Notes: Owen gets invite; prospects graduate

After adding Todd Frazier to the mix, the Pirates invited another non-roster infielder to Spring Training on Saturday in Hunter Owen.

Owen, 27, was a 25th-round selection in the 2016 Draft, but his first few years in the Minors have made him look like a bargain. When he reached Double-A Altoona in 2019, he slugged 15 homers, 15 doubles and a pair of triples in only 68 games, good for a .935 OPS. He cooled off when he was quickly promoted to Triple-A, though he played only 42 games at that level.

Shelton said he wanted to add some versatile prospects like Owen, who played both corner infield and outfield positions in 2019, given the roster expansion for Spring Training this year.

“We knew we were going to have 75, and we left some spots open near the end,” Shelton said. “And I think Hunter was a guy -- well, definitely, he was a guy -- that we had targeted near the top of that list.”

Shelton said part of the reason they waited until now to bring Owen in was due to ongoing discussions with free agents.

“One of the things that we had to be thoughtful of is we weren’t going to put ourselves in a position -- if we did sign a bunch of free agents coming in -- that we were going to have to tell someone they weren’t coming,” Shelton said. “So I think we waited to the point where we were comfortable with our number, and then we were able to add him.”

Owen is unlikely to crack the Opening Day roster with Ke’Bryan Hayes firmly at third base and Colin Moran potentially platooning at first base with Frazier, not to mention the crowded outfield competition. Triple-A seems the likely destination for Owen to begin the season.

The Pirates’ Spring Training roster is at 72 players, meaning there could still be more additions in the coming days.

A day of celebration
Shelton began his press availability on Saturday by congratulating the Pirates' prospects who graduated from high school that morning in the Dominican Republic.

“I know some of our staff guys were able to watch it, but I really think it’s important to be able to do that educationally, and I think we had like 20 kids go through it," Shelton said. "So that’s pretty special and pretty cool.”

In particular, Shelton gave a shoutout to Mayu Fielding, the Pirates’ education coordinator who is based in Bradenton.