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The Athletics made two minor league signings on Friday, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America:
#Athletics sign C Carson Blair and LHP Rudy Owens to minor league contracts http://t.co/vILcetVli0
— Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) November 14, 2014
Carson Blair
Blair, 25, was drafted out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the 35th round of the 2008 draft. The catcher elected free agency after six seasons with the Red Sox organization, splitting 2014 between Class-A Advanced Salem and Class-AA Portland. 2014 Athletics minor league catchers Luis Martinez and Luke Montz both declared free agency.
Blair has a curiously high number of three true outcomes plate appearances (walk, strikeout, or home run), including 145 out of 291 Class-A Advanced plate appearances in 2014, breaking down to 88 strikeouts, 48 walks, and nine home runs. He basically was the Carolina League's Adam Dunn. He'll probably serve as organizational filler following the departures of minor league catchers Luis Martinez and Luke Montz.
Year | Age | AgeDif | Lev | Aff | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
2008 | 18 | -1.8 | Rk | BOS | 6 | 23 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .409 | .391 | .591 |
2009 | 19 | -0.6 | Rk | BOS | 39 | 147 | 124 | 15 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 46 | .210 | .286 | .323 |
2009 | 19 | -2.1 | A- | BOS | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .500 | .667 | 1.000 |
2010 | 20 | 0.3 | Rk | BOS | 8 | 30 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | .269 | .367 | .423 |
2010 | 20 | -1.1 | A- | BOS | 4 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .167 | .231 | .167 |
2011 | 21 | -0.1 | A- | BOS | 3 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .231 | .231 | .308 |
2011 | 21 | -0.4 | A | BOS | 33 | 115 | 100 | 12 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 40 | .190 | .287 | .360 |
2012 | 22 | -0.6 | A+ | BOS | 51 | 191 | 165 | 25 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 48 | .206 | .298 | .364 |
2013 | 23 | 2.0 | A- | BOS | 3 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | .250 | .462 | .375 |
2013 | 23 | 0.2 | A+ | BOS | 41 | 148 | 124 | 21 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 39 | .250 | .372 | .452 |
2014 | 24 | 1.1 | A+ | BOS | 67 | 291 | 238 | 40 | 62 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 88 | .261 | .385 | .471 |
2014 | 24 | -0.7 | AA | BOS | 17 | 71 | 59 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 19 | .288 | .394 | .525 |
Statistics courtesy Baseball Reference.
Rudy Owens
Owens, turning 27 in December, made a single start for the Houston Astros last May 23. The left-hander gave up five runs in 5⅔ innings against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Despite appearing on Houston's 40-man roster throughout the year, he was not called up in September, and was outrighted after the end of the regular season, and thereafter opted for free agency.
He arrived in the Houston organization in 2012 in the trade that sent Wandy Rodriguez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Owens, Colton Cain, and Robbie Grossman. He missed much of 2013 after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot, and returned to Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 4.33 ERA in 135 innings and 25 games (21 starts). Owens could still become a back-end starter. In his one Major League start, his fastball averaged 88.3 miles per hour, and he also threw a changeup and curveball.
Year | Age | AgeDif | Lev | Aff | W | L | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO |
2007 | 19 | -1.3 | Rk | PIT | 1 | 4 | 5.32 | 6 | 4 | 22.0 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 17 |
2008 | 20 | -1.4 | A- | PIT | 3 | 6 | 4.97 | 15 | 13 | 58.0 | 63 | 37 | 32 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 45 |
2009 | 21 | -0.6 | A | PIT | 10 | 1 | 1.7 | 19 | 19 | 100.2 | 71 | 22 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 91 |
2009 | 21 | -1.8 | A+ | PIT | 1 | 1 | 3.86 | 6 | 6 | 23.1 | 29 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
2010 | 22 | -2.2 | AA | PIT | 12 | 6 | 2.46 | 26 | 26 | 150.0 | 124 | 46 | 41 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 132 |
2011 | 23 | -3.8 | AAA | PIT | 9 | 7 | 5.05 | 21 | 21 | 112.1 | 129 | 65 | 63 | 10 | 32 | 2 | 71 |
2012 | 24 | -2.8 | AAA | HOU | 2 | 3 | 4.34 | 8 | 8 | 45.2 | 43 | 23 | 22 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 23 |
2012 | 24 | -3.2 | AAA | PIT | 8 | 5 | 3.14 | 19 | 19 | 117.1 | 112 | 42 | 41 | 12 | 25 | 0 | 85 |
2013 | 25 | -1.7 | AAA | HOU | 0 | 3 | 3.71 | 4 | 3 | 17.0 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 13 |
2014 | 26 | -0.8 | AAA | HOU | 8 | 5 | 4.33 | 25 | 21 | 135.0 | 136 | 69 | 65 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 104 |
Statistics courtesy Baseball Reference.