Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Even during Bryan Mitchell's darkest hours, Andy Green was steadfast in his overall analysis of the 27-year-old right-handed pitcher.
To paraphrase Green, there was "something there" in Mitchell. It just hadn't come out. The biggest problem seemed to be Mitchell's inability to throw strikes with his most dynamic pitch ... the curve.
Clearly, the Padres saw something in Mitchell. They took on Chase Headley's contract from the Yankees last Dec. 12 to acquire Mitchell from the Yankees.