NewsFriars to stick with current five in stretch
Club resisting temptation to tweak rotation prior to year's end
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
09/22/09 10:05 PM ET
DENVER -- The Padres won't tinker with their starting rotation over the final 10 games of the regular season while resisting the attraction to look at several young pitchers in a starting capacity over that stretch.San Diego manager Bud Black said before Tuesday's game at Coors Field that the team will stick with Edward Mujica, Tim Stauffer, Clayton Richard, Kevin Correia and Wade LeBlanc between now and the regular-season finale on Oct. 4.
"We are looking at a few things, but there are still some things we want to see out of the staff," Black said, mentioning Mujica, Stauffer and LeBlanc specifically.
The Padres have three pitchers on their current roster -- left-handers Cesar Ramos, Aaron Poreda and right-hander Ernesto Frieri -- who were starters in the Minor Leagues this past season and are pitchers the team would not doubt like to evaluate at some point.
It will be out of the bullpen, though, not the rotation.
Ramos made 14 starts with Triple-A Portland. Poreda, obtained in the Jake Peavy deal in July, made six starts with Portland after the trade. Frieri made 26 starts for Double-A San Antonio.
San Diego, which figures to have no shortage of rotation candidates in Spring Training, wants to get as much information and evaluation time as possible with rotation hopefuls such as Mujica, a long reliever for most of the season, Stauffer and LeBlanc.
Stauffer stands to make two more starts, the first on Wednesday against the Rockies. The same goes for LeBlanc, who makes his next start on Saturday against Arizona. Mujica is set for one more start, likely in the final week of the season against the Giants.
Other starting pitchers who figure to be in the mix for rotation spots next season are Chris Young, Sean Gallagher, Mat Latos, Correia and Richard.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
