* – indicates new to team
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves

1. Colorado Rockies
Next to the Phillies the deepest team in the National League.
2. San Francisco Giants
Need to score more runs to help their great pitching staff.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
They will miss Randy Wolf, but they still have a great lineup.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
Will have to wait one more year, but the important pieces are in place.
5. San Diego Padres
With a new GM, they’ve now taken two steps back.

Player to Watch: P Tim Lincecum San Francisco Giants
It’s unrealistic to think that Lincecum will win a third consecutive Cy Young award. But it will be interesting to see. In the last two years he has 33 wins, 452 1/3 innings pitched, 526 strikeouts to only 152 walks. Last season was not his best, but when you lead the league in strikeouts and post an ERA of 2.48, you will get noticed. The Giants were in contention for most of last season thanks in large part to Lincecum and the pitching staff. All eyes will be on him this year as more analysts will be predicting great things for the Giants mainly because of their pitching. It’s rare that a phenom pitcher actually lives up to his potential. Winning two Cy Young awards this soon is as good as it gets.
Manager on the Hot Seat: Jim Tracy Colorado Rockies
Not so much that is job will be on the line, but how can you live up to the expectations from the finish to last season. The only way you can top last year if your Tracy is winning the NL West. They have never won a division title in their 17 year existence. What’s stopping them? The Dodgers did nothing to improve from last years team. The Giants still don’t have a big power bat in the middle of their lineup. And the Padres and Diamondbacks are still 2-3 years away from getting back into contention. Colorado has a great core of players that they will have for quite a while. Tracy was masterful in his handling of the team when he took over mid-May of ’09. They went on a ridiculous 72-38 tear to win the NL Wild Card. Hopefully it won’t come to that kind of comeback for the Rockies of 2010 to make the postseason.
Trade Bait: 1B Adrian Gonzalez San Diego Padres
He is a constant run producer for a bad team. That is very appealing to every contender in both the National and American Leagues. Didn’t have his best season if you only look at his batting average (.277), but his 40 HR and 99 RBI are exactly what makes him an attractive commodity in baseball circles. That and he is locked up at an affordable price this year and next. The Red Sox were making a big push to get him in the offseason, but were unwilling to part with two top prospects plus two more lower level ones to acquire him. That will be the asking price for Gonzalez and the Padres new GM Jed Hoyer better not give in to other teams demands. Gonzalez is a rare find. A gap to gap power hitter who can also play gold glove caliber defense at first base. As a fan I want to keep him, but the way things are going for San Diego, they will mostly deal him this year.

Rockies Lineup

LF Carlos Gonzalez
.284 AVG 13 HR 29 RBI
CF Dexter Fowler
.266 AVG 4 HR 34 RBI
1B Todd Helton
.325 AVG 15 HR 86 RBI
SS Troy Tulowitzki
.297 AVG 32 HR 92 RBI
RF Brad Hawpe
.285 AVG 23 HR 86 RBI
C Chris Iannetta
.228 AVG 16 HR 52 RBI
3B Ian Stewart
.228 AVG 25 HR 70 RBI
2B Clint Barmes
.245 AVG 23 HR 76 RBI

The Phillies have the best lineup in league. Perhaps in all of baseball. A close second would have to be Colorado. Based solely off last years stats, but you can assume more of the same if they are healthy this year. Gonzalez and Fowler at the top are perhaps the speediest one-two punch at the top of a lineup. When they were both called up last year, that’s when the Rockies took off on their amazing run. Gonzalez provides power in the leadoff spot with his wheels. Fowler needs to be more selective, but Tracy loves having them when he plays small ball. Helton doesn’t have the 30 HR pop, but he can still hit. A bounce back year for Helton resulted in a three year extension which will have him finishing his career in Denver. There is a saying now with Tulo (Tulowitzki nickname). So goes Tulowitzki, so goes the Rockies. When he’s healthy, the Rockies are a different team and when he’s out of the lineup, well their downright different. A healthy Tulowitzki is also good for baseball. A one of a kind talent. Hawpe hopefully won’t start this year like he ended last year. After the All-Star break Hawpe hit .240 with only 9 HR. He is too good to be falling into slumps like that. Iannetta is coming along very well with his catching skills, but struggled to get his average to what it was in ’08 (.264). The power is there, but he needs to be a more patient hitter when the rest of the lineup in front of him gets on base. Stewart took away the third base job from Garrett Atkins and never looked over his shoulder. He’s poised to breakout this year with 30+ HR, but he must look for his pitch and not chase so much (138 K). Barmes is the steady force for the bottom of the order. He can drive in the big run and make a fantastic play at second.

