2005 Player Preview

Starting Pitching

The Pads bring back three starters from last year,(Peavy, Lawrence, & Eaton) and replace old man David Wells with old man Woody Williams. Tim Redding was acquired in a trade to fill the five spot.

SP-Jake Peavy...The 23yr old looked like a cagey veteran last season, becoming the youngest player to lead the league in ERA since Dwight Gooden back in 85.(Dr.K was 20 by the way and had a ridiculous 1.53..sick) Jake's pitching load was handled gingerly by the coaching staff due to his age, and if healthy should go deeper into starts this year. Peavy barely qualified for the ERA title with 166 innings last year(he missed a few starts due to injury), and could be a Cy Young candidate if he can throw 200+ innings. The Pads were smart to lock him up for four more years, as he has the stuff to be the stopper they haven't had since Kevin Brown in 98.

SP-Woody Williams...Acquired as a free agent after Wells signed with Boston, Woody will have some big shoes to fill at the age of 38. Unlike Wells, Williams' 4.18 ERA last year in 189 innings shows signs of an aging veteran. He is guaranteed a contract next year of 4mil+ if he makes just 15 starts, and that is a clause which may come back to bite the Padres in the ass. Then again, obtaining starting pitchers in the open market is like buying beer at the ballpark. You always overpay but you usually need to do it anyway. Towers still claims trading Williams for Ray Lankford in 01 was his worse move ever and getting him back may have been a sentimental move on his part. Williams is a gutsy player who knows how to pitch, and unless he's injured or loses a few mph off his fastball, should win 12-15 games.

SP-Brian Lawrence...B-Law has been the Padres most consistent starter, compiling 200+ innings in each of his last three seasons. His 15 wins lead the staff last year, and while his 'stuff' will probably never make him a household name in the majors, he's a solid #3 rotation guy. Let alone the fact that he's 28 & signed for a few years at reasonable dollars. A solid player who's numbers shouldn't change much in 05.

SP-Adam Eaton...Eaton is definitely the opposite of Lawrence. Inconsistent. Erratic. He's our Jekyll & Hyde, as he can look brilliant one game(or even for three or four innings), and then horrible the next. I think this is the last year to figure out if he's going to 'learn' how to pitch, or if this is just who he is. He's only 27, and did miss a year and a half with Tommy John surgery, but his 04 numbers were a step down from 03, and Petco heavily favored pitchers last year. The good thing is he started 64 games the last two seasons, so health hasn't been a factor. The Friars will need him to step up this year in order to compete for the division.

SP-Tim Redding...Just acquired for minor league catcher Humberto Quintero, Redding was brought in to fill the 5 spot after new Padre Darrell May looked terrible this spring. Redding is just 27, and while once a promising prospect, dipped off last year with 17 starts and a 5.72 ERA. Thinking among coaches is a change of scenery may revert him back to his 03 campaign, where he had a 3.68 ERA in 32 starts. Redding owns a plus fastball, and has good movement on his off speed pitches, but has struggled with command. This looks like a good trade for the Pads, as Quintero was going to see little action this season behind Hernandez & Ojeda. At 25, his minor league numbers suggest he may actually be a decent pro, but it's a crapshoot at best. The organization held fast to their stance on not rushing young pitchers, as some think minor league ace Tim Stauffer is very close to contributing.