The Brewers announced on Monday that they’ve claimed right-handed reliever Steve Geltz off waivers from the Rays and designated minor league outfielder/first baseman Adam Walker for assignment.
Geltz will head to the Brewers, where former Rays director of player personnel Matt Arnold is now serving as the assistant GM. The 29-year-old who recorded a 5.74 ERA in 26 2/3 innings with Tampa Bay this past season but posted a more impressive 3.03 ERA with better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings during his time at Triple-A. He had a solid season out of the Tampa Bay ’pen in 2015 (3.74 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 in 67 1/3 innings) and has a 4.23 ERA in 104 1/3 innings at the big league level dating back to 2012. Milwaukee has some uncertainty in the bullpen after trading both Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith at the non-waiver trade deadline this past year, and Geltz will give them an experienced arm to add to the 2017 bullpen competition.
Walker, 25, was claimed off waivers from the Twins last week but proved to have a very brief stay on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster. The former third-round pick has massive power, having homered 58 times across the past two minor league seasons, but he also strikes out at a prodigious clip. Walker punched out an incredible 202 times in 531 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season (38 percent) and whiffed at a 34.8 percent clip at Double-A in 2015. He also lacks any true defensive position, as he’s played left field recently but is projected by most to ultimately function as a first baseman or DH if he ever breaks into the Majors.
Great news for Brewers fans that have bleacher seats! A ton more souvenir baseballs headed your way!
I like Walker more than Geltz. Geltz just doesn’t do it for me. I think Blake Parker is a stronger option.
Geltz was mishandled by the Rays by a manager who doesn’t know when or why he pulls pitchers and then putting pitchers in poor positions that don’t play to the favor of the pitcher and circumstance.
Nah, Geltz was just terrible in 2016. Doesn’t matter when you put a pitcher in the game if he gives up a home run every time he comes in. It was guaranteed that Geltz would give up a home run every time he came into a game.
ok I highly doubt he stays on 40 man roster but this is still a chance that Walker will be able to stay with the Brewers if he passes through without someone claiming him. Then Brewers still have him then he can come in as a non roster invitee so it is what it is a chance to send Walker through waivers and no one bites so then they still have him. People know what is out there for rule 5 draft and are gearing up for that. Now a good time the teams pass on Walker. Plus teams might be waiting to see what players will be non tendered too
I am very critical of Cash as a manager, but Geltz’s awfulness was not on him. He just kept using him despite how bad he was.