[ThePundit]

Philadelphia PA -- (Sports Network) - The San Diego Padres finished the 2006 season with another disappointing exit in the National League Division Series. For the second straight year, San Diego finished atop the standings in the NL West, but imploded in the post-season, dropping a 3-0 series to the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

However, the quick exit from the playoffs should not overshadow an otherwise successful season for San Diego. The Padres finished 14 games above .500, while boasting a league best 4.10 ERA. Clutch pitching fueled San Diego to the postseason, but its poor play at the plate eventually sunk the Padres in the end. The Padres lacked consistency in the lineup, hitting just .263 as a team. Adrian Gonzalez carried his team at the plate in 2006, hitting .304 with 24 home runs and 82 RBI.

Despite two consecutive trips to the post-season and a 12 year stint with the Padres, skipper Bruce Bochy will not return to the San Diego bench this season. Bochy will be replaced by former Angels pitching coach Bud Black. Black will bring a new attitude to the club house, as will future Hall-of- Famer Greg Maddux to the rotation.

Maddux will join staff ace Jake Peavy and budding star Chris Young in a rotation that led the NL in runs allowed last season. Trevor Hoffman will once again play the closing role, after leading the National League 46 saves in 2006. The addition of Maddux should add a few wins to the Padres record this season, but more importantly his experience and leadership could be exactly what San Diego needs to take the next step in its chase for a World Series crown.

With the pitching staff in order, the Padres must now focus on their play at the plate. San Diego added second baseman Marcus Giles during the offseason in hopes of adding a base-runner at the top of the order, but will need big numbers from centerfielder Mike Cameron and shortstop Khalil Greene to stay competitive in the high-scoring NL West.

The key to San Diego's season, will be the health of its pitching staff and its ability to generate runs in the late innings. The pieces are in place for another post-season run in San Diego, but until the Padres find a go-to-guy at the plate they are on the same level as everyone else in the West.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the San Diego Padres, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2006 Finish (88-74) - First Place (NL West); lost to St. Louis in NLDS

KEY OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: RP-Greg Maddux, RP-Heath Bell, LP Royce Ring, INF-Kevin Kouzmanoff.

KEY OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: LHP-Alan Embree, LHP-Shawn Estes, LHP-David Wells, LHP-Sterling Hitchcock, RHP-Chan Ho Park, C-Mike Piazza, OF-Ben Johnson, INF-Josh Barfield.

PROJECTED LINEUP: Mike Cameron (CF), Marcus Giles (2B), Brian Giles (RF), Adrian Gonzalez (1B), Kevin Kouzmanoff (3B), Russell Branyan (LF), Josh Bard (C), Khalil Greene (SS).

PROJECTED ROTATION: Jake Peavy (RHP), Chris Young (RHP), Greg Maddux (RHP), Clay Hensley (RHP), Mike Thompson (RHP).

PROJECTED CLOSER: Trevor Hoffman (RHP)

MANAGER: Bud Black

INFIELD

San Diego will have some new faces at second and third base this season, as Giles takes over at second, while Kevin Kouzmanoff will get the start at third. Giles gives the Padres another option at leadoff if Cameron struggles early on. However, he will most likely fill the number two spot to help take some pressure off of his brother, Brian Giles, who will hit third in the lineup. Kouzmanoff is the wild card in the infield, as he has shown promise at the minor league level, but has yet to make his presence felt in the majors. General Manager Kevin Towers feels as though Kouzmanoff could be the answer at third base for years to come, despite his inconsistencies in the field.

Gonzalez will return at first base this season, in hopes of building off of last year's breakout season. He is a fluid fielder who covers the gaps well and is sure-handed when it counts. Gonzalez controls the plate and takes advantage of the entire field when at the plate. His move to clean-up should result in a 100 RBI season.

Shortstop Khalil Green is the best of the bunch in the field, as he thrives in double-play situations. His quickness makes up for a sometimes lazy throwing motion, while his instincts on the field are second to none. At the plate is where Green needs to improve, after hitting just .245 a year ago. As a bottom half hitter, San Diego needs Green to cut down on last season's 86 strikeouts.

