Football season is over, and it's too early in college basketball season to start the NCAA tournament. Yet it's in this small window of time, after the Super Bowl and before March Madness, that baseball season begins again.

Spring training is taking place across the country, and I made my annual trip out to Peoria, Arizona and the Cactus League, to check in on the preseason preparations of my beloved San Diego Padres. Surprisingly, there was a lot less to report on than I thought there would be. Unlike the rival Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been wheeling and dealing in a very busy offseason, the Padres – who very narrowly missed out on a third-straight appearance in the playoffs in a frustrating last-second collapse – stood mostly pat. Their biggest addition was probably new center fielder Jim Edmonds, known for his years of service in St. Louis with the Cardinals, but now somewhat considered to be past his prime.

That wasn't exactly confidence inspiring.

However, the Padres didn't climb toward the top of a very strong National League West with nothing. With unanimous NL Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, All-Star Chris Young, and future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, they have one of the best pitching staffs in the league. If Mark Prior and Randy Wolf can stay healthy, it will only be a bolster to a solid staff.

The bullpen remains largely intact, with Cla Meredith and Heath Bell paving the way to closer Trevor Hoffman. Meredith looked shaky last year at times, but should rebound nicely, and if Hoffman can overcome his late-season struggles, the Padre bullpen should yet again be a daunting challenge for the opposition.

The infield should continue to grow beyond their expectations. Khalil Greene remains one of the best defensive shortstops, despite his sometimes struggling offense. Kevin Kouzmanoff had a great second half and should continue to post improving numbers, and Adrian Gonzalez is a solid first baseman. Though not the big name some were hoping for, Tadahito Iguchi should be an improvement over the admittedly failed Marcus Giles experiment. He might not be stellar but he will at least be more consistent than Giles, who lost his starting job to super-sub Geoff Blum (a name I will sorely miss being able to talk about) at midseason.

Outfield is a question mark for the Padres. Brian Giles comes and goes more often than the ballpark trolley, and many fans are getting fed up with his inconsistency. Left field appears to be up for grabs, though Scott Hairston may have an inside track based on last year's performance. It's hard to say whether Edmonds is an improvement over Mike Cameron in center or not. Both are veteran fielders in the later stages of their careers. Cameron's athleticism made him very able at patrolling Petco Park's spacious center field, but at least Edmonds isn't out for the first chunk of the season with a drug suspension.

The bench is, as usual, populated by people whose names you aren't likely to remember. One great note is the return of first baseman-slash-catcher Robert Fick, one of our more colorful bench players back on the team after spending some time with the Washington Nationals. A fairly solid bench player as well as a great clubhouse personality, it's good to see him back.

The coaching staff continues to be an interesting experiment. I had my doubts about Bud Black, but I admit that I was pleased with how he managed the team. The Padres' biggest asset is its pitching staff – both starters and relievers – and as a former pitching coach, that's Black's biggest managerial strength. There are reliable coaches in Tony Muser, Bobby Meacham, Glenn Hoffman, and Darrel Akerfelds, and hopefully the hitting will finally find its stride under one of my longtime favorites, Wally Joyner.

Are the Padres going to be a good team this year? If the offense can hold up its end of the bargain – a longtime problem – then yes. Can they contend in the National League West? That's debatable, considering that almost every other team (excepting San Francisco) has traded or built itself into contention. It's a much tougher division than it has been before, and it remains to be seen if the former division champions can keep pace with the likes of the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Colorado Rockies.

However it shakes out, it should be an interesting season.