PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres break camp on Monday, and manager Mike Shildt recently noted that he¡¯d like to have his Opening Day roster set before the team returns to San Diego.
Translation: It¡¯s decision time this weekend.
¡°We¡¯ve got good players, and we wanted good competition,¡± Shildt said. ¡°They¡¯re not making it easier on us.¡±
The pitching half of the equation seems fairly straightforward in the wake of Yu Darvish¡¯s injury. But on the position-player side, the Padres have a long list of candidates for a small number of openings -- and all sorts of external considerations. Certain players can opt out of contracts and others can¡¯t be optioned to the Minors.
¡°This is the most competitive position-player camp I¡¯ve ever had at the end of a camp,¡± said Shildt, who is entering his sixth season as a manager. ¡°We¡¯ve got legitimately 10 guys for four or five spots. ... So it¡¯s a puzzle.¡±
Let¡¯s piece that puzzle together. It¡¯s time for some roster math. The Padres have 21 position players in big league camp and 13 spots available. Here¡¯s a breakdown:
Locks: Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Elias D¨ªaz
No surprises here. D¨ªaz has seemingly won the starting catcher role (mostly by default). But he was always ticketed for a place on the roster after signing a one-year deal in January.
That leaves two spots in the starting lineup -- left field and DH. Plus, the entirety of the bench -- presumably a four-man group.
Favorites: Jason Heyward, Jose Iglesias, Gavin Sheets
Though Heyward has struggled this spring, it would still qualify as a major surprise if he were left out. He is the presumed starter in left -- at least against right-handed pitching. And as the spring has progressed, his at-bats have looked sharper.
Sheets, meanwhile, recently jumped into this category when the team added him to its 40-man roster. He has seemingly slugged his way to a roster spot with a Cactus League-leading six home runs.
As for Iglesias, he¡¯s been a roster favorite since he signed, and he¡¯s done nothing this spring to change that. Not to mention, Iglesias can opt out of his contract in the coming days if he isn¡¯t on the roster.
Right on the bubble (non-catchers): Oscar Gonzalez, Yuli Gurriel, Connor Joe, Brandon Lockridge, Eguy Rosario, Tyler Wade
This is where things get complex. In theory, there¡¯s only room for two players from this group. (Unless the Padres were to exclude someone from that list above. Or open the season a pitcher short. Or sustain an injury.)
There are strong reasons to keep all six.
¡°The competition brings the best out of everybody,¡± said Wade, who upped his chances with a bunt single and a two-run homer on Friday. ¡°It¡¯s healthy competition. I think we all root for each other, which is really unique. ... Everyone¡¯s supporting each other, bringing the best out of everybody.¡±
Gonzalez, Lockridge and Joe have been good this spring, but all three can still be sent to the Minors. Wade, Rosario and Gurriel, meanwhile, cannot. Wade and Rosario are out of options and Gurriel has an opt-out in his Minor League deal.
Joe seemed to be a favorite entering camp, given his ability to platoon with Heyward in left. Similarly, Gurriel could platoon with Sheets at DH. Is the answer that simple? Probably not. The Padres would be losing serious versatility without Rosario and Wade.
Right on the bubble (catchers): Luis Campusano, Mart¨ªn Maldonado
Campusano¡¯s spring got off to a slow start as he was hit hard by the illness that swept through Padres camp. But recently, his at-bat quality has been better, and he launched his first spring home run on Sunday.
That may have edged him in front of Maldonado in the race to back up D¨ªaz. Maldonado has drawn strong reviews for his work with the pitching staff but has just a single in 20 at-bats.
Outside shot: Mason McCoy, Tirso Ornelas, Brett Sullivan
Ornelas, ranked as the team¡¯s No. 11 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has cooled off after a strong start. It¡¯s likely that the Padres would want him getting regular at-bats in the Minors (versus sporadic at-bats off the bench). Still, Ornelas may have put himself in position for an in-season callup in the event of an injury.
McCoy should also provide useful depth in the Minors, as a versatile infielder with a strong glove. Sullivan, meanwhile, is out of options, which is worrying, because the Padres¡¯ upper-level catching depth is thin.