Position: IF/OF
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 185 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 08/12/1991
Drafted: 1st Round, 41st overall, 2009 (Diamondbacks)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Bonus: $950,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: 2023
Options Left: N/A
Overview
Owings was a supplemental first round pick of the Diamondbacks out of high school. He moved up through their system at a reasonable pace, but consistently put up bad to horrific walk and K rates. He showed modest power in the minors, more marginal power in the majors. His speed is above average. Originally a shortstop, Owings has become a utility player, seeing a lot of time at second, and in center and right. According to Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric, he’s been consistently a little below average at second and in the outfield, and well below at short. Owings seemed to get himself established in the Arizona middle infield in 2014-17, but his hitting fell off sharply in 2018 and, in many years since then, it’s been horrific. That’s led to him being released twice before mid-season. The Pirates signed him to a minor league deal for 2023.
2009-13
Owings moved up steadily to the AA level, consistently ranking in the top ten in the Arizona system, per Baseball America. He put up good numbers in advanced rookie ball and low A in 2009-10, then struggled in high A in 2011, including a BB:K ratio of 15:130. He repeated the level in 2012 and had a big first half, then struggled in the second half in AA. In 2013, Owings had a big year in AAA, still with an extremely low walk rate, and got a September callup.
2014-17
In 2014-17, Owings got established in the Arizona lineup, initially as the shortstop. Except for a bad season in 2015, he consistently hit for a decent average with a low OBP and solid power. He opened the 2014 season as the Arizona shortstop, but he ultimately missed nearly half the season due to a shoulder injury. When he returned to the majors, he moved to second as Arizona had Nick Ahmed and Didi Gregorius at short.
Owings had his best seasons in 2016 and 2017, posting OPS figures of .732 and .742, respectively. In 2016, he split his time between center and short, as Ahmed missed the second half of the season. Owings himself missed six weeks due to plantar fasciitis. In 2017, he played second, short and right, and missed the last two months due to a fractured finger.
2018-21
Owings shifted to a utility role in 2018, playing in the outfield more than anywhere else. He improved his walk rate, but his hitting largely collapsed, leaving him with a .575 OPS. After the season he became a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the Royals. With Kansas City, Owings batted .135 through the first two months and the Royals released him. Boston signed him to a minor league deal, then called him up in August. He hit .156 with the Red Sox, and they removed him from the roster after the season.
Owings signed with Colorado for what turned out to be the pandemic season. The Rockies called Owings up at the start of the year and he served in a utility role for them posting a .757 OPS. He missed most of the last six weeks with a hamstring injury, so in the end he didn’t play much. The Rockies removed him from the roster after the season and he became a free agent, but he re-signed with Colorado on a minor league deal. In 2021, the Rockies added Owings to their roster in spring training, but he didn’t get a chance to play much. He missed over two months early in the season, then two and a half months at the end of the season, with thumb injuries. He became a free agent after the season and signed a minor league deal with the Orioles.
2022-23
The Orioles called Owings up at the beginning of the 2022 season, but his hitting stayed in collapse mode. Baltimore released him in June and he caught on with the Yankees, spending the rest of the season in AAA.
Prior to the 2023 season, Owings signed a minor league deal with the Pirates. With Oneil Cruz hurt, they called Owings up in early May. He would have been up earlier, but he was hurt. He was awful with them, going 4-for-25 with no walks and a dozen strikeouts. His stint with the Pirates culminated in an embarrassing performance in which he twice failed to get bunts down with runners moving. The Pirates designated him for assignment in early June. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA. In the end, he played 86 games for Indianapolis, hitting 241/349/449.
Stats
Transactions
June 9, 2009: Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 1st round, 41st overall pick; signed on August 11.
September 3, 2013: Contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
November 30, 2018: Became a free agent.
December 5, 2018: Signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals.
June 4, 2019: Released by the Kansas City Royals.
June 17, 2019: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Boston Red Sox.
August 11, 2019: Called up by the Boston Red Sox.
October 21, 2019: Became a free agent.
January 3, 2020: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Colorado Rockies.
July 18, 2020: Called up by the Colorado Rockies.
October 28, 2020: Became a free agent.
January 29, 2021: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Colorado Rockies.
March 20, 2021: Called up by the Colorado Rockies.
November 3, 2021: Became a free agent.
March 15, 2022: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Baltimore Orioles.
April 7, 2022: Called up by the Baltimore Orioles.
June 12, 2022: Released by the Baltimore Orioles June 12.
June 18, 2022: Signed as a minor league free agent by the New York Yankees.
November 11, 2022: Became a free agent.
February 2, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
May 8, 2023: Called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
June 7, 2023: Outrighted to AAA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.