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Chris Owings

Pirates Sign Chris Owings To Minor League Deal

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The Pirates announced a series of non-roster invitations to spring training today, revealing within that they’ve signed veteran utilityman Chris Owings to a minor league pact. The ACES client will be in camp and vie for a bench job.

Owings is still just 31 but has appeared in each of the past 10 big league seasons, suiting up for the D-backs, Royals, Red Sox. Rockies and Orioles along the way. He spent the 2022 season with the Yankees and Orioles organizations, getting into 27 big league games with Baltimore but posting just a .104/.254/.143 batting line in 68 trips to the plate. That’s the opposite end of the small-sample spectrum from a similarly brief 2021 run with the Rockies, for whom he slashed a ludicrous .326/.420/.628 in 21 games/50 trips to the plate.

Overall, Owings is a career .239/.287/.366 hitter with 37 big flies and 79 steals through 712 big league games (2464 plate appearances). He’s played every position on the field, including 2 2/3 innings on the mound, although the bulk of his time in the big leagues has been spent at shortstop. Defensive metrics have never loved him at that spot, but Owings has average or better ratings at second base, at third base and in the outfield.

The left side of the Pirates’ infield is set with youngsters Ke’Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz at third base and shortstop, respectively. Rodolfo Castro, Ji Hwan Bae and prospect Nick Gonzalez (who’ll be in camp as a non-roster player) are in the mix for the second base slot. One of Castro or Bae could land a utility job on the bench, too, though it’s likely Gonzalez head to Triple-A for everyday reps, barring an upset win of the everyday job at second. The versatile Owings will join that competition for a utility spot off the bench. Owings is a lifetime .308/.347/.480 hitter in Triple-A, so he’ll likely give the Bucs some production in the upper minors if he can’t break the roster this spring.

Yankees Sign Chris Owings To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees have signed infielder Chris Owings to a minor league deal, per Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune. Owings has been assigned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.

Owings, 30, is a veteran of ten MLB seasons now, appearing in each campaign from 2013 to 2022. Overall, he has a .239/.287/.366 battling line, good enough for a wRC+ of 69. In 2021, he dealt with thumb injuries and only got into 21 games but somehow had an incredible showing in that small sample. He hit .326/.420/.628 for a huge 158 wRC+, though his .481 BABIP was likely the key contributor there.

He settled for a minor league deal with the Orioles for this year, eventually making Baltimore’s Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, the baseball gods have given him the opposite treatment this year, compared to last. His .188 BABIP has helped tamp his batting line down to .107/.254/.143 this season, producing a wRC+ of just 27. He was designated for assignment and released last week.

Despite those tepid batting numbers, Owings continues to get opportunities due to his versatility. For the Orioles this year, he played second base, third base, shortstop, left field and even threw an inning on the mound. The Yankees have been remarkably healthy this year, but do have a number of older players on their roster. Should an injury situation suddenly arise, Owings will have the potential to give them cover at most spots around the diamond.

Orioles Reinstate Anthony Santander, Keegan Akin

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JUNE 17: As expected, Santander and Akin have been reinstated from the restricted list before this evening’s game against the Rays. Stowers and Garcia have been returned to the minor leagues and are off the 40-man roster.

JUNE 13: The Orioles announced they’ve selected outfielder Kyle Stowers and right-hander Rico Garcia onto the major league roster as designated COVID-19 “substitutes.” In corresponding moves, they’ve placed outfielder Anthony Santander and lefty Keegan Akin on the restricted list. That’s the standard practice for players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 on teams headed for a series in Toronto. The Canadian government prohibits unvaccinated athletes from crossing the border, so Santander and Akin will miss the next four games.

Stowers is the more notable of the two call-ups, as he’s now in line to make his major league debut. A supplemental second-round pick out of Stanford back in 2019, the left-handed hitter has been one of the organization’s most interesting prospects since that point. Stowers appeared among the top 30 farmhands in a quality Baltimore system each season from 2020-22, according to Baseball America, with the outlet recently placing him as the O’s #9 minor league talent.

