Padres get to know prospects at minicamp
Players get head start with drills, individualized instruction
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres' annual minicamp for many of the organization's top prospects got underway Wednesday at the team's Spring Training facility.
All told, 39 players -- 16 pitchers, five catchers, nine infielders and nine outfielders -- began drills as well as individualized instruction from the organization's Minor League coordinators, managers and coaches.
The new wrinkle this year is, well, many of the faces running the minicamp are new, including director of player development Sam Geaney, who was hired last fall by general manager A.J. Preller.
Among the new faces -- or ones in different roles this season -- are player development special assistant Moises Alou, player development consultant Dave Snow, field and hitting coordinator Luis Ortiz, outfield and baserunning coordinator Tarrik Brock, pitching coordinator Mark Prior, roving pitching instructor Gorman Heimueller and Minor League pitching instructor Eric Junge.
The new coaches to the organization are Ben Fritz, Glendon Rusch, Lance Burkhart and Marvin Benard.
"This will be a chance to introduce our staff and program to players as well as the opportunity for the players to get individualized instruction," Geaney said.
The roots of the minicamp date back to the late 1980s, when Tom Romenesko was the Padres' Minor League director. Former Padres scouting director Randy Smith resurrected the program six years ago with the goal of giving players a head start through instruction before Minor League camps open the first week of March.
Smith is now a senior advisor for baseball operations who reports directly to Preller.
The players attending the minicamp include pitchers Brandon Alger, Ryan Butler, Jose Castillo, Thomas Dorminy, Jean Garcia, Ronald Herrera, Stephen Kohlscheen, Dinelson Lamet, Zech Lemond, Elliot Morris, James Needy, Dennis O'Grady, Colin Rea, Gerardo Reyes, Jerry Sullivan and Mitch Watrous.
Video: Top Prospects: Zech Lemond, RHP, Padres
The catchers are Michael Miller, Ryan Miller, Zach Risedorf, Ricardo Rodriguez and Jose Ruiz.
The infielders are Carlos Belen, Franchy Cordero, Marcus Davis, Ruddy Giron, Duanel Jones, Fernando Perez, Gabriel Quintana, Luis Urias and Josh VanMeter.
The outfielders are Auston Bousfield, Michael Gettys, Travis Jankowski, Edwin Moreno, Jordan Paroubeck, Franmil Reyes, Yale Rosen, Nick Torres and Jose Urena.