The Safe Money Is On Tim Stauffer To Open The Season As the Padres No. 5 Starter
PEORIA, Ariz. — First Mat Latos threw, and he threw well. Then Wade LeBlanc took over, and he threw maybe even a little bit better.
The No. 5 spot in the Padres rotation is up for grabs this spring, and Manager Bud Black likes to see the competition: “When it’s all over,” he said, “somebody’s going to be (upset).”
And it could be both Latos and LeBlanc. Though both looked quite worthy of the job based on the way they pitched here Monday night in a 7-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Latos started and retired the side in the first inning on seven pitches. He finished up four comfortable innings, allowing just one run (on a bouncing, wrong-way double down the right-field line) and two hits. LeBlanc followed with four shutout innings, cruising through a parade of mostly-back up San Franciscans.
Black liked everything he saw.
“Mat’s ball was exploding in there,” the Padres’ skipper observed. “He had good stuff, and good movement.”
And LeBlanc?
“Really good command of the fastball and the change-up. Those are the two pitches for him, and they’re both working well right now. If he continues to locate the fastball in and out, and then drops the change in there, it’s good stuff.”
So there’s the good news for Latos, last year’s potential phenom who finished 4-5 with a 4.52 ERA, and for LeBlanc, tabbed in recent years as a future contributor who’s 5-5 with a 5.05 ERA at the big-league level in parts of two seasons. This spring Latos has thrown 13 innings and allowed just three runs. LeBlanc has pitched 13 innings, allowing two runs.
Now here’s the bad news: former first-round pick Tim Stauffer probably has the inside track for the No. 5 job over both of them. Though his big league resume over parts of four seasons shows just eight wins (against 14 losses) and a career ERA of 5.15 in 31 starts, Stauffer is out of options, meaning that if the Padres want to send him back to the minor leagues he would have to pass through waivers first.
Being as Stauffer posted a credible 3.58 ERA last season (and a 4-7 record in 14 starts), most feel he would be snapped up quickly by another major league club. One big league scout told me Monday night that “Stauffer would never make it through waivers because so many teams are looking for a solid No. 5 starter.”
So what should the Padres do? Keep Stauffer (5 innings, 2 runs allowed this spring) on the big club and send down Latos and LeBlanc? Or go with Latos or LeBlanc and risk losing Stauffer? Before you say, “How about giving the No. 5 spot to Latos and using LeBlanc and Stauffer in relief?” keep this in mind: Stauffer has never pitched in relief anywhere. (LeBlanc potentially could be kept as a long-man, though Latos is a starter only).
The safe thing to do would be to open the season with Stauffer. Perhaps use LeBlanc some in long-relief. Send Latos down for a big more seasoning. Right-hander Sean Gallagher, obtained last season from Oakland in the Scott Hairston trade, complicates things even more because he too, like Stauffer, is out of options.
I say forget about what the safe thing to do is. If Latos gives you the best chance to be successful as the No. 5 starter, go with him. If it’s LeBlanc, then hand him the ball. If Stauffer’s the guy, then he’s the guy. The point is don’t select your No. 5 starter based on which guy has options and which guy doesn’t.
If Stauffer loses the battle, he loses the battle. If you lose him to a waiver claim, you lose him. I get tired of teams making decisions based on things other than performance. You can spin your wheels for a long time putting together your ballclub that way. Anyway, even if Stauffer is snapped up somewhere, it’s not like we’re talking about a future Cy Young Award winner here.
Latos, it seems to me, has the most “upside,” whatever the hell that is. He’s been lights-out in the minors and faired nicely getting his feet wet at the end of last season. Sure Stauffer finally showed some flashes down the stretch of why the Padres made him a No. 1 pick, but Latos seems like the guy who has a chance to be a future star. Let’s start finding out.
LeBlanc could be a nice long-man from the left side. Gallagher can eat up some relief innings from the right side. I wouldn’t run the risk of losing him. The Padres have other potential young arms like Aaron Poreda and Cesar Carillo just in case Stauffer must depart.
Sure, you can never have enough pitching, but every now and again, you have to part with an arm to make room for another. Chris Young, Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Clayton Richard and Mat Latos should open the year as the starting five.
– Ello
Craig Elsten -
Chainsaw -
