The Reds have designated lefty Zach Duke for assignment, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by righty Jimmy Herget, who’ll be in line to make his MLB debut.
Duke, 36, seemed like a nice free agent buy at a $2MM price point. He only carried a 4.15 ERA in 2018, but generally looked solid in most peripheral measures and dominated opposing lefties (.220/.283/.319).
Unfortunately, the bottom has fallen out in the veteran southpaw’s 15th MLB campaign. Duke’s typically double-digit swinging-strike rate has collapsed to 7.3% as his chase rate has plummeted to 23.5%. With hitters laying off of most everything out of the zone, Duke has fared quite poorly in the K/BB department with 18 apiece through 23 1/3 innings.
The Reds obviously ran out of hope of finding a solution, deciding instead to give a shot to the 25-year-old Herget. He was added to the 40-man over the winter but has yet to appear in the bigs. Through 37 2/3 frames this year at Triple-A, his second effort at the highest level of the minors, he’s carrying a 3.58 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9.
dhud
THANK YOU.
bucketbrew35
He will not be on the market for long.
jeffweissbuch
yep lefties never get lefted on the market long
ChiSox_Fan
“Lefted”?
thatsdoctorsmartasstoyou
Whoosh
Psychguy
Here’s your chance Friedman to go dumpster diving again.
Ejemp2006
He will be a good Ray. They have tricks for fixing some, a lot!
Metsfan9
Too bad. It’s the end of an era of semi success for Duke. He’ll probably get a minor league deal somewhere
darkangel
he’s been around forever. once highly touted he’s never really made any impact.
ChiSox_Fan
Traded by Sox to Cards in 2016 for OF Charlie Tilson months before Duke’s surgery.
Now 26, hopefully Charlie sticks with the Sox.
Sheep8
Thanks for the insight *insert eye roll emoji*
ChiSox_Fan
At least I didn’t say Kenny fleeced the Cards!
ChiSox_Fan
Time will tell whether he did though…
jeb39999
Twins return?
Nick Stevens
Paging John Mozeliak
lfrient1
Looks like the Reds have decided to fight the inadequacy they perceived,and would no longer put up (with) their Duke.