Is It Time for Micah Owings to Become a Full-Time Hitter?

With today's announcement that the Reds had designated for assignment pitcher Micah Owings to make room for newly-signed draft pick Yasmani Grandal, it may be time to find out if Owings can do it full-time at the plate. In a little over 400 big league innings, Owings' pitching numbers are barely above the Greg Cadaret Line-1.42 WHIP, 5.11 ERA-but his hitting has always been of the every day player-caliber going back to his school boy days at Gainesville High School (GA), and at Tulane University and Georgia Tech.

Owings is still just 27-years old, and while his pitching has merely been replacement level or worse since he made his ML debut in 2007, his work at the plate-.293/.323/.538 in 198 plate appearances suggests a possible move to being an every day player. Besides, what does a major league team have to lose by giving Owings, who makes the major league minimum, a shot with the bat?