The Diamondbacks announced that they have acquired right-hander Lucas Harrell from the Astros in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Harrell will be assigned to Triple-A Reno.
Harrell, 28, was designated for assignment by the Astros last week. Formerly a key member of Houston’s rotation that was considered to have at least somewhat comparable trade value to Bud Norris, Harrell has seen his stock tumble since the beginning of the 2013 season.
After posting a 3.76 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 57.2 percent ground-ball rate in 193 2/3 innings in 2012, Harrell slumped to a 5.86 ERA in 153 2/3 innings last season. Command issues were central to Harrell’s decline, as the 88 walks he issued (5.2 BB/9) led the American League and fell just one shy of the amount of strikeouts he picked up (89). Harrell’s ground-ball rate also dropped (51.5 percent), and neither problem seemed to be corrected in his brief 2014 sample of work. Harrell walked nine batters in 12 1/3 innings en route to a 9.49 ERA with Houston this season.
Should the D’Backs be able to restore Harrell’s command, his ground-ball ways would be an excellent fit for the homer-friendly Chase Field. Arizona’s need for pitching depth has been well documented already, as the team has lost top starter Patrick Corbin to Tommy John surgery and received an unacceptable 6.15 ERA from its starting rotation to date.
Harrell wasn’t in the National League last year. I’m not sure if 88 walks wouldn’t have led it, though.
I mean, what do the D-Backs *really* have to lose by calling up Bradley at this point?Worst case scenario, they keep losing. Best case, they can maybe crawl out of this hole and get within 4-5 games by the All-Star Break.
You disrupt his development.
Bradley has been struggling at AAA, failing to go more than 4 innings in three straight starts. Let him figure things out before throwing him to the wolves. (sorry that was meant for first poster, not the second, just replied to wrong one).
Agreed.
What do we have to lose? An extra year of having him in the long term is what we have to lose.
What ever happened to randy wolf?
You’ve hit rock bottom when you’re picking off the Astros’ scrap heap.
It’s why you have scouts though. Maybe D-Backs saw something in Harrell’s delivery/stuff they felt they could work with.
Just like how they saw something in Ian Kennedy, Trevor Bauer, and Tyler Skaggs’ Delivery right?
Kevin Towers swindling yet another clueless GM.
I like this trade.
Swindling? Um have you seen Harrells stats and really bad attitude the last year and a bit? The Astros had no place for him in AAA or the majors all of their starters at both levels were better then him (which is saying something) He was probably about tenth on their depth chart . The only reason he made the team out of Spring was because he was out of options and they wanted to give one final chance.
This screamed sarcasm to me.
Nobody beats Jeff Luhnow.
The Astros blow, but they have all the pieces.
Go check out Collin Mchugh
I.love Lunhow, but he has a ways to go before becoming one of the best GM’s in the game. We know he can draft and build a great farm system, we’re soon to find out how well he can build a winning team.
Luhnow is a genius. The fact that he got so much as a steak dinner for Harrell is amazing. He could probably turn the rotting arms of Armando Galarraga and Dontrelle Willis into a profit. That’s awesome!
Excellent. Now the D-Backs have a No.1 Ace who can lead them to the playoffs!