Toledo Quarterback Terrance Owens Drafted…To Play Baseball

In the 40th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, the San Diego Padres selected Toledo Rockets quarterback Terrance Owens, a 6’4″ junior who has split starting duty for the team the last two years.

Typically, a college football player getting drafted to play baseball is not uncommon, so long as that player actually plays both sports. Owens has not played baseball since high school, where he played sparingly.

Apparently, the Padres felt Owens had a strong enough arm and plenty of upside as a left handed pitcher that they selected him (even in the final round) with no real baseball experience at all.

I guess the baseball draft is a crapshoot as it is, but why would you pick up a guy who doesn’t even play the sport? I think I also heard that the Charlotte Bobcats are hoping to lure Matt Barkley with that 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

The Padres–shocker–are in last place in the NL West.

On the other hand, if Owens is able to continue on the trajectory he is on, it appears as though he will be a solid NFL prospect in the next year or two. The Rockets’ junior quarterback needs to add some weight to his frame, but his efficiency is quite remarkable for a team that actually splits the QB reps, and he threw only three interceptions and took two sacks all of last season (230 attempts).

Congratulations to Owens for this, but I doubt we’ll see him on the baseball diamond any time soon. If we do, the Padres own his rights. Good job guys, way to lock him down.