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Padres may not be done at second after Jurickson Profar acquisition

By Cheri Bell

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 15: Jurickson Profar #23 of the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 15, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 15: Jurickson Profar #23 of the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 15, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – MARCH 23: Xavier  Edwards of San Diego Padres tagged out in second base Ivan Terrazas of Diablos Rojos in the 2nd inning during a friendly game between San Diego Padres and Diablos Rojos at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium on March 23, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. The game is held as part of the opening celebrations of the Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium, now the newest in Mexico to play baseball. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – MARCH 23: Xavier  Edwards of San Diego Padres tagged out in second base Ivan Terrazas of Diablos Rojos in the 2nd inning during a friendly game between San Diego Padres and Diablos Rojos at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium on March 23, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. The game is held as part of the opening celebrations of the Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium, now the newest in Mexico to play baseball. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /

Who is that 2B of the future?

I have my own take on that, but it is safe to say that none of them will be beginning the season as the starter.

Of the four prospects in the system who are likely to be available to fill second base for the foreseeable future, none is as exciting to me as Xavier Edwards.

Others might be ready sooner but he has the highest upside and skills. At 20 years old, Edwards completed the 2019 season with Lake Elsinore with a .322/.375/.396 slash line and .771 OPS.

The #5 Padres prospect as ranked by MLB.com, Edwards is an advanced contact hitter with speed and strong defensive skills. He projects as a top of the order hitter with switch-hitting capability. But the ETA of 2022 does not put him in the Padres plans for the near future.

Owen Miller, the #10 prospect, finished last season with the Amarillo Sod Poodles and could be major league ready in 2020 but the Padres can’t afford to count on a rookie to come in and succeed immediately.

That was clearly demonstrated by Luis Urias both in 2018 and 2019. Miller, at 23 years old, is a plus runner and contact hitter with an average arm who hit .290/.355/.430 last season with a .785 OPS.

The other two top prospects, Tucupita Marcano and Esteury Ruiz, are both 20 years old and too far away in their development to know if the Padres have a major league player in either of them.

Marcano possesses the best tools at this point, with plus speed and contact ability.

Ruiz is raw and undisciplined with plus speed. It will be a year or two before it can be determined if he will develop into a real player, and that’s if he isn’t taken in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

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