PEORIA, Ariz. -- Andy Green departed Padres camp in Peoria extremely pleased with the level of competition this spring -- the highest in his three years as manager. That, of course, also means Green leaves Peoria with some difficult decisions still to be made ahead of Thursday's opener against Milwaukee.
The Padres' roster crunch this spring is unlike any in Green's tenure. There are no Rule 5 picks to work around. There are fewer aging veterans with places already secure. For the most part, a handful of youngsters were given opportunities to compete this spring. And compete they did.