The D-backs have claimed right-hander J.B. Wendelken off waivers from the Athletics, reports FanSided’s Robert Murray (via Twitter). The A’s designated him for assignment just yesterday.
It’d have been surprising for a team in the Diamondbacks’ position — dismal bullpen, No. 1 waiver priority, multiple open 40-man spots — to pass on Wendelken. The right-hander hasn’t had a great season in Oakland, but his work leading up to the 2021 campaign was quite strong.
From 2018-20, Wendelken pitched 74 1/3 innings for the A’s, working to a 2.30 ERA with a strong 26.4 percent strikeout rate and a very solid 8.4 percent walk rate. The righty also thrived in terms of limiting hard contact, yielding an 86.6 mph average exit velocity, a 30.6 percent overall hard-hit rate and just a 2.1 percent barrel rate. Fielding-independent pitching metrics weren’t quite as bullish as his baseline ERA (3.04 FIP, 3.72 SIERA) but still generally agreed that Wendelken was a solid reliever.
The 2021 season hasn’t gone quite as well, but Wendelken has pitched to a respectable 4.32 ERA in 25 frames. His 22.2 percent strikeout rate is his lowest since a brief rookie debut in 2016, and his 11.1 percent walk rate is a career-high. Still, the 28-year-old has continued to limit hard contact effectively, and his swinging-strike and chase rates have actually improved over their 2020 marks.
Wendelken will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, and the D-backs can control him through the 2024 season via that arbitration process. He’s out of minor league options, so he’ll have to stick on the big league roster, but based on his past 100 innings in the Majors, there’s reason to think he can stick.
It’s always possible that Wendelken’s strikeout and walk tendencies continue to trend in the wrong direction, but there’s no reason for the last-place D-backs to pass on a risk-free flier. Arizona relievers rank second-to-last in the Majors with a combined 5.41 ERA, so Wendelken is an upgrade even if he doesn’t quite return to his peak form.
Well, they did do it. Probably gonna end up as their closer
Nice! That’s a whole 3 saves.
If the Diamondbacks get hot, then yes
Whatever helps the arb
Wow!
Oakland’s Chris Bassitt just caught a 100 mph line drive with his face!
I hope he is OK!!
Aught to help them against the giants tonight! Hopefully he didn’t leave Oakland! Can’t be worse than what the d backs have put out to close the games recently against SF. In their pitchers defense last night wasn’t really the BP fault and I wonder if the 1B walker was it? Was injured and shouldn’t have stayed in the game or he might have been able to get the laser off Bryant’s bat. Sure hope they correct it and call it a hit instead of an error, 1B dove for ball and did make a bad throw but Bryant hustled and slid it was not an easy play and Bryant deserved the rbi and hit, also difficult play for defender shouldn’t get the error.
#1 waiver priority? The entire AL passed on him first.
League-specific waiver priority only applied to revocable August trade waivers, which no longer exist.
Outright waiver priority is based on overall record.
Nice buy low move. If they can’t turn it around in the next couple of seasons I could see him bouncing back into a nice trade chip.
Once the DBacks get Noe Ramirez back, that’ll be three waiver claims (one of which was a Rule 5 draftee) and two MiLB FA that were added this year that make up the bullpen. At least they all have multiple years of control.
I’m pretty sure we’ve already reached the point of, “it can’t possibly get worse”, so it can only get better, right? Right?
It always gets worse, they find a new way to lose almost daily. Yesterday giving up 4 runs in the first looked like doom, but they fought back, tied it up and blew the game on an error in the ninth. You can’t make this stuff up. The Arizona Agonies can always get worse.
I’m going to guess that a relatively large number of teams had waiver claims in, and it’s not surprising that he didn’t make it past the #1 spot.
Waiting fir them to suit up a parking lot attendant
i guess they like A’s castoffs
A’s being cheap per usual
The A’s are cheap but DFA’ing Wendelken had nothing to do with being cheap. But don’t let the facts get in the way of your attempt at seeming like you have something insightful to say.
Anybody whose ERA is under 8.50 can help AZ.
I was kind of bummed the A’s chose Burch Smith over him until last night’s outing – solid like a mighty tree!
Best wishes for Wendelken though, he had a great run with the green and gold – D’Backs need all the help they can get making it through the year lol
This is what happens when your pitching coaching staff as zero clue on what’s going on. Wendelken went from a mid 1 era in 2020 to a mid 4 era this year and the question one needs to ask is was he hurt or did the coaching staff not notice anything mechanically different. Coaches still need to coach at this level and not stand around with a clipboard and do nothing. D-backs got a great pickup! Great move!