Bench

OF Seth Smith
.293 AVG 15 HR 55 RBI
OF Ryan Spilborghs
.241 AVG 8 HR 48 RBI
3B Melvin Mora*
.260 AVG 8 HR 48 RBI

This was the strength last year and they’ve improved it this year. Smith is the best pinch hitter in the game today. Constantly came in at key moments of the game and produced without a problem. The consument professional who could be a starter, but is fine with the role on a winning team. Spilborghs can play anywhere in the outfield and provides decent pop off the bench. He can also come through in the clutch. A walk-off grand slam last year in a comeback victory in extra innings to his credit. Mora was signed to a one year deal to provide depth and in case Stewart falters in the beginning of the season. Mora now that he is in a winning atmosphere, should be more laid back knowing they don’t have to count on him to provide offense. He still has a great glove for the hot corner. This bench is so deep that I have to mention they also have 1B Jason Giambi, 2B/OF Eric Young Jr. and C Miguel Olivo* as well. Other managers are drooling over the depth of this team.

Rotation

Ubaldo Jimenez
15-12 3.47 ERA
Aaron Cook
11-6 4.16 ERA
Jorge De La Rosa
16-9 4.38 ERA
Jason Hammel
10-8 4.33 ERA
Jeff Francis
4-10 5.01 ERA (2008 stats)

Setup

Manuel Corpas
1-3 5.88 ERA

Closer

Franklin Morales
7 SV 4.50 ERA

This look is very deceptive. They have talent here, there is no doubt about it. Jimenez is a legitimate number one starter. Almost had 200 strikeouts last year and the most important quality about him is that he knows how to pitch at Coors Field. Cook is the sinker ball specialist that the Rockies have long coveted. If Cook was not around for his 27 starts, they would not have won the Wild Card. De La Rosa and the since departed Jason Marquis were keeping the Rockies in almost all of their starts. Marquis had 15 wins, but fizzled at the end of the season. De La Rosa however got better as the season progressed (16-3 3.94 ERA after June 1). A career year for him, he will look to replicate that success. Hammel was a breathe of fresh air for the Rockies who were without Jeff Francis all of last year. Hammel is a power pitcher who can get the groundball outs as well. Francis return meant the end for Marquis in Colorado. Francis was the number one, but will be counted on more to be the backbone of the back end of the rotation. Francis was a big part of their success in ’07 when they made it to the World Series that year.
The closer role to start the year will be given to Morales. Huston Street is suffering from shoulder tightness as is the main setup in Rafael Betancourt. Both Street and Betancourt will begin the year on the DL, but it is expected they will return shortly after the season starts. Morales is a fire baller who throws strikes to hitters. It’s tough to pick up pitches from him with his deceptive three quarter delivery. Almost like having Brian Fuentes in the pen again for Colorado. Corpas was the closer in ’07, but control problems and injuries relegated him to the back end of the pen in ’08. He has since regained that control, is healthy and primed for another shot to close possibly if Morales is unavailable for a one or two day stretch. The Rockies will be a fun team to watch in 2010.

Giants Lineup

CF Aaron Rowand
.261 AVG 15 HR 64 RBI
2B Freddy Sanchez
.293 AVG 7 HR 41 RBI
3B Pablo Sandoval
.330 AVG 25 HR 90 RBI
1B Aubrey Huff*
.241 AVG 15 HR 85 RBI
LF Mark DeRosa*
.250 AVG 23 HR 78 RBI
C Bengie Molina
.265 20 HR 80 RBI
RF Nate Schierholtz
.267 AVG 5 HR 29 RBI
SS Edgar Renteria
.250 AVG 5 HR 48 RBI

