HUGE MOVEMENT IN PADRES: Three Potential Moves Shed Light on Padres' Opening Day Roster..

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Padres’ Opening Day roster is still a work in progress as major decisions remain before Thursday’s season opener against the Braves at Petco Park. With the team set to break camp in Peoria on Monday, the deadline for some key roster moves came into focus on Sunday.

Yuli Gurriel, Jose Iglesias, and Martín Maldonado are all expected to make the roster, having signed Minor League contracts with opt-out clauses if they were not added to the team’s roster by Sunday. Since none of them exercised those opt-outs, it’s clear that all three will have their contracts selected in the coming days ahead of the season’s start.

Here’s what the latest moves mean for the team:

Maldonado Wins Backup Catcher Role
With Elias Díaz as the starter behind the plate, the backup catcher competition came down to Martín Maldonado, Luis Campusano, and Brett Sullivan. On Saturday, Sullivan was designated for assignment as he had no options left. Campusano, on the other hand, can still be sent to Triple-A El Paso, which seems likely given his spring performance. Despite Campusano out-hitting Maldonado this spring, the Padres have praised Maldonado’s defensive skills and ability to manage a pitching staff, ultimately leading to his selection as the backup catcher.
Tight Race for Bench Spot
The starting roles at DH and left field are expected to go to Gavin Sheets and Jason Heyward (against right-handed pitchers, at least). This leaves just one remaining bench spot with multiple players competing for it. Oscar Gonzalez, Connor Joe, Brandon Lockridge, Mason McCoy, Eguy Rosario, and Tyler Wade are all still in camp, but with some players like Rosario and Wade being out of options, the Padres may only have room for one of them. Gurriel’s likely role on the roster suggests he will platoon at DH with Sheets, while Iglesias can serve as a versatile infielder. Notably, the team still lacks a right-handed platoon option for Heyward in left field.
Pitching Decisions Still Pending
While the position player roster is near finalization, pitching decisions remain more uncertain. There are still three spots available: two in the rotation and one in the bullpen. Alek Jacob has impressed this spring, and with injuries to Sean Reynolds and Bryan Hoeing, there is a clear opportunity for him to join the bullpen. Other bullpen candidates include Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta, Yuki Matsui, and Jacob himself. The final spot in the bullpen will likely come down to Ron Marinaccio, Logan Gillaspie, and Juan Nuñez, who is a Rule 5 pick and must be kept on the roster or returned to Baltimore.

As for the rotation, Stephen Kolek, Kyle Hart, and Randy Vásquez are competing for two spots. Kolek has a chance to make his case in Monday’s Cactus League finale against the Mariners.

With these decisions still hanging in the balance, the Padres are in the final stages of shaping their roster ahead of the season opener, aiming for a competitive and balanced team.