As for “And if you are talking about High A ball and below, you are talking about these guys typically not arriving as productive major league pitchers for anywhere from 2-4 years. By then, the Padres can revamp and turn things around on the starting pitching front, particularly with how well they do with trades, and if they can get Latos to sign.”, that’s a pretty serious change of points. Now you’re not saying that other teams don’t have top pitching prospects or that we do have them, but that we shouldn’t be concerned because we can fix things before then. The Padres drafted better in 2005 and 2006, but still not all that well. Drafted a lot of pitchability kids. Passed on a lot of high upside types.

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But let’s change the parameters and look just at AA and above. Six players have started at least 1 game for their AA team in Jacksonville. Only one of them doesn’t have a K/9 rate higher than 7. Another one is Eric Cyr, who we can say is no longer a prospect even though if he was a Padre some people would be talking about how “a guy might just need time to find himself.” Scott Elbert has 24 K’s in 14 innings. I think that counts.

Micah Owings of the Dbacks represents a possible 1-2. Can reach 97. Drafted in 2005, already in the majors, 137 K’s in 167 minor league innings. They also have Dustin Nippert, top-end stuff, 130 Ks in 140 AAA innings last year. He’s with the big club too but both he and Owings are still prospects.

The Rockies have Franklin Morales. 8.5 K’s per 9 so far in AA, 179 K’s in 154 innings last year. A legitimate ace prospect.

SF has Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez, who struck out more than 1 per 9 last year in the minors.

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“Every NL West team but us has at least one pitching prospect who profiles as a 1-2. Linceum may be the only Giant, but the other teams have multiple. The Dodgers have more than anybody. They won’t all get there, but at least they have them.”

Maybe you can say that about High A and below, but I don’t think you can honestly say that about the Dodgers’ or Diamondbacks AAA and AA teams. I don’t know much about the Rockies system, but only BK Kim has a 9+ K/9 ratio going right now among starters at AA or above. Only Tim Linecum profiles as your ideal above-average starter.

And if you are talking about High A ball and below, you are talking about these guys typically not arriving as productive major league pitchers for anywhere from 2-4 years. By then, the Padres can revamp and turn things around on the starting pitching front, particularly with how well they do with trades, and if they can get Latos to sign.

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I can’t see a situation in which they drop Blum. They were in a big hurry to sign him last winter. Don’t like it, but as long as 3 of our 5 starters are routinely going 6 or fewer innings, they’re going to keep the bully loaded up. That means the bench stays weak and thin.

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Here’s Michael Johnson’s splits … http://www.minorleaguesplits.c.....X&bp=b … and he’s about to turn 27 … can’t say I’m optimistic … just hopeful …

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Very good numbers for him so far, but he’s on pace for about 140 strikeouts. Strange that his K numbers are so much worse at home. On the road his K/BB are almost even.

Headley is hitting the pee out of the ball.

http://tinyurl.com/32b3ho

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