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With Tatis Jr. not too far away, Freddy Galvis to provide stability at shortstop
From now until Spring Training concludes, Fox Sports San Diego will preview each player at each position that is in big league camp.
Previous position previews:
Starting pitchers
Catchers
First base
Second base
Today we will take a look at shortstop, a position that has not been all too kind to the Padres in recent memory.
Here is a list of Padres players who have played shortstop since Khalil Greene was dealt in 2008: Chris Burke, Josh Wilson, Luis Rodriguez, Jason Bartlett, Jerry Hairston, Everth Cabrera, Alexi Amarista, Luis Rodriguez, Alberto Gonzalez, Pedro Ciriaco, Ronny Cedeno, Clint Barmes, Alexei Ramirez, Will Middlebrooks, Nick Noonan, Dusty Coleman, Allen Cordoba, Yangervis Solarte, Erick Aybar.
*takes deep breath*
Opening Day starter:
Seeking stability at the position for the first time in a decade, the Padres acquired veteran shortstop Freddy Galvis from the Phillies in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Enyel De Los Santos. Galvis had only one year left before free agency, and the Phillies were looking to hand the reigns off to talented SS prospect JP Crawford. The 28-year-old had previously spent 10 seasons in the Phillies organization prior to the trade, as he signed with Philadelphia as an international free agent back in 2006.
It was a trade that drew some confusion, given that the Padres (who are not expecting to contend in 2018) made a decision to trade a talented pitching prospect in De Los Santos for one year of Galvis.
The Padres did not look at it that way, though. The front office viewed the move as acquiring a very good defensive shortstop who will boost a rotation that had the highest ground-ball rate in the major leagues last season. Not only that, but Galvis would serve as a mentor for young SS Fernando Tatis Jr., whose major league debut might not be too far off.
AJ Preller also did not rule out re-signing him after the 2018 season. Although Tatis Jr. is coming, Galvis has seen MLB time at second base, third base, left field, and center field.
At shortstop, Galvis has started all but 15 games in the past three years. In 2017, he was one of only a handful of players to play in all 162 games. At the plate, he slugged 12 home runs, stole 14 bases, and put up a .298 wOBA. The Venezuela native also played a solid shortstop with some range, as evidenced by his 3.6 UZR. He finished the year with a pedestrian 1.6 fWAR (which would have been the second-best season for a Padres shortstop in the last decade).
Galvis brings stability to a position that has had anything but that in recent memory.
Backup Options
The Padres would love to see Galvis play in all 162 games again, but if he needs a day off, the Padres might have to get creative. Carlos Asuaje and Cory Spangenberg seem like they could play shortstop in a pinch, but it does not seem like that is the case.
Today, Andy Green stated that the organization would "experiment" with 3B Christian Villanueva at shortstop. Villanueva is a natural third baseman, and has been sharing time with Chase Headley at the hot corner this spring.
If Galvis needed to miss time due to injury, the Padres would likely find their replacement in the minor leagues or externally.
On the farm
The former rule V pick has missed time this spring due to a concussion he suffered in a car accident. It is unknown when he will return to action. After spending 2017 with the Padres in somewhat of a utility role, the 21-year-old is expected to get consistent playing time in the minor leagues in 2018.
Guerra hit .222 with a .615 OPS last season across High-A Lake Elsinore and AA-San Antonio. The Padres are being patient in hopes that the 22-year-old regains the form he displayed in the Red Sox organization in 2015, where he slugged 15 home runs with a .778 OPS in 434 at bats.
Coleman, a minor league journeyman, hit .227 with four home runs in 66 at bats with the Padres in 2017. He was re-signed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training last November.
The Padres are hoping Tatis Jr. is their shortstop of the future, and the 19-year-old has only done things to affirm their belief so far this spring. Last year, Tatis Jr. hit .281/.390/.520 with a franchise-record 21 home runs for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. His performance earned him a promotion to AA San Antonio, where he played shortstop and third base for the Missions during their playoff run. This offseason, Tatis Jr. was named as the #8 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and the #9 prospect by Baseball America.