Considering what they have for pitching, this isn’t gonna cut it. The top of the lineup is good, not great. Rowand is the leadoff hitter by default. Renteria no longer has the bat speed or running ability to be at the top of the lineup which leaves him in the eight slot. Rowand is more selective, but doesn’t get good contact to get on base which is what you need at the spot. Sanchez if healthy (might start year on DL) will be perfect for the Giants. Great contact hitter that can hit to all fields. Injuries have always been a concern with Sanchez, but there is no doubt with him being the number two guy in the lineup. An underrated defender too. Pablo Sandoval aka “Kung Fu Panda” gave the Giants a reason to smile last year. He eased through their system and proved right away how great a hitter he can be. Not in the greatest shape, but he is very agile playing the hot corner. The Giants thought it would take a lot longer to find someone to help them forget about Barry Bonds. His personality is a welcome sight for the clubhouse as well. Huff and DeRosa were the big acquisitions to help the lineup. Huff is going to be in the middle of a pennant race this year. He hasn’t always had that kind of experience in his career except the last quarter of ’09 playing for the Tigers. The Giants are buying a lot of stock in the thinking that Huff will help in the cleanup slot. A risk/reward kind of thinking here. DeRosa is money everywhere he plays. Great guy with a great attitude about playing the game. He can play anywhere you ask him to. Believe me, he won’t be the left fielder for the entire year. His power production is coming on late in his career, but the Giants will take what they can get out of him. Molina was resigned just before Spring Training. He is the slowest guy in baseball, but he doesn’t try to hide from it. He has become one of the best all around catchers in the game. Great at handling the pitching staff. That is the big reason why they brought him back. Schierholtz has a great arm in right, but not the power bat you would like from the position. He possesses a great baseball IQ. A breakout year would be a welcome surprise.

Bench

INF Juan Uribe
.289 AVG 16 HR 55 RBI
OF Fred Lewis
.258 AVG 4 HR 20 RBI
OF Eugenio Velez
.267 AVG 5 HR 31 RBI

Uribe will be the starting second baseman if Sanchez can’t play to start the year. If Sanchez can play, Uribe will be a great spot starter at short as well, his natural position. Uribe still possesses a power arm and a power bat with enough range to play third as well. Lewis can play all three outfield positions. Provides speed off the bench and isn’t a bad pinch hitting option for manager Bruce Bochy. Velez took off when he was called up last year finishing the season as the starting left fielder. He still has a spot on the team because of his bat and speed. Not a terrible fielder, but there is room for improvement.

Rotation

Tim Lincecum
15-7 2.48 ERA
Matt Cain
14-8 2.89 ERA
Barry Zito
10-13 4.03 ERA
Jonathan Sanchez
8-12 4.24 ERA
Todd Wellemeyer*
7-10 5.89 ERA

Setup

Jeremy Affeldt
2-2 1.73 ERA

Closer

Brian Wilson
38 SV 2.74 ERA

The conversation has to start with Lincecum. This year he’s the two time defending NL Cy Young award winner and will be looking to get the Giants into the postseason. Look out National League if this guy gets into the postseason. Size wise he’s the righthanded version of Sandy Koufax with electric stuff. Easily pencil him in for 250+ strikeouts and more than 15 wins this year. Cain is living up to the potential when was first called up. He could already have at least one 20 win season if the Giants would give him more run support in his starts. An equal workhorse next Lincecum. Zito will never live up to the 100 million dollar contract, but he is trying to salvage what’s left. Started out poorly, but bounced back after the All-Star break. He was one of the reasons to the Giants turnaround last year with the team winning 88 games. Sanchez had one great start (a no-hitter), but that was the highlight for him. He was too inconsistent from one start to the next. The talent is there, but he has to remain a force at the back end of the rotation for the Giants to stay in contention. Wellemeyer was a non-roster invite, but he is earning his way into the rotation. Struggled last year in the rotation for the Cardinals, but is a veteran who knows his way around the strike zone. Madison Bumgarner is waiting in the wings should Wellemeyer pitch himself out the rotation.
Brian Wilson is the most underrated closer in the game right now. Constantly throws strikes and gets results (83 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings pitched). It’s comforting for manager Bruce Bochy to know that he has a guy he can count on to help his staff win ball games, no matter the situation. He can appreciate closers since he managed the all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman in San Diego. Affeldt tried his luck as a starter early in his career, but arm trouble forced him to make adjustments and has since been the lefty out of the pen since ’05. ’09 was arguably his best year holding opponents batting average below .200. He can get both left and right handed hitters out. He’s not a specialist by an means. You bring Affeldt out in the eighth and Wilson in the ninth. You’ve essentially assured yourself a W that night.

