FriarBall: Spring recap No. 13: Padres 11, Giants 5

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Spring recap No. 13: Padres 11, Giants 5

Apparently the offense decided to get going again today and guys like Chase Headley, Tony Clark, Paul McAnulty and Jody Gerut once again led the charge.

Headley only had 1 hit but it was a three-RBI, two-out double. Clark actually got the scoring started by singling home the first run and finished 2-for-2. McAnulty, who is fighting for one of the few bench spots, hit his 3rd HR of the spring while Gerut (who is also fighting for a bench spot) hit his 2nd.

With Bud Black's insistence on keeping 12 arms in the pen, the fight for the bench is already that much tougher. With 5 spots on the bench, we already know Michael Barrett will fill 1 as he and Josh Bard split time. So who will the final four hitters be? I think it's safe to say Clark was signed with a specific role off the bench in mind and if you are to go off of performance so far, Headley, McAnulty and Gerut would seem to be the front runners to fill those spots along with the versatile Callix Crabbe (who as a Rule V pick has to remain on the roster to stay in the organization).

So if Crabbe has done enough to earn his stay, does that mean Headley heads back to the minors for more seasoning because he is the one that can be sent back? It seems like a shame but I feel that is the way things are playing out. What do you think? Drop me a comment and let me know who is on your bench if you run the team.

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