SAN DIEGO -- The Padres' second-base job is one of many positions that will be wide open heading into next season, according to manager Andy Green.
Despite the play of rookie Ryan Schimpf, who had hit 14 home runs with an .887 OPS through 57 games entering Wednesday, both Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje will be competing for the job.
"Those are names that will be vying for that spot going into next year," Green said. " ... Nobody's earned a job where it's like, 'Hey, it's this person's job going into the year.' ... I think all these guys, the message that's been delivered is: Keep fighting. Get better. Earn your job for the future."
That message won't be restricted to just second base, with almost every position on the field -- aside from first base, with Wil Myers -- an open competition.
Spangenberg has missed most of the season after tearing and retearing his left quad, but the former first-round Draft pick was a 2-WAR player for San Diego last season over 108 games while hitting .271/.333/.399.
Asuaje has done nothing but hit since the Padres acquired him, along with No. 2 prospect Manny Margot, in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox. Through 122 games with Triple-A El Paso this season, Asuaje has hit .322/.380/.462 with seven home runs and nine triples, in addition to making the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
Given the number of options and the fact that the 2017 season is still more than seven months away, Green is far from penciling someone's name in at the keystone.
"I think all these guys will play a role in what we do in the future," he said, "but to sit here and anoint anyone as the starting second baseman or the front-runner is way too premature in my mind."
At this point, the Padres will just have to appreciate that they have solid options to choose from when the time comes.
Worth noting
• Luis Urias, the Padres' No. 11 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, was named the California League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year on Wednesday. Urias, who is more than two years younger than the average Cal League player, has hit .324/.392/.426 with five home runs in 108 games with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore.
Urias is second in the league in batting average and fourth in on-base percentage. He made the biggest leap among Padres prospects at MLBPipeline.com's midseason rankings, moving from No. 29 to No. 11.
• The Padres are still mulling over what to do with left-handed starter Christian Friedrich, who just doubled his innings total from 2015. They could move him to the bullpen or skip his next start to try and limit his workload.