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Rockies Select Contracts Of C.J. Cron, Chris Owings

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The Rockies officially selected the contracts of first baseman C.J. Cron and utilityman Chris Owings, the team announced.  Colorado already had one open spot on the 40-man roster, and another was created when righty Peter Lambert was placed on the 60-day injured list.  Lambert underwent Tommy John surgery last July and is likely to miss the entire 2021 season.

Both Cron and Owings signed minor league deals with the team within the last two months.  For Owings, he is returning for his second season with the Rox, after inking another minors contract last winter and then hitting .268/.318/.439 over 44 plate appearances in 2020.

Owings’ versatility already made him a pretty decent bet to break camp with the Rockies, but the decision was probably clinched after yesterday’s news that Brendan Rodgers will miss at least a month recovering from a strained hamstring.  Rodgers’ injury shuffled the team’s infield plans and made Owings’ ability to play second, third, and shortstop (not to mention the outfield) all the more valuable.

Cron was also making a strong bid to win a roster spot, as his demolition of Cactus League pitching this spring has the 31-year-old in line to serve as Colorado’s starting first baseman.  Playing for his fifth different team in as many seasons, Cron is surely looking to re-establish himself in one place, as his above-average offense didn’t stop the Rays and Twins from non-tendering him due to an escalating arbitration price tag.

Over 2586 big league plate appearances, Cron has hit .257/.312/.464 with 118 home runs, highlighted by a 30-homer campaign with Tampa Bay in 2018.  A knee surgery cut Cron’s 2020 season short after only 52 PA with the Tigers.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/29/21

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The latest minor transactions from around the game…

  • The Rockies have re-signed utilityman Chris Owings to a minor league deal, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The 29-year-old slashed .268/.318/.439 with two home runs over 44 trips to the plate as a Rockie in 2020. In all, Owings – a former Diamondback, Red Sox and Royal – has hit .241/.285/.367 with 36 homers and 76 steals in 2,346 plate appearances as a major leaguer.
  • The Athletics have re-upped catcher Carlos Perez to a minor league contract, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Perez will earn a $650K salary if he makes it to the majors. The 30-year-old appeared in the majors in each season from 2015-18, but he hasn’t gotten back to the bigs since then. A former Angel, Ranger and Brave, Perez has batted .215/.257/.319 with 11 home runs in 670 plate appearances.
  • The Pirates have outrighted outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. to Triple-A Indianapolis, per reports from Jake Crouse and PittsburghBaseball.com’s John Dreker. The team previously designated Stokes for assignment Jan. 24, less than two weeks after it claimed him from the Tigers via waivers. Stokes, who will turn 25 on Feb. 2, has batted .250/.351/.411 with 57 HRs and 129 steals in 2,355 PA at the minor league level.

Rockies To Select Contracts Of Daniel Bard, Matt Kemp, Chris Owings

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The Rockies will carry long-lost MLB reliever Daniel Bard on their Opening Day roster, GM Jeff Bridich tells reporters including Nick Groke of The Athletic (Twitter links). He’ll have to be selected to the 40-man roster in order to be activated.

Also making the Rox were outfielder Matt Kemp and utilityman Chris Owings. They’ve had much more recent MLB activity than Bard, but are also looking for redemption after crashing out with other organizations.

Once an exciting young reliever, Bard ended up with irredeemable control problems after an attempted rotation conversion. His path back to the majors has been anything but straightforward. Remarkably, Bard’s last MLB pitch came more than seven years ago, in late April of 2013.

NL Notes: Senzel, D-backs, Rockies, Giants

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Reds outfielder Nick Senzel could begin appearing in spring training games next week, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Senzel has been working back from the shoulder surgery he underwent last September, and though the Reds believe he’s versatile enough to handle all three outfield positions, they’re only going to play him in center until he’s fully healed, according to manager David Bell. “I know he could do it but allowing him to focus on one spot may be more important than any of our other outfielders just because they all have so much more experience out there than he does,” Bell said of Senzel, a former infield prospect who spent his rookie season in center. The 24-year-old’s one of several outfielders for the Reds, who also count Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Shogo Akiyama and Aristides Aquino among their options in the grass.

