Kansas City Royals Add Depth by Signing Chris Owings
The Kansas City Royals bolstered their depth by signing Chris Owings, a speedy utilityman. What can he bring to the Royals?
On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals announced that they have signed free agent utilityman, Chris Owings. The agreement will bring Owings to Kansas City on a one year, $3 million deal.
Chris Owings was one of the few notable Arizona Diamondbacks that were not tendered contracts at the end of last week. Owings, Shelby Miller, and Brad Boxberger all joined the free agent market in search of new employers.
Chris Owings becomes the first of that group to sign a new deal. The former first-round selection has not lived up to draft expectations. Over his six seasons of Major League experience, Owings has proven to be a useful utilityman, but not in 2018.
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During the 2018 season, Owings hit a dismal .209/.272/.302, far below his career averages of .250/.291/.378. This resulted in -.2 bWAR and an OPS+ of 51.
Owings had his best season in 2016, where he hit five home runs, drove in 49 RBIs and slashed .277/.315/.416.
While Owings may not be “startable”, the Kansas City Royals might have found themselves a very useful bench bat. For a Royals team that was looking to add depth, Owings should fit very nicely into their roster. The righty should fit nicely behind Alberto Mondesi on the Royals’ depth chart, while also being able to play second base, third base, and all three outfield positions.
Owings will likely find playing time all around the field. The Royals three top outfield options all bat from the left side of the plate, creating a nice platoon opportunity for the right-handed Owings. As of now, the Royals do not a have clear “third baseman”, could Owings be part of a platoon there?
The utilityman should bounce back from his rough 2018. Throughout the year, the righty proved to be somewhat unlucky. Over 106 games played, Owings only managed a BABIP of .265.
It is reasonable to attribute some of that “bad luck” to Owings’ rise in launch angle. During 2016, the righty’s best offensive season, Owings produced a launch angle of 7.5. During 2018, Owings’ launch angle rose all the way up to 12.9. That number is not just far above his career average, 10.6, but also above the league average, 10.9.
While its far from definitive, that rise in launch angle is a signal that Chris Owings hit a lot more balls in the air during 2018. For a batter whose averaged nine home runs per 162 games played, this could prove to be problematic. Owings is a speedy hitter that is listed at 5’10” and 185 pounds, his game should involve lots of line drives. While some players clearly benefit from a rise in launch angle, a lot of Owings’ fly balls will not be leaving the yard.
Next. Boxberger could be perfect fit for Royals. dark
Overall, the Kansas City Royals made a good move by bringing Chris Owings into the fold. He should prove to be a solid player, bolstering the club’s overall depth. If the righty has a good season, we could see Owings receive a raise as he is set to re-enter free agency in 2019.