Morning Coffee with Mark Whelan: What happens to Hahn and Despaigne when Cashner Returns?

Jul 5, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne (40) pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Odrisamer Despaigne – O.D. had his worst outing as a Padre last night, allowing two runs in 7 IP, and losing to Clayton Kershaw 2-1. In other words, he’s been brilliant. In four starts, his ERA is 1.35. His age is listed as 27, and he has eight years of experience as a starter in the Cuban leagues. Despaigne is one of the stars of the International scouting program for the team, and he is a major feather in their cap. While there is bound to be some regression, he has looked pretty unhittable so far. And at 27, he is in the prime of his career, and innings shouldn’t be an issue. He is likely to get some interest from teams looking to make a playoff run, but I suspect it would take a good haul to pry Despaigne away from the Pads.

So who goes when Cashner comes back? That depends. It depends on how hard the team is trying to move Kennedy. It depends whether the team decides Hahn would be better served gaining a bit more minor league experience, and how many innings they think he should pitch. It depends on whether they think Stults will continue to be a serviceable major leaguer.

It will be fun to watch this all unfold over the next few weeks.