Padres Press Clips Friday, October 20, 2017 Article Source Author Page Majority of Padres' coaches expected to return MLB.com Cassavell 2 Tatis Jr. among prospects in winter leagues MLB.com Boor 3 Solarte my pick for most inspirational player Padres.com Center 4 1 Majority of Padres' coaches expected to return Club has begun search for hitting coach after departure of Zinter By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | @AJCassavell | October 19th, 2017 SAN DIEGO -- The majority of the Padres' coaching staff is expected to return for the 2018 season, with two notable absences. San Diego is still looking for a replacement for hitting coach Alan Zinter, who was let go in September. Meanwhile, infielders coach Ramon Vazquez will not return either, leaving one further vacancy on manager Andy Green's staff. The news means bench coach Mark McGwire, pitching coach Darren Balsley, third-base coach Glenn Hoffman and first-base coach Johnny Washington are all expected to return next season, though the club has not formally announced as much. Vazquez, who played three seasons for the Padres as an infielder from 2002-04, spent one season on Green's staff. Meanwhile, the Padres' search for a hitting coach continues. The club already has interviewed five candidates -- including Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis on Wednesday. No decision has been made yet, but a Padres source noted it's a near certainty that the club's choice will come from that pool of five candidates. 2 Tatis Jr. among prospects in winter leagues By William Boor / MLB.com | October 19th, 2017 The playoffs and Arizona Fall League may garner the bulk of the attention this time of year, but there's plenty of baseball being played elsewhere. The Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana, also known as the Dominican Republic Winter League, as well as some other offseason winter leagues have begun and some of the best prospects in baseball are showing why they are so highly regarded. White Sox top prospect Eloy Jimenez (MLB No. 4) is off to a fast start for Gigantes del Cibao, hitting .529 with a homer, five RBIs and a 1.467 OPS through four games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (MLB No. 3) is also raking in the early going, hitting .313 with two RBIs and a .911 OPS. The Blue Jays' No. 1 prospect also seems to be thoroughly enjoying his stint in the Dominican Republic, as evidenced by his enthusiastic celebration following a triple in a game last week. In addition to Guerrero and Jimenez, Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres No. 4, MLB No. 51) is showing well, with a 1.021 OPS in the early goings. In fact, six of the top 10 players in OPS appear on team Top 30 lists with Jose Marmolejos(Nationals' No. 19), Socrates Brito (D-backs' No. 10) and Franchy Cordero (Padres' No. 12) joining the trio of Top 100 prospects. Liga Mexicana del Pacifico and Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional are also underway, while Liga de Beisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico Winter League) will have its typical late- October start pushed back to January due to Hurricane Maria. 3 Solarte my pick for most inspirational player Infielder dealt with loss of wife in 2016 By Bill Center / MLB.com | October 19th, 2017 I am finishing my list of my personal Padres awards with one that doesn't exist in the National League. Yangervis Solarte earned a special spot with me this season. Only months separated from the loss of his wife Yuliett due to cancer, Solarte arrived in Spring Training "with a passion to play the game I love" and served as a leader on and off the field during the 2017 season, while accepting new challenges in both his personal and playing life. I'm giving Solarte my own "Most Inspirational Padre Award" for 2017. And I'm not alone. Last winter, Solarte was named the 18th winner of the Tony Conigliaro Award, which goes annually to the "Major League player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were the trademarks of Tony C." Seldom has there been a more deserving recipient than Solarte. And he was even stronger in 2017. Not only did he hit .255 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs despite missing 33 games in the middle of the season with a left oblique strain, Solarte accepted the challenge of moving to shortstop after Erick Aybar was injured. He did it with a smile and enthusiasm that was infectious with teammates. The Solarte "alligator" clap, coupled with a huge grin, became a Padres trademark. "Soly loves playing the game," Padres manager Andy Green said during the season. "Everyone around him sees that and it resonates with his teammates. Plus, he's one of those rare players who 4 eagerly accepts every challenge with a smile. He's comfortable with challenges because he knows he's going to give it all he has." All while raising three young daughters. A 30-year-old Venezuelan, Solarte completed his third full season with the Padres after coming from the New York Yankees in a July 22, 2014, trade for third baseman Chase Headley. With the Padres, Solarte has been a starter at second and third as well as part-time starter at short and a backup at first. "If I told him he'd be playing center field tonight, he'd be out there with a smile even though he'd never played the position," Green said this summer. "He's a rare spirit." Despite missing 33 games on the disabled list and spending 28 games out of his comfort zone at short, Solarte set a career high in homers in 2017. In four-plus seasons with the Padres, Solarte has hit .270 with 51 homers and 215 RBIs. He has a .326 on-base percentage as a Padre with a .424 slugging percentage for a .750 OPS. But numbers alone don't capture the essence of Yangervis Solarte. He is an inspiration. 5 .