SAN DIEGO -- The Padres are in the final stages of mapping out their Opening Day roster, meaning new manager Jayce Tingler isn't yet certain exactly how many pitchers he's going to keep.

But rest assured: Tingler won't skimp on pitching.

"Is it going to be 15, 16, 17 pitchers?" Tingler asked, rhetorically. "We're having discussions on that."

Any of those three numbers would be unprecedented for an Opening Day roster. Of course, it's an unprecedented season, and rosters will expand to 30 for the first two weeks of the season.

The benefits of extra pitching are obvious. Given the nature of a three-week camp, it's unclear just how much length the Padres' starters will be able to provide at the outset. A deep bullpen would give them plenty of cover.

Perhaps more importantly, the Padres seem very flexible regarding how they plan to use the Nos. 4 and 5 spots in their rotation. Tingler has noted that he might use openers or bullpen days.

"Having the flexibility to do different things could be important," Tingler said.

As things stand, the Padres have already sorted out eight places in their bullpen. (Kirby Yates, Emilio Pagán, Drew Pomeranz, Matt Strahm, Craig Stammen, Pierce Johnson, Javy Guerra and newcomer Tim Hill.) If Cal Quantrill misses out on a rotation spot, he's a lock for the bullpen, so that makes it nine.

But if Tingler is considering the possibility of keeping 17 pitchers, that leaves as many as three places up for grabs. Candidates for those spots include Michel Baez, Adrian Morejon and Gerardo Reyes, among others.

The Padres open the season with 30 games in 31 days, and they see immense value in keeping their best bullpen arms fresh. It's possible that value outweighs the benefits of keeping, say, a third catcher or a fifth outfielder.

"If they can [get outs], that's going to bring value to this team," Tingler said. "Maybe that person's pitching if we're down four or five runs. The importance of not having to use the guys that you're really reliant on -- that adds up over time as well.

"On paper, some days it doesn't look like a meaningful or impactful inning. But when you're avoiding using guys for the third, fourth day in a row -- guys you're really reliant on -- that could be critical."

A homecoming for Hill
Last week's trade sending Hill from Kansas City to San Diego came as something of a shock. He'd spent all six of his seasons as a professional in the Royals' organization.

But Hill probably couldn't have picked a more comfortable destination. The left-hander played junior college baseball at Palomar College and has several friends and family members in the area. (He's already had to rebuff a couple requests to meet up, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.)

On top of that, fellow Padres lefty Matt Strahm is one of Hill's best friends and former roommates, dating back to their time together in the Royals' organization.

"It really, really helps to have Matt here," Hill said. "He's like a brother to me, so that's made the transition a little bit more smooth."

Hill's story is one of perseverance. He overcame colon cancer, which was diagnosed during Spring Training in 2015, and underwent chemotherapy in San Diego. As a result, Hill would have been eligible to opt out of the 2020 season as a high-risk individual. But he chose to play instead.

"I feel healthy, I feel strong, obviously I'll be super careful," Hill said. "But I just want to play baseball."

Hill threw his first bullpen session on Sunday, then pitched in the team's intrasquad game Tuesday night. Given his excellent numbers against left-handed hitters, he will be used mostly to combat tough lefties. But Hill gave a full endorsement of the three-batter minimum, even if some people on the outside believe it diminishes his value.

"In the past I'd get pigeonholed into, 'You're going to face this lefty,'" Hill said. "I'm excited to prove myself that I can get righties out as well."

Fans in the stands -- sort of
For their first series of the season against the D-backs this weekend, the Padres will station cardboard cut-outs of players' family members and loved ones in the seats behind home plate. That gesture has resonated with players and staff.

"If that's meaningful to someone to look back and have a reminder of somebody that's been super impactful in their life, I think that's pretty cool," Tingler said.

Tingler noted that he'd likely find pictures of his two boys to add to the cut-out collection.

"They've been back in Missouri," Tingler said. "I'm obviously missing them, so it'd be pretty cool to see them on some kind of daily basis."

Up next
The Padres' final tune-up for the 2020 season comes Wednesday night when they head to Anaheim for an exhibition game against the Angels at 6:40 p.m. PT. The game might go a long way toward settling the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Both Joey Lucchesi and Quantrill -- the primary contenders for that role -- are slated to pitch, with Lucchesi getting the start. Fans can catch the action live on MLB.TV or listen on Gameday Audio.