12 pitchers? Three catchers? Padres have big decisions for NLDS roster

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres’ Wild Card Series roster plan worked to absolute perfection. Nearly everybody contributed (aside from the Game 3 starter candidates, and, hey, after a two-game sweep of the Cubs, we’ll never know who that would’ve been).

It all gets trickier as the postseason goes deeper, though. The series get longer. The opposition gets tougher. There are more eventualities to plan for and more innings to cover.

The Padres will need to set their roster Saturday morning, before Game 1 of the NLDS against the Brewers that night. Here are some crucial decisions they’ll have to make, and why they matter:

1. Is Joe Musgrove now a legitimate contributing member of this bullpen?

Musgrove’s entrance for the ninth inning Tuesday against the Cubs was inarguably one of the coolest moments in the history of Petco Park. The hometown kid, who hadn’t pitched in almost two years, made his return to the mound … by closing out a playoff game.

Incredible stuff. Now, the Padres will be forced to put the sentimentality of it aside and ask themselves whether Musgrove is now a contributing member of this Padres bullpen.

“Amazing that [general manager] A.J. [Preller] and [manager Craig] Stammen had the trust in me to throw me out there in those situations,” Musgrove said. “But I’ve been there before. I’ve done it at a high level in the playoffs. I’m hoping to prove myself and earn some more roles here in the playoffs.”

Musgrove’s Game 1 outing lasted all of six batters. It was a bit of a mixed bag. He allowed two hits and a walk in the ninth. He also stranded those runners and showcased some nasty stuff -- a fastball that ticked up to 96.8 mph, a curveball that put away both Michael Busch and Michael Conforto.

The question with Musgrove was mostly about how well he would bounce back from his outings. His surgically repaired elbow wasn’t allowing him to throw in the days after his rehab starts -- which led to a couple of setbacks. That doesn’t seem to be an issue now that Musgrove has moved to the ‘pen.

In a normal bullpen, Musgrove probably showed enough to warrant his inclusion on the roster. But need we remind you: This isn’t a regular bullpen. It’s among the best -- and maybe the deepest -- in baseball.

2. How many pitchers do the Padres carry?

Randy Vásquez threw 68 pitches in Sunday’s regular-season finale, effectively ruling him out for the Wild Card Series. He’s suddenly back in the mix for the Padres’ postseason roster plans. So is lefty Wandy Peralta, who didn’t match up especially well against the Cubs.

Does that put the roster spots of Musgrove or David Morgan in jeopardy? Is it those four pitchers for two spots? Maybe. But the likelier option seems to be that the Padres would carry 12 pitchers for the NLDS.

They could get by with 11 in the Wild Card round, because they only needed three starters. They still need to figure out who’s starting Game 1 against the Brewers. From there, it’s presumably Michael King and Nick Pivetta for Games 2 and 3, respectively -- and then they’ll also need to plan for a Game 4 starter.

More starts to cover. More innings to cover. Makes sense that the Padres would consider carrying 12 pitchers.

So, while it’s Musgrove, Morgan, Peralta and Vásquez vying for the remaining available spots -- there might be three spots to go around this time, rather than two.

3. Do the Padres stick with three catchers?

If we assume the above is true -- that the Padres would lean toward 14 position players and 12 pitchers -- that would take a roster spot away from one of the team’s hitters.

Who, exactly? That’s not a straightforward decision, considering the Padres carried 15 hitters -- then used every single one of them in the two-game Wild Card Series.

You can make the case, generally speaking, that carrying three catchers is a luxury. But with these three catchers in particular, the Padres don’t seem to view it that way.

“We could start all three of them at any point,” Stammen said. “We feel really good about our three catchers. I feel like those three are as strong as any group of three in the big leagues, and they'll bring different skill sets to the table.”

Indeed, the skill sets of Luis Campusano, Ethan Salas and Freddy Fermin seem to complement one another perfectly. Salas can start against righties. Campusano can start against lefties. Fermin is the best defender of the three -- and his presence allows the Padres to use either of the other two as a pinch-hitter. (Or, in the case of Salas, to pinch-hit for him against a tough lefty.)

The Padres did all of those things in two games against the Cubs. And Salas, clearly, wasn’t overwhelmed by the moment. It stands to reason they’d want to keep that going.

But if the Padres are carrying 12 pitchers, where do they find space on the roster? Gavin Sheets seems like a must-keep, given his clutch pinch-hit homer and his lefty bat. Jase Bowen is a must-keep, too, given the value of his outfield defense.

Reading between the lines, then: Austin Hays, Samad Taylor and Miguel Andujar for two spots.