San Diego Padres Spring Notebook: Get As Excited As Freddy Galvis

The San Diego Padres are in full spring training mode, now armed with a fancy new toy; Eric Hosmer. The combination of Hosmer and a brand new season has lead to a unique feeling in San Diego.

Outside of the Eric Hosmer signing, yesterday appeared to be one of the more interesting days of spring training for the San Diego Padres. In case you missed any of the news out of camp, let’s get you updated.

First, fans will quickly see just how quantifiable of an asset leadership is. Much of the debate surrounding the acquisition of Hosmer has centered around the question of whether or not a team should pay for leadership qualities. We can’t speak on Hosmer yet, but other Padres’ veterans are quickly attempting to leave their mark.

Recently acquired veterans Freddy Galvis, A.J. Ellis, and Chase Headley may not be with the team for very long, but that’s not stopping them from stepping into leadership roles. As mentioned by Jeff Sanders yesterday in the San Diego Union-Tribune, all three have found themselves as part of the first group of players to arrive and last ones to leave on a daily basis.

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“You put your team first,” said Freddy Galvis in the piece who has taken Luis Urias, Javier Guerra, and Carlos Asuaje under his wing.

Galvis and his infectious attitude seemed to have quickly spread. Speaking with Derek Togerson yesterday, Galvis mentioned that the Padres can be “one of the best teams in baseball.”

With spring training games beginning Friday, you can’t help but get excited about Galvis’ outlook for this year’s team. Are the San Diego Padres going to the playoffs? Probably not. However, prospects such as Urias, Fernando Tatis, Jr., and others have quite the set of role models to develop that winning culture from.

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Finally, Manager Andy Green confirmed the pitching lineup for Friday’s opening game. Brett Kennedy, Miguel Diaz, and Kyle Lloyd will pitch against the Seattle Mariners. A series of non-roster invitees will round out the rest of the game.