Padres Gain Some Pitching Depth With Baugh

By Alan Matthews
December 14, 2005

On the same day the Tigers announced the signing of one Kenny, they let another one go.

Monday the Tigers finalized the contract of free agent lefthander Kenny Rogers and created a spot on their 40-man roster for Rogers when they traded 2001 first-round draft pick Kenny Baugh to the Padres for minor league righthander Ricky Steik.

Baugh was the 11th overall pick in 2001, when he pitched close to 200 innings between Rice and the Tigers. The workload took a toll on his shoulder, as he had a torn labrum that required surgery and cost him the entire 2002 season. Baugh no longer has the look of a first-round pick, but he does have the look of a fringy No. 5 starter who should contribute in the big leagues. Baugh has shown improved health and durability the last three seasons, and in 2005, he set career highs in starts (28) and wins (12) while ranking fifth in the Triple-A International League with a 3.38 ERA.

Steik completed his first full professional season in 2005 after signing with the Padres as a seventh-round pick in 2004 from Golden West (Calif.) Junior College. He made 54 relief appearances at low Class A Fort Wayne in 2005, posting a 2.40 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 24 walks in 60 innings. He works off an 89-91 mph sinker with an average slider and changeup. He had some shoulder soreness late in the year.