Dodgers Lineup

SS Rafael Furcal
.269 AVG 9 HR 47 RBI
CF Matt Kemp
.297 AVG 26 HR 101 RBI
RF Andre Ethier
.272 AVG 31 HR 106 RBI
LF Manny Ramirez
.290 AVG 19 HR 63 RBI
1B James Loney
.281 AVG 13 HR 90 RBI
3B Casey Blake
.280 AVG 18 HR 79 RBI
C Russell Martin
.250 AVG 7 HR 53 RBI
2B Blake DeWitt
.204 AVG 2 HR 4 RBI

Basically the same lineup that helped the Dodgers win the NL West and claim the best record in the National League with 95 wins. Furcal must have a better year. Being the catalyst he has to get on base and steal more bases (12) for the Dodgers to keep pace with the Giants and Rockies this year. Kemp had a career year and is settling in as a future star in baseball. His defense matched his offense winning his first of what is to be many Gold Gloves in the outfield. Ethier was the clutch bat for the Dodgers all year even when Manny Ramirez came back in the lineup. Ethier is primed for another All-Star caliber year like Kemp. Ramirez is without a doubt in his last year with the Dodgers. Financially the Dodgers can’t keep him and his bat slowed considerably when he came back from his 50 game suspension for testing positive for PEDs. The Dodgers need Manny to be Manny when it comes to hitting in the cleanup spot. Loney is a sure handed first baseman, but has no power (45 HR in 4 seasons). Playing in Dodger Stadium doesn’t help, but even on the road his power stroke is no where to be found. A good thing he can make contact (.295 career hitter). Blake started out with a bang in ’09 hitting 9 HR through May. The next four months only 9 more. This is probably the last hurrah for Blake, but he is still a great leader on defense with his sure hands covering third base. The Dodgers can’t afford to have Blake being in a slump for most of the year. Martin by far is the biggest disappointment for them. Where are the 20+ stolen bases, .290 batting average and 80+ RBI? The last two seasons it has been missing in action for Martin. He’s dealing with a groin injury this spring, but all signs point to him being able to play at the start of the season. The Dodgers do have A.J. Ellis and Brad Ausmus ready to back Martin, but they need Martin’s bat more than his glove. DeWitt will get a chance to be their second baseman after letting Orlando Hudson depart. As a regular in ’08 he put up decent numbers (.264 AVG 9 HR 52 RBI). It fell off last year due in part to an injury before the ’09 season. Plus Hudson and Furcal being healthy for almost the entire year. DeWitt has a great knack for hitting, but his glove is suspect. Second base is the easiest position for him and the best place for him to get a spot on the roster.

Bench

INF Ronnie Belliard
.277 AVG 10 HR 39 RBI
INF Jamey Carroll*
.276 AVG 2 HR 26 RBI
OF Reed Johnson*
.255 AVG 4 HR 22 RBI

Joe Torre has his work cut out for him. Belliard is a streaky hitter who at first glance looks like Man Ram, but without the dreads. Belliard will be strictly used as the first pinch hitter and occasionally start at third and first for Blake and Loney respectively. If DeWitt struggles, Belliard can be counted on to man second as well. Carroll does bring a lot of versatility to the club. Third, short and second he can cover with no problems. Not a bad pinch hitter either. He will be looked more as pinch runner, but doesn’t have to be benched after that. Johnson can play all three outfield spots and has decent pop, but is prone to injuries. He only played in 65 games for the Cubs last year. Garret Anderson was brought in late in camp to be another bat off the bench. If he makes the roster he will provide veteran leadership that manager Joe Torre covets. It will be interesting to see Anderson except the role of pinch hitter first rather than a starter throughout most of his career.

