MLB released their top 100 prospect list yesterday for all baseball. Obviously it is a bit skewed in favor of big names like Matt Moore and Bryce Harper, but there are six Padres on the list which puts them in a tie for first. I personally don't agree with the entire list especially when the highest Padre is at #37 (Alonso) and Casey Kelly still makes the cut (#50). The biggest problem I have is Joe Wieland and Robbie Erlin didn't make the cut. Let's put that in perspective: on Seedlings To Stars top 100 list Erlin comes in at #11 and Wieland #24. Interesting stuff indeed. Here are your links for today:

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Six Padres Prospects make the top 100 list - Padres.com

"Six of their top prospects can be found on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list, starting with No. 39 Alonso, who was an important component in the trade that landed the Padres four players from the Reds for pitcher Mat Latos."

Players and coaches gathered for voluntary workouts - NCT

"Nearly two dozen players are assembling at Petco Park for a series of voluntary workouts designed to give management an early look at some of its players and top prospects."

You may have heard, but the Padres have a pretty good minor league system. In all seriousness, the Padres minor league system is one of the best, and most certainly one of the deepest, in all of baseball. Usually, in the same articles praising the Padres current organizational success, recently-departed Jed Hoyer is credited with building strong a system and almost as frequently the Sandy Alderson regime is reviled for leaving the system so bereft of talent.

The problem with blaming Alderson, Towers, and company and crediting Hoyer is that it isn’t accurate. The media (sports or otherwise) will latch onto a perception and will run with it. They’ll treat an idea as boilerplate and announce it to their audience as a fact, “As you know, the Padres system hasn’t been very good in a long time…” Occasionally, and more sinisterly, these boilerplate arguments are repeated not even because the media believes them but because they serve an agenda.

Padres’ former team president, Sandy Alderson, was reputed to have a college-first/college-heavy approach to drafting. And certainly the Padres did draft more collegians than high school players under his tenure. But that approach was supposedly a low-risk/low-reward approach. However several highly regarded MLB players drafted during the Alderson regime throw a collective wrench into that logic… What we’re left with is groupthink.

Scott Boras loves his mystery team. There was a lot of speculation as to where Prince Fielder would land. I don't think anyone was thinking the Detroit Tigers would wind up with one of free agency's top prizes. He signed an astouding 9 year $214 million contract. That is the fourth largest contract behind A-Rod's contracts and the one Pujols just signed with the Angels. It's numbers like these that make me a little bumbed out at being a huge fan of a small market team. It just means that we won't ever sign a superstar player. Unless of course they are at the end of their career and are just looking to play one more season. How many washed up players have we had in the past? Anyways enough of my rambling. Here are your links for today:

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Corey Brock answers fans questions - Padres.com

On where the Padres should put Jesus Guzman:

"I think the team might have to be creative to get Guzman his at-bats this season -- some infield, some outfield, at-bats off the bench, and also the chance to serve as the designated hitter in American League ballparks."

Hundley enjoys cricket on trip to New Zealand - Union Tribune

"His introduction to cricket was a sidelight for Hundley during his eight-day, MLB goodwill trip to New Zealand, where baseball is a relatively new but rapidly expanding sport."

Now that it appears that the majority of the changes are done for the 2012 Padres, it seems a good time to look at the depth in the organization at all the positions. This is the time of year that the writers of Baseball America and the notable baseball writers and commentators in this country put out their top prospect lists and their top prospects at each position. Many of the top prospects on those lists belong to Padres minor leaguers and the blog Top Prospect Alert, written by J.P. Schwartz, had a hard time narrowing down the top 15 for the Padres. He noted many others that were in his top 25 that would be top prospects for other teams.

This alone should get Padres fans excited about this season and future seasons. It is not Padres scouts or front office personnel spinning out these lists but respected baseball experts and writers who are very high on the crop of players who are one to two seasons away with some expected to crack the 25 man sometime this season.

