Around the Horn: Corner infielders
01/25/2006
The apparent absence of offensive muscle is a common lament among Padres fans as they inspect the reshaped 2006 roster and wonder where manager Bruce Bochy will find power outlets.
In a perfect world -- and where can it be more perfect than celestial San Diego? -- the corner infield positions will generate significantly more offensive firepower than they did during the club's 82-80 run to the National League West title in '05.
Bochy will be looking for production from new performers at both first and third, where strength will be found in numbers. Last April's starters, Phil Nevin and Sean Burroughs, are in Texas and Tampa Bay, respectively, and those who replaced them over the course of the '05 season -- Mark Sweeney, Robert Fick, Xavier Nady, Joe Randa -- also have new homes.
Ryan Klesko will make the move back to the infield from his adventures in left. The hope is that the burden will be less taxing on his sometimes fragile frame and that he'll return in his walk year to the form that once made him a feared slugger.
"Klesko should be healthier and happier at first, which will help his offense," general manager Kevin Towers said.
Should Klesko falter, either physically or in performance, there will be no shortage of options.
Adrian Gonzalez, the No. 1 overall pick by Florida in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft out of San Diego, will showcase excellent defensive skills along with a bat that has made impressive noises in the Minor Leagues as well as in Mexico's Winter League.
Acquired in the six-player blockbuster with Texas, Gonzalez is No. 2 on the depth chart. At 23, in a new environment and a new league, he'll ideally get occasional playing time in support of Klesko while appearing in the late innings protecting leads with his glove work.
Also bidding to force their way onto the roster are three left-handed hitters: Paul McAnulty, Walter Young and Jack Cust.
McAnulty, from Oxnard, Calif., and Long Beach State, has been a productive hitter everywhere he has played. Calling to mind former Padre John Kruk in hitting style and appearance, McAnulty has impressed Bochy with his work ethic and attitude. He can play left field as well as first.
Young, a masher taken on waivers after the Orioles released him, could be a sleeper. He's a big man at 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, and he doesn't get cheated.
Calling the acquisition a "no-brainer at $20,000," Towers said he'd love to see Young make a push for a roster spot. He batted .303 in 30 at-bats with the Orioles in '05.
Known for his plate discipline and occasionally compared with Klesko, Cust batted .257 in '05 with a club-high 19 home runs and 75 RBIs in 134 games for the A's Triple-A Sacramento River Cats affiliate.
Originally a first-round pick of the Diamondbacks in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Cust has a career batting average of .220 in 141 Major League at-bats with five home runs and 19 RBIs while performing for Arizona, Colorado and Baltimore.
Across the field, another crowd has formed around Castilla, acquired from the Nationals for starter Brian Lawrence on Nov. 3.
The Padres are looking for more muscle from a position that yielded a slender total of five homers and 37 RBIs from Burroughs and Randa in 507 combined at-bats in '05.
The issue with Castilla is his age, not his talent or attitude. At 38, he knows he must show that he hasn't lost bat speed or quickness in the field, that he's still an asset after putting together subpar numbers (.253, 12 homers, 66 RBIs) for Washington in cavernous RFK Stadium in '05.
"I saw no fall-off in Castilla last year," Towers said. "He did have some knee problems, but our reports are good. I think he'll play 120 to 130 games."
This is a man with 315 homers and 1,078 RBIs along with a .278 batting average across 13 full seasons, a two-time All-Star.
The Padres are convinced he'll find left field at PETCO Park accessible with his stroke -- and that he'll be revitalized by the Pacific breezes and proximity to his native Mexico.
"He's known around the game as a leader, and we think he'll be tremendously popular with our Mexican fan base," Towers said. "We're delighted to add a player of Vinny's caliber."
In support of Castilla are three veterans who plan to show they're capable of playing every day -- Mark Bellhorn, Geoff Blum and Bobby Hill. All three also are in the hunt at second base along with rookie Josh Barfield and veteran Eric Young.
Bellhorn and Blum bring power and solid defense to the position, while Hill is known for his ability to get on base and save runs with his glove.
"We feel we have a lot of depth at both corner spots," Towers said. "We think we'll improve our production at the corners."
