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Padres Press Clips

Saturday, March 17, 2018

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Padres Skip Schumaker still setting the example SD Union Tribune Sanders 2

Luis Perdomo seizes opportunity in bid to make SD Union Tribune Acee 6

Padres rotation

Clayton Richard the Padres only choice to start SD Union Tribune Acee 9

Opening day

Hosmer heating up as he gets ready for Padres SD Union Tribune Acee 12

season

Headley stays hot, Hedges cold, Asuaje cools as SD Union Tribune Acee 13

Padres lose to KC

Hosmer homers against former team MLB.com Cassavell 14

Capps, Villanueva among players out of option MLB.com Cassavell 15

Richard named Padres’ opening day starter MLB.com Cassavell 17

2018 Preview: San Diego Padres NBC Sports Calcaterra 19

MacKenzie Gore adjusts to Padres’ spring training Star News Riley 21

grind

Moustakas on facing Hosmer: ‘It’s just weird seeing Associated Press Staff 23

him over there’

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Padres' Skip Schumaker still setting the

example

Jeff Sanders, SDUT

The son of a chief of sanitation for Los Angeles County’s beaches and harbors, Skip

Schumaker grew up on Southern California’s coasts. Naturally, he was drawn there

again when he retired two weeks into Padres camp two years ago. Four days a week,

Schumaker would strap a long board onto his black GMC Canyon for excursions off

the shores of San Onofre, Salt Creek or Trestles.

It was the life.

It just wasn’t necessarily a great example for his children, 10-year-old Brody and 8-

year-old Presley.

“I didn’t know how good of a look that was for my kids to see every day,” Schumaker

said as he settled in for his first year as the Padres’ first base coach. “I needed to do

something to show them you have to work to be successful and to actually earn a

living and that baseball just isn’t real life. That’s just not going to happen for most

people. I needed to do something to show them that I work, too — not just put a

surfboard on top of my car.”

Of course, Schumaker had worked.

Worked to parlay a career at Aliso Niguel High into a scholarship to UC Santa

Barbara and ultimately a fifth-round draft selection. Worked to climb

the Cardinals system. Worked liked crazy to stay there for 11 years.

His reputation, as well as the experience he picked up as a 2011 world champion and

a producer on a perpetual winner in St. Louis, led Padres manager Andy Green to

pursue Schumaker for a role in the organization shortly after he retired in the spring

of 2016. Green, it turns out, wasn’t going to settle even after Schumaker took an

assistant’s role in the front office a few months after hanging up his cleats.

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“I always knew he was wired to be impactful,” Green said. “Over the last two years, he

was a guy I called all the time — ‘Hey, what do you see here? What do you think we

need to do?’ I’d listen to his takes and realize how great his baseball insight and

knowledge was and, honestly, his edge was. I pursued him for the better part of last

year.”

Fast-forward to this spring.

Schumaker, now 38, is back in Padres camp. His presence — whether he’s sitting in

the clubhouse with players before stretch, running drills at first base or last to lunch

after working in the outfield with Wil Myers — mirrors his demeanor as a player not

so long ago.

He is sincere.

He is detailed-oriented.

On the field, where he preaches “if you do eyewash drills, you’re going to be an

eyewash player,” Schumaker is as fervent as it gets.

“He’s the nicest guy in the wold, but he’s a guy who’s very big on doing stuff the right

way,” outfielder Travis Jankowski said. “You don’t do stuff the right way and you

don’t do what he asks? I don’t want to see that switch. I don’t know if he has that

switch, but I don’t want to see that switch go off.”

Jankowski is especially attentive on the bases this spring.

Among the fleetest of foot in camp, the 26-year-old never worried about which foot he

hit a bag with on the way to the next. He was taught never to stutter-step — just run

right on through to maintain maximum speed.

The right way, according to the new gospel in Peoria, is to hit the base with the right

foot, the easiest to use to pivot toward the next.

Schumaker has done the homework. His new base-running disciples are a bit

nervous notto relearn this tendency before camp breaks.

