Padres News: Clint Barmes Has Established Himself

The lack of a quality everyday shortstop is quite evident when you look at the San Diego Padres roster. Clint Barmes was the first addition in the off-season and he is clearly viewed as a back-up. Alexi Amarista has been given every opportunity to take the shortstop job and run with it, but he has failed to do so.

Amarista is hitting .197 this year in 47 games and 137 at bats. His on base percentage is right on par with his major league average. A .279 on base percentage, will not earn you a starting job in the major leagues. In 1,250 plus major league at bats, that is who Amarista is, a dramatic change would be unrealistic to expect.

Barmes has picked it up of recent, after starting out very slowly on the season. He is currently hitting .274 with an on base percentage of .312. Neither shortstop is going to be remembered for their offense, but each has played rather steadily at short defensively.

One would expect a change at shortstop eventually. The Padres have already been linked to Troy Tulowitzki, Elvis Andrus and Starlin Castro. General manager A.J. Preller is surely looking for an upgrade at the position.

In the mean time, Clint Barmes looks to gain an even split with Amarista. Neither has exactly established them self, but Barmes has played better offensively recently. The team will just have to continue to roll with this duo.

General manager A.J. Preller will surely need to make a move for a short stop. Interestingly enough the Padres did not draft a short stop in the 2015 draft. Clearly A.J. Preller has his eye on a young short stop that can be a Padre for years and years. Question is, who fits that profile and what will it take to acquire that talent?

The combination of Barmes and Amarista is something the Padres don’t want to have at shortstop during a playoff series. Neither provides particular excellent defense or range. They also fail to swing the bat with any type of authority. There just isn’t any other option for the Padres.

Clint Barmes has played a little better of recent. Padres fans are surely going to see a lot of Barmes in the near future. He does provide an exceptional clubhouse presence and having him on the roster is like having an additional coach on the team. Once the Padres acquire a talented young shortstop, Barmes figures to make an excellent mentor to the potential new player. The shortstop is coming, it’s just a matter of time.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.