Diamondbacks. The National League West soon might feature the best young pitching in the game. The Padres already rely on Jake Peavy, Oliver Perez and Adam Eaton. The Giants believe Kurt Ainsworth, Jesse Foppert and Jerome Williams can be top-of-the-rotation starters. The Rockies expect Aaron Cook and eventually Jason Young and Chin-Hui Tsao to start along with N.L. Rookie of the Year Jason Jennings.
One NL scout, however, says his team rates the Diamondbacks ahead of each of those clubs, largely because of their depth.
Rookie John Patterson, 25, will open the season as the No. 4 starter, and Byung-Hyun Kim, 24, could be the No. 5. The Class AAA rotation could feature five prospects, and the Diamondbacks also are developing two potential late-inning relievers, Jose Valverde and Brian Bruney.
The team intends to sign
Randy Johnson to an extension but ultimately might lose
Curt Schilling, whose contract expires after next season. By then, Patterson could be the No. 2 starter and pitchers such as Mike Gosling, Oscar Villarreal and Brandon Webb might be mainstays in the rotation.
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