San Diego Padres Sign Local Pitcher Sean O'Sullivan

A local boy will soon be getting a shot to make the San Diego Padres pitching staff.

25-year-old Sean O'Sullivan was signed to a minor league contract and was invited to the major league camp in February, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com.

O'Sullivan (no relation to the author of this piece) played all of the 2012 season in Triple-A. He pitched poorly in 53.1 innings for Omaha in the Kansas City Royals system. But then he excelled in Las Vegas, the Triple-A affiliate for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he posted a 9-3 record and a 2.72 ERA in 89.1 innings.

He has some experience in the majors. Between 2009 and 2011, he pitched in 43 games, making 34 starts, with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Kansas City Royals.

In his big league debut on June 16, 2009, he pitched seven innings, allowing one run and only five hits, getting an 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.

He became a free agent after the 2012 and chose the Padres over several other teams.

According to Bill Center of the U-T San Diego, O'Sullivan has "wanted to be a Padre since I was four or five."

O'Sullivan was born in San Diego and went to high school and college in nearby El Cajon, Ca. If he makes the team and helps give the Padres some much needed pitching depth, then he might even surpass the wishes of his five-year-old self.