One of the few question marks for the Padres during Spring Training 2015 is: Who's going to be the 5th starter?
One through four are set with James Shields, Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Ian Kennedy (not necessarily in that order). On Friday against the White Sox at Peoria Stadium, we got to see two of the candidates. If the rest of the Cactus League is like this, it's going to be a difficult decision to make.
Odrisamer Despaigne and Brandon Morrow both looked solid in a 5-0 shutout of the White Sox. Despaigne got the start, but their numbers were eerily similar:
Despaigne:
2 IP, 2 hits, BB, 2 K, 31 pitches (16 strikes)
Morrow:
2 IP, 2 hits, BB, K, 34 pitches (21 strikes)
There's consistency for you!
Despaigne has experience with the Padres, having made 16 starts last season, going 4-7 with a respectable 3.36 ERA. With a delivery that Padres manager Bud Black describes as "funky," Despaigne would be the change of pace kind of guy in the rotation.
Morrow was signed as a free agent in the off-season from Toronto. He fits the mold of a classic Darren Balsley reclamation project (see Harang, Aaron and Garland, Jon among others). The Padres pitching coach is one of the reasons Morrow wanted to sign in San Diego.
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Morrow's stuff is dynamic. He was the 5th overall pick of the 2006 draft by the Mariners and only spent one year in the minor leagues. He has flashed moments of brilliance (three complete-game shutouts in 2012) mixed with stretches of inconsistency (finishing in the top-5 in the league in wild pitches and hit batters in 2011).
Even if Morrow loses the battle for the rotation, he can be one more power arm out of the Padres bullpen. Working with Balsley has helped many a pitcher find his way. If that holds true for Morrow, A.J. Preller will have found a free agent steal.
On offense, outfielder Matt Kemp got his first two hits in a Padres uniform, going 2-3 with an RBI. The Padres' next game is Saturday in Scottsdale against the Giants.
James Shields will make his Padres debut against ... Madison Bumgarner, the man he lost World Series Game 5 to back in October. Shields is scheduled to throw two innings.
