Countdown to Opening Day: #13 San Diego Padres

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#13: San Diego Padres: Picking up where they off

PROJECTED LINEUP
SS Everth Cabrera
CF Wil Venable
3B Chase Headley
2B Jedd Gyorko
LF Carlos Quentin
1B Yonder Alonso
RF Seth Smith
C Yasmani Grandal

PROJECTED ROTATION
Ian Kennedy
Andrew Cashner
Josh Johnson
Tyson Ross
Eric Stults

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Huston Street

Set-up: Joaquin Benoit

Top Prospect: Austin Hedges (C)

Quietly the Padres finished third in National League West last season. Most people would probably guess fifth, fourth at the highest. But they were a third place team after a 16-11 finish to the season. In that month Jedd Gyorko

Andrew Cashner

hit seven homers with 20 RBIs, Chase Headley hit .305 with 15 RBIs, Tyson Ross had 37 strike outs in 33 innings, and Andrew Cashner was a dazzling 0.76 ERA in 26 innings.
There is no reason those same players can not repeat the final month of the season. And now they will have speedster Everth Cabrera back from his drug suspension. Putting all together for 162 games may be tough, but this team is not walk over at Petco Park anymore. If Josh Johnson can stay healthy look for the Padres to contend for the a playoff spot.
And if Yonder Alonso and/or Yasmani Grandal can take a step forward, they could be a scary bunch in the sun. They may be a year or two off, but Padres are definitely headed in the right direction.

 

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - There is no reason for Chase Headley not to sign an extension in beautiful sunny California now the Padres have turned a corner. Headley heads a strong lineup with Gyorko, Alonso, and Everth Cabrera. The pitchers play to their park and the back of the bullpen, Huston Street and Joaquin Benoit, is lights out.

Jedd Gyorko

REAL TALK - The Padres are going to be in the mix for the Wild Card all season long. They will be a scary
team in a one-game play-in, but in a five or seven games series I would lean toward the team with more experience. I expect when the season ends, they will not garner any hardware, but clearly be headed in the right direction.

Breakout: Andrew Cashner (RHP)

Bust: Chase Headley (3B)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Jedd Gyorko (2B)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 76-86 (3rd in NL
 West)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 86-74 (3rd in NL West) 

**Check back tomorrow for the New York Yankees*