The Red Sox have placed former top prospect Henry Owens on outright waivers, removing him from the 40-man roster and clearing a space for a possible acquisition, reports Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston. Drellich notes that it is not immediately clear that a corresponding acquisition is on the cusp of completion.
Owens, 25, once ranked among the game’s top 50 overall prospects in the eyes of Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and MLB.com, but his stock has fallen since last landing on one of those lists, prior to the 2015 campaign. The left-hander has seen time in a pair of big league seasons, tossing 85 innings for the BoSox from 2015-16 but struggling to the tune of a 5.19 ERA with 7.5 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9.
Early in his pro career, Owens posted enormous strikeout rates, but that trait has diminished as he’s reached the upper minors and the Major Leagues. Moreover, his longstanding issue with walks has become increasingly magnified against more advanced hitters. That’s never been truer than it was in 2017, as Owens split the year between Double-A Portand and Triple-A Pawtucket and walked a staggering 115 batters in 126 innings (8.2 BB/9). Owens also hit 17 batters and uncorked 17 wild pitches in those 126 innings — further exemplifying his struggles to locate the ball.
Owens does have a minor league option remaining, so any club that claims him would have the opportunity to stash him in Triple-A rather than being forced to carry him on the roster out of Spring Training. Outright waiver priority is not league-specific, so he’ll be available to all rival clubs in the reverse order of the 2017 regular season standings.
redsox 1976
Ozuna and Bour!!! Please DD please
yankees25
nowhere close in the farm to get him
jeralves79
If SF is close to getting Stanton for Panik, Beede, and Shaw, then Sox have enough to get a deal like this done. If MIA takes a deal close to that for Stanton, theyll regret it for years to come.
kenny217
Ozuna doesn’t have an absurd contract either.
yankees25
them*
angelsfan4life
This sounds like a Angels pick up.
Rounding3rd
Or Athletics?
Gwynning's Anal Lover
He’ll get picked up.
redsox18
He’s a joke the guy throws 89mph and has zero control smh.
jeralves79
Incredibly disappointing to have another untouchable prospect turn into nothing at all. I understand it’s part of baseball, but it’s maddening how bad the Sox are at evaluating and developing young pitching.
justin-turner overdrive
Except he got like 800,000 times more words written about him compared to prospects who became far superior players.
It can’t be stated enough: unless you follow all teams, prospect bias will occur. Big market teams have big market media and big market word counts to fill, and before you know it, MLB has Owens a top 20 MLB prospect who never once showed he had any semblance of control.
Brixton
Eh, prospect bias exists, but Owens was still a top prospect.
Most pitching prospects don’t have control. Kopech doesnt, Glasnow doesnt, Puk’s isn’t very good, Dylan Cease too
justin-turner overdrive
I see your point but none of those touch Owens 4.9 BB/9 and Puk isn’t even in this conversation at 3.4.
chesteraarthur
there are constantly top pitching prospects with no control
justin-turner overdrive
Sure but they had other aspects of their game that made them solid regulars. If Owens was on the Twins he’d have barely cracked top 100 lists.
User 4245925809
Maybe learn a bit more about him from when was 1st drafted out of HS as a tall and skinny kid..
The FB never picked up much steam.. Still doesn’t get much above 90-01mph tops and when was drafted? It was because his curve ball was so outstanding, in fact he threw 2. A harder one, the the softer one for “strikes” and last few years never could get either over and neither got any better, then he developed a changeup which was better, which was equally iffy in the k-zone.
Great movement pitches, just no command or control and a crappy fb.
Typical low minors kid who got youngsters at low minors to hack and more developed prospects in the high minors to lay off.
jhowe82
Justin you are right that big market teams and prospects get more coverage, but you are wrong about Owens being overhyped. He was absolutely dominant in double A 4 years ago. There was reason to be excited about him. Obviously didn’t pan out and won’t make it in the bigs.
Kayrall
Honest question: when has a high strikeout, high walk guy, made it to and succeeded in the majors without addressing his walk issues in the minors? Are there good examples?
Michael Chaney
Off the top of my head, Carlos Marmol was decent for a little while but then the walks ended up catching up with him
Pedro Cerrano's Voodoo
Marmol had better raw stuff than Owens
algionfriddo
Ryan Duran.
pplama
Gio Gonzalez has always walked > 3 per 9 and K’d > 8 per 9.
bravesfan1993
To give an extreme example….
Nolan Ryan led the league in walks 8 times during his career, and hold the record for most walked batters in a career.
Not a great comparison but…. it’s true lol.
bravesfan1993
Also, Randy Johnson comes to mind. Though like Ryan, he lessened his walks as he got older. But for about six seasons his walks were ridiculous.
chrisduncanfan
I compare him more to that one player who I can’t remember.
