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3 Padres spring training overreactions after first week of action

What are some of the most outlandish observations from the first few Cactus League games?

By Drew Koch |
San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove
San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove / Norm Hall/GettyImages
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Spring training typically ushers in optimism for every single Major League Baseball fanbase. Well, maybe not the Oakland A's, but the other 29 teams surely count. For the San Diego Padres, despite the trade with the New York Yankees earlier this offseason that sent Juan Soto to the Bronx, there's still a level of optimism that this year's Friars team can compete for a playoff spot in the National League.

Unfortunately, spring training also brings with it a number of overreactions. Fans of every team, who've been deprived of baseball for months, make wild observations about some young prospect becoming the second-coming of Ted Williams, or an old veteran being washed up.

And when it comes to the Friars faithful, there's no exception. You know who you are. What are some overreactions Padres fans have had during the first week of Cactus League games?

3 Padres spring training overreactions after first week of action

Xander Bogaerts will win a Gold Glove at second base

Just because it worked for Marcus Semien doesn't mean that line of thinking will hold true for Xander Bogaerts. After years as the Oakland A's shortstop, Semien switched to second base during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays and won a Gold Glove in 2021. Bogaerts, after 10-plus seasons as a shortstop with both the Padres and Boston Red Sox, is switching to the keystone this season.

New Padres manager Mike Shildt was late with the information, but spoke to Bogaerts once the team arrived in Peoria about switching positions. A career shortstop, Bogaerts will be sliding a few steps to his left in 2024 as Shildt looks to improve the Padres defense with Ha-Seong Kim as the starting shortstop.

And while Bogaerts has the potential to be a better defender at second base than he ever was at shortstop, the numbers don't suggest fans will see a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman. Throughout his career, according to FanGraphs, Bogaerts is worth -60 defensive runs saved (DRS) while playing shortstop and third base.

Bogaerts had one good defensive season throughout his career, and that was his final year in Boston. While a Gold Glove may be out of reach, a Silver Slugger shouldn't be. Bogaerts has five of those, so if you want to dream big, Pads fans, let's start there.

The Padres don't need another outfielder with Jackson Merrill on the roster

Throughout the entire offseason, the overarching narrative has centered around the Padres' lack of outfielders. Until the club signed Jurickson Profar, the only outfielders on the 40-man roster were Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jose Azocar.

But, after barely a week of games, it would appear as though San Diego may have solved the outfield issue with an in-house candidate. Jackson Merrill, who is a non-roster invitee and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, has played very well thus far.

Merrill, who's an infielder by trade, has made a rather seamless transition to playing left field. The 20-year-old has caught the eye of Pads fans, and many are ready to crown Merrill the Opening Day left fielder. However, it's a bit too early to make such a wild proclamation.

Remember, Merrill hasn't even set foot on a Triple-A field. While Merrill got in a lot of work this offseason at other positions besides shortstop, making the switch to the outfield isn't as easy as it sounds.

While the San Diego Padres shouldn't abandon the idea of allowing Jackson Merrill to win a spot on the Opening Day roster, it shouldn't preclude the Friars from adding a veteran outfielder either. Non-roster invitee Oscar Mercado has shown off some power this spring, but there are plenty of upgrades still available on the open market. A.J. Preller shouldn't close the door to a free agent signing or a trade just because of the hype surrounding one the Padres' top prospects.

Joe Musgrove should not be the Padres Opening Day starter

It has not been a good start to the Cactus League season for Joe Musgrove. After an injury-plagued campaign a year ago, the hope among Padres fans is that their ace would return to form. But to date, Musgrove has been ghastly.

Java Joe couldn't get out of the first inning during the Padres' spring opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, Musgrove didn't even record an out. The right-hander's second start yielded more of the same, with 1.2 innings of work and four earned runs on three hits. Musgrove doesn't even have a strikeout this spring.

But, thanks to the leap year, it's still the month of February. While the Padres start the season earlier than almost every other team because of the Seoul Series this year, there's still time left for Musgrove to get right. When he's on his game, Musgrove is the best pitcher on the Padres roster.

Rest assured that, barring injury, Musgrove will be on the hill when the Padres battle the Dodgers in Korea next month. Yu Darvish looked good during his spring debut and Michael King, whom the Friars acquired from the New York Yankees, will round out the top of the Padres starting rotation.

Spring training is filled with overreactions each year, and 2024 is no different. The same holds true for the first week of the regular season, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

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