Well, it's now official, the Padres have signed Micah Owings to a one year $1 million Major League deal..
"Micah will compete for a spot on our staff," Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said in a release. "He is a proven contributor as a starter and as a reliever. Micah's character and versatility made him a priority for us as we looked to add depth to our pitching staff."
Owings looks to be a pretty good pick up for the Padres. I never liked him when he was with the Diamondbacks, but I think that was mostly because he was with the Diamondbacks. Now that he's a Padre I find him to be delightful. It's weird how that works.
@MicahOwings
Micah Owings Blessed by the San Diego Padres interest in me and the opportunity ahead!! Excited to help them WIN!! Appreciate all old and new fans!! -MO
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It's comforting to know that the Padres have another pitcher that can start when the rotation is inevitably faced with injuries and can also throw out of the bullpen. As long as he makes the team out of Spring camp I foresee good things for his time in San Diego.
UPDATE:
Lots of jokes about Owings' hitting prowess.
@FollowThePadres
Follow The Padres Folks, the offensive component of the deal the #Padres made for Owings is very, very small. Sure, it's nice. But this is more about this arm
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I haven't found one internet opinion that hasn't liked this deal for the Padres, so for now the signing is 100% fresh, on par with the likes of Toy Story.
Apologies to RottenTomatoes.com
Padres add Micah Owings | Friar Forecast
While signing Owings exclusively as pitching depth is okay, his real value comes in his offensive game and overall versatility.
Pitcher-Slugger Micah Owings Signs With Padres - Rob Neyer - Baseball Nation
this seems like a great fit, as Owings is a fairly extreme fly-ball pitcher and his new home ballpark -- assuming he earns a spot on the squad -- is where fly balls go to die terrible deaths.
Micah Owings Deal Finalized With Padres - Chicken Friars
It’s a relatively low risk contract for both sides.
Owings Seeks Asylum In Petco | FanGraphs Baseball
The Padres didn’t get a bargain at a million bucks, but they did a good job recognizing that their ballpark’s tendencies will help cover for Owings’ faults. They could end up squeezing half-a-win out of this investment if things break right.
San Diego Padres Add Micah Owings to Major League Roster: Fan's Take - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
I think that the addition of Owings was a great move and one that can help the team in many different areas. If Owings is forced into the starting rotation, it would likely be due to injury or ineffectiveness of someone ahead of him. This wouldn't be good news for Padre fans but is a task Owings is certainly capable of handling.
Could the Padres signing of Micah Owings be a precursor to another deal? | Through The Fence Baseball
Either way, I like the signing of Owings. He can start, be the swing man out of the pen in long relief or even be an extra bat off the bench in late-inning games. Something the Padres in the NL West, and PETCO Park are accustom to.
Mighty Micah Steps Up to the Plate | RJ's Fro
This looks to be the last piece to the 2012 puzzle. We definitely needed another free agent starter to throw in the mix and why not kill two birds with one stone here. Owings is a prolific hitter (for pitchers' standards).
0 recs | 22 comments
But how fresh is it?!?!
Wonko - February 3, 2012
I couldn't remember
do I only do that for trades or acquisitions also?
jbox - February 3, 2012
Well
You did the Kotsay signing.
Wonko - February 3, 2012
Ok there
I converted it to a tomatometer post.
jbox - February 3, 2012
I remember being excited when he went to the Reds a couple years ago
because I wouldn’t have to root against him. This is even better!
I also like that he’s a man of faith but isn’t an overbearing ass about it. He and I had a short conversation about this a few weeks ago on twitter and he’s one of the few people who have suggested that particular path to me that I didn’t end up wanting to punch in the throat.
TheThinGwynn - February 3, 2012
What's not to like
Guy wins, and he came cheap.
athletics68 - February 3, 2012
Exactly.
I mean, $1 million? That’s about as bargain as you can get. Plus, he can pinch-hit on occasion. Remember when Adam Eaton used to do that?
SolanaFan - February 3, 2012
He instantly becomes the best power hitter on the team
justdave - February 3, 2012
We dunt nead Power NEEd Speed Ludwick Sucked
padmadfan - February 3, 2012
4-3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
justdave - February 3, 2012
he says he's a pitcher not a hitter
but his twitter profile is him hitting.
Get him on the mound but get his bat in the lineup now and again, at the very least as a PH.
dts317- - February 3, 2012
Lifetime .286/.313/.507
If you take his career 162 game average, he’d have been the Padres’ leading HR hitter last year.
EvilSammy - February 3, 2012
me likey
derntootin - February 3, 2012
This
is a good move for you guys. He’s a solid pitcher, both in relief and starting. Pretty decent hitter, and on top of it all, he’s a good luck charm.
imstillhungry95 - February 3, 2012
So more importantly...
Micah Owings’ nickname with the Padres will be Toy Story?
Dex - February 3, 2012
I like it.
jodes0405 - February 3, 2012
I like that he seems happy to be a part of the Padres, unless he forgot to add sarcasm tags to his twitter message...
sdchicken - February 3, 2012
#ludwickd
iheartyourfart - February 4, 2012
Think it's a stupid move
Had some flash in the pan success last year, has shown little consistent effective pitching over the last few years, and is instead known for having success (by pitcher’s standards) at the plate. Why is this better than letting Bass/Moseley compete for a 5th/LR spot? Hell why is this better then getting any number of other cheap pitchers to fill that same role who are all better than Owings?
Foolish move
TheAxManCometh - February 5, 2012
its not necessarily an either/or propisition on having owings
or having bass/moseley compete. Owings has Minor League options, so I think of Bass/Mosely/Owings compete for the 5th spot and Long Relief/Swing role, with the “loser” of Bass/Owings in AAA as insurance in case of the inevitable pitching injury.
Since you believe there are “any number of other cheap pitchers” better than Owings to fill the same said role, please provide any number of examples. Owings isn’t exactly expensive at $1 MM with a split contract that pays presumably less if he’s in AAA.
Nater Tater - February 5, 2012
Isn't ownership's concern about incentive contracts
the fact that they can’t accurately predict the salary for the season? How is that any different than a split contract?
IputtheYinTony - February 6, 2012
because they know the max is $1m
and the difference in cost will be a few hundred thousand dollars max. its different than the type of contract the mets signed with CY last year where he had additional earning potential of like $3-5m if he stayed healthy
iheartyourfart - February 6, 2012
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