The San Diego Padres are currently in the dead period during the rebuilding process. They have bottomed out and now they have to wait until some prospects advance up to the Major League squad.

The Padres made some interesting signings this offseason. They bought low (really low) on some starters with hopes of them getting the Padres through a season…or there’s always an outside shot of one of them developing into a trade chip at the deadline. The odds of that happening with this group of guys is quite low.

Will any of the Padres young hitters develop into someone that can help protect Wil Myers in the lineup?

Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the San Diego Padres.

2016 Win/Loss Record: 68-94

Key Additions: SP Trevor Cahill, SP Jered Weaver, SP Jhoulys Chacin, SP Tyrell Jenkins, SS Erick Aybar, OF Collin Cowgill, OF Nick Buss & Andre Rienzo

Key Losses: SP Tyson Ross, OF John Jay, RP Jose Dominguez, 2B Alexi Amarista, RP Leonel Campos, RP Matt Thornton, RP Brandon Morrow, SP Edwin Jackson,

Interleague Schedule: AL Central

Projected Starters: Austin Hedges, Wil Myers, Ryan Schimpf, Yangervis Solarte, Erick Aybar, Travis Jankowski, Manuel Margot & Hunter Renfroe

Projected Starting Rotation: Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard, Trevor Cahill, Christian Friedrich & Paul Clemens

Closer: Brandon Maurer

Fantasy Sleeper: OF Travis Jankowski – The Padres outfielders flew under the radar due to the bonkers season Wil Myers had last year. Jankowski stole 30 bases in limited work and is expected to start in left field this season. He’s not being drafted in most leagues and he could steal 40 bases this season. He won’t help you in many other categories, but if you need steals in a head-to-head league, he’s worth the risk.

Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: OF Manuel Margot – Margot was part of the deal the Padres netted when it traded closer Craig Kimbrel to Boston in late 2015. He has speed and has hit very well in the minors. He was a top-ten prospect in Boston’s farm system, but now he’s the #2 prospect in the thin Padres farm. He could start the season as the starting center fielder in San Diego.

Team Analysis: The current Padres roster fails the eyeball test. The position players are young and most are unheralded. The starting rotation might be the worst in the Majors. I guess the silver lining is that their bullpen is a little above average.

I don’t mean to bash the Padres cause GM A.J. Preller is trying to turn around the roster he inherited. I do question him signing starter Jered Weaver, whose velocity rivals a beer league softball pitcher at this point in his career. Also, signing Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill to help round out your rotation…really? Cahill resurrected his career as a reliever on the Cubs, but every time he’s given a role as a starter, he falls on his face. The same could be said about Richard, who has bounced around the league the last few years.

If you were looking for a starting rotation to just get you through a season, there are better ways to do it. This rotation just feels like they are doing it on the cheap.

Wil Myers sticks out like a thumb on this roster. I’ve been a fan of his since he was in the Royals farm system. I’ve been waiting for him to go off and he did exactly that last season. The power came back in his bat and was the hottest hitter in the Majors during the warmest months of Summer. The Padres would need about four more of him to get them to a winning record this season.

2017 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 66.5 (Prediction: UNDER)

2017 Projected Win/Loss Record: 65-97 (5th in NL West)

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.