Padres manager not concerned about bullpen depth

San Diego Padres manager Bud Black isn't worried about who he'll hand the ball to in the ninth inning should incumbent closer Joaquin Benoit battle injury again in 2015.

"We have five guys we feel comfortable giving the ball to," Black told MLB.com's Corey Brock. "That's one of those situations we won't know until we get into the season to see how guys are throwing, how well they're executing their pitches, their confidence, their arms, their stuff … all that stuff adds into the daily decision as to who might close a game if Joaquin is down."

Despite trading former closer Huston Street to the Los Angeles Angels in July, the Padres retained most of the principal characters from last year's relief corps, including Kevin Quackenbush, Dale Thayer and Nick Vincent. The Padres also acquired Shawn Kelley from the New York Yankees this offseason, adding another veteran reliever with some ninth-inning experience.

Benoit, meanwhile, missed roughly four weeks last season due to shoulder inflammation, though he still managed a tidy 1.49 ERA with a 0.77 WHIP over 53 appearances.

"Joaquin is projected to be our closer but if he's down then we have a number of options to choose from, guys who have closed Major League games and guys who have been successful at it," Black said.