SAN DIEGO — It is official! The San Diego Padres will be back on the diamond playing a meaningful game on Friday night.
The team released their roster on Thursday, and it is worth taking a look at.
Instead of 25 players, there will now be 30 men on the roster, and because there are no minor leagues in 2020 the rest of the players will continue practicing at the Alternative Training Site until the Padres call them up. The Padres alternative site is the University of San Diego.
The 30 man roster breaks down like this. The Padres are keeping 16 pitchers (12 right-handed 4 left-handed), 2 catchers, 7 infielders and 5 outfielders. Seven players are making their first appearance on a Major League Opening Day roster.
The teams were required to submit their 60-man Player Pool -- that is, the group of players who will be able to play for them this season. However, teams can make the standard transactions throughout the course of the year in which players are taken off and added to the player pool.
During the 2020 season, all teams will be allowed to have a “taxi squad” of three players. According to Major League Baseball, “These three players will be permitted to work out with the team on the road, while the catcher will also be allowed to serve as a bullpen catcher. At the end of the road trip, Taxi Squad players will return to the team’s Alternate Training Site, though the catcher will be permitted to stay with the team as a bullpen catcher for home games.”
Right-Handed Pitchers (12)
- David Bednar *
- Zach Davies
- Javy Guerra *
- Pierce Johnson
- Dinelson Lamet
- Chris Paddack
- Emilio Pagán
- Luis Perdomo
- Cal Quantrill
- Garrett Richards
- Craig Stammen
- Kirby Yates
Left-Handed Pitchers (4)
- Tim Hill
- Joey Lucchesi
- Drew Pomeranz
- Matt Strahm
Catchers (2)
- Austin Hedges
- Francisco Mejía
Infielders (7)
- Jake Cronenworth *
- Ty France *
- Greg Garcia
- Eric Hosmer
- Manny Machado
- Jurickson Profar
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
Outfielders (5)
- Trent Grisham *
- Wil Myers
- Josh Naylor *
- Edward Olivares *
- Tommy Pham
* denotes player on Opening Day roster for first time.
