There is no question about the top of the rotation. The Padres have a potentially strong 1-2 punch in 2007 National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy and Chris Young, who rebounded effectively at the end of last year after missing 14 starts due to injuries.

But beyond Cha Seung Baek being penciled in at the No. 3 spot, there are openings. Last season, the Padres went into the season with a rotation of Peavy, Young, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf and Justin Germano.

At the moment, the front-runners for the Nos. 4 and 5 spots are former Giant right-hander Kevin Correia and homegrown prospect Josh Geer. But Towers is looking outside the Padres' clubhouse.

Any move might not be made until days -- hours? -- before the season starts. One source available to the Padres, who are third in the waiver-claim pecking order, will try to acquire pitchers who are out of options.

"There are going to be pitchers available right before the season starts, but we're not the only team that might be in the market for starting pitching," Towers said.

Correia has looked sharp. He threw four scoreless innings March 10 against South Korea's World Baseball Classic team, not allowing a hit until there were two outs in his last inning. Correia has been working on a changeup.

Geer, who suffered a frayed elbow ligament in his last start last September, threw sliders for the first time March 12 during three hitless innings against Milwaukee. Geer's velocity was between 79 and 85 mph.

"That's not a big thing for me," Geer said of his velocity. "I feel good. It felt good to throw sliders again."

Among the pitchers who could be on the Padres' list of possible additions are right-hander Jeff Niemann, who is out of options with Tampa Bay, and former Colorado starter Jason Jennings, who has always pitched well at Petco Park. Jennings is now with Texas.