Primarily a corner outfielder, Stowers’ calling card is his bat speed and power potential. BA graded his raw power as plus-plus (a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale), and he popped 27 home runs and 23 doubles across three minor league levels last season. Stowers drew plenty of walks as well but struck out in more than 30% of his plate appearances at each stop, and both Baseball America and Keith Law of the Athletic raised questions about how often he swings through pitches inside the strike zone.

To Stowers’ credit, he’s cut back on his strikeout rate thus far in the 2022 campaign. Through 209 plate appearances at Triple-A Norfolk, he’s hitting  .253/.356/.545 with 12 homers and a more manageable 25.4% strikeout percentage. That’s still a few points north of the league average, but it’s unquestionably an improvement relative to last season and hasn’t come at the cost of any of Stowers’ extra-base impact.

Garcia, meanwhile, is headed to the majors for the first time in two years. The Honolulu native suited up with the Rockies and Giants between 2019-20, tossing 16 innings of 7.31 ERA ball between the division rivals. Garcia missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he was limited to a minor league deal this past winter. He has a 1.93 ERA across 18 2/3 innings between three levels, striking out an excellent 37.2% of opponents along the way.

That Baltimore specified both Stowers and Garcia are COVID replacements is notable, as they’ll each be occupying a temporary spot on the 40-man roster. Both players can be taken off the roster and returned to Norfolk when Santander and Akin are eligible to return on Friday, and that seems the likeliest course of action.

Stowers, in particular, figures to land a permanent roster spot in the relatively near future, though. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man at the start of next offseason to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, and Baltimore could bring him up for an extended look against big league arms before too long given his strong high minors showing.

In other O’s news, the club announced that infielder Chris Owings has passed through release waivers unclaimed. He’s now a free agent. Baltimore designated Owings for assignment last week after a .107/.254/.143 start to the season.

Orioles Designate Chris Owings For Assignment

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June 12: The Orioles announced that Owings has been placed on unconditional release waivers.

June 8: The Orioles announced they’ve designated utilityman Chris Owings for assignment. The move opens a spot on the active roster for newly-claimed righty Austin Voth. The designation also opens a vacancy on the 40-man roster, which now sits at 39.

Owings signed a minor league contract with Baltimore during Spring Training. He cracked the Opening Day roster, and he’s started 19 of the club’s 57 games while working in a utility capacity. The 30-year-old has tallied 68 plate appearances but hit just .107/.254/.143 while striking out 24 times in that limited look. The slow start squeezed him off the active roster, and Owings has more than enough service time to refuse an option to Triple-A, leaving the O’s to designate him for assignment.

The right-handed hitting Owings has never made much of an impact at the plate, carrying a career .239/.287/.366 line in just under 2500 MLB plate appearances. He’s nevertheless continued to earn opportunities on the strength of his defensive versatility and baserunning. Owings has appeared in each of the last ten big league seasons, settling into a depth role over the past few years after a run as a regular middle infielder early in his career with the Diamondbacks. The South Carolina native has experience all over the diamond, with the bulk of his work coming at second base, shortstop and in center field.

Baltimore will have a week to trade Owings or place him on waivers. Given his early-season struggles, it seems likely he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed and hit free agency — either via a release or rejecting an outright assignment to the minor leagues.

Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde also informed reporters (including Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun) the club is set to option right-hander Spenser Watkins to Triple-A Norfolk after reinstating him from the 15-day injured list. Watkins is tied for fourth on the team with eight starts, but he’s struggled to a 6.00 ERA across 30 innings. The 29-year-old has walked 15 batters while striking out 14, and the club recently welcomed Dean Kremer back from the IL for his season debut. Watkins, who has been out since late May due to an elbow contusion, will remain on the 40-man roster as a depth option.

Orioles To Select Anthony Bemboom, Chris Owings

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The Orioles have finalized their Opening Day roster, which will include non-roster invitees Chris Owings and Anthony Bemboom, manager Brandon Hyde announced to reporters this morning (Twitter link via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). Both will need to be selected to the team’s 40-man roster, but the O’s have a pair of open spots, so no corresponding moves will be necessary (barring additional activity on the waiver wire, trade market, free agency, etc.).

