Here are Wednesday’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Rockies announced that lefty Chris Rusin cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. He’s been sent outright to Triple-A. As a player with more than three years of MLB service, Rusin has the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but because he has fewer than five years of service, doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of this year’s $1.69MM salary. It’s likely that Rusin, who struggled to a 6.09 ERA in 54 2/3 innings a year ago and allowed four runs in his lone MLB frame in 2019, will indeed head to Triple-A Albuquerque and hope for another look later this season. Recent struggles notwithstanding, Rusin was a valuable member of the Colorado staff in 2016-17 when he turned in a combined 169 1/3 frames of 3.19 ERA ball with averages of 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
Take the money. Nobody else is going to pay him that anywhere else.
No surprise that Rusin cleared waivers given his performance this year. and last. I really hope he can right the ship because he was one of their most valuable bullpen pieces in ’16 and ’17.
The same thing happened with Dillon Gee and the Mets in 2015. Be surprised if Rusin did not take the money and go to Triple-A.