The Nationals have designated right-hander Kyle Barraclough for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, whose previously reported one-year contract has now been officially announced by the Nationals. Infielder Adrian Sanchez has been optioned to Double-A Harrisburg in an additional corresponding move.
Acquired in a rare October trade that sent international bonus allotments from Washington to Miami, Barraclough was viewed as a controllable, buy-low ’pen option at the time the Nationals picked him up. While he was fresh off a fairly disappointing 4.20 ERA in 55 2/3 innings, Barraclough joined the Nationals with a long track record of missing bats and posting quality bottom-line results to match his gaudy strikeout totals. From 2015-18, Barraclough pitched to a 3.21 earned run average with 11.5 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9 in 218 2/3 innings of work. Although his walk rate was too high, he offset some of those strike-throwing issues with a minimal 0.6 HR/9 mark.
The 2019 campaign, however, proved to be an unmitigated disaster for Barraclough. Gone was his penchant for limiting the long ball — a problem that has plagued many hurlers throughout the league, albeit not to this extent — as he served up eight dingers in just 25 2/3 innings. Barraclough’s time with the Nationals will likely come to a close with a dismal 6.66 ERA and a 30-to-12 K/BB ratio in those 25 2/3 frames.
The Nats won’t have the opportunity to trade him thanks to the newly implemented August trade restrictions, but they could potentially save a bit of cash if another organization claims Barraclough on outright waivers. While this year’s results are obviously troubling, the 29-year-old Barraclough is making $1.725MM in 2019 and is controllable through the 2021 season.
A team willing to take on his remaining $510K salary this season would only owe him a small raise in arbitration and then would have the opportunity to help the right-hander round back into form. Between that and the fact that Barraclough has two minor league option years remaining beyond the 2019 campaign, a claim seems fairly likely. Other clubs have limited access to acquiring depth, and an optionable bullpen piece with a solid pre-2019 track record will be difficult to come by between now and the Aug. 31 deadline for postseason eligibility.
Hey Dayton, this is the type of claim you should make! Do it!
I wish you could go back and look at all my old posts. I said Barraclough is just another guy in the bullpen and the one marlins fan that exists told me he was basically the next Mariano Rivera.
He definitely seems like the type of guy the royals should be taking a chance on, so they can flip him at next years deadline.
In conclusion if you have a RP who is decent and your team is terrible always sell! He won’t be good next year probably.
Hey I exist and I can tell you he is not so great. In the beginning of his last season with the Marlins he had a good run as the closer for like 2 months and then imploded. Like he always does.
Really b/c as a Marlins fan, I was screaming to trade him for a really, really long time, and refer to him by the name Carlos Marmol b/c of his k% walk % and wild pitches. When the Marlins didnt trade him last year in June, I lost my mind, and then referred to it again when I didnt think they would be smart enough to trade Anderson this year… it wouldnt surprise me if some fan was over hyping him when he wasnt giving up anything, but nobody likely acted like he was insanely amazing. Most fans were more like me and wanted to see him traded. For me, it was b/c I didnt think he was good and his value was high.
am i crazy, or did this guy at one point just last season serve as miami’s closer, and had a decent amount of trade interest heading into the deadline?
Braves need to make a claim, he has options remaining and could go to AAA and figure somethings out.
Exactly. AAA bullpen and call up in September.
Andrew Miller type reclamation project. Maybe someone can see what is wrong with the mechanics and head, then fix it slowly. it’s not going to be a 2 month issue tho, just like with Miller. he’ll have to commit to a team for rest of this season and next if he thinks the right combination of pitching coaches have found his problems, just like with Miller.
Daniel Bard never did and his career was wasted at a terribly young age. Mental and loss of mechanics. it’s just finding the right combo of people which make the difference, or not.
Twins?
He has a satanic era
Probably pissed on Miguel Rojas JoBu doll after getting traded to the Nats.
never, ever mess with jobu’s rum
He was a Met killer in MIA.. BVW should grab him and see what happens with Phil Regan’s tutelage.
Giants
Another in a long list of relievers in today’s game being overused and burned out before they’re 30.
lets see if coop can fix him
During a National’s broadcast last week, they were mentioning that his velocity isn’t the same. I’m not sure you can fix that naturally.
“Unmitigated disaster” – having Rosenthal in the same bullpen could be mitigating.
it was
The cubs should be all in because there bullpen sucks and everybody is getting hurt
Marlins wanted Dustin May for this guy last year and yet Dodger fans are out with pitchforks when their front office is smart enough to stay clear from these types of deals
Pirates!
6.66 the ERA of the beast
Once they stopped him from illegally hopping off the rubber it was basically downhill from there.
Wrong guy rofl
Cubs maybe? With their bullpen falling apart day by day they might as well.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Bear Claw!
Thumbs up for Archer reference
Red Sox should be all over him. He’ll come cheap and they need anyone with a pulse in that bullpen
The best place for him would be San Diego. They seem to have a niche for turning relievers around.
Rick Hahn, it’s your move.