The Minor League Report with Denis Savage

Denis Savage of Mad Friars stopped by for our first official segment of "The Minor League Report."

Todd Kaufmann: With the way Chase Headley is playing, do you think he should be the starting left fielder for the San Diego Padres?

Denis Savage: I do believe he deserves a shot based on his offense but also believe he should get some more looks at left field in Portland to continue shoring up his defense. Asking him to be major league ready at the position with only 20 games under his belt may be a bit much to ask.

Todd Kaufmann: What's your take on Wade LeBlanc? He's been opening a lot of eyes, especially those of Padres' manager Bud Black. Is it too much for him to be thrust into the #5 spot in the Padres rotation this soon or do you think he can handle it?

Denis Savage: I think he can handle it. He has a mature approach, is very cerebral and will not be awed by the competition level.

Todd Kaufmann: The Padres released their contingent for the China trip, are you surprised at any of the names on that list and who, out of the young prospects, will get the most out of this trip in your opinion?

Denis Savage: I think this is a mistake. Players only get a certain amount of time to prepare for the year and while the pitchers may stay on track, the hitters will suffer. I am not sure I would send some of those guys and it will bear watching if they have a slow start to the year. As for who goes or stays, I am not surprised by any and I still believe they may get the trip of a lifetime but at what cost to their season?

Todd Kaufmann: Brian Myrow won the PCL Batting Title in 2007 with a .354 average. Is he a player the Padres should consider as a bench player or will they start him in AAA Portland to make sure he keeps a starting role so he stays fresh? I can't imagine they can ignore a guy like Myrow for long, especially not at a .354 clip.

Denis Savage: He has too many hills to climb to secure a bench spot. If injury occurs, however, Myrow is a fit. You can’t doubt the success he has had.

Todd Kaufmann: Kyle Blanks is a prospect that the organization is very high on, but he's blocked at first base my Adrian Gonzalez. Is he going to be another Chase Headley, where they want to see if they can make a position change with him?

Denis Savage: No way. How many 280-pound players have you seen in the outfield? It won’t happen. I expect they will eventually look to trade him.

Denis Savage of Mad Friars

Denis Savage, who writes for MadFriars.com, stopped by to talk about some of the players the Padre fans could look forward to seeing down the road.


Padres Blog: The name that I keep hearing about is Jody Gerut. Tell me a little about him and does he have a legit shot at making the Padres roster out of spring training?

Denis Savage: I actually got to see Gerut play all the way back in 2002 in Akron of the Eastern League - and remember nothing. What I do remember of Gerut during his time in Cleveland was a patient kid with some good pop. He wasn't a great fielder but had a pretty good arm. I think he is the odds on favorite to land a job. He has power, actually runs the bases pretty well, and will be a doubles machine with playing time in San Diego. You can't ask for more than that out of a fourth/fifth outfielder who can log some time in center. That insurance alone might be enough to get him the job.


Padres Blog: Tom Krasovic had a great article a few days ago on Paul McAnulty. I know there are some fans, myself included, who would love to see PMac get a legit shot at making the roster, but with all the outfield options the Padres have, is McAnutly just too far> on the outside?

Denis Savage: McAnulty is one of my all-time favorite people in the sport. I have had a chance to watch him grow up in the San Diego system for five years. There are few people as confident as him and fewer who have such a sweet swing. He falls out of bed and can hit the ball.
Last year, I truly believe, was an aberration. He battled injuries and got stuck in a mental funk he could not get out of. While he can hit, his defense is sub par. Not Jack Cust terrible but not averageat the major league level either. I think he gets picked up by an AL club and does some hitting to stick around for a while. It just won't happen in San Diego.


Padres Blog: Rule 5 draftee Carlos Guevara has been limited in spring> training due to a hamstring injury. Is he a guy the Padres need to> take a chance on regardless of his injury?

Denis Savage: You rarely see a kid with a screwball - so, yeah, I would love to see that since hitters just can't get a beat on the pitch. I saw him pitch in the Southern League in 2006 and this is a game I remember because I kept wondering who this kid was. He fanned five of the eight batters he faced and no one had a chance. Losing two weeks hurts, though, when you are auditioning for a bullpen spot. I just don't know if he can make up that time, and I fear he will try to do too much when he returns, resulting in Guevara overthrowing to make things happen.


Padres Blog: Let's shift to the minor leagues. Will Inman, Manny Ayala, Wade LeBlanc and Josh Geer. How quickly will we see any of the 4 names in a big league uniform?

Denis Savage: All of them have a great chance to contribute. LeBlanc gets the nod as the kid who will stick first but Geer may be the kid they initially call up with a shuttle back-and-forth to Portland punched early and often. When LeBlanc comes up, I do not expect him to go back down. Therefore, it might be late in the year. Ayala and Inman will both be in Double-A. Ayala had an injury late in the year andneeds more experience. He has a terrific changeup - better than Geer and a notch below LeBlanc. Inman had some mechanical problems and his velocity was way down last season. This season, I expect him to be the same pitcher the Brewers saw when he was in their farm.


Padres Blog: There had been a lot of talk about Matt Antonelli being able to play CF because of his speed. Are the Padres expecting him to see time in the outfield during spring training or is he strictly a 2nd baseman?

Denis Savage: Antonelli will be solely a second baseman during spring. He just got settled in the position last year, and the Padres want him to be comfortable there first. Don't, however, be surprised to see him get repetitions in center at Triple-A Portland. The fact is the 2009 centerfield free agency crop stinks, and there are no centerfield options in the farm system that are close to being ready. I expect Antonelli to eventually end up in center and have a long career. It will also open the door for one or two kids the Padres have in the farm that could be great second basemen.