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The Padres have had their ups and downs this season, and while they have been playing better as of late, the organization can longer resist the temptation to promote their top prospect outfielder/third baseman Chase Headley from Triple-A. Headley, the converted third baseman who has been playing the outfield this season, was hitting .305 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs in 65 games for Triple-A Portland.
Headley wasn’t able to play on Sunday, but will be with the team when they open an interleague series against the Yankees in the Bronx on Monday. “I think the environment is much better than it was three weeks ago,” Padres general manager Kevin Towers told MLB.com. “We have got a lot of guys contributing offensively. When he gets here, he shouldn’t have to feel like he’s got to carry this ballclub. We’re playing good baseball now. To me, now is kind of the right time to have him here, when things are going well.”
The Padres have been looking forward to his arrival for at least a season now and Towers elaborated on the kind of potential he has. “He’s kind of been our, the last two years, top prospect in the system,” Towers added. “So it’s always exciting when a [Jake] Peavy, an [Oliver] Ollie Perez, Khalil Greene … when they finally get here. You’ve been waiting for that event to happen.”
To offer my take on Towers assessment, I don’t think Headley makes the kind of impact a Jake Peavy does, but he has much more potential than Khalil Greene. He really committed himself to ascending to the majors this past offseason, adding 15 pounds of muscle and putting in the extra work to show the Padres he’s put the necessary polish on his hitting ability. He’s certainly major-league ready and at this point it would behoove fantasy owners in all but the shallowest mixed leagues to consider picking him up and plucking him into a third base/corner infielder spot. He should get the number of at bats common for regulars as early as this week given the fact outfielder Scott Hairston is hurt and starting third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff is overdue for a routine day off (he’s played in all but one game this season).
Photo courtesy of MLB.com
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