San Diego Padres: Acquisition of Micah Owings a Dark-Horse Deal

There is no such thing as too much pitching...ask the San Diego Padres.

To help bolster their respected pitching ranks, the Padres dug into their old bag of tricks and acquired the 6'5'', 220 lb. frame of Micah Owings.

Owings went a combined 8-0 with a career-best 3.57 ERA over 63 innings in 2011. To evade the elephant in the room, it is safe to say that the Padres reined in a significant arm.

The 29-year-old Owings believes he has finally found himself an anchored opportunity to resurrect his seesaw career at the helm of the pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

What This Means

Although the Padres seemingly have their starting-pitching rotation set with the recent signing of Dustin Moseley, it has yet to be set in stone.

Owings knows that it is more than likely that Moseley will get the nod for the final spot in the pitching rotation, but that will not deter him from contending for playing time.

Owings has also proved he is just as effective out of the bullpen as he is in the starting rotation.

Ideally, Owings fits the job description of working out of the bullpen. He is a workhorse and will eat up a multitude of innings, which bodes well for two reasons:

1. When he toes the rubber, Owings will help conserve the relief pitchers' arms.
2. Rather than having Buddy Black make the switch to his pinch hitters, Owings can tackle the spotlight himself.

Worst-Case Scenario

If anyone goes down to injury, hell, why not throw him in the outfield? The dude brings an uncharted versatility that the Padres can utilize to their advantage.

If the move to Peoria isn't hot enough, try inside the Padres' locker room. With the addition of Owings, the Padres have filled up all spots on their 40-man roster.

Owings will be given a legitimate opportunity to garner a roster spot in the bullpen.

The Edge

Owings' bat. From an offensive approach, they hooked in more than they had bargained for. During his short major-league stint, Owings secured the coveted Silver Slugger award in just his rookie season.

His offensive prowess will provide the vital boost that will land him a spot in the rotation.