San Diego Padres: Many 2017 Camp Competitions Wide Open

A lot of excitement and uncertainty will surround spring training when the San Diego Padres take the field this February. Above all else, these three competitions will take center stage.

The countdown is on for the San Diego Padres and the rest of baseball. With less than a month before pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Florida and Arizona, anticipation for the 2017 season is mounting.

For the Padres, looking forward to Opening Day brings excitement, but also raises questions. Hopefully, competitions for roster spots and starting jobs will all be ironed out during the club’s time in Arizona.

With the significance of this in mind, we take a deeper look at three positions which will be up for grabs this spring.

Rotation

Obviously, the most important and most compelling aspect of the spring is how the starting rotation will take place. This is the case not only because of the importance of having a deep rotation, but also because there are few locks to be a part of this unit.

Southpaw Clayton Richard figures to be the Opening Day starter, and it seems probable that Luis Perdomo and Christian Friedrich will also find themselves in this group. Beyond these three though, the race is truly wide open.

The Padres signed Jhoulys Chacin and Trevor Cahill presumably with the intention they would start, but this doesn’t mean they won’t have to earn it. If they don’t, Jarred Cosart, Paul Clemens, and even another offseason acquisition

Non-roster invites such as Kyle McGrath could also shape this competition if a serious impression is made. In other words, we have no idea how this rotation will look. We do know, however, that every outing of the spring will be heavily scrutinized and will help shape the rotation.

Second Base

With the Padres re-signing third baseman Yangervis Solarte, the second base position has become much more highly contested. Since rookie Ryan Schimpf will not be making a move over to third, him, as well as Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje will each seek an every day role at second.

While many consider this to be a weak spot for San Diego, the club does have three capable starters. The difficult part will be deciding the winner of this wide open competition.

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Schimpf hit 20 home runs in just over a half of a season last year, but isn’t as reliable with the glove as Asuaje. Spangenberg seems to be the most complete player of the three, and has waited for a starting role for several seasons. But he isn’t necessarily a part of the youth movement taking over the organization.

With all of these factors taken into consideration, there is no clear favorite. Each will have his play assessed this spring thoroughly, and the compelling race for the starting position will be a major story of camp.