In what most thought would simply be a depth move for the Padres, signing Dustin Moseley has so far paid off. Given his career numbers and peripherals, one certainly wouldn't have expected Moseley to pitch the way he has, aside for the fact that he pitches in spacious Petco. Aside from that, he's been solid despite the luck dragon's help along the way. While the Padres aren't expected to be contenders, getting value while they can might be a smart idea for Jed Hoyer's crew. As deals are expected to take place in the coming weeks and chatter is already starting to pick up, Moseley should expect his name to be tossed around a bit.
Moseley's fine 2011 start can be summed up by his 54.2 GB rate, ranking him 16th in the Majors. He has been a bit lucky (.246 BABIP) and despite the Padres defense helping him out a ton, he's been able to limit the fly balls (30.3 FB rate) and compile quality innings, as his 43.1 IP and 3.80 FIP suggest. All of his homers have come witha positive wind reaction, so wind factors have been a bit harsh on Moseley. He isn't a staff ace and likely wont post a 2.50 FIP in 200 innings anytime soon, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a valuable mid-season acquisition, especially for a team in need of a veteran to eat up innings and pitch to above average standards down the stretch.
Take a team like the Marlins for instance. Assuming Moseley needs a good defense to survive, pitching in front of a defense such as that of the Marlins would be plenty successful. The Fish rank fourth in baseball in UZR at the moment (8.8) just six points behind the Padres (9.4). Of course, you never know how a pitcher like Moseley will perform even with an above average defense, but teams would likely be a bit weary knowing he mostly thrives from the success of his defenders.
Which ever team should be interested in a cheap yet quality veteran pitcher mid-season could potentially use Moseley in a similar role in which the Twins used Carl Pavano after they acquired him from the Indians in August of '09 -- A solid third or fourth starter who could help add a couple of wins down the stretch and hopefully come to good use in the post-season, should those aspirations come to fruition.
Ultimately, if a team is interested in a pitcher such as Jason Marquis -- Jonah Keri wrote a fantastic article pegging Marquis as a potential second-half linchpin -- should scavenge the Moseley market as his price is cheaper and both are very identical pitchers. The Indians, Marlins, Rays, Rangers, Angels, Royals, Blue Jays, and even the Yankees all make relative sense for Dustin Moseley assuming he doesn't blow up despite accumulating expected regression. He likely wouldn't cost more than a B- prospect at best but it all depends on how much teams trust or value him.