PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres begin Cactus League play on Friday at 12:10 p.m. PT against the Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex. The game will be available for free on MLB.TV.
Here’s a look at the four spring roster battles to watch and the candidates for each:
1. The back end of the rotation
Contenders: Randy Vásquez, Germán Márquez, Walker Buehler, JP Sears, Matt Waldron, Triston McKenzie, Marco Gonzales
Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove are locks.
“We feel good about those three,” said new manager Craig Stammen. “And then there’s competition.”
Lots of it, suddenly, with the additions of Márquez, Buehler and Griffin Canning this week (though Canning is unlikely to be fully built up by Opening Day, after his 2025 season ended in June due to a left Achilles tear.)
Even after those moves, Stammen reiterated that Vásquez has an “inside track” to one of the remaining spots, following his solid performance last season. If, indeed, Vásquez wins that spot, does that leave six-plus pitchers vying for one place at the back end?
Not necessarily. Musgrove is coming off Tommy John surgery. King only made 15 starts last year while dealing with a nerve issue and left knee inflammation. It’s unlikely but at least possible that the Padres would use a six-man rotation to start the season.
“Everything’s on the table,” Stammen said. “We want to do what’s best for them and what’s best for the team, and how we marry those two things is yet to be determined.”
2. First base/DH
Contenders: Gavin Sheets, Nick Castellanos, Miguel Andujar, Sung-Mun Song
Gavin Sheets will start against right-handed pitching -- and that’s about the only certainty in this race. It’s not clear where he’ll start. It’s not clear who else starts with him. And it’s not clear who’s starting against lefties.
There’s playing time available on a daily basis. Stammen cited his desire to give regular DH days to some of his regulars -- which could give Song an advantage, given his versatility. But Castellanos can play both outfield corners, and Andujar can play both left field and third base. So there’s plenty of flexibility.
Given the Padres’ struggles against lefties last season, Castellanos and Andujar would seem to have the upper hand against left-handed pitching. But there’s enough competition where they’ll have to earn those at-bats.
3. The last bench spot
Contenders: Bryce Johnson, Ty France, Will Wagner, Mason McCoy, others
Two spots on the Padres’ bench will go to the two above first base/DH candidates who aren’t playing each night. Another spot goes to the backup catcher -- very likely to be Luis Campusano at this point. That leaves one place available and a handful of candidates vying to fill it.
Johnson would seem to have the upper hand in the competition, given the Padres’ need for a backup center fielder behind Jackson Merrill. Wagner and McCoy are plenty versatile in the infield. But the Padres already have a whole bunch of versatility with Song and Jake Cronenworth.
But it’s also possible San Diego could use Ramón Laureano to back up in center field, which might give France a path to a roster spot. Sure, there’s already a crowd at first base. But none of those first-base options is particularly adept with the glove. France, meanwhile, just won a Gold Glove Award at the position and could be a viable defensive replacement and pinch-hit bat.
4. The last 1-2 bullpen spots
Contenders: Bradgley Rodriguez, Ron Marinaccio, Alek Jacob, Kyle Hart, Logan Gillaspie, Ty Adcock, Bryan Hoeing, Daison Acosta, Garrett Hawkins, Omar Cruz
Here’s where it becomes clear just how big a strength the Padres’ bullpen will be this season. They’ll have Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada and Jason Adam at the back end. But even beyond that quartet, there’s some serious depth. Some of these options would crack the season-opening bullpen on just about any other team. But the Padres have a logjam.
That’s the way they drew it up. Depending on Adam’s health, they project to have either one spot or two available in their season-opening bullpen. (Adam is hoping to be back from surgery to repair his ruptured left quadriceps tendon by Opening Day. But it’s unclear if he will be.)
The Padres already have a fairly solid left/right balance, so it’s not imperative that they keep a pitcher with a certain handedness. Perhaps some length would be useful. But again, there are options for that. Really, this choice seems like a competition in the purest sense: The best pitcher (or two) will win the job(s).