Headlines

  • Orioles Promote DL Hall
  • Fernando Tatis Jr. Suspended 80 Games For Performance-Enhancing Drug Violation
  • Tarik Skubal Visiting Specialist With Elbow Issue; Expected To Miss Remainder Of Season
  • Mariners Designate Ken Giles For Assignment
  • Michael Brantley Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
  • Tigers Fire General Manager Al Avila
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Nationals Release Matt Purke

By Steve Adams | November 14, 2014 at 9:34am CDT

The Nationals have released left-hander Matt Purke, according to the team’s transactions page. The 24-year-old Purke, who had been on the 40-man roster, underwent Tommy John surgery in late May.

Purke was a high-profile acquisition by the Nats in the 2011 draft, as he received a Major League deal and a total of $4.15MM ($2.75MM of which was in the form of a signing bonus) in the third round. The 6’4″, 215-pound southpaw was originally selected by the Ranges with the No. 14 overall pick in 2009, but he elected to attend college at TCU instead. Injuries are nothing new for Purke, as they were the main factor for his slide from the first round to the third round, although those concerns were pertaining to his shoulder.

Purke has totaled just 136 2/3 innings since being drafted in 2011, posting an even 5.00 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. He did pitch well in 90 innings in 2012, posting a 3.80 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, although his best work came at Class A Hagerstown. Baseball America ranked him 11th among Nats prospect a year ago at this time, noting that he’d lost some life on his fastball but still had a changeup that projected as above-average to plus and that he his floor was a big league reliever if he could stay healthy.

Share 5 Retweet 62 Send via email3

Transactions Washington Nationals Matt Purke

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Episode 6
Main
Tigers To Re-Sign Joel Hanrahan
View Comments (17)

Comments

  1. WisBrave

    8 years ago

    There you go Braves pick him up.

    Reply
  2. Bleed_Orange

    8 years ago

    Always sucks to read stories like this. I remember Purke being talked about going number 1 overall.

    Reply
    • Marc

      8 years ago

      He was selected in the first round and turned it down. Unfortunately he didn’t see it as the following -You can always go back to school but you have a small and unknown window to play professional sports. Should have taken the money early.

      Reply
      • Bleed_Orange

        8 years ago

        That’s why I never understood when someone is drafted in the first round why they turn down the money and reenter the draft later. There really wasn’t that much of a difference between what he would have received between 16 and a top 10 pick. He’s very lucky to have gotten the money that he got.

        Reply
        • Baseball Lifer

          8 years ago

          The Rangers reportedly offered 4 million. Purke held out for 6 million. But at the time, the Rangers could not offer any more than 4 million due to the pending bankruptcy issues. I guess sometimes bankruptcy is a good thing…

  3. tom

    8 years ago

    Anyone that wants him remember he will miss at least half of the upcoming season recovering from Tommy john surgery

    Reply
    • Marc

      8 years ago

      So give him a <$1MM for a two year deal, throw in some incentives, help him rehab, and hope he can contribute at age 25.

      Reply
      • rich

        8 years ago

        Much less than a mil. At this point he’ll get closer to 50k with incentives and rehab.

        Reply
  4. MadmanTX

    8 years ago

    Wonder if the Rangers could offer him a minor league deal & give him rehab to come back.

    Reply
  5. Alexander_Brovechkin

    8 years ago

    Sad. I had high hopes because he was so highly regarded in the prior draft, but he’s just never been healthy since the Nats drafted him. Hopefully he heals up and has a successful career somewhere.

    Reply
  6. Marc

    8 years ago

    24 y/o lefty? Someone will take a flyer on this kid.

    Reply
    • tom

      8 years ago

      Not after two surgeries on his shoulder and a tommy john surgery last June. Maybe im wrong, just don’t think so

      Reply
      • Marc

        8 years ago

        If Andrew Bailey keeps getting work, this kid will at least get a “prove-it” deal in the minors.

        Reply
        • tom

          8 years ago

          Very true. You make a good point sir

  7. Andy B

    8 years ago

    Good reminder that so many prospects just don’t make it. That’s a big signing bonus for 0 return

    Reply
  8. HalfSt

    8 years ago

    The Nats took a chance and it didn’t work. However, they have drafted others while injured when they fell to them, with great success. They got Anthony Rendon at #6 because of injuries. They got Lucas Giolito at #16. Who knows how Eric Fedde will turn out, but if some don’t work, you move on. The truth is that even supposed sure things don’t work out often for reasons other than injuries. Many kids are being released this winter- at least he got one big pay day.
    This is one disadvantage for the draftees who signed Major League deals. The Nats have better players they need to put on the 40-man roster to protect them from next week’s Rule 5 draft. Going forward, I don’t know why anybody would pay him to rehabilitate when he is nowhere near Major League ready.
    Sorry, kid. Good luck going forward.

    Reply
  9. Pennsy

    8 years ago

    I hope to see him back on the Nats. If anyone will understand Purke’s medicals, and if he’s worth a short, it will be them. They have had good luck in times past with taking risks on players with injury-concerns, and have already partially invested in his rehabilitation. It’s just a given he can’t be on the 40-man roster. If they didn’t want him in the system they could have released him any time, but the timing coinciding with the Rule 5 draft seems to imply a more practical reasoning for doing what is essentially the necessary thing in protecting other players.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Orioles Promote DL Hall

    Fernando Tatis Jr. Suspended 80 Games For Performance-Enhancing Drug Violation

    Tarik Skubal Visiting Specialist With Elbow Issue; Expected To Miss Remainder Of Season

    Mariners Designate Ken Giles For Assignment

    Michael Brantley Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

    Tigers Fire General Manager Al Avila

    Matt Carpenter Expected To Miss 6-8 Weeks With Foot Fracture

    Braves Select Top Prospect Vaughn Grissom, Activate Kirby Yates

    2022-23 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings: August Edition

    Tim Anderson Out 4-6 Weeks Due To Torn Ligament In Hand

    Blue Jays Sign Jackie Bradley Jr., Designate Matt Peacock

    Chris Sale Fractures Wrist, Will Miss Remainder Of Season

    Cubs To Release Jason Heyward At End Of Season

    Cubs Claim Franmil Reyes From Guardians

    Fernando Tatis Jr. To Begin Rehab Assignment

    Rockies Claim Dinelson Lamet, Designate Ashton Goudeau

    Cubs Release Andrelton Simmons

    Alex Kirilloff To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

    Guardians Designate Franmil Reyes For Assignment

    Justin Verlander Reaches 130 Innings Pitched, Vests 2023 Player Option

    Recent

    Tigers Acquire Ricardo Sanchez From Phillies

    Marlins Announce Six Roster Moves

    Rangers Recall Yerry Rodriguez

    Forecasting The 2022-23 Qualifying Offers: Pitchers

    Red Sox To Activate Michael Wacha From 15-Day Injured List

    AL East Notes: Hall, Springer, Franco, Ramirez, Stanton

    Forecasting The 2022-23 Qualifying Offers: Position Players

    Mets Re-Sign Travis Jankowski To Minor League Deal

    Elvis Andrus Frustrated By Reduced Playing Time

    Injury Notes: Colomé, Nance, Mets

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Cubs Decline To Trade Contreras, Happ
    • Giants Keep Rodon, Pederson
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • MLB Player Chats
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version