COVERITLIVE.COM

10:43

Tom Krasovic -

Hello everybody. Padres will face the Mariners in about 80 minutes, wrapping up the Cactus League. Any questions?

10:45

[Comment From Guest]
What do you think of the new bullpen?

10:46

Tom Krasovic - Better than the bullpen was three weeks ago. Better arms. Can they throw enough strikes? That's the big question for several of the newcomers. Sanchez gives them some experience. Petco Park can only help these guys as they try to establish themselves.

10:48

[Comment From Brian]
What do you think of Macias? Will he ever get a chance?

10:51

Tom Krasovic -

Pretty good athlete who regained his footspeed and gained strength the last two years as he grew into his body and bounced back from the bizarre weight-gaining diet the SDP recommended four offseasons ago. Manager Black rates him the best overall defender among SDP outfielders from Double-A through majors. Has a chance to become an extra OF. Will see time with the SDP this year. Interesting that he'll be the CF in Triple-A, with Venable moving to the corner.

10:51

[Comment From Tom Waits]
Bullpens are volatile, but the new arms have some upside. The problem is the 3-5 spots in the rotation. Haven't we learned that Petco Park is not a magic cure for bad pitching?

10:56

Tom Krasovic - Good point. Sooner or later, talent gets revealed, even if Petco plays huge. In recent years, SDP may have overly relied on Petco to compensate for lack of stuff and aptitude. I know that's been discussed in the FO. In recent weeks, there was a great emphasis on getting relievers who can throw hard. None of these guys are polished power pitchers, of course, or the SDP wouldn't have gotten them so cheaply. Petco can help on the margins, getting a pitcher to trust his stuff more. Certainly helped Linebrink and Otsuka and Bell in that regard, but the point there is they had good stuff. Wasn't smoke and mirrors. Same with Meredith, who had a really good sinker when the SDP got him.

10:58

[Comment From James]
Did anyone impress in minor league camp? We dont hear much about that.

11:01

Tom Krasovic - Allan Dykstra had a big game recently. Hit a 450-foot homer. Drew three walks. He also had a miserable game this week. Heard good things about James Darnell in the early hitting camp for 18 prospects. Blake Tekotte impressed Tony Muser with his work habits, then applied them in a Cactus League game, slapping a "5.5" single off the Rangers' top ptiching prospect, Neftali Feliz. Adys Portillo is sitting in the low 90s. A tad erratic, but he's 17 and the other minor leaguers call him Franchise. Josh Geer tells me he'll probably start Portland's opener next week in Fresno. He said he's encouraged by how his elbow is holding up but really will not know until the games get going.

11:01

[Comment From Jimmy]
As for Niemann from the Rays, there were prospects mentioned in the UT that the the raye were targeting. Did they want more than one? It seems like a good deal if it was one of those four.

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