Padres grab Collin Cowgill on Minor League Deal
The Padres seem to be overstocked in the outfield, however adding a veteran mind to a young and inexperienced outfield can do no harm.
Collin Cowgill, the 30-year-old veteran outfielder, will be among the mix of non-roster invites (Rafael Ortega, Jabari Blash, and Nick Buss) battling for a spot on the major league roster this spring.
The Padres may have remembered Collin Cowgill from the New York Mets opening day in 2013. Cowgill came up to the plate in the bottom in the seventh with the bases loaded and two outs. The pitch came and he ripped it into left-field, bouncing it off the top of the wall just high enough to be a home run, to put the Mets up 11-2.
Another excellent Cowgill highlight was in a game filled with former Padres. Drew Pomeranz took the mound for the A’s, with Derek Norris behind the plate. During this game, Erick Aybar would swing and miss on a pitch and his backswing ended up knocking Norris in the head. Fast forward to the 14th inning, Angels and A’s are tied 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the 14th inning. Cowgill got worked into a 1-2 count, and on the next pitch, he drove it into the left field stands to bring in the victory for the Angels of Anaheim.
Collin Cowgill made his MLB debut on July 26, 20011 for the Arizona Diamondacks. Over the course of his career he has seen time with the Diamondbacks, A’s, Angels, Mets, and more recently, the Indians. He spent last season in the Indians organization playing all but nine games of his season in Triple-A. In those nine major league games he put up only one hit, two walks, and seven strikeouts in just 14 plate appearances. In Triple-A he put up a .234/.311/.320 slash line with four homers and 30 RBIs in 407 plate appearances. He is nothing more than depth at this point.
Cowgill hasn’t really been known for his production at the plate. Over the course of his career he has only managed a .234/.297./329 slash line while racking up 12 home runs and 57 RBIs. Although he hasn’t been the best at the plate, Cowgill has been better known for his impressive corner outfield defensive play and his smart decisions on the base paths.
We have heard speculation, and it is very possible, that Manuel Margot will spend the first part of the season in Triple-A in order to protect his service time. IF the team does decide to do this, Cowgill would be an excellent option to have as a right-handed platoon hitter while Margot is away in El Paso.
Derek is a 22-year-old out of Lemon Grove, California. A burning passion for San Diego sports led him to pursue an opportunity to write and share about what’s going on with the teams in America’s Finest City. A young and aspiring sports journalist looking to grow his knowledge and expand his experience at any opportunity.