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“I’m terrified,” Jankowski said with a laugh (he may or may not have been joking). “I

feel like if you hit the bag with the left foot he’s going to come over and rip your jersey

off. He’s just freaking jacked and walking around with that shaved head. He just looks

like a guy you don’t want to make angry. My goal is as soon as I hit that ball is I better

be hitting the bag with the right foot.”

Added Hunter Renfroe: “It's the kind of deal where everybody pays attention to it

when someone else is running. We all start yelling right foot when someone's running

the bases.”

The right hand, too, is an emphasis for base-stealers. That’s the first movement that

Schumaker wants exploding toward second base, so he’s having runners catch balls

with their right hand as they jump toward second in one particular drill last week in

camp.

These are the sort of little things that Schumaker picked up while playing under

former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and first base coach Dave McKay in St.

Louis, where his motor had him table-setting for Albert Pujols in the prime of his

career.

The way Schumaker coaches today is precisely the way he played.

“I only know the way I grew up and the way I am, which is a little more intense than

maybe the normal person,” Schumaker said. “That was the only way and I knew I

needed it. If I had stepped off the gas even a little bit, I would have never gotten

to Triple-A, let alone the big leagues. I had to keep going.”

Today, that work ethic extends to video work and player reports easily scheduled

around important family time in the mornings in Orange County. He’s expanded

upon his subjects of expertise — the outfield and base-running — in ways he refuses

to share for publication. The simplest of gains in often overlooked phases of the game

can add up, and Schumaker is determined to make the Padres the benefactor of

proprietary information.

“Runs are at a premium,” Schumaker said. “In our division, it’s going to be tough to

score. If we can take that extra base, it’s really a mentality, a mindset of these guys

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and to have that kind of attitude – that no fear attitude that they have in the box, they

need to have it in the outfield and on the bases.

“If they are that complete player and we have eight of those guys in the field, it’s a

whole different ballgame.”

In a division with baseball’s biggest spenders, the Padres are counting on those sort of

incremental improvements.

That’s why Green pegged Schumaker as his man from the get-go.

“To find somebody who’s going to passionately convey the message and the fine

details of the game,” Green said, “it’s harder than you think, because most people end

up brushing them aside at time. Like, ‘That’s not a big deal if his secondary wasn’t

good. That’s not a big deal if he touched the bag with his wrong foot. That’s not a big

deal if he didn’t get a great jump. That’s not a big deal if he didn’t take a great first

step.’

“Coaches tend to get complacent. That’s not gonna happen with him. He’s going to be

on it all year long.”

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Luis Perdomo seizes opportunity in bid to

make Padres rotation

Kevin Acee, SDUT

The push for Luis Perdomo has been pitching aggressively, staying focused every

batter and consistently hitting spots with the right pitches.

These things, in particular, have been a struggle for the talented 24-year-old who has

done his learning in the major leagues the past two years after being a Rule 5 draftee

in 2015.

Perched precariously between again starting for the Padres or being sent down to the

minors, the right-hander responded Friday with his best outing of the spring. After a

two-run homer by the Royals’ Salvador Perez in the first inning, Perdomo set down

nine of the 12 batters he faced to close out 4 2/3 innings of work.

And with Chris Young allowing eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in the 12-4 loss, Perdomo

likely regained the advantage he had lost in securing one of the two available spots in

the starting rotation.

“I think everything came together,” Perdomo said through an interpreter. “This

spring, I’ve really tried to focus on throwing to lanes. I executed that today. I was able

to throw to lanes pretty well and execute my pitches, stay aggressive. … After that one

at-bat, I was attacking, attacking. That’s what I said last night would be my plan, and

I was able to do it.”

Perdomo posted a 4.67 ERA in 29 starts last season. In only one of those outings did

he not give up a run. He allowed four or more earned runs in 10 of his starts. Still,

there were flashes many games of a pitcher who could dominate, so the Padres

focused early in spring on Perdomo becoming more fine and maintaining an

aggressive approach with every pitch.

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“He got after it,” manager Andy Green said after Friday’s game. “I was very pleased

with his outing today, especially to give up two early and shut it down. He knows he’s

competing, and he feels that, and he was good today.”

Young, who was coming off four scoreless innings in his last outing, came on in place

of Perdomo with the bases empty and two out in the fifth. He gave up two runs before

getting an out, allowed two more runs in the sixth and four in the seventh.