Owings, 30, went 6-for-26 with a homer and three doubles in 26 plate appearances during Spring Training, though he also posted an unsightly 10-to-1 K/BB ratio. A lack of walks isn’t a new issue for Owings, who has drawn a free pass in just 5.4% of his 2396 career plate appearances at the MLB level. Owings briefly appeared with the Rockies in each of the past two seasons, hitting a combined .298/.372/.536 in a tiny sample of 94 trips to the plate.

Owings’ broader track record is that of an OBP-challenged utilityman with a bit of pop and above-average speed, evidenced by a lifetime .243/.288/.372 batting line, 37 homers and 78 steals. He smacked a career-high 12 home runs with the D-backs in 2017 and averaged 15 steals per year as a primarily part-time player in Arizona from 2015-18. Owings has experience playing each of shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield slots. He grades out as a well-below-average defender at short but has average or better defensive marks at every other position, per Defensive Runs Saved. DRS pegs him as a plus defender at second base, though other metrics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average have him closer to a scratch defender there. Owings will likely hold down a utility spot with the O’s to begin the year.

As for Bemboom, he’ll serve as Baltimore’s backup behind veteran starter Robinson Chirinos. All eyes in Baltimore will be on top overall prospect Adley Rutschman, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick and the clear catcher of the future, but he was stalled in Spring Training by a triceps injury. He’s still ramping up toward game action and will likely require some minor league work before the O’s even consider bringing him up to the big league roster.

In the meantime, Bemboom will get some big league time for a fourth consecutive season. He made his big league debut with the Rays in 2019 before being traded to the Angels, where he’s spent a fair bit of time on the big league roster. In 54 total Major League games and 144 plate appearances, the 32-year-old Bemboom is a .178/.241/.287 hitter. He went 4-for-13 with a double during Spring Training and carries a career .252/.347/.398 batting line in parts of five Triple-A seasons.

Orioles Sign Chris Owings To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles announced Tuesday that they’ve signed veteran infielder/outfielder Chris Owings to a minor league pact and invited him to Major League camp.

Owings, 30, appeared in 21 games with the Rockies last season and turned in a huge .326/.420/.628 batting line in 43 plate appearances before a broken thumb required surgery and ended his season. He hit .268/.318/.439 in a similarly small sample with the Rox during 2020.

Solid as Owings’ output in Colorado was, he’s a career .243/.288/.372 hitter in just shy of 2400 plate appearances at the MLB level. Owings is plenty versatile, having logged at least 500 innings at both middle infield slots, in center field and in right field. He’s also tallied 181 frames at the hot corner.

The Orioles’ infield situation is more or less wide open. Rougned Odor is the favorite at second base after signing a Major League contract prior to the lockout, but Jahmai Jones and non-roster invitee Shed Long Jr. will get a look as well. Utilityman Ramon Urias and former top prospect Jorge Mateo are in the mix at shortstop, while former Nationals and Royals prospect Kelvin Gutierrez could get a look at third base. Infield prospect Rylan Bannon remains on the 40-man roster but had a rough showing in the minors last season that he’ll need to put behind him if he’s to force his way into the picture at second base or third base.

Rockies Notes: Gray, Owings, Rodgers

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Jon Gray is a few days away from fielding offers around the league, after the 29-year-old rejected a three-year extension offer from the Rockies that reportedly landed in the $35-40MM range. It’s widely expected the Rox will issue him an $18.4MM qualifying offer before Sunday’s deadline, thereby at least entitling themselves draft pick compensation were he to sign elsewhere.

General manager Bill Schmidt has yet to formally announce the club’s intentions on a Gray QO, but he acknowledged to Thomas Harding of MLB.com the front office is “discussing” whether to do so. With the Rockies already willing to offer Gray $12-13MM annually over a three-year term, it’d be surprising if they weren’t willing to risk him accepting a one-year deal for just $5-6MM more.

Harding suggests in a separate piece that Colorado still hopes to eventually work out a deal with Gray, writing that the Rockies “believe they value Gray more than other teams.” Given that he’s shown himself capable of finding success in Coors Field, that’d certainly be plenty reasonable. Still, the pitcher and his representatives evidently believe there’s a chance they’ll find an offer that tops the Rockies’ proposal on the open market.

