Blanks had a big season with Double-A San Antonio, hitting .325 with 20 home runs and 107 RBIs to go with a .404 on-base percentage that certainly has many in the organization excited about the 22-year-old. This season came on the heels of a .301-24-100 season with Class A Lake Elsinore in 2007.

I would expect Blanks to begin the season with Triple-A Portland, where he will be tested in a veteran league much like Triple-A newcomers Matt Antonelli, Chase Headley and Nick Hundley were to start the 2008 season. Blanks could also be an attractive trade chip given that Gonzalez is 26 and doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

San Diego GM Kevin Towers has shown great restraint in holding onto his prospects. With a diminished payroll in 2009, that might not be so easy.

What are the chances of Minor League pitcher Mat Latos making the starting five in 2009?
-- Brett R., Tucson, Ariz.

I'll make this easy Brett. None.

While the Padres think very highly of Latos and that he probably has as big of an upside as any Minor League player in their system, you won't see him in PETCO Park in 2009 unless he comes with, say, his Lake Elsinore teammates to play a game there. Latos turns 21 in December and is coming off a season in which he was 3-3 with a 2.57 ERA with 69 strikeouts and only 13 walks allowed in 56 innings.

I think he'll open the season with Lake Elsinore, or he could well return to Class A Fort Wayne. Either way, the Padres aren't in a hurry to rush Latos. He might end up pushing his own timetable, though.

With Josh Bard gone, is Michael Barrett going to be back? And if not, what does the team plan to do at catcher?
-- Greg O., San Diego

Like Bard, Barrett is also gone. He elected for free agency after he cleared waivers last week. So, to recap, the two catchers who opened the 2008 season with the team will now be playing elsewhere.

The Padres were certainly very encouraged with the way rookie Nick Hundley handled the position after he was promoted from Portland in July, especially defensively, where he did the one thing Bard and Barrett could not do in 2007 and part of 2008: Stop the opposition from running.

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The Padres likely will add a veteran catcher to spell Hundley and mentor him. Brad Ausmus is a possibility for that spot.

I know outfielder Jody Gerut isn't considered a prospect by any means, but I think he proved himself as a keeper for next season. Any word on him?
-- David F., San Diego

Rest assured David, Gerut will be back in 2009. The Padres liked the way he responded to playing on an everyday basis after missing two seasons and how he played defense. I think Gerut has a lot to offer offensively as well.

He's got some pop and he runs well. I think you could see him hitting leadoff again in 2009 with the expectation that he will improve on his .296-14-43 marks from 2008.

I'm an Atlanta Braves fan here, first off. There are a lot of rumors that the Braves are a team that might be able to trade for Jake Peavy. Any chance of it happening?
-- Andy F., Sandy Ridge, N.C.

I think there's a chance Peavy could get moved to another team before next season. But I think it's going to take a monster offer to get a deal done, meaning the Padres don't have to deal the right-hander.

He'll make $11 million in 2009, which is regarded as affordable by today's standards for a pitcher of his stature. If a team blows the Padres away with an offer of top Minor League prospects, with some being close to being Major League ready, I think the Padres could bite. The Braves have some interesting prospects to dangle. Stay tuned.