Josh Bard and Rob Bowen will be called upon to replace Mike Piazza at catcher. From a fielding standpoint the two will only help the Padres, who threw out a league worst 26 runners a year ago. Bard, who was acquired from the Red Sox last May, is the better hitter of the two and will most-likely get the start on Opening Day. In just 93 games last season the 29-year old hit .333 with nine home runs and 40 RBI.

OUTFIELD

Brian Giles will need to rebound from a 2006 season, that saw him post a career low .263 batting average and 14 home runs. Although he has lost a step in the field, the rightfielder can still cover a lot of ground and gets a great jump on contact. The Padres are counting on Giles to return to form this season, as they are not extremely deep in the outfield.

Cameron is coming off a Gold Glove season in center field in 2006 and needs to have another great year to ensure the Padres success. With left field still a question mark for San Diego, the Padres will rely on Cameron to carry the load both at the plate and in the field. Cameron is a streaky hitter, who could easily knock in 100 runs this season. However, he takes a lot of chances at the plate that could result in a high-number of strikeouts.

Left field is the most glaring problem for San Diego heading into Opening Day. Russell Branyan is the front-runner for the starting role, but has not done much to excite Padre fans. Branyan hit just .228 with 89 strikeouts in just 241 at bats last season and has done much to solidify his place in the outfield. Although he will most likely spend his time in the left field, Branyan could also see some action at third base this season.

STARTING ROTATION

Although they each won just 11 games last season, Peavy and Young have developed into one of the premiere pitching duos in the league. Despite a career high 4.09 ERA last season, Peavy led the National League with 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings. His pitch placement and deadly slider make him a candidate for a 17 win season. Young came on last season posting an 11-5 record and appeared to grow stronger as the season wore on. The tall, lean right-hander has excellent location and fools batters with his quick release. The addition of Greg Maddux could take some of the pressure off of Young this year, making him a much more polished pitcher.

Maddux gives the Padres a legitimate number three, who can win games and pitch a high-number of innings if needed. Although his speed has dropped significantly over the past few years, his location and feel for the game are still as sharp as ever. His presence in the rotation gives the Padres a consistent performer, who can save the bullpen arms.

Clay Hensley was another 11-game winner for the Padres last season and should thrive in the fourth spot in the rotation. His 3.71 ERA was a team best last season and pitching behind Maddux this year should only help his cause. Hensley throws a plethora of sinking pitches and lets his infield do the work, which should lead to another successful season.

Second-year man Mike Thompson rounds out the rotation after a posting a 4-5 record in his inaugural season. Thompson is a more than reliable option at the five-spot and should find success here. He does not strike out many batters, but he has the ability to force hitters into ground ball situations.

BULLPEN

Hoffman is the difference maker in an otherwise average bullpen. The veteran right-hander led the league in saves last season and should be up in the high 40s again, barring any health problems. Hoffman bailed the Padres out of many games last season and his health and performance will determine just how far San Diego can go this year.

Middle relief could be a challenge for the Padres early on, as they lack a true left-hander in the bullpen. However, right-handers Scott Linebrink and Cla Meredith are both reliable arms that can get outs when called upon.

Linebrink finished 7-4 last season in 73 appearances, but struggled at times posting a 3.57 ERA. Ultimately the Padres would benefit by using him as a late inning reliever, who can come in as a closer when needed.

Meredith is a young side-arm thrower, who could carry the load for the bullpen this season. His mixture of breaking pitches should result in a lot of double play opportunities. He is coming off an excellent 2006 season, where he finished 5-1 with a 1.07 ERA in 43 appearances.

San Diego Padres 2007 Preview - San Diego Padres
ThePundit's prediction: 4th in NL West. Maddux, Wells? Will Peavy bounce back from his inconsistency?

[Lefty Noob]

Could be a very good team, but a lot of "ifs" involved, especially in the rotation. Can Wells and Maddux put together good seasons despite age and/or physical condition? Can Peavy rebound? Can Young do it again this year? This really is a team that could wind up finishing just about anywhere in the division.

[azrael492]

Their pitching staff worries me. They could have Cy Young contenders or pitchers ready to be put out to pasture. Won't be able to tell until they get going. A player I am going to keep an eye on is Kouzmanoff. I got to see him play a lot for Cleveland. I think he is the real deal.