“It’s a tough one,” Green said. “Almost every single guy in Major League Baseball has

a spring outing that is a throwaway outing that you don’t want to read too much into.

I think that’s what it was today. He didn’t have much going for him, and they squared

him up.”

Still, in that Green has repeatedly noted the need for the 38-year-old to continue to

prove he can get outs as he goes deeper in spring, it would seem Young will need to

bounce back strong in his next outing to make the team.

Green has said Young could be kept as long man in the bullpen. He will have

competition there, too, as the Padre have moved Jordan Lyles from vying for a

starting job to vying for a spot in the pen. Robbie Erlin, who will start an intrasquad

game Saturday, is stil holding on in the rotation race but could also end up in the

bullpen.

Tyson Ross, who threw four scoreless innings his last time out, appears to be the

other leading candidate for a rotation spot.

Right in left? Wil Myers found out shortly before Thursday night’s game he would be playing left

field instead of right and that he would also play there Friday.

“Honestly, it’s the same thing as right field,” said Myers, who has made eight starts in

right this spring but been fielding balls in left during workouts this week. “There are

some things that can be harder about left field, but there are some things that can be

harder about right field. But you know how to play right field, you know how to play

left field. … People have made a bigger deal of left and right field than it needs to be.”

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Myers has said he prefers right. But this is the guy who has also played center and

first base in his three seasons with the Padres.

Green has said all along that Myers would play during the season where he is feels

best.

“When we started camp, we wanted to put him where he was most comfortable,”

Green said Friday. “… Now that he has repped out in left field on a very minimal

basis, he says he’s good in left field. So we’re going or watch with our own eyes and

evaluate where we think he’s best.”

Cordero sitting Outfielder Franchy Cordero “felt something” in his groin and, according to Green, is

day to day. Cordero went 0-for-2 Thursday night against the Giants.

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Clayton Richard the Padres' only choice to

start opening day

Kevin Acee, SDUT

Clayton Richard’s team-high 197 1/3 innings and 32 starts are a part of why he will be

the Padres’ opening day pitcher, a distinction the 34-year-old has never experienced

in nine major league seasons.

“It’s a great honor,” Richard said Friday. “It’s a special day in baseball, in sports

really. There’s nothing like opening day. So I’m extremely honored. But it’s my job to

filter out the noise and focus in on it being another game, and that’s the challenge.”

His ability to do that – and all that comes with a man who possesses the makeup to

do so – is the underlying reason he’s getting the ball March 29 at Petco Park.

And that there is so much more to why Andy Green made this official on Friday

explains why the announcement wasn’t anticlimactic even though everyone knew

long ago Richard would get the nod.

This was more than the usual reward for achievement on the field. This was

practically a coronation of a king.

“We clearly don’t have that prototypical guy – yet,” Green said, referring to the lack of

a true ace at the front end of the Padres rotation. “We believe we have those guys

coming, and we’re excited about those guys. But this guy is our leader in every facet.

He’s the guy the clubhouse feeds off of – him and (Eric Hosmer) are those two guys

that everyone gravitates toward and respects. He’s earned it as much as anyone.”

Richard was signed to a two-year contract last September for this very reason.

Yes, he eats innings. And with an improved infield, the Padres envision his sinkerball

working to better than last season’s 4.79 ERA.

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But to see why Richard is the opening day starter, you only need to have viewed Eric

Lauer and Joey Lucchesi at his hip day after day. The two lefties, the Padres’ seventh-

and eighth-ranked pitching prospects, have progressed further and faster and lasted

longer in big-league camp than anyone expected. They will almost certainly make

their major league debuts in the coming months.

“I try to follow him around as much as possible,” Lauer said. “I try to pick his brain

every day. From a player-to-player standpoint, he’s had the biggest impact on me so

far in my career. I want to keep that going. … He’s always doing something to get

better. He’s really good explaining things in a way I can understand them. He’s a good

teacher, as well as a good player. He leads by example, and he can tell you what to

do.”

