Adrian Gonzalez is gone — that's the biggest headline of the winter. However, after losing their biggest star, the Padres are still in position to compete in a winnable National League West.
2010 record: 90-72, second in National League West
Manager: Bud Black
Key additions: SS Jason Bartlett, 2B Orlando Hudson, CF Cameron Maybin, 1B Brad Hawpe, 1B/3B Jorge Cantu, C Gregg Zaun, RHP Aaron Harang.
Key losses: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, IF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr., OF Scott Hairston, SS Miguel Tejada, C Yorvit Torrealba, RHP Jon Garland, RHP Kevin Correia, RHP Chris Young, RHP Adam Russell.
Outlook: The 2010 Padres surprised most of the baseball world by staying in the race for a playoff spot until the final weekend of the season, despite a roster that lacked star power beyond first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
Well, Gonzalez is now gone, traded to Boston in the biggest deal of the winter and dramatically altering the upstart Pads heading into 2011.
Faced with economic realities that assured it of not being able to re-sign Gonzalez, the front office did well to get three very good prospects from the Red Sox and then set out to make a series of modest moves designed to prevent an absolute free-fall.
Give general manager Jed Hoyer credit. Not only did he get some pieces for the future in Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Reymond Fuentes, but those modest moves should have San Diego a very viable group in the NL West.
In acquiring Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson to man the middle of the infield, the Pads will have a quality defense around the diamond. Third baseman Chase Headley has already established himself with the glove. This is no small factor when one considers that the top two pitchers, Mat Latos and Clayton Richard, are ground-ball pitchers — both coming off 14-win seasons — who are still refining their craft.
Then again, spacious Petco Park can play into the hands of a pitcher who works in the air. Enter Aaron Harang, who may be able to rediscover the form that saw him win 16 games two years in a row now that he is out of the Great American Ballpark. He is lined up as the No. 3 starter.
The outfield is filled with "ifs." If Cameron Maybin, once a top prospect in both Detroit and Florida's systems, can turn a change of scenery into a breakout campaign, and if Ryan Ludwick can stop the slide in production he has suffered through since his 37-homer season with St. Louis in 2008, and if Will Venable can take that next step toward potential 30-30 territory, there could be enough production to prevent everyone from lamenting the loss of Gonzalez.
If not, and San Diego is playing in a lot of low-scoring games once again, that's where the bullpen comes in. It was the best in baseball last year with a 2.81 ERA and it returns just about everybody, including All-Star closer Heath Bell. The relief corps alone will have the Padres in plenty of games. It's up to someone other than Gonzalez to put them over the top enough times to be relevant.
What it means to the Red Sox: San Diego invades Fenway Park on June 20-22. It will be interesting to see where Gonzalez's old teammates stand at that point.
