San Diego Padres: Position players whose stock rose after week one

The San Diego Padres’ first week of Spring Training games are in the books. They had several key individuals stand out on their way to a 6-1 record.

While the games don’t mean a thing in terms of the overall goals set forth by the San Diego Padres in 2020, a 6-1 record isn’t a bad thing. How would we be feeling right now if they were 1-6? Anyways, the team’s 40-man roster is jam-packed, and we knew, heading into the exhibition games, that several position battles were going to be fun to watch.

As we flip the calendar to March, and as the roster spots start to dwindle, it will be critical for guys to stand out from the pack. The 26-man roster is relatively set with a few potential spots left for players to earn playing time at the big league level.

Let’s look at several position players who saw their stock rise after the first week:

Taylor Trammell

If Trammell continues at this pace, he is going to earn himself a roster spot at the Major League level. The 22-year-old, acquired in the three-team deal centered around Trevor Bauer last year, has gotten off to a blazing start. He’s appeared in six of the seven games thus far and has slashed .429/.500/.571.

Trammell has six hits in 14 at-bats this spring, including two doubles with one RBI and four walks. The mechanical changes to his swing are paying off, and he could potentially latch on as the fourth or fifth outfielder, especially if Tommy Pham isn’t ready to throw by Opening Day.

Trent Grisham

I have a sense that Grisham is going to post a terrific season and make the Milwaukee Brewers question why they traded him. Many people were making a judgment on him based on his miscue in the NL Wild Card game last year, but he’s trying to erase all of that with a solid spring.

He’s doing his best to convince, as he is slashing .455/.500/.727 through four games. Grisham has five hits, including a monster home run on Friday night against the Chicago Cubs.

Edward Olivares

Olivares is going to be a stud, but he’s likely not going to crack the Opening Day roster for the Padres. The 23-year-old came over in the Yangervis Solarte trade, and through seven spring games, he’s slashing .667/.700/1.333. He has six hits, including a double, triple, home run, and three RBI.

If you recall, he also hit an absolute no-doubter this past week. He has crazy power, but unless the Padres move some off of the existing 40-man roster, he’s likely to spend most of the 2020 season at Triple-A.

Jason Vosler

Could Jason Vosler find a role with the big-league club, or is he a Spring Training star at best? The former Cubs prospect has yet to make his Major League debut, and time is running out for the 26-year-old. He performed well playing for Triple-A El Paso last season and is off to a good start in camp so far.

Through five games, Vosler is slashing .636/.714/1.091, and he has seven hits. He leads the team with five RBI and also has two doubles and a home run in his back pocket. He’s played all over the infield, but could he crack the Opening Day lineup as Eric Hosmer‘s backup? Or become the backup at second base?