How about we talk about a team that rarely gets some love on The Ghost of Moonlight Graham: the San Diego Padres. I am going to take it a step further. I am gonna talk about the Padres and not even mention Adrian Gonzalez or any trade talk surrounding him.
Here are some of the things going on at Padres’ camp this spring.
Jon Garland has a “cranky” shoulder
Garland was scratched from his start on Saturday because of a “cranky” shoulder. I am not sure exactly what a “cranky” shoulder consists of, but Garland believes it is no big deal.
“Actually it might work out nice to take a start off. You get so many innings during the year that it’s not a bad thing,” Garland said. Garland, who signed a one-year, $4.7 million deal with the Padres this offseason, threw on Sunday without pain.
Garland has always been underrated, in my opinion, and I think he can really help the Padres this season. If he pitches well, then he can help San Diego get some decent prospects after they trade him at the July 31st trade deadline.
Chase Headley is having a nice spring
Headley is entering his fourth season with the Padres, and it is time for him to step up. The Padres traded away Kevin Kouzmanoff so Headley can move back to his natural position of third base and feel more comfortable. It’s now up to Headley to prove to the Padres they made the right decision.
So far this spring, Headley has proven the Padres correct.
Headley is hitting .310 in Cactus League action with a home run and nine RBI in 35 ABs. Last year, Headley hit .262 with 12 home runs and a .734 OPS and the Padres need him to improve on that this season.
Mat Latos is throwing bullets
The Padres are going to have a real interesting decision to make regarding their fifth starter. Do they go with a pitcher that is out of options, such as Sean Gallagher or Tim Stauffer? Or do they go with Latos, who is throwing pellets this spring and is a top talent?
Latos is making their decision even tougher because he is on fire this spring, since he has a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings. If I were the Padres, I would go with Latos because he is a superior talent, and put Gallagher and Stauffer in the bullpen.
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