With that said, I will attempt to highlight the top prospects at each position for the Padres with some notes and projections based on information gleaned from the watching of video, reading of scouting reports and opinions obtained from some of these experts. I will list the sources of this information so that you can all go read the source itself anytime you doubt the veracity of the opinions.

And we're down to one. The Padres came to terms with Clayton Richard yesterday leaving Dustin Moseley as the lone Padre left heading towards arbitration. I'm always happy when teams can sort things out before heading into an arbitration hearing because in my opinion it doesn't strain the team and player relationship. As much as they say it doesn't, I'm sure there is some hard feelings felt when a team and player have to sit through an arbitration hearing. Clayton Ricahrd is a great pitcher as we all know. It will be interesting to see how he will do after having season ending surgery last year. Here are your links for today:

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Richard, Padres reach one year deal - Padres.com

"The Padres on Monday agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard on a one-year contract worth $2.705 million."

Chicken Friars have more on Clayton Richard
"Perhaps, once the Padres and Moseley come to terms, or when an arbitrator decides those terms, the team can turn its focus to finalizing the roster."

Ernie: According to Bernie Wilson, the Padres have agreed on a contract with lefty pitcher Clayton Richard to avoid arbitration. The contract is worth $2,705,000 and we don't have to go through the messiness of arbitration. Richard is expected to be part of the starting rotation when the season starts and he is coming off of shoulder surgery.

Now the only player that we need to get locked into a contract is pitcher Dustin Moseley.

Steve: After a flurry of signings last week the Padres had two remaining players unsigned for 2012, starting pitchers Clayton Richard and Dustin Moseley.

Richard has his season cut short after 18 starts with a shoulder injury. A tough luck pitcher at home, Richard had 2.30 ERA in eight starts, but a record of 1-5. On the road he accrued a 4-4 record, but had a 5.30 ERA in 10 starts.  Richard was projected by MLBTR to receive 2,000,000 in 2012.  With the contract Richard signed today the Padres 2012 payroll is now unofficially at $54,722,500.

Richard is the only remaining piece the Padres still have as a result of the Jake Peavy trade.

It's a rare rainy day in San Diego today. We're experiencing the wet weather that San Francisco had to deal with during the game yesterday. When all was said and done the Giants won and we now have a Super Bowl rematch from 2008. I personally could care less for either team, so it essentially makes me look forward even more to baseball season to start. I dug up some good articles for you all. Here are today's links:

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Reshaped Padres could sneak up on NL West - Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports

"The pieces are there, or at least near. The Padres are a team to watch, yes. They just need to summon up some of that 2010 magic without any of the bitter aftertaste."

A closer look at Vince Belnome - Friar Forecast

"Now, he does hit left-handed, and he will be playing his games in Petco National Park, but I think you’ll see Belnome manning second base sooner than any other minor league infielder gets the call up."

Teams are finalizing their rosters lately just before spring training. Just yesterday the Rockies made a move to get Marco Scutaro from the Red Sox in exchange for Clayton Mortenson. The speculation is that this will clear up salary room to sign Roy Oswalt and bolster the Red Sox rotation. For the Red Sox it's interesting, they have all the offense but the pitching kind of lacked on them last year. And it's something the Padres know all too well, you can in fact make the playoffs on pitching and defense (or at least come close). Which get's me excited about this season and the seasons to come. Mix our already great pitching and add some new offense and we can be a force to be reckoned with. Here are your links for today:

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Cory Spangenberg tops the list of top 10 second base prospects - MLB.com

"He's already made the move to second base from third base full-time and should be just fine there. Spangenberg is on the fast track already, and to see him in Double-A at some point in 2012 seems very reasonable."

Will Venable vs. Kyle Blanks - Chicken Friars

"Neither player has won a starting job in the outfield outright. Neither player has performed up to expectations. Neither has shown they can perform consistently. However, going forward the Padres may have to make a choice. Do they keep Will Venable or do they keep Kyle Blanks?"

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