bunch, the Padres' rotation got a major shakeup last week when Nick Pivetta agreed to a deal (which is still pending completion of his physical). He'll occupy the rotation's No. 4 spot, behind Dylan Cease, Michael King and Yu Darvish.

Then came the addition of Hart -- who won the Korean version of the Cy Young Award last year. At long last, the Padres seem to have found the rotation depth they'd been searching for all winter.

Hart joins the competition for the No. 5 starter spot. He’s one of three favorites, along with Waldron and Vásquez. Brito and Kolek, both healthy again, will get a chance, too.

There's always a possibility for a shakeup. Cease and King were mentioned in trade rumors all winter. But speaking last week, general manager A.J. Preller seemed to indicate his plan to move forward with his current group of starters.

As such, it's looking like a five-man race for one place.

A bullpen spot

Contenders: Sean Reynolds, Alek Jacob, Tom Cosgrove, Ron Marinaccio, Juan Nu?ez, others

It's a deep and crowded bullpen -- just the way the Padres drew it up.

On paper, there's only one place available. But bullpens are fickle. If (when?) the injury bug bites, the Padres have options.

Reynolds was excellent in his debut season. Jacob brings a unique look and has thrived in several big league stints. Cosgrove gives the Padres another left-handed option. And the trade for Marinaccio further bolstered the depth.

There’s still a chance the Padres would move closer Robert Suarez -- a possibility that feels likelier than moving a starter. Clearly, they would be dealing from a position of strength.

Starting (and backup) catcher

Contenders: Elias Díaz, Luis Campusano, Martín Maldonado, Brett Sullivan

It’s shaping up as a race between Díaz and Campusano for the starting job. (Maldonado and Sullivan are contenders for a backup spot, but both are on the outside looking in as camp begins.)

Campusano's time in the big leagues has been injury-plagued and inconsistent. He struggled down the stretch last year and did not make the postseason roster. Still, it's worth remembering he's only 26.

"Clearly we signed Díaz to play, and rightfully so,” said manager Mike Shildt. “He was an All-Star two years ago -- All-Star MVP -- came up last year and helped us, contributed. He’s going to be part of the mix.

"But you look at Campy ... and you can evaluate catchers a lot of different ways, clearly. But one of the ways we evaluate a lot of what we do is if we win or not. You look at Campy’s win-loss record, it’s pretty darn good. There’s a lot of factors in that clearly. But the point being: Campy had a good year for us."

Indeed, the Padres went 45-29 in games Campusano started behind the plate. Díaz, meanwhile, is coming off perhaps his best defensive season. But the reality is: Both struggled for large portions of last season and were fighting for a backup job come September.

Two bench spots

Contenders: Eguy Rosario, Brandon Lockridge, Tirso Ornelas, Gavin Sheets, Mike Brosseau, Mason McCoy, Niko Goodrum, others

The rest of the Padres’ offense is mostly set -- with two places available. It’s worth wondering what they’d prioritize for those two spots.

Offense, most likely. The winners of those final two spots will be counted upon for starts at DH, and the Padres could use another bopper.

That makes Sheets an intriguing option, given his double-digit-homer power. Rosario mashes against left-handed pitching, making him a potential platoon piece (and a versatile one, at that). Brosseau will get a look, as will several other non-roster bats. And there may even be one more addition.

"We're going to have to have a couple surprises," Preller said. "[We have] guys that we feel like have a chance to surprise a little bit. But we’re going to continue to look to see if we can add to the offense as well in the next couple weeks."