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Another intriguing position battle will be the one for the 4th and 5th outfield spot. Cameron Maybin, Will Venable and Carlos Quentin will battle it out this spring.
Cameron Maybin was once the top prospect in baseball and the center piece of the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera to the Detroit Tigers. After a couple of season with the Marlins, the Padres acquired Maybin to be their starting center fielder. In his first season in San Diego he made a good first impression posting his best season as a professional, hitting .264 with 40 runs batted in and 40 stolen bases. The past couple of seasons have been a struggle for Cam as he has been unable to stay on the field whether it is because of injury of suspension. He’s played a total of 109 games the past two seasons combined. What Maybin brings to the table is world-class speed and tremendous defense in center field. Should he be able to stay healthy he would be a great option off the bench for Manager Bud Black when he needs late-inning defensive replacement or a pinch runner that can put pressure on the defense.
After the busy off-season Will Venable is now the longest tenured member of the Padres. Over the years, he has been a steady, durable contributor. His best season came in 2013 when he hit 22 home runs, swiped 22 bases and hit .268. Like many other Padres, 2014 was a year to forget offensively as he hit a career-low .224 and failed to steal 20 bases for the first time in five seasons. Venable is a tremendous defender and really has a knack for stealing bases. If Venable is able to return to form offensively he would be a great bench piece for the Padres.
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