Rotation

Clayton Kershaw
8-8 2.79 ERA
Chad Billingsley
12-11 4.03 ERA
Hiroki Kuroda
8-7 3.76 ERA
Vicente Padilla
12-6 4.46 ERA
Charlie Haeger
1-1 3.32 ERA

Setup

George Sherrill
21 SV 1.70 ERA

Closer

Jonathan Broxton
36 SV 2.61 ERA

A lot of pressure has fallen on the shoulders of the starting rotation this year. Kershaw is being hailed unfairly as the next Sandy Koufax. Way too soon folks. Kershaw is potentially great, but how will he fare after his poor showing against the now rival Phillies in the postseason? Kershaw also needs to get more chances to win when he pitches. Eight wins in 30 starts is not gonna warrant any comparisons to Hall of Famers. Billingsley was on pace for 18+ wins at the start of the ’09 season. As soon as the All-Star break hit, he faltered like the rest of the team and started going in the opposite direction. Billingsley should be the number this year, but with his poor finish to ’09, he will be looking up at Kershaw. Kuroda’s season was halted when he was hit by a line drive on the head in Arizona. He recovered from that in September, but he wasn’t the same pitcher who had a fantastic strikeout to walk ratio (87 K to 24 BB). Fully recovered Kuroda is an underrated starter for the Dodgers who can give you a good 6-7 innings a start. Padilla was the saving grace for the starting staff to finish the season going 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA with LA. He’s been called a head hunter by many in baseball, but the Dodgers think it’s just all emotion with Padilla. When he gets in jams he loses control of his pitches and gets into trouble. Padilla seemed to find inner peace when he arrived in LA. Can he do it for an entire season? Haeger is the favorite to win the fifth spot. A knuckle ball specialist who put up impressive numbers in 22 starts at AAA. If he doesn’t win the job, Ramon Ortiz who hasn’t pitched in the majors since ’07 is the other favorite. He bounced around the various Carribean leagues and latched on with the Dodgers as a non-roster invite.
The one thing to watch every year with a Joe Torre managed ball club is how he manages the bullpen. He has always overworked his bullpen and last year was probably the best example of it. Four of the regulars in the bullpen pitched at least 45 games or more last season. Will that happen again this year? Probably. It’s not because of Torre, but more because of the questions with the starting staff. Randy Wolf and Jon Garland were let go and they could go at least 7 innings every start giving the bullpen two days off with their starts. Sherrill was acquired at the deadline from Baltimore last year and appeared in 30 of his 72 games for the Dodgers. He can be a closer for the Dodgers too if Broxton should get hurt. Sherrill doesn’t walk many hitters and that’s good for the defense which relies too much on Broxton to strikeout the three batters he faces in the ninth. Broxton struck out 114 batters last year, which is an insane amount for a closer now a days. Broxton pitched in 73 games and is built for the heavy workload of a 162 game season, but the Dodgers can’t afford to have any setbacks in the pen. The staff can’t make up for it.

Diamondbacks Lineup

SS Stephen Drew
.261 AVG 12 HR 65 RBI
LF Conor Jackson
.182 AVG 1 HR 14 RBI
RF Justin Upton
.300 AVG 26 HR 86 RBI
3B Mark Reynolds
.260 AVG 44 HR 102 RBI
1B Adam LaRoche*
.277 AVG 25 HR 83 RBI
C Miguel Montero
.294 AVG 16 HR 59 RBI
2B Kelly Johnson*
.224 AVG 8 HR 29 RBI
CF Chris Young
.212 AVG 15 HR 42 RBI

The D’Backs were widely considered to be the next big thing after the ’07 season. The young lineup was full of upside and the rotation was coming into its own. Reality came crashing into them in ’08 and ’09. The lineup still has plenty of promise going into 2010. Drew is not exactly what they want in the leadoff spot, but he does make contact. Not a lot of speed, but is smart on the base paths. Jackson is fully recovered from valley fever. A great hitter that is perfect for the two slot in the order. If he is back to his old self, the lineup will be better for it. Upton and Reynolds will eventually be the best 3-4 hitters in the game. You can bet on it. Upton will have his share of MVP consideration in his career. Reynolds is the real deal when it comes to power and driving in runs. He strikes out way too often though. LaRoche and Johnson were signed away from the Atlanta Braves in the offseason. LaRoche provides the D’Backs with insurance in the power department behind Upton and Reynolds. LaRoche has sure hands at first to help the infield defense. Johnson is a good defender at second, but must improve on his ’09 stats and be more like ’08 (.287 AVG 12 HR 69 RBI). Montero is exactly what they needed for a hitting catcher. Gap to gap hitter with power and isn’t too bad handling the pitching staff. The haven’t had a hitting catcher since Rod Barajas left in ’04. Young will be the key for Arizona. If he can get back to form when he first arrived in the desert, the D’Backs will be a dangerous ball club again. Five tool talent in Chris Young if he can ever stay out of his funks.

