Pitching competition heats up with Owings on board

Just three days ago, it appeared that both Dustin Moseley and Anthony Bass had spots secured on the Padres pitching staff.

One would be the No. 5 starter. The other would be the long man in the bullpen.

Then the Padres signed free agent Micah Owings to a one-year contract worth $1 million.

All bets are off.

The Padres now have three right-handed pitchers going for two jobs -- the No. 5 starter and the long man in the bullpen. And all three can do either job.

Moseley, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2,012,500 contract with the Padres, would appear to have one of the spots clinched. The 30-year-old was 3-10 with the Padres last season despite having a 3.30 ERA in 20 starts. He also had the lowest run support average in the major leagues when he was lost to shoulder surgery in August.

However, that surgery was to his non-pitching shoulder. His left shoulder twice popped out of the socket while he was hitting last season.

Bass, 24, finished the season in the Padres rotation after making 24 appearances as the club's long reliever. Overall, Bass was 2-0 with a 1.68 ERA in 27 games (three starts).

Owings, 29, was 8-0 last season with Arizona with a 3.57 ERA in 33 games (four starts).

Both Owings and Bass have options remaining, meaning one of the two could open the season as the most veteran starter with Triple-A Tucson.

What could give Owings the edge over Bass when it comes to starting the 2012 in San Diego is experience and his bat. Bass was a rookie last year. Owings has pitched in the major leagues since 2007 (32-31 with a 4.91 ERA in 132 total games and 68 starts).

And Owings is one of the best hitting pitchers in the major leagues with a .286 average and nine homers in 203 career at-bats. That makes him almost the perfect long reliever. Not only has he shown the ability to work four or five innings out of the bullpen, he keeps himself in the game because of his bat -- saving pinch-hitters and pitchers.

"He does bring that element," said Padres manager Bud Black. "Micah's versatility raises a lot of possibilities and gives us more and potentially attractive options."

The Padres wouldn't mind having either Bass or Owings at the top of their rotation in Tucson. As it stands now, none of the five projected starters at Triple-A have never having pitched above Double-A.

Copyright (C) 2012 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.