Padres Spring Training Inching Closer

The Padres open their Spring Training exhibition schedule Wednesday March 2nd against the Mariners with a charity game in Peoria, Arizona. For baseball fans and San Diego fans in particular that date can’t seem to come soon enough.

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The Chargers season was dismal and was likely their last – or second to last at best – in San Diego. The Padres have not had the blockbuster moves they had the previous season – but have picked up several key players both for now and in the future. They finally got that shortstop they were looking for in Alexei Ramirez, and shipped out disappointing players like Yonder Alonso and Jedd Gyorko.

They have managed to retain their trio of starting pitching in James Shields, Andrew Cashner, and Tyson Ross – as well as solidifying a position for Wil Myers – who faces a very important 2016 for his career. Will he simply be labeled “injury plagued but full of promise” or will this be the year he puts together a full, solid season for a team?

The bullpen has been depleted and built back up with youth and veterans. Fernando Rodney appears the front-runner to close based on experience alone, but some youth has been brought in as well. Brandon Maurer has left the bullpen – for now – in hopes of cracking the starting rotation after a very successful first year as a Padre.

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Still many questions remain for the team – who will fill out the rest of the rotation? Who will play left field? Are we sure against Yangervis Solarte at third and Cory Spangenberg at second? If not – who will play there?

Tickets for Spring Training can be bought here. Highlights include a night game the first week against the World Champion Kansas City Royals – a team the Padres are hoping to learn a few things from. They do get a chance to host the Chicago Cubs who many expect to win the National League if not the World Series this year after making it to the NLCS last season. They also play a few games down in Mexico near the end of Spring Training before preparing to start the season with their season opener against the Dodgers Monday April 4th at 4:05 PST.