Friday morning, a day after Lauer shut down the Giants over five innings and two

days after Lucchesi struck out 10 of the 14 batters he faced in an intrasquad game,

Richard said of their success: “I can’t take any credit.”

But he’d already been given some of it, earlier in the week when Green told him he

would get the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers on the day when the stands are full

and the red, white and blue bunting is hanging and it feels like a holiday.

“The coolest thing is the national anthem on opening day,” Richard said. “Everyone

out on the line, everyone standing, the place is full, the sights, the sounds, the smells

that we haven’t had for months. It’s a terrific, terrific time. It’s so America. I don’t

know how else to put it. It’s truly special.”

That’s why – even as he was sure to point out it is just one start – Green put Richard

on the mound that day.

“He’s relentless,” Green said. “He also does it the right way. If you could draw it up

and model it for young guys and want to show Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer what it’s

supposed to look like, Exhibit A is Clayton Richard. As much as his value is on the

mound, his value is derived in his ability to impact guys and show them what it looks

like to do it right – with the expectation those guys will stand on his back and it

launches them to another level of greatness in their career. They’ll use him as their

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example to get better. That’s what he’s been since he’s been here for us, and that’s

why he’s so valued.”

As low key as he is intense, Richard said this of all the peripheral reasons Green

favored him with the opening day start:

“I try to not to look that deep into it. I’m going to enjoy it for what it is but also know

it’s an important job I have to get done. After my last spring training start I’ll start

that process of getting ready for that start.”

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Hosmer heating up as he gets ready for first

Padres season

Kevin Acee, SDUT

Eric Hosmer is focusing on the process. And in doing so, he might be heating up.

In ripping an 0-2 fastball from former teammate Kelvin Herrera over the center field

wall in the fifth inning Friday, Hosmer homered for the second straight day.

It was the third home run of the spring but just the seventh hit in 37 at-bats for

the Padres’ new first baseman, signed last month to an eight-year, $144 million

contract.

“I feel like it's getting there,” Hosmer said. “I tried to, early on, really see a lot of

pitches – new division, new league, obviously. Especially when we're staying in

division, I want to see those guys as much as I can. Slowly, it's starting to come

together. That's the process of spring.

Hosmer hit .172 in spring training last year with the Royals and went on to hit a

career-high .318 in the regular season.

“You just continue to work on things,” Hosmer said. “You kind of try to see what you

can add to your repertoire during the season. I'd say right when we get to El Paso (for

an exhibition March 26), maybe a couple days before, you try to start locking in and

treating it like a real game.”

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Headley stays hot, Hedges cold, Asuaje cools

as Padres lose to KC

Kevin Acee, SDUT

Score: Royals 12, Padres 4

Batter’s box: Chase Headley singled and walked twice. Headley has five hits in his last

15 at-bats to up his spring average to .269. He has walked nine times and has a .457

on-base percentage this spring. The Padres are hopeful his plate discipline (career

OBP of .344) will rub off on younger players. … Second baseman Carlos Asuaje, who

has been one of the hottest hitters for any team this spring, went 0-for-4 to drop his

average to .375. … Austin Hedges, serving as designated hitter was 0-for-4. After

starting 5-for-8 with four home runs, Hedges is hitting .048 over his past 21 at-bats.

Balls and strikes: Robert Stock, the hard-throwing minor leaguer who had allowed

one run in his previous 4 1/3 innings, surrendered two runs on four hits in one inning

against mostly minor league hitters. … Phil Maton likely took another step toward

retaining his spot in the bullpen with his second straight scoreless inning.

Extra bases: Andy Green fielded something of an experimental lineup, with Wil

Myers in left field for the second straight day, and Christian Villanueva at shortstop.

It was always the plan for Myers to get work in left as well as right. Villanueva is likely

to serve as the backup shortstop for Freddy Galvis, who last season played 162 games.

On deck: at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m. in Scottsdale. Bryan Mitchell will start.

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Hosmer homers vs. former team AJ Cassavell MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- In seven seasons with Kansas City, Eric Hosmer racked up 127 homers for the Royals. He now has one Cactus League dinger to his name against them.

