The Padres have requested unconditional release waivers for right-hander Micah Owings, Corey Brock of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The Legacy Sports Group client will hit free agency after he clears release waivers.
The move amounts to an early non-tender for Owings, who would have been arbitration eligible for the third time this coming offseason. He had been a non-tender candidate after missing most of the season with an elbow injury, so the move doesn't come as a surprise. Owings, 30, appeared in just six games this past season. He underwent season-ending arthroscopic elbow surgery in July and didn't pitch after April.
With the new dimensions at Petco, Owings could have hit 30 bombs next year.
sorry to clue you in bud but not everyone is rick ankiel
He’s as good of a hitter or better than Rick Ankiel.
Micah has a .813 OPS in 205 AB as a hitter.
No guarantees, but I think he is a good enough hitter for a non-contender that it would be worth trying him in the OF.
Offer him an incentive laden contract, either that or he becomes a lifelong bullpen man.
I guarantee you Micah is twice the hitter Rick Ankiel is. Give him 600 to 1000 minor league PA and watch what happens. He can play on the corners or DH. I dont think its a question of “if” but a question of “how soon”
How soon will he be 32 and physically able to attempt the position change? A little over a year from now.
He’s past peak.
Well he’s not a prospect, hes a project. I think a season to a season and a half in the minors at most. Then he will be 32 or 33 years old. He will have a couple of years left before he’s totally over the hill and I think he can be a solid hitter for those couple of years. I don’t remember suggesting that he would mash until hes 50 and be a Hall of Famer. I think if given 500 MLB PA hes probably .235 25 70 which has plenty of value.
I’m clued in thanks and I’m also joking.
Micah hits for power, period. Granted, it’s in batting practice, and not in the game, but when he was in AZ, he would take BP with the first or second group – the “real” hitters, and he would put on a show. He regularly parked the balls 25 rows deep in left-center.
He was a great hitter in college and when he first brok into the bigs, he was a good enough hitter to be used as a pinch-hitter off the bench, and not to bunt.
what do you mean it was in BP? The guy has a career .502 slugging average. IN ACTUAL MAJOR LEAGUE GAMES.
I meant that his prodigous display of tape-measure power was in BP. I am well-aware that he hits HRs in actual games as well. I am fortunate enough to have sen him do it, coming off the bench no less. With a rather efforstless swing, he generates a ton of power.
Micah can do it. He’s twice the hitter Ankiel is… However Ankiel can play CF and probably has a better throwing arm than any other MLB OF. Micah will have to do it with just his bat. It will be fun to watch.
This guy should become a positional player! stop being stubborn Micah, become a full time hitter while you have the time!
Yep, he has been a pretty good hitter so far.
.283/.310/.502 batting line, and that is with him hitting only every 5 days. Imagine if he got in a rhythm playing everyday in the outfield.
Good guy to stick in the bullpen/come off the bench.
He is probably the most underrated long man in the game. Seriously, not a big thing, but I really hope the Phils or even some other teams pick him up on a minor league deal. He spots a low ERA, but in a scenario where he goes an inning and he’s up to bat, he can swing it. He would be cheap, low risk/ medium reward, I would take a chance after him, even post injury.
In a situation like this, do the Padres still pay for his rehab etc? How does that work when a player is released? I’m guessing they were rehabbing him all this time? or was he paying for it?
Can some team please make him into a position player
He is coming back as a hit only player. Said that while he was on DL.
Someone needs to Brooks Kieschnick this guy.
I didn’t make that up. It’s a thing.
Kieschnick retired from baseball at age 31.
Owings is 30 with a bad arm.
What do you mean by “Kieschnicking” again?
I’m referring to how, in his two years with the Brewers, Kieschnick was regularly used as a reliever, left fielder, pinch hitter, and designated hitter. It made him more useful than your average last guy in the bullpen or last guy on the bench. More interestingly, it allowed the Brewers to do things like bring in a reliever without a double switch or have Kieschnick pitch to a righty, switch to left field for one hitter while a LOOGY took care of a lefty, then return to the mound to face the next righty.
Maybe most importantly to Kieschnick, it meant that even though he wasn’t defensively useful enough to be that interesting as a right-handed pinch hitter, and even though he varied from kinda useful to kinda awful as a reliever, he could still cumulatively do enough to justify a roster spot.
Very interesting. Seems like it would be kinda tough to fully develop his bat if he was having to do both at the minor league level.
He’s probably one of the only players in history whose lifetime batting average (.283) is actually higher than his opponent’s career batting average (.255). That is value.
I remember Brooks Kieschnick. He pitched 53 innings in 2003 and hit 7 home runs that year. I think he was the only player to homer in a single season as a DH, pinch hitter, and pitcher.
The reason for his release still hasn’t been mentioned. The padres 40 man roster is crowded and they’re going to waive other(s) if they’re going to protect the right prospects from the rule 5. The deep is super deep but I expect them to try to bring Owings back on a minor league deal.
minor leagues: .337/.362/.483
major leagues: .283/.310/.502
the guy can hit.
I bet the Cubs pick him up!
There are worse players the Cubs could take a look at in spring training. What would they have to lose?