Padres rumors: San Diego still seeking starting pitching?

San Diego Padres GM Josh Byrnes hasn't ruled out the possibility of adding another starting pitcher to the organization before Opening Day, reports Corey Brock of MLB.com:

"There is a chance we can solve [the rotation] with our own guys..." Byrnes said. "The thing about the offseason [is] … we haven't pursued guys just to add bodies.

"But if we feel there's an upgrade, someone with upside or a long-term guy, then OK."

Byrnes added that the front office is comfortable with the options they have for the time being, but that may change in the next six weeks.

At the moment the only two guys who have a lock on a rotation spot are Clayton Richard and Edinson Volquez, according to Brock. The other three spots are up for grabs among eight candidates: incumbents Jason Marquis, Anthony Bass, Casey Kelly, Tyson Ross, Eric Stults, Robbie Erlin, and Tim Stauffer, as well as newcomer Freddy Garcia.

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Three other potential in-house candidates -- Andrew Cashner, Joe Wieland, and Cory Luebke -- are not expected to return to the mound until midseason.

Many of the "healthy" candidates for the final three spots -- e.g Bass, Stauffer, Marquis, Stults -- are coming off of injury-plagued 2012 seasons, so their health could play a big factor in whether or not Byrnes decides to go after outside help at some point this spring.

Due to a series of major injury setbacks last season, the Friars were forced to endure 51 starts from players who did not begin the season on the 40-man roster.