Guerra Or Margot? Padres Pleased To Have Both

SAN DIEGO—Who is the Padres’ top prospect?

At the end of spring training, 20-year-old shortstop Javier Guerra received the nod from a few scouts outside the organization. They praised Guerra’s defense and offensive upside, and one scout singled out his swing, stance and hitting IQ.

The Padres assigned Guerra, who bats lefthanded, to low Class A Fort Wayne to open this season. He spent the entire 2015 season at low Class A Greenville in the Red Sox system, and he batted .279/.329/.449 with 15 home runs in 434 at-bats. Boston signed him out of Panama in 2012.

Some media outlets ranked center fielder Manuel Margot as the Padres’ top prospect. Acquired in the same trade last offseason that imported Guerra along with two other prospects and sent closer Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox, Margot drew praise from scouts this spring as well.

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Most of the plaudits were for the 21-year-old’s defense. Though impressed by Margot, who batted .276/.324/.419 in 110 games at high Class A Salem and Double-A Portland last season, one evaluator suggested he may be near his ceiling. The Red Sox signed Margot out of the Dominican Republic in 2011.

The Padres assigned Margot to Triple-A El Paso in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League to start the season.

Margot’s major league debut will probably occur at some point in the 2016 season. Ahead of the him are two Padres center fielders in their 30s, Jon Jay and Melvin Upton.

The Padres are using prospect Travis Jankowski, who will be 25 in June, as an extra outfielder.

 Joining Margot on the Triple-A roster was corner outfielder Hunter Renfroe, the 2013 first-round pick. He came in with some praise from scouts, but a high strikeout rate hedged their optimism.

FATHER FIGURES

• The Padres signed first baseman James Loney to a minor league deal after the Rays released him at the end of spring training. In 2002, Padres executive Logan White drafted Loney in the first round for the Dodgers. He has hit .285/.338/.411 in 10 major league seasons.

• Promising young catcher Austin Hedges started the season at El Paso, with Christian Bethancourt serving as the Padres’ backup to Derek Norris. The 23-year-old Hedges spent most of 2015 on the San Diego bench.