Bench

INF Ryan Roberts
.279 AVG 7 HR 25 RBI
OF Gerardo Parra
.290 AVG 5 HR 60 RBI
C Chris Snyder
.200 AVG 6 HR 22 RBI

A good cast at the top of their bench. Roberts provides a right handed hitting option at second for Johnson and can give Reynolds the occasional day off at third. Roberts is strictly a contact hitter, but can hit the fat pitch out if given the chance. Parra played a lot last year with the injury to Jackson. Parra has decent speed, but his bat is what will keep him on the roster. That and his versatility to play all three outfield spots with no problems. Snyder has his priorities on the defensive side then the offensive, but is more than capable of handling the staff and giving Montero the rest he will need during the long season.

Rotation

Dan Haren
14-10 3.14 ERA
Edwin Jackson*
13-9 3.62 ERA
Ian Kennedy*
0-4 8.17 ERA (2008 stats)
Rodrigo Lopez*
3-1 5.71 ERA
Billy Buckner
4-6 6.40 ERA

Setup

Aaron Heilman*
4-4 4.11 ERA

Closer

Chad Qualls
24 SV 3.63 ERA

A lot of new faces for this staff. Jackson and Kennedy were acquired in a three way trade with the Tigers and Yankees. Heilman in a trade with the Cubs. Lopez was brought in as a non-roster invitee. It all starts at the top with Haren, but where is Brandon Webb? The former Cy Young winner will be sidelined to start the year as a precautionary move. They don’t want to rush anything with him who has a lot to prove being in the final year of his contract. When they have Webb and Haren together, Arizona is very tough to beat back to back. Haren with his splitter and Webb his sinker ball are the best at getting out of jams quickly and quietly. Jackson is a good pitcher. An All-Star last year it was puzzling to see him get dealt from Detroit. Jackson being in the National League will only help him as he has one less hitter to worry about. Look for a near repeat in Jackson’s numbers this year. Lopez played in a handful of games for the Phillies last year. He doesn’t have the velocity anymore, but can throw strikes and get hitters to chase. A good veteran to help stabilize this relatively young staff. Kennedy was hurt for much of last year and is getting a second chance if you will in Arizona. Like with Jackson, pitching in the National League can only help the hard throwing righthander. Buckner pitched okay last year, but he is only expected to be in the rotation the first month until Webb returns.
Heilman has had a roller coaster career. One is good, the next dreadful, the one after good and so on. This is expected to be the good year coming over from the Cubs. There was talk of him being a starter in Chicago, but the experiment fizzled in New York a long time ago. His style and delivery are meant for the bullpen. Works quickly and doesn’t mess around when he’s out there doing his job. That will help manager A.J. Hinch, who was hired in May last season to reverse course for Arizona, knowing he has Heilman out there getting quick outs. It will come in handy when Qualls enters to close. A setup guy in Houston before, he was called to close last year and performed admirably allowing only 7 walks in his 51 appearances. Arizona is still at least one, maybe two years from getting back into contention in the NL West, but the Dodgers, Rockies and Giants are the contenders right now.

Padres Lineup

CF Tony Gwynn Jr.
.270 AVG 2 HR 21 RBI
2B David Eckstein
.260 AVG 2 HR 51 RBI
1B Adrian Gonzalez
.277 AVG 40 HR 99 RBI
3B Chase Headley
.262 AVG 12 HR 64 RBI
RF Kyle Blanks
.250 AVG 10 HR 22 RBI
LF Will Venable
.256 AVG 12 HR 38 RBI
C Nick Hundley
.238 AVG 8 HR 30 RBI
SS Everth Cabrera
.255 AVG 2 HR 31 RBI

