Padres brainstorming about rotation

SAN DIEGO -- Cal Quantrill worked five solid frames in the Padres’ intrasquad game Thursday night, again making his case to be the team’s fifth starter. That is, of course, presuming the Padres use a traditional fifth starter at all.

Internally, that’s still up for debate. It’s possible the Friars will get creative at the back end of their rotation. Publicly, they have done their best to avoid specifics, but here's a common refrain:

"Nothing is off the table," said one person familiar with the team's decision-making.

"It's on the table," said another, when asked about the possibility of a four-man rotation.

• Padres acquire reliever Hill from Royals | 5 Friars on roster bubble

"Everything is on the table," said manager Jayce Tingler when asked about planned bullpen days.

This “table” is apparently overflowing with options for how the Padres might use their deep and versatile pitching staff. And why not? Tingler will have an expanded roster for four weeks and, on paper, one of the sport's best bullpens. In a 60-game season with increased significance on every game, it would be foolish not to alter pitching strategy.

That means...

"You could potentially see a lot of pitching styles that are very similar to playoff games," Tingler said.

And it means...

"You can literally be used at any point in the game," righty setup man Emilio Pagán said.

It's still likely that Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet will be turned loose as traditional starters. If Garrett Richards rekindles his pre-surgery dominance, he will join them in that role.

But the back end of the Padres' rotation is rife with possibilities. Zach Davies probably has a rotation spot, but perhaps not in a traditional sense. He's a low-velo right-hander who mixes sinkers and changeups. Matt Strahm and Drew Pomeranz are bullpen lefties who rely on breaking balls and four-seamers. If the Padres get one of those two relievers into a game early, they could tilt some matchups heavily in their favor.

Behind Davies, the race for the No. 5 spot -- once believed to be a race between Quantrill and Joey Lucchesi -- has evolved into a philosophical debate. The Padres seem confident they'll have enough fresh relievers in an expanded bullpen to eat nine innings. Does that strategy take precedence over, say, five frames from Lucchesi or Quantrill? And, if so, which relievers do you turn to?

Quantrill spent time as a swingman last season, so he could easily work in long relief. Lefty Adrian Morejon, currently the third option in the No. 5 starter race, also has worked out of the ’pen.

In fact, in his big league debut at Wrigley Field on July 21 last year, Morejon worked 2 1/3 innings before handing the ball to the righty Quantrill. Given a spate of favorable matchups, Quantrill worked 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

It doesn't necessarily have to work that way. Strahm, Pomeranz, Craig Stammen and Michel Baez are also proven multi-inning weapons. The Padres could easily ask for two apiece from three of those guys and find themselves with a seventh-inning lead and Pagán and closer Kirby Yates looming.

Then there's the ever-present question of top pitching prospects MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patiño. They aren't considered serious rotation options right now. But if the Padres are tweaking rotation roles, perhaps Gore and Patiño are valuable weapons in shorter bursts. (Gore pitched two innings and struck out three on Thursday night.)

Until games actually start, it's impossible to know how Tingler will use the array of arms at his disposal. But it's safe to say the new Padres manager is open to some creative solutions.

Because, as the Padres are quick to tell anyone who asks, nothing is off the table.

Worth noting
The Padres sent Minor League right-hander Trevor Megill to the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations on Friday, the team announced. Chicago had selected Megill in the Rule 5 Draft in December. The trade Friday means he can be sent to the Minors by the Cubs without first being offered back to the Padres.

In four Minor League seasons, Megill has posted a 3.38 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 157 innings.