Retaining Gray would require a significant investment on Colorado’s part, but it’d be far easier to keep another of their free agents — Chris Owings — in the fold. Owings has spent the past two seasons with the Rockies, joining the organization on minor league deals in both instances. Colorado would like to bring Owings back in 2022, Harding hears. It’s possible that’d come via another minors pact, as the utilityman was limited to just 50 plate appearances this past season (albeit with a highly productive .326/.420/.628 line) by a pair of injuries to his left thumb.

One free agent who almost definitely will not be returning is Trevor Story. A lock to receive and reject a qualifying offer, Story is all but certain to sign a significant multi-year deal elsewhere. The Rockies will have to address one middle infield spot this winter, then, and Harding writes they’re expected to target shortstop help. Brendan Rodgers came up as a shortstop prospect before moving to second base in deference to Story. It’s not out of the question Colorado could bump Rodgers back to short and add an external option at second base, but Harding hears the front office would prefer to keep the 25-year-old Rodgers at the keystone moving forward.

MLB Minor Transactions: 8/18/21

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Today’s minor moves:

  • The Orioles announced that right-hander Adam Plutko cleared waivers and has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. As a player with more than three years of MLB service time, Plutko had the right to elect free agency, but he’s instead decided to accept the assignment. Baltimore acquired the 29-year-old from the Indians for cash considerations just before the start of the season. He went on to work 56 1/3 innings over 38 games as a multi-inning relief option, but Plutko was tagged for a 6.71 ERA. He’ll have a few weeks to try to work his back onto the 40-man roster before the end of the year. If he’s not reselected to the big leagues, Plutko will qualify for minor league free agency this offseason.
  • The Rockies reinstated right-hander Chi Chi González from the COVID-19 injured list before this afternoon’s game against the Padres. He worked three innings of three-run ball in today’s 7-5 Colorado win, his first action since landing on the COVID IL in late July. González has a 6.15 ERA over 93 2/3 innings this year, starting sixteen of his twenty appearances. To open space on the 40-man roster, Colorado transferred utilityman Chris Owings to the 60-day injured list. Owings won’t play again this season after undergoing left thumb surgery.

Rockies’ Chris Owings To Miss Remainder Of 2021 Season

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Rockies utilityman Chris Owings will miss the rest of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery to insert a pin in his injured left thumb, manager Bud Black told reporters (including Thomas Harding of MLB.com). The 29-year-old has been on the 10-day injured list since July 20 and seems likely to wind up on the 60-day IL whenever Colorado needs to clear a 40-man roster spot.

It’s a difficult development for Owings, who also missed three months earlier this year on account of an injury to the same thumb. He went on the IL in mid-April, returned to action in late June, but ended up back on the shelf a few weeks later. Altogether, Owings will only pick up 50 plate appearances this season. A hamstring issue kept him to just 44 trips to the dish in 2020 as well, making for a frustrating couple years in Colorado.

Owings has appeared in the big leagues in every season since 2013, compiling a cumulative .243/.288/.372 line in a little under 2400 plate appearances. The longtime Diamondback is slated to hit free agency this winter and should find interest from teams on potential minor league deals if he returns to health.

Rockies Activate Chris Owings

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The Rockies announced they’ve reinstated utilityman Chris Owings from the 60-day injured list. Righty Joe Harvey has been designated for assignment to clear active and 40-man roster space.

Owings will make his return after missing a little more than two months because of left thumb surgery. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, the 29-year-old made the Opening Day roster and played a fantastic seven games before going down with the injury. He broke camp as the starting second baseman with Brendan Rodgers on the IL. With Rodgers having returned in the interim, Owings figures to assume a utility role off the bench.

Harvey was selected to the roster two days ago but didn’t get into a game. He made 22 appearances with the Yankees and Rockies between 2019-20, working to a 4.22 ERA/5.25 SIERA. Colorado has twice passed Harvey through outright waivers in the past. They’ll have a week to trade him or attempt to outright him again. If he clears waivers, he’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

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