Source: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/
The apparent absence of offensive muscle is a common lament among Padres fans as they inspect the reshaped 2006 roster and wonder where manager Bruce Bochy will find power outlets.
In a perfect world -- and where can it be more perfect than celestial San Diego? -- the corner infield positions will generate significantly more offensive firepower than they did during the club's 82-80 run to the National League West title in '05.
Bochy will be looking for production from new performers at both first and third, where strength will be found in numbers. Last April's starters, Phil Nevin and Sean Burroughs, are in Texas and Tampa Bay, respectively, and those who replaced them over the course of the '05 season -- Mark Sweeney, Robert Fick, Xavier Nady, Joe Randa -- also have new homes.
Ryan Klesko will make the move back to the infield from his adventures in left. The hope is that the burden will be less taxing on his sometimes fragile frame and that he'll return in his walk year to the form that once made him a feared slugger.
"Klesko should be healthier and happier at first, which will help his offense," general manager Kevin Towers said.
Should Klesko falter, either physically or in performance, there will be no shortage of options.
Adrian Gonzalez, the No. 1 overall pick by Florida in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft out of San Diego, will showcase excellent defensive skills along with a bat that has made impressive noises in the Minor Leagues as well as in Mexico's Winter League.
Acquired in the six-player blockbuster with Texas, Gonzalez is No. 2 on the depth chart. At 23, in a new environment and a new league, he'll ideally get occasional playing time in support of Klesko while appearing in the late innings protecting leads with his glove work.
Also bidding to force their way onto the roster are three left-handed hitters: Paul McAnulty, Walter Young and Jack Cust.
McAnulty, from Oxnard, Calif., and Long Beach State, has been a productive hitter everywhere he has played. Calling to mind former Padre John Kruk in hitting style and appearance, McAnulty has impressed Bochy with his work ethic and attitude. He can play left field as well as first.
Young, a masher taken on waivers after the Orioles released him, could be a sleeper. He's a big man at 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, and he doesn't get cheated.
Calling the acquisition a "no-brainer at $20,000," Towers said he'd love to see Young make a push for a roster spot. He batted .303 in 30 at-bats with the Orioles in '05.
Known for his plate discipline and occasionally compared with Klesko, Cust batted .257 in '05 with a club-high 19 home runs and 75 RBIs in 134 games for the A's Triple-A Sacramento River Cats affiliate.
Originally a first-round pick of the Diamondbacks in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Cust has a career batting average of .220 in 141 Major League at-bats with five home runs and 19 RBIs while performing for Arizona, Colorado and Baltimore.
Across the field, another crowd has formed around Castilla, acquired from the Nationals for starter Brian Lawrence on Nov. 3.
The Padres are looking for more muscle from a position that yielded a slender total of five homers and 37 RBIs from Burroughs and Randa in 507 combined at-bats in '05.
The issue with Castilla is his age, not his talent or attitude. At 38, he knows he must show that he hasn't lost bat speed or quickness in the field, that he's still an asset after putting together subpar numbers (.253, 12 homers, 66 RBIs) for Washington in cavernous RFK Stadium in '05.
"I saw no fall-off in Castilla last year," Towers said. "He did have some knee problems, but our reports are good. I think he'll play 120 to 130 games."
This is a man with 315 homers and 1,078 RBIs along with a .278 batting average across 13 full seasons, a two-time All-Star.
The Padres are convinced he'll find left field at PETCO Park accessible with his stroke -- and that he'll be revitalized by the Pacific breezes and proximity to his native Mexico.
"He's known around the game as a leader, and we think he'll be tremendously popular with our Mexican fan base," Towers said. "We're delighted to add a player of Vinny's caliber."
In support of Castilla are three veterans who plan to show they're capable of playing every day -- Mark Bellhorn, Geoff Blum and Bobby Hill. All three also are in the hunt at second base along with rookie Josh Barfield and veteran Eric Young.
Bellhorn and Blum bring power and solid defense to the position, while Hill is known for his ability to get on base and save runs with his glove.
"We feel we have a lot of depth at both corner spots," Towers said. "We think we'll improve our production at the corners."
Source: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/
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