Padres' offseason was a success. Now, 'we've got to perform'
AJ Cassavell
@AJCassavellPEORIA, Ariz. -- How's this for a successful offseason?
? The Padres wanted a big-time bat. They signed Xander Bogaerts.
? The Padres wanted to reinforce their pitching staff. They brought back Nick Martinez and Robert Suarez, then signed Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha.
? The Padres needed depth options, for DH and for the bench. They signed Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz, Adam Engel and David Dahl.
? The Padres wanted Fernando Tatis Jr. healthy. He's slated to make his spring debut on Tuesday, recovered from surgeries on his left wrist and shoulder.
? The Padres wanted long-term rotation security. They extended Yu Darvish.
And now, the grand finale: The team is on the verge of finalizing an 11-year extension with star third baseman Manny Machado (San Diego has not announced the signing, which is pending Machado's physical).
With the Padres, it's always possible that another major move is coming (general manager A.J. Preller, of all people, did not swing a single trade during the offseason). Still, the Friars accomplished practically everything they set out to do during the offseason.
"We feel like we've got a team that's got a lot of different answers," Preller said recently. "... With last year's team getting to the LCS, we feel like we improved in the offseason."
Preller's Padres have won the offseason before, of course, and they appear to have won it again. In Monday's Cactus League game, they played the rival Dodgers -- who assuredly did not win the offseason. Los Angeles said goodbye to Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and a chunk of its starting rotation. The Dodgers supplemented their group with a few solid signings, but they made no major moves.
And yet, as the Padres are quick to note, winning the offseason means little. The Dodgers -- who beat San Diego, 7-6, on Monday -- remain a force in the National League West, winners of 111 games last season.
The fervor around the Padres' offseason maneuverings is justified. They've signed very good players. They've extended very good players. Now comes the important part:
"We've got to perform, right?" manager Bob Melvin said. "The expectations are what they are, because of what we've created here. Not only what we did last year, but the players that we've brought in. Naturally, those expectations are going to be there.
"We understand that. We feel good about it, because it means we're in a good position. We have high expectations for ourselves. But the rhetoric for our guys is: We don't really worry too much about what anybody else says. We just worry about what our expectations are."
Tatis to DH on Tuesday
As scheduled, Tatis will make his Cactus League debut on Tuesday against the Giants, Melvin said. Tatis is set to serve as the team's designated hitter.
The Padres have taken a cautious approach with their young star this spring. Tatis hasn't played a big league game in nearly 17 months, and he has undergone a trio of surgeries (two on his left wrist and one on his left shoulder) in the interim. The 24-year-old isn't eligible to return from his PED suspension until April 20.
The Padres' challenge is this: Finding a way to get Tatis re-acclimated to game action while simultaneously prioritizing his health.
"I just want to get out there," Tatis said over the weekend. "I miss the game so much. Like I mentioned, I haven't been on the field for a very long time. I just want to be out there with the boys, inside that lineup."
Tatis went 2-for-2 with a double and a home run against Michael Wacha in a back-field sim game on Monday.
¡°By the looks of it on the back field, it looks like he¡¯s very ready to go,¡± Melvin said.
Kim departs for Classic
Padres second baseman Ha-Seong Kim played his final spring game before the World Baseball Classic on Monday. He was scheduled to catch a red-eye flight on Monday night to join Team Korea, where he¡¯ll be playing shortstop.
"This is a competition that all the best players in the world play in," Kim said through a team interpreter. "It¡¯s going to be fun, and I¡¯m looking forward to it."
Darvish, of course, has not been with the team in camp as he prepares with Team Japan. The remainder of the Padres' World Baseball Classic departures will follow Kim in short order.
Bogaerts (Team Netherlands) and Brett Sullivan (Team Italy) play their final game on March 1, Melvin said.
Juan Soto, Machado, Cruz and Luis Garc¨ªa will step away to join Team Dominican Republic after the Padres' game on March 5.
Martinez and Nabil Crismatt, meanwhile, can remain with the team in Arizona, with pool-play games for Team USA and Team Colombia slated to take place in Arizona. Both are scheduled to receive two more outings before the tournament.
Sharp start
Crismatt held the Dodgers scoreless in his Cactus League debut on Monday, working quickly and efficiently over two innings. The right-hander is slated to start one of Team Colombia¡¯s pool-play games, during which pitchers are limited to 65 pitches.
"I hope I can throw nine innings with 65 pitches," Crismatt said with a laugh. "I know that¡¯s impossible, but that¡¯s the idea, you know. Start working quick, start attacking the zone."