Chris Duncan Zing!.
bosox90
this guy
chitown311
That’s one of the worst comparisons ever. First of all, he averaged 250+ innings pitched his entire career, and he NEVER led the league in BB/9 ever. When you throw 250+ innings, you’re gonna have more walks adjusted to the more innings you pitched. He also is 3rd all time in losses with 292. What does that make him? Yes one of the top 5 pitchers in the history of MLB. Get out of here with your cherry picking stats and leave these discussions to people who actually understand baseball.
MB923
Who peed in your bowl of Cheerios?
funkmasta198
The guy that pops into my head being an orioles fan is Parker bridwell. Guy struggled for years in minors even though he was often considered a potential major league starter.. often walked 3.5-5 per 9 in minors and had a 5+ era in minors last year before orioles traded him. Then goes 10-3 for the angels with a mid 3 era and lowered his walks considerably even though he stayed around 8 k per 9. I think would be any teams dream hope of change of scenery type of picking up Owens
andrewyf
Dellin Betances is a great example.
badco44
Sounds like Randy Johnson…difference is about 10 mph on his heat!
jeralves79
Incredibly disappointing to have another untouchable prospect turn into nothing at all. I understand it’s part of baseball, but it’s maddening how bad the Sox are at evaluating and developing young pitching.
davidcoonce74
This guy named Randy Johnson. Also Roy Halladay.
Phillies2017
Halladay had a career 1.9 BB/9
connorreed
Not all necessarily high strikeout guys, but here’s a short list of pitchers with much better control in the majors than they had in the minors.
Andrew Miller – 5.1 BB/9 in minors, 4.2 BB/9 in MLB
Jeff Samardzija – 3.9 BB/9 in minors, 2.6 BB/9 in MLB
Chris Archer – 5.0 BB/9 in minors, 2.9 BB/9 in MLB
Corey Kluber – 3.6 BB/9 in minors, 2.0 BB/9 in MLB
Carlos Carrasco – 3.3 BB/9 in minors, 2.3 BB/9 in MLB
Trevor Bauer – 4.5 BB/9 in minors, 3.7 BB/9 in MLB
James Paxton – 3.8 BB/9 in minors, 2.7 BB/9 in MLB
Clayton Kershaw – 3.5 BB/9 in minors, 2.4 BB/9 in MLB
In Kershaw’s case, he turned in a 4.9 BB/9 rate in 122 innings between A and AA, and was ranked the #7 prospect next season.
ironlocust
Not including him and/or swihart In a hamels deal a couple years back is not looking good right about now
Coast1
I think Peter Gammons is still insisting that the Phillies will wise up soon and just take Owens and Allen Craig.
chesteraarthur
except it was mookie as well, so, no, it’s not?
Bruin1012
Yes you are forgetting about the Mookie that would be a hard pass.
ironlocust
True, Mookie would’ve offset the deal a lot looking back, but mookie has hit for more power than expected, so back in 2014-2015 including mookie was not a bad idea for a Ace pitcher on what was a good contract.
Doug
Surprised a BoSox prospect would be so overrated!
ellisburks
Yeah when has a Red Sox prospect lived up to expectations? Well except for Benentendi. And Betts. Well Xander, Lester, Clay, Bradley has been pretty good. Oh and Hanley was a Red Sox prospect too. But other than they they have been a bust.
jdgoat
I think you can call JBJ and buchholz busts for what was expected out of them.
Eric D.
Bradley is not even remotely a bust. Do you really expect people to take that statement seriously?
Eric D.
JBJ has posted a 5 win season and the only reason he doesn’t have a gold glove yet is because he plays in the same league as Keirmaier and Pillar
jdgoat
I’m not saying he’s bad, but right now he’s really just an all glove mediocre bat player. That’s not what you want out of a top prospect. I think he has busted if you compare it to what people thought he was going to be.
Doug
for that handful you have another dozen that made the top 50 prospects only to flameout
lethalleigh89
Lars Anderson haha.
B-Strong
You mean not every top 50 player pans out?!?! You don’t say!!!
ellisburks
Ok and tell me how that compares with other teams. Also, the ones I mentioned are pretty freaking amazing.
chrisduncanfan
Get him Giants! Stanton+this guy=WS
Joe Kerr
no you didn’t just say that
chrisduncanfan
Oh yes I did girlfriend!
JoeyPankake
They already have him. His name is Matt Moore.
madmc44
Henry is the prototypical player: “He needs a change of scenery.”
Perhaps he does need to go back to LA.
chrisduncanfan
ya, prototypical former player.
sufferforsnakes
Mets.
chrisduncanfan
Do you have tourettes my friend? SILLYNANNIES!
floridapinstripes
He’ll go to the minors hall of fame with Rob Refsnyder.
