3 Padres position battles to watch in spring training

San Diego Padres pitchers and catchers are now just one week away from reporting to camp, and with the start of spring training comes some much anticipated position battles that are sure to shakeup the state of the team. Assuming there are no blockbuster moves between now and the first day of spring training February 12th—with the way the offseason has gone, this seems like a safe assumption—there are three main position battles that Padres fans should look out for.

A depleted starting rotation, Jurickson Profar's departure leaving a sizable gap in left field, and with uncertainties behind the plate, a number of Padres players will be looking to make an impression on Mike Shildt and his staff in the coming months.

Starting rotation

The front half of the Padres starting rotation is seemingly set in stone. Assuming both Dylan Cease and Michael King stay in San Diego following the Padres inability to trade Cease and King's recent contract extension, they will surely be number one and two starters. Yu Darvish should slot in as the team's number three, taking Joe Musgrove's spot due to him missing the entirety of 2025. That leaves the four and five spots available for a number of Padres pitchers.

Randy Vasquez and Matt Waldron have the most major league experience out of the Padres available options, making 20 and 26 starts respectively in 2024. The problem however, is neither Vasquez or Waldron were as effective as the Padres hoped. San Diego lost 15 of the games Waldron started, and 11 of the games Vasquez started, more than half for both of them. For either of them to solidify themselves as part of the rotation, both must improve on their above average ERA's (4.91 for Waldron and 4.87 for Vasquez), and above average opponent averages (.255 and .304).

Two new additions to the roster, Henry Baez and Ryan Bergert who were both called up from Double-A San Antonio, both have a chance to snag one of those spots as well. Bergert, the lesser known of the two prospects, is more of a longshot to make the rotation. A recent stint in the Arizona Fall League saw Bergert struggle with command, giving up 12 walks in 14.2 innings pitched. Baez, the Padres number seven ranked prospect, has much more of a chance to grab a rotation spot. High strikeout and low walk numbers saw Baez carry a 2.95 ERA over 17 starts at the Double-A level in 2024.

Left field

The largest gap in the Padres defense, the question as to who will take the starting spot on Opening Day is still very much up for debate. Jurickson Profar's signing with the Atlanta Braves has placed San Diego in a precarious position. Unable to spend big money on a potential free agent addition, the Padres may need to look inward to find a Profar replacement.

Tirso Ornelas, Brandon Lockridge, and Tyler Wade have all spent time in left field at some point in their careers, and should expect to spend some time at the position at spring training. Tyler Wade seems to be the least likely, as the Padres need for infield depth has most likely kept Wade to a bench/utility role for 2025.

That leaves Ornelas and Lockridge as viable options for San Diego. Ornelas has yet to make his MLB debut, but the Padres number 18 ranked prospect who has been touted as having raw power and a strong arm, may be called upon at some point in the coming season. Lockridge on the other hand has just 12 appearances in his MLB career, and is seen more as an on-base threat than at the plate. Able to play both outfield and second, Lockridge could find himself in a starting or utility role come game day.

Catcher

San Diego's situation at catcher is not as dire as the others, but there is still room for some changes. After finally making a major league signing and bringing Elias Diaz back to San Diego for 2025, Padres fans' concerns over depth at the position seemed to mostly fade away. Who will be the Opening Day backstop however still needs to be worked out, with Diaz vying for the position along with Luis Campusano, Brett Sullivan, and Martin Maldonado.

Maldonado was a desperate signing for depth, and Sullivan has struggled in his time in the majors. Both seemingly not threats to take the starting role, it comes down to Diaz and Campy. Diaz has a strong case for the spot; a former All-Star and late season addition by San Diego in 2024, he has the major league experience and skill set needed to take the job. Campusano, who was sent down to Triple-A around the same time Diaz was signed, seems to still garner hope from the Padres staff. As of now, either of them could be named the Opening Day catcher.