San Diego Padres: Solving the current outfield equation

The new guys

Tommy Pham comes to the Padres as one of the most productive of the Tampa Bay Rays players. He is a true left fielder with big offensive talents, an edgy personality, limited arm strength and a presence in the clubhouse.

If he can play equal to his career arc, the Padres have their best outfielder.

Trent Grisham came to the Padres, along with RHP Zach Davies, from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for IF Luis Urias and LHP Eric Lauer.

The bat first lefty, 23 years old, comes to the Padres from a playoff team where he was trying to survive an outfield blunder during the playoffs that cost the Brewers a costly run.

Grisham’s claim to fame as a highly rated Brewers prospect was his bat. But after struggling during his minor league career, Grisham made some adjustments to his batting grip and approach with dramatic improvements in his stats.

Grisham is basically an untried major league player. His short tenure with the Brewers tells us little about his ability to hit major league pitching.

His defense is average with an adequate arm and good speed. He can play all three outfield positions but his arm strength will limit him.

Spring training might determine if he starts the season with the major league squad or in Triple-A for more seasoning.