With many new faces in new places this upcoming MLB season like every year following the off-season, two players who will see a drastic change more so than others due to their new surroundings will be Mat Latos and Carlos Quentin. Having dealt such talent as first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and reliever Mike Adams last season, the San Diego Padres made another trade this off-season to continue the franchise's path to rebuild. After making his Major League debut in 2009, the year 2010 saw starting pitcher Mat Latos make his way onto the big league scene with a breakout season where the 24-year old right-hander capped off his first full year with a trip to the All-Star Game by compiling a 2.92 ERA in 184.2 innings to go along with his 14-10 record and 189 strikeouts. Latos would miss the beginning of the 2011 season due to an injury sustained to his throwing arm, but would respond much better than his 9-14 record indicated with a respectable 3.47 ERA and WHIP of 1.18.
But just when it began to look like the Padres had found their long-term answer for an ace, the team shipped Latos to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for former All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez along with first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitcher Brad Boxberger, all of which are former first-round Draft picks and are highly touted prospects. For Volquez who has been unable to duplicate the success from his breakout season in 2008 due to injuries and a suspension, if he can stay healthy he could very well regain form while benefiting from one of the league's more pitcher-friendly ballparks in San Diego's Petco Park. Meanwhile, Latos will be forced to make the transition to one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in all of baseball in Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park which will demand more precision in Latos' pitching location, or that fly-ball that normally resulted in an out could very well end up being a souvenir.
If both hurlers can find success in their new homes, the Padres might have very well found their new ace while the Reds hope to build a formidable tandem at the top of the rotation led by Latos and Johnny Cueto.
The Padres followed up their acquisitions from Cincinnati by adding a power hitter to the lineup in Carlos Quentin. The hard hitting slugger will be sent from the Chicago White Sox where he's served the last four years to his home town of San Diego in return for Minor League pitchers Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez. Quentin is projected to be the team's starting left fielder come opening day where he'll join an outfield cast of Cameron Maybin and Will Venable. Since dealing Adrian Gonzalez last December to the Boston Red Sox, the Padres have ranked among the worst teams in all of baseball in the home run department which just so happens to be Quentin's bread and butter. After seeing minimal playing time in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Quentin amassed a monster 2008 season in his first full year, batting .288 while hitting 36 home runs and driving in 100 RBI's to receive his first of two All-Star nods.
Though he hasn't quite matched those numbers from 2008, logging 24 HR's and 77 RBI's just a season ago, Quentin has remained productive and should generate a majority of San Diego's offense next season. Playing in Petco Park, however, could hurt his home run numbers. If he can pull the ball to the left side of the field though like he's been known to, he should fare well. With pitching being their strong point the last few years, the Padres could once again depend on the pitching staff and bullpen in 2012, something that will be a lot more difficult now with former All-Star closer Heath Bell now setting up shop in Miami. Unlikely to compete for a division title this upcoming season, San Diego appears to be making the right moves that could spring them back to the top of the division and lead to success the franchise has been starving of since bidding a farewell to such Padres as Trevor Hoffman and Jake Peavy.
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