The Rays have designated right-hander Javy Guerra for assignment, per a club announcement. The move makes room for Zack Littell on the active roster after the Rays claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox on Friday.
Guerra, 27, had joined the Rays after the club acquired him from the Brewers two weeks ago in exchange for cash considerations. It’s been a difficult 2023 campaign for Guerra so far, as the righty has posted a 6.75 ERA with a 7.41 FIP in 13 1/3 innings between his time in Milwaukee and in Tampa. Guerra’s results improved over his 5 innings of work with the Rays, as he surrendered just two runs, but the control woes that saw him struggle in Milwaukee did not change. On the season, Guerra has allowed free passes to a massive 24.7% of batters he has faced, a figure that more than doubles his 12.3% strikeout rate.
Assuming Guerra is not claimed off of waivers or traded again, the righty will head back into free agency and look for a shot with his third club of the season, presumably on a minor league deal.
Guerra’s departure clears room for the right-handed Littell on the roster as he joins the Rays in the Bronx for this afternoon’s game against the Yankees. In 172 2/3 innings of work throughout his career, Littell sports a 4.17 ERA and 4.66 FIP with a 20.6% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. Littell joins a Rays bullpen that has seen a characteristically high turnover rate behind stalwarts like Jason Adam, Colin Poche, and Ryan Thompson.
The Ray’s reliever churn continues.
Churning like buttah!
Like buttah I tell ya!
The Ray-vees have Wavy’d Javy. Psychedelic man
See league has to do something different somehow with guys like this. He came up as a shortstop, used all his option years. Then when switch to pitcher, then when they send him down they have to dfa him in order to be sent down. These teams see the potential in him and keep claiming him. Which he does have a lot of potential but he won’t get the chance to really work with someone continuelessly to unleash what works because he just bounces around which will just ruin his chances of ever catching on. They gotta figure this out,
Maybe like I guy gets dfa’d 3 times they earn another option year so they can find a solid home for the year.
Why would a player prefer to go back to AAA instead of being claimed by another MLB team and stay on a 26 man roster? If they do clear waivers they are free to sign a minor league deal with anyone they choose. Being optional means you are stuck with one team.
Because guy is never going to learn how to pitch if he is in dfa’d limbo for a week every time it happens. They lose a lot of valuable learning time for a guy switching from ss to pitcher.
He could just sign with a team that promises not to call him up. Problem solved. Life of an entertainer.
You don’t learn how to pitch in the majors. You make adjustments to be able to get major league guys out, but learning how to pitch comes from doing it in the minors (and probably wayyyyyy before that). Guy simply has command issues, and that’s why his ERA was what it was. Couldn’t get it right as a shortstop or a pitcher.
Scott Harris has a contract ready to sign
Looks like I’m going to have to come out of retirement.
Thus the Guerra Era ends.
This guy has great stuff so I can’t figure out why he can’t make it. But there have been hundreds of guys with that problem I guess. If the Rays can’t fix you, Maybe a job with, ” You want fries with dat” , Is in order.
Thank god he sucked last year he sucked with brewers, and he sucked when he came back.he is not a major league pitcher
Is that Javy Guerra, or Javy Guerra?
Yes
It sounds like he needs to be moved back to shortstop because he ain’t cutting it as a pitcher
Even with the Yankees stealing signs, the best they could do was a split.
Noone in their right mind would claim this guy. Watch the Rays bring him back on a minor league deal and make him next year’s closet.