Kuzul

Let’s face it, the San Diego Padres haven’t been off to a great start. With a measly 2-8 record, a slew of injuries and a plethora of problems, things aren’t looking good for the Padres. But not everything is bleak, as some players have been performing quite well.Spoiler Alert: the Padres would fail high school. All statistics from MLB.com and Baseball-ReferenceBegin Slideshow

Joe Garagiola Jr., senior vice president of standards and on-field operations for Major League Baseball, announced the punishments for both Carlos Quentin and Jerry Hairston Jr. today for their participation in Thursday night's bench-clearing brawl in San Diego that left Dodger co-ace Zack Greinke with a broken collarbone. Quentin, who initiated the fight, will receive an eight-game suspension and fine, while Hairston Jr. will receive a one-day suspension and fine for their roles in the incident.  Both players are looking to appeal their suspensions; however, both could realistically play in a three-game series between the Padres and Dodgers starting this Monday in Los Angeles.Don Mattingly, Matt Kemp, Jerry Hairston Jr. and the entire Dodger organization have every right in the world to be mad at the outcome of brawl, but did Quentin's punishment fit the crime?Look, it's never easy losing a player to injury, especially when the player is your newly acquired staff ...

Carlos Quentin has never been completely healthy his entire career.Ever since being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 29th overall pick in 2003, Quentin has been plagued with constant injury.This spring in San Diego Padres camp has been no exception.Quentin has still not officially appeared in a spring training game, as the only two at-bats he had were not registered due to a rain-out against the Chicago White Sox on March 8.  Since then, he has been sidelined due to an aggravation in his surgically repaired knee. According to a conversation Quentin had with Corey Brock of MLB.com:"I'm doing all right, working through some stuff," Quentin said. "I feel like I'm getting closer. I'm looking forward to that."Manager Bud Black still seems to be optimistic that Quentin will be able to go come opening day, but once again it makes you think just how long it will be until he gets ...

Okay, call me crazy, but I know I'm right...  San Diego Padres closer Huston Street will be the late-round fantasy draft closer of the year.Well, that is if he can stay healthy for a full season.Street landed on the disabled list two separate times last season—once at the beginning of the year with a right shoulder strain and again on August 10 when he suffered a strained left calf while fielding the final out of a game.  However, when Street is healthy, the guy is lights out.  At the time of his August injury, Street hadn't allowed a run since June 17.  He compiled a 2-1 record with a 1.85 ERA, 23 saves with 47 strikeouts in 39 innings and was also selected as the lone representative for the Padres in the 2012 All-Star Game.  Okay, so the sample size of Street isn't enough to dictate a full season of ...

Have you drafted your fantasy team yet?  If you haven't, there are sure a lot of fantastic third base options in this year's draft.Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria and Hanley Ramirez; with so many options at third base, it's tough this year to decide at what order in the draft you should add your third baseman. If you have one of the top-three picks, it is without a doubt that Cabrera should be one of your top—if not a shoe-in—for your first pick.  The guy is a stud and produces year in and year out—2013 will not be an exception.But what if the Padre third baseman is still available with the fourth or fifth pick in your draft?If none of the above names are still in the mix—which they most likely will not be, with the exception of Ramirez—Headley will be a solid choice and a productive player ...

The San Diego Padres and GM Josh Byrnes have left much to be desired this offseason.They have spent most of their assets on keeping their roster from last season and maintaining their farm system. This may be the best strategy for the Padres considering that they finished with a respectable 42-33 record after the All-Star break.There is tons of potential in the farm system with guys like Jedd Gyorko, Rymer Liriano, and Austin Hedges.The Padres will have stiff competition in the NL West now that the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks have proven that they are ready to compete for a pennant.Here are the Padres' five keys to having a successful 2013 in the NL West.Begin Slideshow

As recently as 2008, the National League West was considered a sub-par division and filled with mediocre teams barely breaking the .500 mark.  In 2005, for instance, the Giants, Dodgers, Rockies and Diamondbacks all finished the season with losing records, while the San Diego Padres won the division with a mere 82-80 mark.Mediocrity aside, 2013 looks to be an exciting year for the National League West and its fans.  The Dodgers, with new ownership in place, have already proven that they are not afraid to spend and—on paper—are beginning to look like Yankee teams of the recent past.  The San Francisco Giants are the reigning World Series Champions and have won the title two of the last three years.  And though it may look to be a tough year for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, both teams have decent leadership and could make some noise next season.The San Diego ...

As the San Diego Padres continue their search for an additional starting pitcher, one name that has stuck out as a potential trade candidate is Detroit Tigers' starting pitcher Rick Porcello.Porcello is in an odd situation with the Tigers, as the team has six qualified starting pitchers but only one available spot left in their rotation. Led by veteran hurlers Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and newly signed right-hander Anibal Sanchez, the final spot in the rotation will either go to Porcello or lefty Drew Smyly. Smyly put together a respectable rookie season in 2012, so it looks like Porcello could be the odd man out.The Padres could benefit from a pitcher like Porcello in their lineup.  With only two starters last season (Clayton Richard and Edinson Volquez) that pitched over 180 innings, the Padres are in desperate need of a workhorse pitcher that can stay healthy and take them ...

One-time first overall pick Matt Bush is in the news again, and as expected it is not positive. And his ordeal is a warning sign to teams hoping to cut corners on draft day.According to the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports), the San Diego Padres top pick in the 2004 draft pleaded no contest for a drunk driving hit-and-run crash.The former shortstop turned pitcher hit the 72-year-old Tony Tufano's motorcycle and then fled the scene in North Port Florida. His blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. He is sentenced to four years in prison and will be 31 years old when his sentence ends.There have been many number one overall picks that have flamed out. Shawn Abner and Brien Taylor come to mind. But the legal problems of Matt Bush could make him the worst number one pick of all time, especially when considering the other players available ...

Most of the big free-agent names in Major League Baseball are off of the board now, allowing teams that came up short in the Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke and B. J. Upton sweepstakes to try and find a consolation prize.Free-agent starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, who pitched well if not spectacularly for the Washington Nationals last season, is still available. And according to the Twitter feed of Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the San Diego Padres are "strongly pursuing" Jackson.San Diego would be Jackson's seventh big-league team in his 11 seasons. The well-traveled right-hander has packed a lot into those years, including an All-Star appearance with the 2009 Detroit Tigers.He threw one of the ugliest no-hitters in history on June 25, 2010 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He may have walked eight in the 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, but it was still a no-hitter, something the Padres ...