Facing his former team for the second time this spring, Hosmer launched an 0-2 fastball from Royals right-hander Kelvin Herrera off the center-field batter's eye. The crowd, a mix of Padres and Royals fans, erupted in unison.

Hosmer's two-run blast put the Padres on the board in a game they went on to lose, 12-4.

Hosmer said afterward he was pretty certain Herrera, his teammate since Class A Burlington in 2009, wouldn't mess around with an offspeed pitch.

"He got 0-2 on me and kept smiling," said Hosmer, who signed an eight-year deal with the Padres last month. "That's the thing about these guys [his former teammates]. They're going to try to challenge you, get you on a heater. I had a pretty good idea a heater was coming."

Hosmer got the fastball he was looking for and crushed it to straightaway center -- his second home run in a span of 18 hours. He went deep Thursday night as well, delivering a no-doubt, two-run shot to right field against the Giants.

For the most part, Hosmer's bat has been quiet this spring. After his 1-for-3 performance on Friday, he's hitting .189 with three homers. Neither he nor the Padres are too concerned with the low average.

"I feel like [my swing] is getting there," Hosmer said. "I tried to, early on, really see a lot of pitches. ... Especially when we're staying in division, I want to see those guys as much as I can. Slowly, it's starting to come together. That's the process of spring."

Hosmer, one of the offseason's most coveted free agents, signed an eight-year deal with the Padres worth a franchise-record $144 million in February. It came on the heels of seven wildly successful seasons in Kansas City in which he helped the Royals to two American League pennants and the 2015 World Series.

Hosmer batted .318/.385/.498 with 25 homers, playing all 162 games last season.

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Capps, Villanueva among players out of options AJ Cassavell MLB.com PEORIA, Ariz. -- The roster battles in Padres camp this spring have undoubtedly taken a bit of a different feel for Matt Szczur, Carter Capps and Christian Villanueva.

For the majority of the club, missing out on the Opening Day roster means being sent to the Minors when camp ends. It's not as simple for five Padres who are out of options and would be subject to waivers if they don't make the team.

Kirby Yates and Bryan Mitchell have already secured their places on the pitching staff. But Villanueva, Capps and Szczur aren't roster locks. All three face differing circumstances in the coming weeks.

Villanueva is likeliest to make the club. Entering camp, the Padres seemed determined to keep him, and he's reinforced their belief with his performance this spring. He's batting .344 with three homers.

The biggest hint the Padres want to keep Villanueva around: They're unlikely to carry a backup shortstop. That leaves an extra place open in the infield. (Villanueva, himself, would serve as shortstop in case of an emergency. He started there on Friday.)

"I want to play wherever I can help the team," Villanueva said. "That's first and foremost."

Capps is a different case entirely. He's one of about six relievers vying for the final place or two in the Padres' bullpen. But he's also coming off surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome. He appears to have fully recovered, but if the effects of the surgery were to slow him at all, he could open the year on the disabled list.

As for Szczur, it's hard to see the roster math lining up in his favor. Manuel Margot, Wil Myers and Jose Pirela are locks in the outfield. Hunter Renfroe is a strong favorite. That leaves Szczur, Travis Jankowski and Franchy Corderofighting for one spot. In that case, either Jankowski or Cordero might make more sense as left-handed hitting complements. Both are better suited to serve as defensive or pinch-running replacements, too.

Szczur has been here before -- last year, in fact. His option years ran out in 2016, and he made the Cubs' Opening Day roster in '17, but he was designated in May, prompting the Padres and Cubs to strike a deal for him. Now, Szczur could be facing the same fate in San Diego.

It's worth noting that the Padres have a similar roster crunch with right-hander Jordan Lyles, who signed a Major League deal and can't be sent to the Minors without consenting. That also holds true for Chris Young, who was brought to camp as a non-roster invitee but is protected

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with an opt-out clause should he not make the roster. Tyson Ross, meanwhile, could be sent to the Minors without repercussion.

Perdomo finds a groove

Before Spring Training began, right-hander Luis Perdomo was given a "leg up" in the rotation race by Padres manager Andy Green. After he was roughed up by the Giants in his last start, Perdomo needed to rebound Friday against Kansas City to maintain that place. He delivered.