More from the National League…

  • Concerned about the possibility of “a structural emergency” in their current stadium, Chase Field, the Diamondbacks sent representatives to Vancouver to explore the Canadian city’s viablity as a temporary landing spot in 2018 and ’19, Sean Fitz-Gerald of The Athletic reports (subscription link). Diamondbacks officials toured B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, which was one of six potential destinations Major League Baseball recommended for the club. “While working at Major League Baseball, I provided the team with numerous possibilities, including Vancouver,” Joe Garagiola Jr., who’s now in the D-backs’ front office, told Fitz-Gerald. “Club executives visited there to determine the reality of making it a contingency plan.”Meanwhile, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station (via Kevin Zimmerman) that the club did indeed send officials to Vancouver. “Any team that has a dome, in particular in a challenging weather atmosphere, should have at least a backup plan,” Hall said. “I mean, if that (Chase Field) roof won’t close in the middle of summer, we can’t play here. Probably, the union wouldn’t allow it, we wouldn’t allow it.” Even though Chase Field opened somewhat recently (1998), the Diamondbacks have made their unhappiness with the facility known over the past few years. Still, the team has “no intention” of leaving Arizona, Hall said.
  • Most of the Giants’ rotation appears set with Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly in line to comprise 80 percent of it. The last spot’s in question, but it’s “likely” to come down to righties Tyler Beede and Logan Webb, Maria Guardado of MLB.com writes. For now, Beede looks to be in the lead, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 26-year-old threw two no-hit innings and reached 98 mph on the radar gun in his Cactus League debut Thursday. Beede averaged just over 94 mph on his fastball in 2019, when he struggled to a 5.08 ERA/5.03 FIP and posted 8.69 K/9 and 3.54 BB/9 in 117 innings. Webb, 23, made his MLB debut in 2019 and put up numbers similar to Beede’s over a smaller sample of 39 2/3 frames (93 mph velo, 5.22 ERA/4.12 FIP, 8.39 K/9, 3.18 BB/9).
  • Infielder/outfielder Chris Owings has never played first base in his career, but he has been working there this spring in an effort to make the Rockies as a super-utility man, Jake Rill of MLB.com writes. Owings, whom the Rockies added on a minor league contract in free agency, had a couple useful seasons in the past with division-rival Arizona. But neither 2018 nor ’19 treated Owings well. Between the Royals and Red Sox last season, he battled an unsightly .139/.209/.233 (13 wRC+) in 196 plate appearances. But if he does earn a roster spot with Colorado, he could be a backup option behind starting first baseman Daniel Murphy.

Rockies To Sign Chris Owings

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The Rockies have struck a deal with infielder Chris Owings, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). It’s a minors pact that would pay at a $1MM rate if the club adds Owings to the MLB roster.

Owings, 28, was once considered a highly promising young player with the Diamondbacks organization. But his offensive numbers dipped and then fell off a table over the years. He was dropped by the Snakes following a rough 2018 season.

Last year wasn’t quite the bounce back that Owings and the Royals hoped for when they hooked up on a one-year pact last winter. He ended up being cut loose and landing with the Boston organization. Over the past two seasons, Owings carries a brutal .180/.248/.275 slash through 505 MLB plate appearances. He did hit much better in his time at Triple-A last year, turning in a .325/.385/.595 batting line with 11 homers in 183 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.

It’s an easy, low-risk move for the Rockies, who need all the help they can get without committing cash. Owings could compete with Ryan McMahon and Garrett Hampson for opportunities at second base while serving as a reserve all over the field, if he’s able to crack the roster. The chances would increase significantly if the Colorado organization ends up moving a position player via trade.

Chris Owings, Gorkys Hernandez, Josh Smith Elect Free Agency

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The Red Sox announced today that three players — infielder Chris Owings, outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, and righty Josh Smith — have elected free agency. (H/t MLB.com’s Ian Browne, on Twitter.) Each had the right to choose the open market after being outrighted off of the 40-man roster.

When the Boston organization prepared to defend its 2018 World Series title, it surely did not anticipate relying upon this particular trio. But each ended up playing a reasonably significant role as the club limped through a disappointing season.

The versatile Owings came over after a failed stint with the Royals to open the year. He continued to struggle at the plate and finished the campaign with an overall .139/.209/.233 batting line through 196 plate appearances. There’s little question he’ll be looking for a minor-league deal this winter.

Ditto Hernandez, who batted a meager .143/.218/.245 in 57 attempts with the Sox. He also failed to crack a .700 OPS in the hitter-friendly International League, where he spent most of the season. The former Giants, Pirates, and Marlins outfielder has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons but has never come around with the bat.

As for Smith, 32, he allowed more than five earned runs per nine at both the MLB and Triple-A levels in 2019. He was torched for ten home runs in his 31 major-league frames — the first he had thrown since 2017. In 158 1/3 total MLB innings, he carries a 5.40 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.

Both Owings and Hernandez were eligible for arbitration, though it was never likely that either was considered for a tender. MLBTR projected Owings to earn $3.0MM and Hernandez to earn $1.0MM.

Red Sox Select Chris Owings

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The Red Sox announced they have the selected the contract of utilityman Chris Owings. First baseman Steve Pearce was transferred to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster space. Right-hander Hector Velázquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket in a corresponding active roster move.

Owings, who’s immediately getting a chance to start at second base and lead off for Boston in this afternoon’s game against the Angels, played his way back to the big leagues with a monster showing in Triple-A. The 27 year-old slashed .325/.385/.595 over 183 plate appearances with Pawtucket, blasting 11 home runs along the way. He also struck out in 27.3% of his Triple-A plate appearances, though, and he’s never been much of a power threat before his barrage in the International League. Clearly, the introduction of the MLB ball to Triple-A has inflated Owings’ power output, but he’ll obviously have the luxury of hitting with the same ball at the game’s highest level.

