MAJOR BLOGS - www.majorblogs.net - NASHVILLE, TENN.  Pending a trade, the San Diego Padres are prepared to give Matt Antonelli and Chase Headley a shot at starting spots in 2008.  The Padres have openings at second base and left field and general manager Kevin Towers confirmed on Wednesday night that both rookies will get long looks in spring training. 

Antonelli, 22, was recently featured in a MLN story titled "Father Matt".  The second baseman hit .314 with 14 home runs, 54 RBI and 18 stolen bases in an 82 game span with the Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm.  He was promoted shortly after the All-Star break to Double-A San Antonio and helped lead the Missions to the 2007  Texas League title, batting .294 in 49 contests.  

The Padres have been reluctant to pursue a veteran stop-gap,  thus Antonelli sits at the top of the second base depth chart at the moment.  "As of December 5, he's going to get the first crack at it," says Towers.   

Headley was ranked 19th in the MLN FAB50 Prospect ratings this past summer.  The switch-hitter was the 2007  Texas League Player-of-the-Year after posting a .330 batting average with 20 dingers and 78 RBI for the Missions.  He's a third baseman by trade, but he's blocked at the position by big league sophomore Kevin Kouzmanoff .  

The Padres ranked 14th in the National League in team OPS and could use Headley's lumber even though his position is filled.  A plus athlete, Headley will move to left and get his feet wet during the club's pre-spring January workouts at PETCO Park.  "His bat is ready now, but we're going to see how he looks out in left during spring training," says Towers.   

Both Antonelli and Headley have been envy of other general managers during trade talks with Towers.  Towers proclaims nobody in the Padres farm system is untouchable, but "Antonelli and Headley are the two that are the toughest to trade".