The Brewers have acquired right-hander Jake Thompson from the Phillies in exchange for cash, the Phillies announced Tuesday. Right-hander Alec Asher has been designated for assignment to open roster space, and the Brewers have optioned Thompson to Triple-A, per an announcement of their own.
Thompson, 24, was once considered to be among the game’s best pitching prospects, entering both the 2015 and 2016 season as a consensus Top 100 prospect. Originally a draft pick of the Tigers, he was traded to the Rangers alongside Corey Knebel in exchange for Joakim Soria and then traded from Texas to Philadelphia in the Cole Hamels blockbuster. In somewhat amusing and ironic fashion, the Brewers now hold all three pieces of that 2014 Tigers/Rangers swap in Knebel, Soria and Thompson.
[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers depth chart]
Of course, Thompson hasn’t exactly delivered on his considerable prospect status. He’s tallied 116 1/3 innings at the Major League level across the past three seasons, all with the Phillies, and pitched to a lackluster 4.87 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, 1.55 HR/9 and a 46.1 percent ground-ball rate. The Phillies had been using Thompson primarily in a relief role with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, so he could conceivably give Milwaukee some depth either in the rotation or in the bullpen. Thompson has one option year remaining after 2018, so the Brewers will have some flexibility with him in 2019 as well, if he sticks on the 40-man roster for that long.
As if the sequence connecting Knebel, Soria and Thompson wasn’t strange enough, the Brewers are opening room on the roster by designating one of the players alongside whom Thompson was traded from Texas to Philadelphia in that Hamels blockbuster. Both Thompson and Asher went from Texas to Philadelphia in that deal, and Thompson’s addition to the Brewers’ roster will come at the expense of his former teammate.
Asher, 26, has tossed three scoreless innings for the Brewers this season but owns an ugly 5.42 ERA with a 39-to-32 K/BB ratio through 88 innings of Triple-A work between the affiliates for Milwaukee and the Dodgers. That 5.42 mark is a dead match for his career ERA through 119 2/3 Major League innings, the majority of which have come as a member of the Phillies. Milwaukee has a week to trade Asher or try to run him through outright waivers in hopes of retaining him as a non-roster player.
Ariel Hernandez DFA incoming
actually suprised
Looked at Asher’s AAA stats for the year. ERA north of 5 with 39:32 K/BB ratio with 4.0 K/9.
Colorado Springs ain’t an easy place to pitch. Look at Hader and other numbers there last season. It’s easier facing major leaguers in Miller Park than it is to pitch to AAA hitters there.
It’s not easy but the low K and high BB rate is still worrisome.
Heh.. Swing and a miss on that one.
Gotta believe that maybe Wilkerson or Orf would be designated first over Hernandez because of their age and upside.
But they would keep them since Orf is a sogard type and Wilkerson is SP depth
That or on September first bring Dubon up and transfer him to 60 dl
These two have quite a history together…
this post is like a personal attack on the rangers pitching development system.
Very disappointed in GM JD of the Rangers, AGAIN. Thompson was an obvious pickup. Brewers got him for a few dollars. JD again asleep.
Same here. Would’ve been a good fit on the team right now — anything is better than Drew Hutchison at this point.
Thompson’s not a major league caliber starter. He wasn’t even particularly effective at Triple-A.
His future’s in the bullpen, and even there he doesn’t miss many bats.
Good luck to him in Milwaukee, but he’s not one I’m losing sleep over.
I LOVE that he was traded for a bunch of pitchers the brewers now own. (Knebel and Soria)….apparently the brewers loved that trade
I don’t know why, but Cole Hamels owes Jake Thompson a couple lunches.
Funny move,
Thompson re-joining Knebel with whom he was traded, and parting with Alec Asher with whom he was also traded
Not that it matters but Asher actually has tossed 60 ip with the orioles and that would be the team he’s seen the majority of his big league innings with. I was just genuinely curious after you said the Phillies were where he saw the largest part of big league action.
This whole article and the relationships between every player involved is like a giant game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Brewers making a run here
Better watch out
Welcome home to Texas, Mr. Asher. We will look forward to you coming back to Texas. Jake, your next.