MB923
Haha!
card collector18
Wow… he’ll latch on somewhere but this is surprising thought he’d at least hang on for one more try out
Orland Sox
Sounds like another patient for the Don Cooper pitching clinic.
chrisduncanfan
Na, I was rough on this player and now I feel bad. I hope this player gets signed on by a baseball team and that he plays through a certain amount of time and makes a general amount of money that’s comparable to other players of his talent level.
And you can take that to the bank gentlemen!
Backatitagain
AA make a move on Mr. Owens.
formerlyz
Kind of reminds me of Andrew Miller by the time he was at the end of his time with the Marlins. There are things that favored Miller at the time, in comparison, but there are also things that Owens has some more positives with, so hopefully he can figure it out as Miller did
harry hood
Miller always threw gas. Owens has no zip. Not a great. comparison.
formerlyz
At one point, Miller was down to 83-85 mph with the Marlins
senortaco
To think some Red Sox fans were trying to include Owens in a trade for Abreu to the White sox haha
mvpetro
Couldn’t they have tried him as a reliever ?
dynamite drop in monty
Walk rate is way too high. Guy just flat out can’t throw strikes, making him not worth a spot even as mop up
matteoscher
Question: We have seen players like Randy Johnson or Nolan Ryan begin their careers wild and learn to have control. We’ve also seen players like Rick Ankiel completely loose control. It appears Owens had control in the early minors and has now lost it. Does anybody have an example of someone who has had control, lost it and managed to find it again?
TimB1970
ORIOLES
SG
When DD gives up on a player he acts quickly and decisively.
Remember how he dumped Sandoval?
DD has something brewing and it’s likely a big move.
He has’nt much in the minors to trade.
He could trade some of his young talent already up in the majors?
But that would be questionable.
I think he signs Hosmer, Lynn and McGee.
We should know within 2 weeks.
andrew c-f
Left-handed Daniel Bard?
redsox 1976
Santana!! And Nunéz
Cuso
But I was always told by Bostonians that Henry Owens was a future ace!
redsox 1976
Him, Swihart, Millesbrook,And more
SG
Everyone’s a future ace until they show they aren’t.
Your guess is as good as mine?
DD gets paid to guess.
jhowe82
He sure as hell pitched like it in Portland a few years ago. One of the best AA pitchers I’ve seen in Portland actually.
dynamite drop in monty
Ah, Hank….. we shall miss your 2 2/3 IP, 7 BB, 5 K, 134 pitch outings.
#Fantasygeekland
The Yankees should pick him up! I’m sure he will break out and him and Bryce Harper will be great additions! Maybe throw in Manny Machado too.
hawkny11
Owens will end up on the Marlin’s staff.
thecoffinnail
Owens needs his mechanics overhauled.. A team like the Cardinals should take a flyer on him and see if Mike Maddux can fix him in spring training.. The Yankees would make a nice fit as well.. Andy Pettitte made C.C. relevant again and Owens has a similar arsenal to Sabathia.. Teaching him the cutter could very well make him a useful 4th/5th starter or longman..
mlb1225
I feel Tyler Glasnow will turn out this way. The stuff is there, just zero control.
Michael Birks
Excuse my lack of knowledge here, but why didn’t the Red Sox just take him off the 40 man roster and expose him to the rule five draft…Is there something about the timing that I don’t understand?
mct1
I don’t think there’s any significance to it. If Owens had cleared waivers and been outrighted to Pawtucket – he didn’t; he was claimed by the D-Backs – I think he would have been eligible for the Rule 5. Similarly, if the Red Sox had tried to outright Owens at the time of the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster (to protect them from the Rule 5 draft), he would have had to pass through waivers, and could have been claimed by another team at that time.
At the deadline, the Red Sox’ 40-man was full. But teams usually need to open up a few spots to be able to sign free agents, select players in the Rule 5, claim players off waivers, etc., My guess is that at the deadline, the Red Sox were focused on opening up enough spots to protect the players they wanted to protect, and decided not to cut anyone beyond that. Maybe they just wanted more time to think about who else they would cut if they decided to open up one more spot. At this point, they’ve decided to do that, and Owens it is.
mct1
“teams usually need to open up a few spots to be able to sign free agents, select players in the Rule 5, claim players off waivers, etc., ”
Note that, ten days after the Diamondbacks claimed Owens, the Red Sox filled the 40-man roster spot opened up by the loss of Owens by re-signing Mitch Moreland. So if they hadn’t already opened up a spot, they would have needed to do something to open one up at that point.
brucewayne
I can see Baltimore taking a chance on him!
NicTaylor
Watch, the Sox will be connected to all the big names this offseason and won’t do a darn thing…