Even still, it’s tough to imagine Owings emerging as a major offensive threat in Boston. The 27 year-old was a below-average hitter every year with the Diamondbacks between 2014 and 2018, and he struggled mightily after signing a one-year contract this offseason with the Royals. Owings slashed .133/.193/.222 with a 37.9% strikeout rate over 145 plate appearances before being released June 4. Only Zack Cozart (-13 wRC+) has put up a worse offensive performance than Owings (6 wRC+) among players with at least 100 plate appearances this year.

Even if he’s not much of a threat in the box, though, Owings is a plus baserunner with ample experience up-the-middle defensively. Defensive metrics haven’t traditionally loved him at shortstop, but he’s rated well at the keystone, where he seems likely to get the most work in Boston. He also transitioned well to center field in Arizona, giving the Red Sox some additional outfield depth on hand, even if it’s tough to imagine him spending much time on the grass in Fenway.

The IL transfer for Pearce is entirely procedural. He hit the 10-day IL June 1 with a lower back strain, so he’s already exceeded the 60-day minimum on the shelf. We last heard about Pearce a month ago, when the organization confirmed he was “nowhere close” to returning. It’s been a lost season for the reigning World Series MVP, who hit just .180/.245/.258 before hitting the shelf for the long haul.

Velázquez has logged 48 big league innings in 2019 as a swingman. He’ll be optioned for the second time this year, reflecting his subpar MLB results. Velázquez has worked to a 5.81 ERA with mediocre strikeout (21.6%) and walk (10.6%) rates.

Red Sox To Sign Chris Owings

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The Red Sox have inked a minors deal with infielder Chris Owings, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He’ll spend some time at extended spring training before heading to Triple-A.

Owings was released previously by the Royals. They’ll remain obligated to him for the $3MM promised over the winter, less any amount of the pro-rated minimum that he might earn in the majors for the rest of the season.

Signed in hopes he’d bounce back in K.C., Owings ended up falling deeper into a malaise at the plate. He ended up slashing a meager .133/.193/.222 in his 145 plate appearances. The Red Sox will see if they can help the versatile defender find a groove in hopes that he could be a second-half roster option at an affordable rate of pay.

Royals To Release Chris Owings

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The Royals announced Tuesday that they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on infielder/outfielder Chris Owings. He was designated for assignment last week and will become a free agent once he clears in 48 hours. Kansas City has also recalled third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez from Triple-A Omaha.

Owings was brought in early this winter (Dec. 5) on a one-year, $3MM contract that ultimately didn’t pay dividends for Kansas City. The longtime Diamondbacks utilityman hit just .133/.193/.222 through 145 plate appearances with his new club while playing all three outfield positions, second base, third base and shortstop. Owings’ decision to pounce on an early big league offer from the Royals proved wise even looking beyond his poor play in K.C.; several other veteran infielders and outfielders lingered on the market and eventually signed for smaller guarantees (e.g. Josh Harrison) or minor league contracts (e.g. Jose Iglesias).

The 2019 season is the second straight rough campaign for Owings, who hit .206/.272/.302 through 309 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2018. Overall, he’s never matched the gaudy numbers he put up as a prospect in Triple-A, when he once won Pacific Coast League MVP honors. But, Owings does have some speed (and is quite efficient at base stealing, as evidenced by a career 84 percent success rate), some gap power and experience playing nearly everywhere on the diamond. He could latch on with a club whose infield depth has been compromised or a team looking to bolster its bench with some versatility, but Owings’ play dating back to Opening Day 2018 makes a minor league pact seem the likeliest outcome for him.

In Gutierrez, the Royals will take a second look at one of the key pieces acquired in last season’s Kelvin Herrera trade with the Nationals. The 24-year-old hit .281/.300/.386 with 18 strikeouts against just two walks through 60 trips to the plate in his first look at the big league level earlier this year. He’s hitting at a .312/.430/.403 clip in 93 Triple-A plate appearances, however, and the Royals have some additional needs around the infield with 2019 breakout slugger Hunter Dozier on the injured list.

Royals Designate Chris Owings, Select Cheslor Cuthbert

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The Royals announced today that they have designated utilityman Chris Owings for assignment. He’ll be replaced on the active and 40-man rosters by third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert, whose contract was selected.

Owings has just not found a groove in Kansas City since signing a $3MM deal over the offseason. The club will remain on the hook for the balance, less any pro-rated league-minimum earnings he’s able to record with another organization. Because he has more than five years of MLB service, Owings can reject an outright assignment and still keep all he’s owed.

The Royals obviously hoped for more out of Owings, who they targeted after he was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks. He’s striking out at an untenable 37.9% clip despite non-existent power. The resulting .133/.193/.222 slash line equates to an awful 7 wRC+.

With Owings departing, the Royals will welcome back a familiar face that failed to stick around previously. The 26-year-old Cuthbert has not produced much at all in his prior major-league opportunities, with a .252/.303/.378 slash over 830 plate appearances. He’s off to a nice start to the year at Triple-A, turning in .310/.370/.528 batting line and eight long balls across 219 trips to the dish.

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