In the Padres' 12-4 Cactus League loss to the Royals, Perdomo was sharp for 4 2/3 frames, allowing four hits while striking out four. He surrendered two first-inning runs, but posted zeroes the rest of the way.

"What I do is I have to work," Perdomo said. "I have to compete. I always have to compete to get a spot in the rotation. … Ultimately, they're going to make the decision."

Given Perdomo's performance the past two seasons and his potential role in the club's future, it appears he's still a favorite for one of the two available rotation places.

Camp battles

• Lyles has been informed that he's no longer a part of the Padres' rotation race, and he'll be moved to the bullpen to compete for a spot there. It's unclear what role Lyles will fill in the 'pen. He pitched 33 games in relief last season for Colorado, before he was released and signed with the Padres in August as a starter.. 13th, 2018

Lyles has struggled this spring, posting a 12.38 ERA in four outings. But he signed a guaranteed Major League deal with San Diego this offseason, and it seems likely he makes the club in some capacity.

• Young, who is in contention for a starting job, was roughed up for eight runs over 2 1/3 relief innings on Friday. It's a particularly ugly blemish on an otherwise solid spring for the veteran right-hander. Like Lyles, Young could also win a spot in the bullpen if he were to miss out on the rotation.

Injury updates

• Cordero experienced tightness in his groin and is day to day, Green said. It's unclear how much time Cordero will miss, but the injury could throw a wrench into his roster chances if it lingers.

• Left-hander Kyle McGrath had experienced minor elbow soreness earlier in camp, but he threw a bullpen session Friday and felt no effects of the injury.

Up next

Mitchell is scheduled to start Saturday when the Padres head to Salt River Fields to face Arizona at 1:10 p.m. PT. Robbie Erlin, looking to make his case to join Mitchell in the rotation, is slated to pitch in a backfield game. Fans can listen live on Gameday Audio.

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Richard named Padres' Opening Day starter AJ Cassavell MLB.com

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The worst-kept secret in Padres camp this spring is no longer a secret: Clayton Richard is scheduled to start the club's regular-season opener against Milwaukee.

By Opening Day starter standards, Richard's path to the mound certainly wasn't conventional. At 34, it's the first time in his 10 big league seasons that he's earned the honor. To get there, Richard overcame a pair of shoulder surgeries, several stops in the Minors, a long stint as a reliever and a complete overhaul of his mechanics.

In a tale of perseverance, the veteran left-hander will take the ball at Petco Park on March 29 at 1:10 p.m. in the franchise's first ever opener against the Brewers. Richard, who was informed he'd get the nod earlier this week, waxed poetic about the meaning of Opening Day.

"The sights, the sounds, the smells that we haven't had for months -- it's a terrific, terrific time," Richard said. "It's so America. I don't know how else to put it. It's truly special."

Perhaps more so for Richard this year, given what he's endured to get here.

Richard's 2013 campaign -- and his initial five-season stint with the Padres -- ended that June due to a shoulder injury. He'd undergo surgeries in July and the following February. Upon his recovery, he toiled in the Minor Leagues for three different organizations, before joining the Cubs as a reliever with a new delivery from a three-quarters arm slot.

Richard was released by the Cubs in July 2016. To stay in game shape, he found himself pitching a scrimmagebetween two local high school teams in his hometown. Shortly thereafter, the Padres took a chance on him. Now, he'll start for them on Opening Day.

"What he's battled back from -- surgery on the shoulder, a winding road through the Minor Leagues back to the big leagues -- it's exciting for him," said Padres manager Andy Green. "And it's well deserved."

Said Richard: "Everything I've experienced since coming back I've enjoyed a little more. I understand how fleeting this moment can be in baseball and I've tried to really enjoy the moments -- and more than that, enjoy the people in those moments."

Green hasn't yet announced the rest of his rotation plans, but Dinelson Lamet is currently on a progression to start Game 2 against the Brewers -- whom the Padres have never before faced to open their season. Bryan Mitchell is the only other pitcher assured of a place in the starting five.

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In 32 starts last season, Richard posted a 4.79 ERA with a 4.23 FIP. As one of the game's foremost sinkerballers, he figures to benefit from the Padres' improved infield defense this season. Still, those aren't exactly numbers you'd expect to see from a front-of-the-rotation ace.

