PEORIA, Ariz. — There is danger in taking everything a manager says literally. It is best to sometimes search for the implied message in his words. One thing Craig Stammen said recently was such an instance. “We’ve got a lot of opening-day starters,” he declared when jokingly asked whether he was ready to name a starting pitcher for the Padres’ March 26 season opener against the Tigers. No, the Padres do not have a lot of opening-day starters. In that the nod generally goes to a team’s top pitcher from the previous seasons, there is just one candidate for the Padres this spring. It would be deeply shocking if Nick Pivetta is healthy and does not receive the first opening-day...
