Tuesday’s minor moves from around baseball:
- The White Sox selected right-hander Alex McRae before their game against the Indians and optioned righty Zack Burdi to their alternate site. McRae, a 10th-round pick of the Pirates in 2014, amassed 33 innings with the team from 2018-19, but he struggled to an 8.18 ERA with similarly unappealing strikeout and walk percentages of 14.6 and 12.8, respectively. The Pirates outrighted McRae after his second season in the majors, and he caught on with the White Sox on a minor league contract. The 28-year-old threw three scoreless innings for the club in 2020, but it then outrighted him before bringing him back on another minors deal.
- The Phillies have signed left-hander Rob Kaminsky to a minors pact and added him to their player pool, per a team announcement. Kaminsky, the 28th overall pick of the Cardinals in 2013, left the St. Louis organization when the team traded him to Cleveland in a 2015 deal centering on slugger Brandon Moss. The 26-year-old rejoined the Cardinals on a minor league contract heading into last season and wound up making his MLB debut. Kaminsky allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks (three strikeouts) in 4 2/3 innings with the Cardinals, who outrighted him in September.
nice to pick up Kaminsky as depth. I think he looked solid the past few years.
I watched Kaminsky a few times in the Indians’ system and I always walked away thinking his curve ball was just too good not to make the majors eventually. He never could stay healthy enough to remain a starter but I thought he could make it as a reliever. But I think the 3 batter rule took out that possibility as well. A soft throwing curve ball artist lefty is going to have trouble making it these days.
I always pictured Rob Kamimsky as some short 5’7” or 5’8” guy, but I guess I was wrong, he’s 6’0”.
You’re thinking of his accountant. Different guy
Not a good sign for Burdi at all.
It means they have no faith in him to even do mop up duty, and it’s not as if the assignment gives him reps, because AAA ball doesn’t start until the first.
It has little to do with that and almost everything to do with the fact that they needed a fresh arm.
It might have been a different outcome if Lynn was taking his normal turn today, but with him on the IL, Rodon coming off a super high pitch count in only his 2nd start of the year after being hurt for most of the last few years and Gioliito’s clunker…the move for a fresh arm was the impetus here.
He’s not in AAA, he was sent to the alternate site where they don’t have games against other opponents, but they are likely doing game stuff and probably intrasquad games.
Burdick really isn’t very good.
Burdi really isn’t very good.
Stiever will probably get the start tonight. Interesting to see if he does.
The way Benetti and Stone were talking, it sounds like a bullpen game, which is absolutely mind-blowing considering how much they’ve been used
Fair point.