Joe-Heyward tandem solidifies left field for Padres

February 14th, 2025

PEORIA, Ariz. -- As with much of their roster, the Padres’ left field situation is much clearer now than it was last month.

and are on board -- and both have reported to camp ahead of Monday’s first full-squad workout. The expectation is a platoon between the two, with the lefty-hitting Heyward starting against right-handed pitching and the righty-hitting Joe against lefties.

“We’ve got Jason here for a reason, and we’ve got Connor here for a reason,” said manager Mike Shildt. “Obviously, there’s a lefty and a righty.”

Then ShiIdt went on to point out that it might not always be so straightforward. There’s a vacancy at DH -- and the possibility that both Heyward and Joe could be in the lineup together.

A number of factors are at play. Here’s a look:

Heyward’s role
For all intents and purposes, Heyward is the starting left fielder. He’s the better defender of the two, meaning he’ll play left when both are in the lineup. Plus, as the lefty-hitting half of a platoon, he’ll naturally get more at-bats.

Ideally, the Padres will get the version of Heyward who thrived for Houston down the stretch last year (.756 OPS) compared with the version that mostly struggled with the Dodgers (.682).

“Just bring what I bring,” Heyward said. “Be myself in the clubhouse, be myself on and off the field. [I’ll] go play wherever I’m needed in the outfield and do what I can to help others around me get better.”

Indeed, that was part of the calculus when the Padres signed the 35-year-old. He’s a 15-year veteran who has reached the postseason in 10 of those seasons.

“You’re talking about a winning player,” Shildt said. “He’s a proven guy, a real pro, and he's clearly going to get the opportunity to go play and take the opportunity in left field.”

Joe’s role
A Poway native, Joe insisted he did not prioritize joining his hometown Padres in free agency.

“We honestly tried to leave geography out of it and tried to pick the best opportunity, for me and our family,” Joe said. “It so happened it was the Padres.”

Then again…

“I've obviously been a Padres fan my whole life,” he added. “So this is a really cool full-circle moment.”

Joe has split time between first base and the outfield corners throughout his career, and he’ll obviously receive starts in left against certain left-handers. As for first base, Shildt noted recently that Luis Arraez is viewed as the team’s regular starter. But Joe will continue to get reps there.

Meanwhile, there’s a case for Joe as the likeliest starter at DH come Opening Day.

The DH effect
“We don’t have a set DH like we’ve maybe had in the past,” Shildt said. “Which is fine, great. We can pass it around a little bit, get guys off their feet.”

Heyward won five Gold Gloves in right field and was a backup center fielder last season. So the Padres can give Fernando Tatis Jr. or Jackson Merrill a DH day, knowing they have a capable replacement.

That being said, San Diego could clearly use another bat for its DH/bench mix. Maybe the answer is internal: Gavin Sheets and Mike Brosseau are non-roster options who have filled similar roles before.

Of course, the Padres had almost the exact same question marks at this point last spring. Jurickson Profar -- on roughly the same prove-it contract as Joe and Heyward -- became an All-Star. David Peralta and Donovan Solano were hugely valuable pieces. The Padres need more of that magic.

“We’re going to have to have a couple surprises,” general manager A.J. Preller said of his left field/DH mix. “Those are good guys that we feel like have a chance to surprise a little bit. But we’re going to continue to look to see if we can add to the offense as well in the next couple weeks.”

Others in the mix
Tirso Ornelas, MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 Padres prospect, is looking to break through after eight years in the team’s Minor League system. It’s likelier that Ornelas will serve as outfield depth at Triple-A. But he could force his way into the picture with a strong spring performance.

Shildt also noted that the versatile Eguy Rosario is adding left field to his skill set. Rosario (and his 1.217 OPS in 46 career at-bats against lefties) is a candidate for a utility role on the bench. Same for Brandon Lockridge, whose baserunning and outfield defense make him a candidate for a bench spot.