"We clearly don't have that prototypical guy yet," Green said. "We believe those guys are coming [in the Minor Leagues]. But this guy is our leader in every facet."

Catcher Austin Hedges backed that assertion, tabbing Richard as the ideal choice for Opening Day.

"Any time you throw a guy on a big stage like that, you want a guy who you know can stay composed and just be himself," Hedges said. "He's going to be Clayton. You know what you're going to get. He's going to go out and dominate the bottom half of the zone, he's going to attack hitters the way he wants to. Everyone here is confident behind him."

Richard noted that he'll prepare for the game like any other. He won't dive into the Brewers' lineup until after his final Cactus League start on March 24, nor will he ask for any advice specific to Opening Day.

Still, the meaning of this start clearly isn't lost on him.

"It's a great honor," Richard said. "It's a special day in baseball -- in sports, really. There's nothing like Opening Day."

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2018 Preview: San Diego Padres Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports

Between now and Opening Day, HardballTalk will take a look at each of baseball’s 30 teams, asking the key questions, the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2018 season. Next up: The San Diego Padres.

The future looks bright in San Diego. The farm system is loaded with talent. Young center fielder Manuel Margot seems poised for a breakout into a speed/power star we see so few of in baseball but about whom people get so excited when they arrive. Austin Hedges hit 18 homers from behind the dish last year and that pop from a catcher doesn’t come along every day. The club made its biggest ever free agent splash in signing Eric Hosmer, and he’s young enough — and his contract is long enough — that he should figure in the middle of the Padres order for many, many years. Interesting players like second baseman Carlos Asuaje and outfielder Jose Pirela will likely see full seasons in the bigs. Wil Myers, Freddy Galvis and old friend Chase Headley are familiar names who will show up on a lot of banners and posters around Petco Park, even they aren’t the most exciting dudes around.

Offensively, the Padres won’t be terrible. Not great, but interesting in some ways. There’s enough of a foundation there that when super exciting prospects like Fernando Tatis Jr.eventually show up they could be downright frisky, but there’s not enough to compete in 2018.

The rotation is a much bigger problem. Clayton Richard, Tyson Ross, Chris Young, Bryan Mitchell, Dinelson Lamet and Luis Perdomo are all certainly pitchers. There’s no real chance, though, that they’ll be substantially better pitchers than they or the other Padres pitchers were in 2017. That crew amounted to one of the worst rotations in the National League last year. They’ll probably be deep into the bottom half of those rankings this year too.

The bullpen has Brad Hand and Brand Hand is dang good. The rest of the relievers are, well, not. Craig Stammen — easily the second best Craig from Ohio — was a nice pickup last year and he stuck around to be the Padres setup man this year. Kirby Yates had some moments and strikes out a lot of dudes. Carter Capps is an interesting injury reclamation project, though he obviously will not be the same guy he used to be when he was with the Marlins. Everyone else is just an arm.

None of which is to say that the Padres won’t be fun to watch in 2018. They may not win a ton of games, but they’ll be super interesting from a team-building perspective. They’re past the purely talent accumulation part of a rebuild — like I said, that farm system is pretty stacked — and they’re now on the “learn how to win” part of things. If things go according to plan, many of the faces on this club will be on the next Padres club to make

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the playoffs. Think of Hosmer and Myers as those veterans who were around when things turned from bad to good, like, I dunno, Terry Pendleton in Atlanta or Magglio Ordonez in Detroit were. A few years later, when Tatis Jr. and Margot are studs, leading the Padres into yet another playoff battle, you may even forget how important the Hosmer signing truly was.

A pipe dream? Maybe. But it’s a dynamic we’ve seen with a lot of clubs before and it’s the one A.J. Preller and the Padres are counting on happening now. If things break right and they develop some pitching, this year will likely be seen as a turning point before the realization of future glory.

Emphasis on the future. For now, the Padres, however promising, are simply outclassed in their division and will likely finish in last place.

