The Blue Jays have released right-hander Mat Latos from their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo earlier this week, according to Buffalo broadcaster Ben Wagner (Twitter link). The team has yet to formally announce the move.
The 29-year-old Latos inked a minor league deal with Toronto this offseason and has made three starts for the big league club this season, allowing a total of 11 runs on 19 hits and eight walks with 10 strikeouts in 15 innings. Latos has posted a more favorable 3.80 ERA with a 24-to-13 K/BB ratio in 26 innings with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate. While a number of players have opt-out provisions in their contract this time of year, Wagner specified in a second tweet that Latos’ release was a team decision.
It’s been a struggle for Latos over the past two-plus seasons, as he now owns a 5.05 ERA in his past 201 1/3 innings. Injuries, beginning with left knee surgery in 2014, have played a role in his decline, as has the fact that his velocity has dipped from the 93-94 mph range to the 90-91 mph range. Latos, who has spent time with the Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox, Nationals and Jays over the past three years, will now look to join a rather remarkable seventh organization since Opening Day 2015.
Just retire!
Why? So he can be another random on to MLBTR telling people to retire?
HAHAHAHHAAHA!!!! Nice!
The Mariners could use him, they’re running out of AAA pitchers.
Maybe Pittsburgh should pick him up?
They might be able to fix him.
Reports he is not a great team player, but you can’t fault the guy for putting himself out there.
He surely doesn’t need the money.
I was disappointed with him at Dodgers but wish him the best.
I may be understanding you wrong, so if so just ignore, but I don’t think the bad clubhouse reputation comes from “putting himself out there.” For example, when he left Cincinnati, he blasted pretty much the entire organization over how they handle his injury. That’s not “putting yourself out there,” that’s burning bridges and throwing people under the bus
What bad clubhouse reputation?
A simple google of “mat latos clubhouse” produced like 8 articles off the top that had something to do with his reputation. A quick excerpt from one article from fangraph:
“The other part of the equation that likely held down Latos’ value is the touchy part. Upon entering the league with the Padres, he had a reputation for being a “headache.” After leaving Cincinnati, he criticized the Reds organization for rushing him back from the disabled list, then went on to call the clubhouse a “circus” while seemingly taking a personal jab at Aroldis Chapman. Latos’ ex-teammates wasted no time firing back at him.”
Lots of material to go read and make your own judgement
Okay Peter Gammons
Can’t fix him, until his knee is fixed….like elbows and shoulders, knees don’t always go back to normal or better. Even after surgery.
Someone ought to try him out of the pen. Its worked numerous times before.
This is what I’ve been thinking, too. It might be a case of him not wanting to go to the pen though. He’d be better swerved there in my opinion. It would likely add a few MPH to his fastball and keep him healthier.
Seems like a ray searage project to me rotation or bullpen he will make him relevant especially in a small market club that thrives on any “cheap deal” they can get
Brewers cough cough can’t be any worse than Jimmy Nelson
Nelson has a 3.83 ERA and 3.41 FIP, with 8.6 K/9. All of those numbers support that he has been an above-average pitcher this year.
It took the white sox a lot longer to figure out he sucked.
he did start pretty good last year tho
I’m pretty sure last years good start was all luck, he was throwing it middle middle, and wasn’t getting hit hard. You can’t keep that up.
Braves!
We’ve got enough AAAA pitchers.
I wonder if Latos wouldn’t benefit by taking a year off to recover and work out privately. He’s not old, he’s made $25M, and moving from organization to organization isn’t helping.,
Someone said that he wouldn’t work out with the Jays and it was a waste of time signing him. Guess what? They were right. This guy needs to get his head togther along with his pitching mechanics. Going to the bullpen could save his career.
I wouldn’t agree it was a waste of time signing him. It was a minor league deal, and he made 3 fill-in starts for a Jays team that was desperate for starters. It’s not like there’s a lot of 7th starters out there to be signed, and that’s exactly what Latos provided for the Jays.
