The Dodgers have released outfielder Bradley Zimmer, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. He’d been playing with their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City after signing a minor league contract back in December.
The 30-year-old Zimmer is a veteran of six big league seasons, the majority of which were spent in Cleveland. A former first-round pick and well-regarded top prospect, Zimmer has long displayed plus speed and defense but never solidified himself as a regular outfielder at the MLB level, due largely to ongoing strikeout issues.
Zimmer’s penchant for punching out was magnified in 2022, when he spent the bulk of the season with the Blue Jays. Toronto clearly valued his baserunning acumen and defensive prowess, but Zimmer appeared in 100 games and received just 101 plate appearances — a testament to his long-running offensive struggles. In that time, he batted just .101/.200/.213 with a 40.6% strikeout rate. Certainly, the infrequency of his at-bats put Zimmer in an unenviable position in terms of trying to find some semblance of a rhythm at the plate, but on the whole he’s a career .213/.298/.333 hitter with a 33.9% strikeout rate.
Defensively, Zimmer has graded out fantastically wherever he’s been placed in the outfield. The bulk of his work in the big leagues has come in center field, but he’s also tallied 406 innings in right field and another 63 in left field. Defensive Runs Saved (13), Ultimate Zone Rating (5.2) and Outs Above Average (11) are all complementary of his work in 1783 innings in center field, and that trio grades his entire body of work in the outfield with similarly strong respective marks of 15, 7.8 and 14. Zimmer is also 42-for-50 in career stolen base attempts (84%) and landed in the 93rd percentile of big leaguers in terms of sprint speed in 2022, per Statcast.
Zimmer’s work with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate this year featured the same general characteristics that have come to be expected of him over the years. His .219/.322/.343 batting line was well below the league average, with a 38% strikeout rate standing as the primary culprit. However, he drew a fair number of walks, flashed a bit of pop (three homers), swiped eight bases (in nine tries), and spent some time in all three outfield slots (145 innings in right, 71 in center, nine in left). He’ll head back to free agency and look to latch on with another club in search of some center field depth.
Son of George Zimmer.
Does he guarantee it?!
Grandson of Heinrich Zimmer.
Big Z!
Keep trying Zim, Jake Bauers is having the best run of his career with the Yankees right now and his career has been mostly just like yours, at DFA City.
Zim needs to go to the Yankees. His numbers would jump through the roof with the best cheaters in the game.
I wonder if a guy like that was supposed to be a cornerback or a wide receiver. Elite speed, instincts, and ball tracking, but no ability to hit a baseball.
MANY great athletes would struggle to hit a baseball. It’s a specific skill of timing and hand eye coordination. I seem to remember a GREAT athlete with the nickname “Air”, that badly struggled to hit baseballs when he temporarily charged sports.
Take a round bat, to hit a round ball….”squarely” !
Would he and his brother Kyle constitute the most disappointing pair of brothers to play in MLB? With as high as they were drafted…
I mean, he did make it to the majors. The most disappointing players washed out in the minors.
Plus, under new rules the “up & down” AAAA guys get paid more than they ever did before. Between a couple short callups a yr & minor league pay, some borderline guys are making more than lawyers or doctors, for playing minor league and sometimes Major League ball.
Because just like Doctors and Lawyers everyone can’t be a professional ball player. If we could we would be out there in a heartbeat.
The Cecchini brothers should be in that conversation as well
Someone will pick him up and either stash him at AAA like the Dodgers did and/or come to the sudden realization this guy can’t hit (never could) and our guys have not been able to fix him – DFA. Billy Hamilton 2.0
Sometimes those 1st round, 21st overall picks don’t work out.
Especially the one selected in 2020
Chances of a glimmer of Zimmer grow slimmer and dimmer.
Meanwhile he simmers.
Probly still Drives a bimmer so he’s chillin.
A lesson for any one of use who truly believed growing up that even we could beat out 1 hit in 500 major league at bats. Zimmer, a great athlete, could barely beat out 5.
Bartolo Colon had 25 in only 299 ABs including a HR.
Zimmer just blows.
Zimmer is on target for the Billy Hamilton award this season.
On some level, you gotta admire the persistence and perseverance of some of the AAAA type players.
Would you give up on the only thing you have known for the last 15 years, which could pay you millions. Most of these guys don’t have anything to fall back on.
And even if they did, the passion for the game keeps driving them.
They should open up a mattress store to have something to fall back on.
I wouldn’t give up on it, but I would find someone to teach me how to hit. You’re bouncing around the majors and minors because you can’t hit. You either have to fix the problem or start selling insurance.
Centerfielders who can catch and throw the baseball? Didn’t MLB outlaw them years ago?
Jays should grab him. He’s an upgrade of Lukes.
LOL
Can he pitch???