PEORIA, Ariz. -- When the Padres re-signed pitcher Greg Maddux to a one-year deal for $10 million, they felt like the 347-game winner still had something left to offer in 2008.

What he provides off the mound is of considerable value as well, as Maddux has helped several of the pitchers on the staff, especially younger pitchers like Jake Peavy and Chris Young.

Young, for one, found himself sidling up to Maddux on the bench during games to talk pitching philosophy. The lessons were many, though the biggest is one Young will take with him to the mound for each and every start this season.

"One of the things Greg has taught me is don't evaluate the results, evaluate the way you threw the ball," Young said. "Really, that's what it comes down to. You can go out there and pitch a great game and lose. It's just the way pitching goes. The bottom line is giving your team a chance to win."

Young said a perfect example came in September last season as he was rounding back to pitching form after struggling with first an oblique injury and then a back injury that was the result of overcompensating for the oblique.

It was Sept. 24 and the Padres were in San Francisco to face the Giants. Young threw five innings, allowing seven runs with four walks as the Padres fell, 9-4.

Terrible outing? Not so fast. Sure, the Padres lost a game in which Young started. That, he would agree, is never a good thing. But Young said he felt he had good stuff in that game and was the victim of some strange circumstances.

"I feel like everything went against me. There were two or three broken-bat base hits. ... There were a few seeing-eye ground ball hits through the hole. I think that there was one hard-hit base hit and I gave up seven runs," Young said.

"You just have to be even with it all and understand it's a weird game. You can't evaluate everything based on the numbers."

The week ahead: The Padres will play an intrasquad game Tuesday, the day before they play their annual charity game against their parking lot brethren, the Seattle Mariners, on Wednesday at the Peoria Sports Complex.

In order to give some of the pitchers they want to take a long look at more, well, looks, the Padres plan on using Tim Stauffer in the game against Seattle.

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Lefty Shawn Estes, looking like the early favorite for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, gets the ball the following day in the Cactus League opener against the Royals.

San Diego manager Bud Black said the starting pitchers will adhere to a progression of pitches and innings pitched. For example, a first outing for a starting pitcher will be two innings or 30 pitches. The second outing would be three innings or 45 pitches. Then it would be four innings or 60 pitches and five innings or 75 pitches.

Relievers would typically go one inning or possibly two, throwing around 25 pitches in each outing.

M*A*S*H unit? Black was asked about his roster, which includes a number of players coming off injuries or surgeries, like pitchers Randy Wolf and Mark Prior, center fielder Jim Edmonds and non-roster invitees pitcher Glendon Rusch and outfielders Jeff DaVanon and Jody Gerut.

"Coming to our environment, you hope that they recapture that [old] form," Black said. "It works both ways -- for us to want someone, they have got to want to come here, too. There are 29 other teams they could have gone to.

"We feel as though -- and I wouldn't call it a gamble -- it's a nice calculated move, on a guy you hope can recapture his form."

Friars notes: Black said that outfielder Brian Giles, coming back from offseason knee surgery, will likely be able to play in Cactus League games sometime during mid-March or about the time when the Padres leave for China (March 11). The hope is still that Giles be will ready for Opening Day on March 31. Until he can play in games, the Padres will be able to give playing time to several outfielders in camp. But who will hit leadoff? The most likely candidate would be new second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. ... Still no sign of pitcher Enrique Gonzalez (visa issues) or any indication of when he'll arrive in Arizona. ... Other than pitchers pitching, catchers catching and hitters hitting, how do the Padres spent their time each day? Early in camp, the Padres work on their defensive fundamentals, first-and-third defense, bunt defenses, pickoffs and rundowns. ... There were 30 members of the Mexican media in attendance Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex. ... The prep basketball team that Tony Clark helps coach, Northwest Christian, won the Arizona 2A state championship Saturday in Glendale, knocking off Thatcher, 56-42.