Let examine that: In those 3 starts he was 0-1,, 6.60 era, 1.80 whip, War -..2 and only could pitch a total of 15 ininnings in 3 starts. Oh, by the way, he got paid based on a clause in his Jays agreement of 1.5 million pro-rated over his time, so it wasn’t a straight minor league deal. I would say it was a total waste. And at the time he was signed, many included me, were calling for the Jays to sign elite players or trade for elite starters, not these scrap heap guys. He had 1 good start against a crappy team while he was here. I would say it was a total waste. The Jays could have spent the time and money on better choices.
What ace pitcher was available and how would the Jays have been able to get them because aces are commanding ridiculous prospect hauls lately which the Jays simply couldn’t match. Side note, the free agent class was so weak that it wasn’t worth a splurge.
You asked, so here goes: This Jays team is old and must win now. Next year will be a hurting year barring trades because of the age of the core. Last winter I was screaming to anyone who would listen that the Jays needed a #1 starter and 2 elite releivers. As far as trades, it would take trading most of the farm system and yes, the Jays have enough in the system to get it done. Only the Jays know what was available and at what price, but I have heard from a source who knows, that teams REGULARLY call about Guerrero Junior and have called on TJ Zeuch [RHP] among others. As far a free agent Starters go, some examples that were available as free agents were Hill, Nova, Cashner, Hammel, Chavez, Eovaldi, Fister, Morton, Volquez, none of which I would say are #1 status, but most better than Latos or Lawrence, or etc etc. For releivers: Jansen and Chapman were available as well as Cecil, Melacon, Benoit, Logan, Feliz, etc etc. Better than Howell who can’t play at the major league level anymore, or Campos or Grilli on short rest, or Valdez or Dermoudy or or or…
There’s no reason to believe signing Mat Latos stopped the Jays from signing any of those other guys. Of course Latos was never going to be great — I didn’t expect much but I don’t regret the signing one bit. You act like the manager said “we need pitching” and the GM said “no problem, here’s Latos and Bolsinger.” I highly doubt that’s what happened.
Please don’t presume how I [or anyone else] am thinking. this team will never win a championship as currently contructed, not back in the winter and not now. It does not take a genius to see that the pitching is not championship calibre going forward. There is no pitching depth going forward either. Latos and Bolsinger and all of the others I listed above are spare parts, albeit poor spare parts. My scouting training and eyes, as well as many others, predicted the jays would not be strong enough to win. The object this year is to win now, not just compete. I know the Jays brass has a goal of not trading away the young players to win now because they want to compete every year. Having that goal will create a Cleveland situation where they won nothing from 2001 when Mark Shaprio took over with this faulty goal. It took Mark’s departure and a Cleveland GM and President to sell the farm for pieces they needed to get to the world series. I am not saying fire Mark Shaprio, in fact, I like him as a leader and think he is a great baseball guy; I am suggesting that this faulty year after year competative goal must be suspended this year to allow for big trades so that Jays can make a run this year. Otherwise sell everyone at the trade deadline except Stroman, Pillar and Osuna cuz they ain’t winnin’ this year.
This guys a troll, there’s no talking sense into him. What team couldn’t use an ace pitcher or elite bullpen arms? Sheesh
Rt^
Name calling now? It’s not about “talking sense” it is about what a scout can see in the future and project. It is not about looking back at a player or a team but looking forward. It is a whole different gifting. i suggest reading a good book on scouting to learn more about projecting based on what is going forward instead of what has already been. Anyone can read a stat or hold a radar gun or stopwwatch but not many can intuitvely accurately know how a team or player is going to perform. it is a gift to have that ability. There are a few popualr scouting books like the Scout or Dollar sign on the Muscle.
Ingrate and knucklehead. And now he’s washed up.
At least his cat has an interesting Twitter account: Cat Latos.
Maybe the knucklehead should test out a knuckleball
What makes you say that?
He would be perfect for the Mets. Anyone with a prepaid contract is attractive to the cheap Wilson’s
Wilpon’s
I believe I heard it on AM 590 earlier this week. Oldish news move on.
I think all 30 teams are Latos Intolerant at this stage.