Oct 1, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Clayton Richard (33) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The new Padre ownership group has committed to expanding the payroll this year, and as we can see from these moves that the ownership believes in rewarding its players.  There should be a great amount of good will fostered upon the team to give even backup and platoon players a healthy raise from last year.  That type of bonus makes players want to play hard. With Congress taking away another 2% in social security taxes this year to most americans, it’s nice to see the Padres players see double digit, and even triple digit raises.  Well they deserve it.  And with that, let’s hope that the players can at least duplicate, if not expand on their last year’s performance as well.  Sounds good to me.