That's why you're seeing Jedd Gyorko at shortstop and Wil Myers at first base.
And that's why right-hander Casey Kelly started last Friday night against Arizona at Petco Park and why left-hander Robbie Erlin started Saturday -- and why you'll see the pair next weekend against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Before general manager A.J. Preller can decide what the Padres need moving forward, he has to know what they have now.
Is Myers the answer at first? Is Gyorko a legitimate shortstop? Can Kelly, who is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and Erlin be part of a Major League rotation, or part of the extended rotation at Triple-A El Paso?