Prediction: Fifth place, NL West

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MacKenzie Gore adjusts to Padres’ spring training grind Alex Riley, Star News

PEORIA, Ariz. – MacKenzie Gore is pressed for time, but his Southern upbringing won’t let him say no, even if he’s trying to politely do so.

Work on Field 5 at the Peoria Sports Complex is a lesson in pitchers fielding balls on the infield. More than two dozen athletes, all with hopes of catching on in the San Diego Padres farm system, are rolling through the routine. Pick up the ball, throw to first. Let the infielder pick up the ball, cover the bag at first. The motions repeat over and over again.

Gore’s workout is getting cut short. He needs to run to the clubhouse, change clothes, pick up paperwork and get back to Field 4 so he can track pitches of an intrasquad scrimmage. As Gore comes off the field, a lifelong Padres fan greets him with a handful of homemade baseball cards he’s eager to get signed.

Gore quickly runs off a few signatures before politely trying to leave, but the fan has one more card that features the Padres top pick and another high draft selection from last season. He obliges with a last scribble of the Sharpie.

As of three years ago, Gore had never been this far west. Now, he’s the guy everyone wants to see.

“That’s cool, but sometimes you’ve got to get places,” Gore says with a laugh.

There’s a comfort level for Gore in Arizona. After all, this is where his professional baseball career started.

Selected by the Padres with No. 3 pick in last year’s draft, Gore’s first stop was here for rookie league work. He’s gotten accustomed to the lack of trees and the thin, dry air. It was a culture shock, at first, but a change he’s come to embrace.

After the season wrapped, Gore spent his downtime in Greenville working out at East Carolina’s baseball facilities. He was committed to the program before the MLB called, but he’s welcome at the school anytime.

Now, he’s going through his first spring training. Gore admits he didn’t know what to expect when he got to Arizona.

“You get here early, you get here and get your work in and then you’re done at 2 or 3 o’clock. It’s not bad you just have to come out here and get better, work hard,” Gore said.

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While other players are wrapping up for the day or getting ready for the big team’s game, Gore is tasked with sitting at Field 4 and charting pitches. Balls, strikes, velocity, location, the list of things he’s asked to keep track of is long. He diligently makes notes on the paper clasped to his clipboard.

The scrimmage wraps up and Gore sits by himself, finishing up the chart. It’s Friday and he’ll be headed back to the hotel shortly, spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing.

Then, on Saturday, it’ll be his turn. He’s scheduled to make his first appearance on the mound in live action. Instead of sitting behind home plate keeping track of the action, someone will be charting him.

No matter what position he’s in, the work never stops.

“It’s been fun so far. I got here a little early, got my feet wet and that was good for me,” Gore said. “I feel good right now and just trying to get better every day.”

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Moustakas on facing Hosmer: ‘It’s just weird seeing him over there’

AP, Staff

PEORIA, Ariz. — Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer embraced, just like they did as Kansas City teammates.

Moustakas made his spring training debut after returning to the Royals and hit a two-run single off Chris Young in a 12-4 win over San Diego on Friday.

Hosmer, who left to sign with San Diego, hit a two-run homer off Kelvin Herrera.

Hosmer dropped his equipment bag by the first base line and trotted to center field to give his friend a bear hug before the game.

“It’s just weird seeing him over there,” Moustakas said. “For 12 years I’ve seen him on this side. Navy blue does look good on him though. He’s one of my best friends. We text almost every single day. I love him to death.”

Young also was on the Royals’ 2015 championship team.

“He got 0-2 on me and kept smiling,” Moustakas said. “I had a pretty good idea a heater was coming.”

Moustakas agreed to a $6.5 million, one-year contract after failing to get a multi-year deal to his liking. Hosmer reached a $144 million, eight-year agreement.

“It was definitely a little awkward, but it’s baseball,” Moustakas said. “It’s how the business is. We’re all excited for him. We’re all happy that he got what he got.”

Moustakas said he needs 25 to 30 at-bats to get his timing before Opening Day on March 29.

“I don’t feel I’m too far away,” he said.

Moustakas was a designated hitter and is scheduled to start at third base on Saturday against Texas.

“His timing is not that far off and his swings looked good to me,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He looked great. I just need to get him to get his at-bats and get his work in.”