The Padres didn’t make moves to bring in the big bats, but went with what they already had. They did trade 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff to Oakland before Spring Training. All he did was bat .255 with 18 HR and 88 RBI in 141 games. That for San Diego is a big chunk of offense now gone. With what they have now it will be even more difficult to score with just Adrian Gonzalez in the middle of the lineup. Gwynn and Eckstein are decent pair to get on base in front of Gonzalez. Gwynn has the speed and ability to make contact in the leadoff spot. Gwynn is not trying to follow in his Hall of Fame father’s footsteps, but he has plenty to go for him. Eckstein can still get the bunt down, take pitches and execute the hit and run that manager Bud Black has brought from his coaching days up the I-5 in Anaheim. Gonzalez will be great for the Padres which is amazing since Petco Park is such a tough place to hit. However, Gonzalez isn’t a pull hitter, but can spray a double down the left field line or a double to left-center. He will be a great addition to whichever team he is dealt to this year. Headley and Banks will try to replace Kouzmanoff’s production for the Padres. Headley will go back to his natural position at third base. While Gonzalez is around, Headley should learn to be more like him as far as hitting with the ball as opposed to just hitting the ball. Blanks has great power potential (10 HR in 54 games). He will need to be more patient once Gonzalez is gone. Blanks is the future cleanup hitter for this team. Venable will be in a platoon with Scott Hairston in left field. Venable also has decent pop, but should be more of a contact hitter. The power will come with experience. Hundley has great potential as a hitting catcher. He will need to work on his skills as a catcher though. Still a raw prospect, but it is now his time to shine and become what the Padres thought he will be. Cabrera is a superb defender and base stealer (25), but must be able to find a comfort zone in the batters box. Highly touted prospect Matt Antonelli is waiting in the wings to play either shortstop or second base.

Bench

INF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr.*
.251 AVG 10 HR 39 RBI
INF/OF Scott Hairston*
.265 AVG 17 HR 64 RBI
C Yorvit Torrealba*
.291 AVG 2 HR 31 RBI

The Padres did well to strengthen their bench for 2010. Hairston Jr. is the more versatile Hairston. Any position he can handle, which helps immensely for manger Bud Black. So many options you can throw off the opponent with. His bat has dropped off, but at this point isn’t considered an everyday player. Scott Hairston was brought back after being dealt in a mid-season trade with Oakland. He performed well in both places and will platoon with Venable in left. Should he be needed, he can play anywhere else on the diamond. Two Hairstons’ are better than one after all. Torrealba is a perfect fit. Great defensive catcher who can hit, but not power. Hundley will learn a lot from him this season. Torrealba was apart of the Rockies success two of the last three seasons. Not that it will result in the same in San Diego, but it sure won’t hurt.

Rotation

Chris Young
4-6 5.21 ERA
Kevin Correia
12-11 3.91 ERA
Jon Garland*
11-13 4.01 ERA
Clayton Richard
9-5 4.41 ERA
Mat Latos
4-5 4.62 ERA

Setup

Joe Thatcher
1-0 2.80 ERA

Closer

Heath Bell
42 SV 2.71 ERA

This is a definite if Young is healthy and Bell is still around after the trade deadline. Young is being counted on to be the ace since the departure of Jake Peavy last year. San Diego would like a similar year to ’07 (9-8 3.12 ERA). It is far fetched to think that it could happen. Half his starts will be in Petco Park. Considered to be the ultimate pitchers park. Correia was the saving grace for the staff last year. With another good year from him and a return to form from Young, the Padres rotation will have a good one-two punch at the top. Garland is an innings eater who will help the bullpen get a day off. It was a strange that the Dodgers didn’t bring Garland back, considering his ERA was 2.72 in six starts for them. San Diego will be looking for similar stats from him throughout the year. Richard will be the lone left hander in the rotation. He doesn’t possess over powering stuff, but knows how to get guys out. He was the main piece in the Peavy deal with the White Sox and this is the year to show Padres fans what he can do. Latos has a lot of upside and is in the mold of Chris Young. Tall righthander that has a deceptive delivery. Latos does have expectations within the organization, but just needs to pitch within himself and he will do fine. Being the fifth starter doesn’t bring much pressure to succeed.
Bell will be the second player up for trade rumors throughout the season. Saving 42 games and striking out 72 batters will get you noticed when you do it on a bad team. He has come into his own from being an okay setup guy for former closer Trevor Hoffman to being thrown into the role of replacing him and performing at an All-Star level. Thatcher is the lefty specialist/setup pitcher for the Padres. He is doing a great job at it. Manager Bud Black, being the former pitcher himself, has done a masterful job of making something out of nothing with the Padres pitching since his arrival in ’07. The best the Padres can do this year is finish ahead of Arizona. Unfortunately it won’t happen with the lack of punch in the lineup. The pitching will be the one thing keeping them in ballgames.