All the talk over the last year has been when will the San Diego Padres trade All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and to whom will he be traded to. Many believe it is in the best interest of the Padres to trade him so they can get prospects in return before he becomes a free agent and they cannot afford him. Fans do not want to see Gonzalez traded, especially after how well the Padres played late in the season. However what is good for the organization does not always sit well with the fans.

Kyle Blanks

However Padres fans got a glimpse of the future in 2009 when prospect Kyle Blanks was promoted to the big leagues. In his 54 game rookie debut, he hit .250 with 10 homeruns and 22 RBIs. He also had a .355 on-base percentage. Who can forget watching the 6-foot-6, 280+ pounder running around the bases for an inside-the-park homerun? Despite the weight he was carrying around, the guy could still run. He is just plain athletic.

Blanks is expected to be the Padres everyday leftfielder, with Chase Headley moving to his natural position (which is third base). However his natural position is first base, which could lead to the trade of Gonzalez. The pressure is on Blanks, who is just 23 years old, to produce more than he did last season during his callup. Blanks just wants to build on his performance last season. “It took me a little while to get going, between not playing all the time and making the most of it when I was in there,” Blanks said. “I actually think it helped to struggle and come out of it, to realize I can do it.”

With a foot injury that cost Blanks the last five weeks of the season, Blanks followed the Padres advice and lost weight this offseason. The lighter Blanks should help the Padres with a monster year in the middle of the order. So far this spring, Blanks is hitting. He is 6-for-14 with two doubles.

Everth Cabrera

The biggest surprise for the Padres in 2009 was the emergence of rookie shortstop Everth Cabrera. Cabrera was selected in the 2008 Rule V draft and had never played a game above Class A before making the Padres Opening Day roster. He exceeded everyone’s expectations by hitting .255 with eight triples and two homeruns in 103 games. One of the two homeruns was a walk-off grand slam against NY Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez on August 7^th. The Nicaragua native won the athlete of the year award in his home country, beating out other Nicaraguans like Vicente Padilla.

Despite missing time early in the season with a broken bone in his hand, he returned to be the team’s primary shortstop. He stole a team-leading 25 bases, the most by a Padres player since 2006. He also had a .342 on-base percentage, which would work well at the top of the order in front of Gonzalez. Unfortunately Cabrera is struggling so far this spring. In 14 at-bats, he has just one hit.

Cabrera proved to be a steal for the Padres and they are hoping for bigger and better things out of him in 2010. He could be the key to the Padres success in the National League West. The Padres are hoping to steal more bases in 2010, and Cabrera will be the leader of the pack.