N.L. West Preview: Ominous Start For Lowly Padres

Former Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes has made his mark since joining the San Diego Padres as their wheeler-dealer. Despite a winning record in spring games, however, the Friars are already hobbled by an injury to one of their major acqusitions, which doesn’t bode well for them going forward.

The Action: Byrnes traded two minor-leaguers to the White Sox for outfielder Carlos Quentin who, like Byrnes, is familiar with the Diamondbacks, having started his career there. Quentin was the beginning of a series of deals Byrnes orchestrated: he also sent ascendant starting pitcher Mat Latos to Cincinnati for a package of youngsters which included first-base prospect Yonder Alonso and 17-game-winner Edinson Volquez.

Byrnes then traded pitcher Wade LeBlanc to the Marlins for catcher John (don’t call him “Home Run”) Baker; closer Huston Street (and his hefty contract) came over from Colorado for lefty minor-league pitcher Nick Schmidt; and Anthony Rizzo was sent packing to the Cubs along with pitcher Zach Cates for righthander Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na.

Free-agent signings included welcoming back onetime Padre Mark Kotsay; pitchers Jeff Suppan and Micah Owings were also brought aboard. Gone are closer Heath Bell, starter Aaron Harang, reliever Chad Qualls, and outfielder Brad Hawpe.

It’s A Lock: Center fielder Cameron Maybin is experiencing some performance anxiety this spring (batting average under .200) after signing a big contract in the off-season: $25 million for five years. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old is being counted on to provide a double-digit season in both steals and home runs. Will Venable will be in right field, with Kotsay providing cover there. 3B Chase Headley guards the hot corner once again, with occasional relief from Andy Parrino and possibly James Darnell.

Catcher is considered to be one of the strengths of the organization: it’s no wonder, with players such as Nick Hundley, Baker, Brad Davis and Cuban prospect Yasmani Grandal, who came over in the Latos deal and has been assigned to Tucson.

Hedge Your Bets: The often-injured Quentin started experiencing trouble with his knee when he arrived at Padres spring training, but tried to play through the pain. He had hit .533 with a homer and four RBI before getting his knee looked at; he has now undergone arthroscopic surgery and will be out four to six weeks. In his place, several options are being considered: among them, Hermida and Chris Denorfia are the most likely candidates. Kyle Blanks is out of the running, and could open the season on the disabled list.

Once considered major-league material, former starter and hard-hitting pitcher Owings now finds himself battling for the final spot in the Padres’ bullpen against the likes of Kevin Quackenbush. Owings probably isn’t a candidate for the starting rotation, which features Volquez, Tim Stauffer, Cory Luebke, Clayton Richard and Dustin Moseley.

Who’s on first? Is it Alonso, who has the lefthanded line-drive ability which could work well at Petco Park? Or is it Jesus Guzman, who tied for the club lead in RBI (44) last year despite playing half the season in Tucson? Given the situation, manager Bud Black could decide on a platoon there if Alonso can’t handle the job alone. Guzman will also probably be in the left-field mix in Quentin’s absence.

Never mind who’s on first: who’s at shortstop? Is it Jason Bartlett? Probably. Is it Everth Cabrera? Maybe sometimes, when Orlando Hudson otherwise gets the start at second base. Is it Jace Peterson? Likely needs some more seasoning in the minors. How about Beamer Weems? Um, no.

The Payoff: They could be described as “Sad Diego” when it comes to the MLB futures betting, with the club seen as being well back in the chase for the National League West and World Series titles. The Padres likely won’t be worse than the Astros, but they may need divine intervention if they hope to be better than any other team in the league.