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Padres new-look OF is improved, but still work to be done

By Jake Mastroianni

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 7: Manuel Margot #7 of the San Diego Padres, right, is congratulated by Wil Myers #4 after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of the opening day baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at PETCO Park on April 7, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 7: Manuel Margot #7 of the San Diego Padres, right, is congratulated by Wil Myers #4 after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of the opening day baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at PETCO Park on April 7, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 06: (L-R) Manuel  Margot #7, Hunter  Renfroe #10 and Wil  Myers #4 of the San Diego Padres celebrate in the outfield after the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 06, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Padres defeated the Dodgers 3-1. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JULY 06: (L-R) Manuel  Margot #7, Hunter  Renfroe #10 and Wil  Myers #4 of the San Diego Padres celebrate in the outfield after the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 06, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The Padres defeated the Dodgers 3-1. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

Current outfield construction

Once the Pham trade is made official, that will once again give the Padres eight outfielders on their 40-man roster.

Of those eight, six will likely be fighting for five spots on the Opening Day active roster.

Pham and Myers are certainly a lock for a starting spot at this point, but the problem with that is they both have primarily played left field in their careers.

One would have to move to right field, and that’s most likely going to be Myers who has more experience there.

That leaves center field open in what looks to be a platoon situation between Manuel Margot and Trent Grisham.

Margot has been much better against left-handed pitchers in his career hitting .278 against them with a .775 OPS.

It was a very short sample size for Grisham in his big league debut in 2019, but he did hit better against righties with a .234 average and .333 OBP — granted his averages weren’t great against either.

Josh Naylor and Franchy Cordero would battle for the fifth outfield spot on the active roster.

That outfield certainly seems like an upgrade over last season’s group, but I wouldn’t say it’s a dramatic difference.

Even if you count on a bounce-back season from Myers, I would expect this outfield to combine for a WAR of around 6, which would still rank in the bottom half of the league.

That’s why I think there is still more work to be done in the outfield this offseason.

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